Airships could offer a much cleaner and quieter alternative for some aspects of the aviation market. In a former airship factory, a new generation are taking shape.
There have been a lot of advances in light weight materials since then, and while it is correct that weight is limited, space is not, so a passenger will be the opposite of cramped. The main passenger space in a Zeppelin is inside the main cylinder, the gondola below is only the cockpit basically.
So if they can make it economically viable, then a trans-atlantic crossing with an airship might take longer, but it will be a lot more comfortable and they could even do low altitude flights and sightseeing stops on the way.
Some good points, which I will concede where appropriate, but TBH until I actually see real airship trans-ocean services, I will remain skeptical. Too many transportation grifts lately cough hyperloop cough.
I’ve also been thinking: I think the biggest hurdle would be using renewables for airships. All the energy storage we have so far: batteries, hydrogen, biogas etc, are too heavy, or require pressure tanks that are themselves too heavy, even if the energy source isn’t. It’s already extremely easy to use renewables for ships, because many large ships are diesel electric already, with diesel engines driving a generator and motors driving the propellers. Just replace the diesel part with renewable electricity generation and the fundamental design is left unchanged. What’s more, ships running renewables already exist and can alrrady make trips for real.
IMO, a ship running entirely on renewables with lower raw energy efficiency numbers is more sustainable than an airship running on petroleum aviation fuel but more energy efficiency.
If the airship uses hydrogen, then you need some tanks for it anyways and those could also feed fuel cells. They are not that heavy if made from carbon fiber. Its also much easier to refill on the way on a short stop.
Also such an airship has potentially a huge surface area for solar panels. Regular silicon ones are probably too heavy, but those Perovskite cells under development can be super lightweight at still decent efficiency.
But I agree, let’s be skeptical until there is actually some real ones flying again.
Yeah, I don’t think using hydrogen lifting gas is the best idea. We have multiple burned down blimps to attest to that. Also, I kind of doubt you can store enough hydrogen at atmospheric pressure to both lift the blimp and also power it. Solar panels might work, but that’d be an engineering feat that I need to see before I believe.
There have been a lot of advances in light weight materials since then, and while it is correct that weight is limited, space is not, so a passenger will be the opposite of cramped. The main passenger space in a Zeppelin is inside the main cylinder, the gondola below is only the cockpit basically.
So if they can make it economically viable, then a trans-atlantic crossing with an airship might take longer, but it will be a lot more comfortable and they could even do low altitude flights and sightseeing stops on the way.
Some good points, which I will concede where appropriate, but TBH until I actually see real airship trans-ocean services, I will remain skeptical. Too many transportation grifts lately cough hyperloop cough.
I’ve also been thinking: I think the biggest hurdle would be using renewables for airships. All the energy storage we have so far: batteries, hydrogen, biogas etc, are too heavy, or require pressure tanks that are themselves too heavy, even if the energy source isn’t. It’s already extremely easy to use renewables for ships, because many large ships are diesel electric already, with diesel engines driving a generator and motors driving the propellers. Just replace the diesel part with renewable electricity generation and the fundamental design is left unchanged. What’s more, ships running renewables already exist and can alrrady make trips for real.
IMO, a ship running entirely on renewables with lower raw energy efficiency numbers is more sustainable than an airship running on petroleum aviation fuel but more energy efficiency.
If the airship uses hydrogen, then you need some tanks for it anyways and those could also feed fuel cells. They are not that heavy if made from carbon fiber. Its also much easier to refill on the way on a short stop.
Also such an airship has potentially a huge surface area for solar panels. Regular silicon ones are probably too heavy, but those Perovskite cells under development can be super lightweight at still decent efficiency.
But I agree, let’s be skeptical until there is actually some real ones flying again.
Yeah, I don’t think using hydrogen lifting gas is the best idea. We have multiple burned down blimps to attest to that. Also, I kind of doubt you can store enough hydrogen at atmospheric pressure to both lift the blimp and also power it. Solar panels might work, but that’d be an engineering feat that I need to see before I believe.