Progress in dirigibles

15.07.2025

Progress in dirigibles

Academician Oleg Figovsky, Israel

Engineer Valery Gumarov, Russia

The smooth, white underbelly of the airborne whale sails across the sky, casting a shadow across the forest below. Other than its enormous size, though, this «whale» has very little to do with its animal namesake. It’s an airship, and French aeronautics company Flying Whales hopes its hybrid-electric, helium-lift vessel will change the shape of sustainable transport. The airship could help solve the problem of how to transport cargo «when infrastructure is lacking, or just doesn’t exist at all,- says Romain Schlack, Flying Whales’ head of communications. - We are going to add new possibilities to global logistics, while overcoming obstacles and problems on the ground».

An airship being developed by the French company Flying Whales

Airship technology has been around for over 150 years, and gained popularity in the early 1900s ferrying passengers and cargo across land and ocean. A striking example of this: on August 8, 1929, the Graf Zeppelin began its around-the-world flight, ending on August 29 (21 days of circumnavigation with several stops, with 12 days of pure flying time).

A postcard dedicated to the round-the-world flight of the airship «Graf Zeppelin»

But as airplanes became faster and more advanced, airships could not keep up.

To top it all off, on May 6, 1937, the German airship Hindenburg caught fire while landing after completing a flight from Frankfurt (Germany) to Lakehurst (USA), killing 36 of the 97 people on board.

There are different ways to look at the Hindenburg crash, but the fact is that the front pages of newspapers were devoted to the burning Hindenburg, which triggered the end of the airship era. This disaster shook the world and the aeronautics and aviation industry. What happens when airliners with hundreds of people on board crash without a single chance of survival, humanity will find out later. But then...

Looking Back with an Eye on the Future

At the beginning of the last century, airships won the hearts of ordinary people and opened the wallets of patrons, which allowed Count Zeppelin to create an entire industry - airship construction. But in the period between the two world wars, airships were forced out of the airspace by airplanes, which were better suited to destroying everything that moves below. The age of aviation began.

Aviation prevailed over aeronautics not because airplanes are better than airships in every way, but because in the 1930s the world was preparing for war. And as bombers, dumping their deadly cargo on people under anti-aircraft fire and fighter attacks, airplanes are undoubtedly more effective than airships. Airships did not fit into the military uniform of that time.

Now the situation has changed. Aircraft manufacturing seems to have reached its ceiling - then either rocket planes with an entry into near-space with an absurd energy consumption to get from point A to point B on our planet, if there is an infrastructure there to receive a rocket plane; or super- and hypersonic, again with an exorbitant effort when pushing through the airspace. You don't have to push through the airspace, but rather float in it effortlessly, using the resources that are hidden in the earth's atmosphere, but not used. Controlled aeronautics in the format of airships is one of the options for conquering the sky and developing earthly space, which humanity has not yet fully realized.

This is becoming especially obvious now, when humanity faces the question of survival in the format of the need to develop natural resources in hard-to-reach corners of the planet. Where it is possible, we have almost exhausted everything. Now it is time to take where it is impossible. Or to start a redistribution of the world for the sake of access of the chosen ones to the open and developed storehouses of nature, which, however, are not bottomless. So, sooner or later, humanity will be faced with the problem of developing territories that are currently inaccessible to economic activity. Inaccessible due to the lack of technical capabilities to reach them.

Of course, when developing new territories, you can crawl along the ground, crushing everything in your path when laying roads and other transport highways, or you can easily and elegantly soar above the ground and deliver to any point on the planet everything that is needed: cargo, a passenger, or the devil with horns.

Other aspects of the use of airships: mobile hotels in the tourism business, above-ground leisure and recreation centers, sky yachts for machos and business ladies, mobile workshops for processing agricultural and forestry products directly at the place of their production, extinguishing forest fires, rescue operations in hard-to-reach places - many people have already stated and broadcast about this. Except that the topic of using airships on other planets is little covered. But that's ahead. In the meantime, there's a place for airships on our planet.

And purely humanly speaking... for a normal guy to stand at the helm of a modern cruiser of the Fifth Ocean and steer over the vast expanses to the envy of his more down-to-earth comrades is... Well..., only eggs are cooler. Owners of brutal cars and superyachts are relaxing. And for business ladies it is even cooler. Girlfriends will simply die of envy.

