The Return of the Blimp
By Donald Kaiser – Feb 1, 2011
When blimps of United States Navy (USN) Blimp Squadron ZP-14 made the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944, locating and destroying German U-boats was their only main concern. Retrospectively however, these first transatlantic blimp flights actually demonstrated that long-range, transoceanic flight by non-rigid, lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles was not only possible but practical. The USN blimps made their transatlantic flights with surprising ease, effectiveness, and safety; despite their frightening appearance to some foreigners who threw rocks and fired small arms at them. Multiple helium gas compartments prevented this from being disastrous.
Although the famous German Zeppelins had made many transatlantic flights prior to 1944, these larger, stronger, rigid airships were filled with the highly flammable hydrogen gas. The Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst, NJ in 1937 indicated that this wasn't exactly the best way to run an airline. Consequently, the use of safe helium gas was an important LTA innovation. While it took nearly the entire world's supply of helium gas to inflate the rigid airship USS Shenandoah in 1923, helium soon became more readily available and the USN was able to operate over 150 blimps filled with this nonflammable gas during World War II. Light helium gas was even used to inflate the tires of heavy bombers so they could carry more fuel and reach more distant targets.
Today, most people have seen a blimp at one time or another because they are frequently used for aerial photography at major sporting events but LTA ships are also used for advertising, sightseeing, surveillance, and research.
So, what are some of the future prospects for blimps? Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH (ZLT), a company in Friedrichshafen, Germany has begun producing a fleet of semi-rigid airships that they hope will become a viable means of transporting people and/or material cargo. Currently designed to carry only 12 passengers and a crew of two, or a 1900 kg payload, these new Zeppelin NT airships are a far cry from the original German Zeppelins that carried over 100 passengers with a similar number of crew members. Today's LTA ships are mere glorified balloons next to the old German Zeppelins, but they represent a more practical working model for future developments. Plans call for the design of 19-seat airships and one can imagine that this will only increase as the technology improves.
Approximately 100,000 passengers have already been taken for a ride on Zeppelin NTs and at least one airship has been sold to an interested Japanese company. The American company Airship Ventures, Inc. is establishing its own Zeppelin NT business in San Francisco, CA. They’re already offering round-trip flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles for $2500 but a 30 minute cruise over the beautiful central California coast can be enjoyed for just under $200 according to their website.
Importantly, because helium is a rare, limited, natural resource that cannot be synthesized, it could severely curtail the future development of LTA applications. This is no light matter and consequently, airships that obtain their lift from hot air rather than helium are being considered. Surprisingly, even reverting to hydrogen gas is being considered because current and future technologies could allow for safe use of this flammable gas that is more readily available. Additionally, it could be possible to engineer a system that integrates the use of hydrogen gas for lift with hydrogen batteries known as fuel cells to generate electrical power. Indeed, the NASA space shuttle has been using hydrogen fuel cell technology for years and the only by-product is drinkable water.
Some aircraft engineers believe that the quiet, energy-efficient, and eco-friendly aspects of LTA aircraft offer future opportunities and benefits for transportation. One idea takes advantage of the size of blimps with their large surface area. The skin of a blimp could be constructed of special solar panels to generate power for the airship. Such a system would require less fuel, allow for more passengers or cargo, and produce fewer carbon dioxide emissions.
While LTA ships are not likely to ever attain speeds over 100-200 MPH, perhaps we can sacrifice speed if that's what's necessary to develop more environmentally-friendly means of transportation. In a sense, we have already begun to reverse our trend to 'go faster' and 'get there sooner' now that the Super Sonic Transport (SST) has been grounded and is no longer available for our transportation needs. So why not continue making similar sacrifices, especially if they may help to stem the apparent atmospheric crisis? Lighter-than-air vehicles might be slower but they offer us viable alternatives for future transportation. The next time you see a blimp don't throw rocks, just wave and give 'em a thumbs up.
