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The large airships have disappeared since the accident of the Hindenburg (filled with hydrogen) which catches fire at the time of the landing in New-York city – 1937. Nowadays, the Zeppelin NT (75m, 8500 m3) and the Skyship 600 (61m, 7200 m3) are among the biggest. Filled with helium (inert gas), they are employed for advertisement (Goodyear, Fuji…) and tourist flying with about 10 passengers.
The airship we will use, the Pole Airship, is a Russian Au30 (55 m long, 5,000 m3) built by RosAeroSystems in Moscow. It is specially prepared for this expedition, and will also be used for other measuring programmes and environmental observations. |
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This is a blimp type of airship, that is, it has no rigid internal structure. The envelope gas pressure suffices to ensure the rigidity of the airship. The cabin is supported by wires connected to catenaries which are internally attached to the top of the envelope. For its manoeuverability, it is equipped with two aviation engines of 170 hp, which can rotate 180°, allowing the propeller thrust to be pointed in different directions depending on the flying attitude: take-off, horizontal flight and landing.
The airship is 55 m long, 17 m high, and is inflated with 5,000 m3 of inert helium gas, which is lighter than air.
One cubic metre of helium can lift 1 kg, so 5,000 m3 can lift 5 tons. The envelope, fins and cabin weigh 3.5 tons, leaving a useful payload of 1.5 tons, including fuel. |
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The cost and rarity of fossil fuels will progressively favour economical transport. Heavy lift airship projects are under study. I am working on the construction of a 30 ton payload airship for Earth observation programmes. With a range of 8,000 km, it will be an excellent, versatile vehicle, capable of carrying out missions over all types of terrain: oceans, poles, deserts, tropical forests …
This airship will also be able at short notice to assist victims of natural disasters. |
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