As for purely technical issues, such as speed, range and duration of the flight, comfort of cabins, which at the moment may not suit picky customers, it is only a matter of time and money. There will be orders - there will be corresponding devices. If at the beginning of the last century in Germany alone several dozen zeppelins a year were launched, then at the beginning of the 21st century, setting up their mass production is not a problem. The main problem of airships now is in psychology, not in technology.

But this problem will change its polarity, and will turn into a rush demand for air yachts among the upper middle class, as soon as several private airships rise into the sky. Whoever does this will hit the jackpot, and will go down in history as the founder of revived aeronautics. Along with Count Zeppelin, who in his seventies launched a project that no one believed in, and whose name is now used to name all the airships of the Fifth Ocean - rigid airships.

Ferdinand Zeppelin. Now all rigid airships are named after him 

At the dawn of the submarine fleet, submarines could stay underwater for a few minutes and moved at the speed of a tired pedestrian. Now they circle the globe while underwater and catch up with surface ships that follow the command «Fullest».

At the dawn of aviation, airplanes were slower than today's airships and could barely carry one pilot. Now they outpace sound and carry several hundred passengers with all the attributes of a comfortable journey.

At the dawn of computerization, computing complexes occupied entire buildings, and calculations were performed at a speed that is ridiculous by today's standards. Now... It is not for a modern person to tell stories about the current capabilities of computers.

The same metamorphosis – from air bubbles with a motor to powerful rulers of the sky – will happen with airships if they are taken seriously. 

Airship – a unique platform for new technologies

If we take a broader look at the capabilities of airships, consider their application not only in the field of cargo and passenger transportation, elite tourism and video surveillance systems, which is what developers are currently focusing on, then the airship seems to be a unique platform for the development of new technologies and the implementation of non-standard engineering solutions.

Among them:

Hydrogen technologies. In light of the purely technical problems that humanity has faced in connection with the rapid development of transport, airships will give a sharp impetus to work on the creation of engines running on hydrogen. The airship and the hydrogen engine are made for each other. In a hydrogen airship, hydrogen can be used both as a carrier gas and as fuel for a hydrogen engine. When using hydrogen engines on airships, the problem of storing hydrogen will be solved - it will be used in a gaseous state, liquefying hydrogen will not be required. When using hydrogen engines on airships, the main problem of how to work with liquefied hydrogen disappears by itself. Hydrogen, as a fuel, will be used in its natural gaseous state, and will create additional lifting force, and will not eat up the payload. In addition, on airships, fuel cells operating on the principle of flameless oxidation of hydrogen with the conversion of chemical energy into electricity with very low engine noise will get a second wind, fortunately, there will be plenty of hydrogen on board, just oxidize. And then these technologies can be brought down to earth.

Laser technologies. The use of a helium-neon mixture as a carrier gas, which is an active medium for a gas laser, opens up the possibility of creating an air-based combat laser on a helium-neon airship platform, where the gas mixture will be both a carrier gas and an active laser medium at the same time. Technical problems associated with the depletion of the lower laser level of helium-neon lasers, which is currently carried out by colliding with the walls of the resonator, preventing an increase in the size and power of helium-neon lasers, can be solved by introducing additives into the active zone that destroy the second energy level of neon atoms. However, a helium-neon laser-airship can also be used for peaceful purposes. It will be wiser.

Technologies for combating natural disasters and eliminating the consequences of accidents and disasters. There are technologies that allow us to successfully combat natural disasters and quickly eliminate the consequences of accidents and disasters. But their widespread use is constrained by the lack of technical means for these technologies. An airship can become the platform that will solve the problem of rapid delivery of equipment and effective use of equipment. Take forest fires, for example. Putting out a forest fire is not only pouring water. It is, first of all, observation and localization. An incipient forest fire is much easier to suppress than a crown fire that has gained strength. And the most economical way to detect fires is from an airship. In addition, an airship can deliver equipment and people to the forest wilderness for the emergency creation of a forest protection strip. It can itself become such equipment if it is equipped with tools for felling trees and clearing fire safety strips. It goes without saying that an airship can be used as a carrier of fire extinguishing equipment, and the corresponding equipment on board, for example, fire hoses, will allow these fire extinguishing equipment to be used with the greatest efficiency in fighting forest fires. And non-forest fires too.