By Donald Kaiser – Feb 1, 2011
When blimps of United States Navy (USN) Blimp Squadron ZP-14 made the first transatlantic crossing of non-rigid airships in 1944, locating and destroying German U-boats was their only main concern. Retrospectively however, these first transatlantic blimp flights actually demonstrated that long-range, transoceanic flight by non-rigid, lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles was not only possible but practical. The USN blimps made their transatlantic flights with surprising ease, effectiveness, and safety; despite their frightening appearance to some foreigners who threw rocks and fired small arms at them. Multiple helium gas compartments prevented this from being disastrous.
Although the famous German Zeppelins had made many transatlantic flights prior to 1944, these larger, stronger, rigid airships were filled with the highly flammable hydrogen gas. The Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst, NJ in 1937 indicated that this wasn't exactly the best way to run an airline. Consequently, the use of safe helium gas was an important LTA innovation. While it took nearly the entire world's supply of helium gas to inflate the rigid airship USS Shenandoah in 1923, helium soon became more readily available and the USN was able to operate over 150 blimps filled with this nonflammable gas during World War II. Light helium gas was even used to inflate the tires of heavy bombers so they could carry more fuel and reach more distant targets.
Today, most people have seen a blimp at one time or another because they are frequently used for aerial photography at major sporting events but LTA ships are also used for advertising, sightseeing, surveillance, and research.
So, what are some of the future prospects for blimps? Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH (ZLT), a company in Friedrichshafen, Germany has begun producing a fleet of semi-rigid airships that they hope will become a viable means of transporting people and/or material cargo. Currently designed to carry only 12 passengers and a crew of two, or a 1900 kg payload, these new Zeppelin NT airships are a far cry from the original German Zeppelins that carried over 100 passengers with a similar number of crew members. Today's LTA ships are mere glorified balloons next to the old German Zeppelins, but they represent a more practical working model for future developments. Plans call for the design of 19-seat airships and one can imagine that this will only increase as the technology improves.
Approximately 100,000 passengers have already been taken for a ride on Zeppelin NTs and at least one airship has been sold to an interested Japanese company. The American company Airship Ventures, Inc. is establishing its own Zeppelin NT business in San Francisco, CA. They’re already offering round-trip flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles for $2500 but a 30 minute cruise over the beautiful central California coast can be enjoyed for just under $200 according to their website.
Importantly, because helium is a rare, limited, natural resource that cannot be synthesized, it could severely curtail the future development of LTA applications. This is no light matter and consequently, airships that obtain their lift from hot air rather than helium are being considered. Surprisingly, even reverting to hydrogen gas is being considered because current and future technologies could allow for safe use of this flammable gas that is more readily available. Additionally, it could be possible to engineer a system that integrates the use of hydrogen gas for lift with hydrogen batteries known as fuel cells to generate electrical power. Indeed, the NASA space shuttle has been using hydrogen fuel cell technology for years and the only by-product is drinkable water.
Some aircraft engineers believe that the quiet, energy-efficient, and eco-friendly aspects of LTA aircraft offer future opportunities and benefits for transportation. One idea takes advantage of the size of blimps with their large surface area. The skin of a blimp could be constructed of special solar panels to generate power for the airship. Such a system would require less fuel, allow for more passengers or cargo, and produce fewer carbon dioxide emissions.
While LTA ships are not likely to ever attain speeds over 100-200 MPH, perhaps we can sacrifice speed if that's what's necessary to develop more environmentally-friendly means of transportation. In a sense, we have already begun to reverse our trend to 'go faster' and 'get there sooner' now that the Super Sonic Transport (SST) has been grounded and is no longer available for our transportation needs. So why not continue making similar sacrifices, especially if they may help to stem the apparent atmospheric crisis? Lighter-than-air vehicles might be slower but they offer us viable alternatives for future transportation. The next time you see a blimp don't throw rocks, just wave and give 'em a thumbs up.