Polymer technologies. At present, technologies have been developed for the creation of polymer materials foamed with inert gases. They are used mainly as heat and sound insulating materials. In this regard, the creation of a technology for foaming polymers with helium seems tempting. Ultra-light polymer material foamed with helium is an ideal structural material for airships. It would be possible to manufacture many elements of the airship design, including its shell. Aerogels, foamed plastics, carbon fiber structures have now been created - these are just the things that are on everyone's lips. There are also other light, strong, rigid materials that can be used as a basis for working on rigid airships, which opens up previously unknown horizons for aeronautics. First of all, the rejection of explosive hydrogen or expensive helium as a carrier gas: a rigid shell allows you to completely abandon the carrier gas - the lifting force of a rigid airship can be created by rarefaction of air inside a strong rigid shell. If you call on engineering ingenuity, then, using a number of physical effects and technical methods, the airship shell itself can be turned into a mover.

Vacuum technologies. Vacuum airship and fullerenes. Vacuum for aeronautics is an ideal option in terms of the cost of the carrier gas: there is none. Fullerene is an ideal design for maintaining shape under external force. The question rests on the shell for covering the frames of vacuum cylinders in the form of fullerene, creating lifting force. But such materials exist. Only they have not been considered in this context.

Plasma technologies. Electrostatics with electrodynamics to the rescue. The point here is that the organization of the plasma layer during the movement of a material body in the atmosphere sharply reduces the resistance of the atmosphere to the movement of a foreign object through it. Ideally, the transformation of the airship shell into a mover, when the features of the atmosphere are inverted: you will not have to push through it, but on the contrary, a well-designed aeronautical apparatus will itself be carried into motion.

Airship on compressed air. On airships, engines in which the energy of compressed air is directly converted into rotation of the airship's propellers due to the air flowing out of nozzles located at the ends of hollow blades can be very effective. To increase the efficiency and economy of compressed air engines, its flowing out of nozzles should be carried out in a pulse mode. To complete the picture, airships on compressed air must be provided with refueling with compressed air from the wind, both at stops due to the autorotation of propellers in the wind, and in flight. Then the wind will turn from an enemy of airships into their fuel tanker.

High-speed airship. Modern airship layout schemes do not allow them to be considered as a very high-speed mode of transport. But, using modern polymer materials in the airship design, changing the aerodynamics of the shell and the layout of the propulsion systems, using air intake for propulsion systems from the nose of the airship using boundary layer suction technology, using plasma technologies, it is possible to obtain a device with speed characteristics that are not inferior to modern aircraft. It is possible to achieve a decrease in the frontal resistance of mini-airships by organizing air intake from the frontal surface of the mini-airship by means of and for the needs of the propulsion system. Which propulsion system will be more effective here is a separate question. One of the options is pumping compressed air through the ends of hollow blades, the rotation of which is ensured by the outflow of compressed air through nozzles at the ends of the propellers.

Folding airship. Modern technologies, for example, origami, open up the possibility of packing the shell of airships and storing them not in huge hangars, but in rooms of acceptable size. Truly, whoever proposes a working technical solution for a folding airship and implements it in hardware will revolutionize airship construction.

This is only a small part of what can be used in airships of the 21st century.

It's the 21st century, which allows us to look at airships from the heights of the advanced achievements of modern science and technology, which dramatically expand the possibilities of using airships and open up promising prospects for non-standard design solutions.

A flying yacht designed for travel by sea or sky from the design studio Lazzarini Design

As for the technical side, airships can embody not only already working technologies, but also developments that have not yet been "made in iron", which so far exist only in the minds of engineers and designers.

And it will be possible to glean something from the archives of the past. Surely, they contain interesting technical solutions in the field of airship construction and aeronautics, ahead of their time, which could be implemented now.

Now, nearly 90 years later, interest in the lighter-than-air transport is reviving. With low carbon emissions, and no requirement for expensive ground infrastructure like airports or roads, because they can load and unload cargo while hovering, airships could be a sustainable solution for logistics across the globe.

Approximately 2170 results found in the Worldwide patent database for dirigibles not counting another means of exploring the airspace – air balloons.

Aerostat – a classic hot air balloon with a gas burner

Stratostat – a high-altitude air balloon for exploring near-earth space.

A dirigible is a classic rigid airship featuring an internal space-frame structure that surrounds its gas containers 

WO2025049541 (A2) - Heliostat dirigible - First Pecos LLC [US]

A heliostat dirigible with a fluid containment structure defining a fluid volume configured to contain a lighter than air fluid. A curved reflective surface is supported by the fluid containment structure when the fluid volume contains a lighter than air fluid. The curved reflective surface is configured to reflect and concentrate sunlight at a target. Tethers and/or connections for a plurality of tethers are arranged around the fluid containment structure such that the attitude of the fluid containment structure can be adjusted when it is floating above the ground. 

WO2024165655 (A1) - Gear train housing for a thruster of a dirigible balloon - Flying Whales [FR]

The invention relates to a gear train housing for a thruster of a dirigible balloon, the housing being arranged to contain oil which lubricates the gear train, characterised in that it comprises: - a nacelle wall, - a cowl wall, - an intermediate wall which is arranged between the nacelle wall and the cowl wall, has a cylindrical shape and comprises an oil scavenge on the circumference thereof, at least the nacelle wall and the intermediate wall comprising angular adjustment means for adjusting the angular position of the walls with respect to one another.

CA3199532 (A1) - Device for mechanical attachment to the end of a tube - Epsilon Composite [FR]

Attachment device obtained by joining three components to the end of a tube, comprising: - a conical insert in the form of a truncated cone the diameter of which narrows in the direction of the end of the tube, the conical insert having a receiving element, - an internal ring which is provided with a recess in the form of a truncated cone the diameter of which narrows in the direction of the interior of the tube and the angle of which is equal to the angle of the truncated cone of the conical insert, the external wall of the internal ring being cylindrical with a diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the tube, the insert being located in the recess of the internal ring. According to the main features of the invention, the attachment device comprises an external ring comprising a cylindrical portion the internal diameter of which is substantially equal to the external diameter of the tube, the internal wall of the cylindrical portion of the external ring being intended to come into contact with the cylindrical external wall of the tube, the external ring comprising a shoulder which partially closes an end of the external ring and which has a circular opening, the shoulder comprising an annular internal face which is intended to abut the end face of the tube and the transverse end face of the internal ring located at the side of the end of the tube. The invention also relates to the method for assembling such an attachment device and the use thereof in the construction of a dirigible.

US2022177106 (A1) - Airship with rigid supporting structure - Pascucci Silvano [IT]

Rigid structural-frame dirigible comprising an internal framework divided in internal zones fixedly clearly separated and sealingly isolated therebetween through rigid partition means in fixed union with the internal frame itself, and suitable for being evacuated to a vacuum regime, respectively forming as many vacuum zones.

CN112703154 (A) - System and method for mooring an aerial vehicle of the aerostat or dirigible balloon type - Groupe ADF [FR]

Mooring system for an aerial vehicle of the aerostat or dirigible balloon type, comprising a platform on which a mooring mast is mounted, a bearing structure able to support the platform on the ground, this platform having an upper stage which is raised up off the ground and delimits a receiving zone to receive an autonomous vehicle underneath the upper stage, and the latter supporting a lifting device above the receiving zone and which can be configured between: a rest configuration that allows the vehicle to be received in the receiving zone and removed from the receiving zone, and a lifting configuration in which the lifting device is able to lift the bearing structure up off the ground resting on the vehicle when the latter is present in the receiving zone, allowing the mooring system to be transported by the vehicle.

UA15370 (A) – Dirigible - Dnipropetrovsk State Technical University of Railroad Transport [UA]

The invention relates to the field of aeronautics. A dirigible contains a shell, which volumetric form is formed by shaping beams connected by frames. The shell contains nose, stern and center sections, in this case the nose and rear sections are made with possibility of telescopic displacement relative to central part, on the perimeter of the mutual contact of the nose and rear portions with central part the connection is made, for example, of dovetail type, around which air-proof cloth created sealed joint, and the mechanisms of displacement are located in the shaping beams.

UA12992 (A1) - Dirigible - Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH

Dirigible contains several frames and longerons of load-bearing frame established between them for housings creating the lift, filled with gas, and modules required for the dirigible, the frames, which divide load-bearing frame into profile sections consist of three cross-beams respectively located in the form of isosceles triangle, whose apexes are executed in the form of nodal points for connection of longerons to the cross-beams.

US2020148324 (A1) - Micro-fusion-powered unmanned craft - Drexler Jerome [US]

A craft having a source of deuterium-containing micro-fusion fuel particles is operable above a planetary, lunar or asteroid surface in the presence of ambient cosmic rays. The fuel particles are dispersible from a set of ports, where at least some of the ports are in an underside of the craft body and others are in lateral sides of the craft body. Dispersed fuel particles interact with ambient cosmic rays and muons to generate energetic reaction products, at least some which are then received by the underside of the craft to generate lift and also selected lateral sides of the craft to generate propulsive thrust in a desired lateral direction. The craft can carry tethers and winches to carry a payload above the surface from location to another. In another embodiment, a balloon-based design, such as a dirigible, provides primary buoyant lift, while the micro-fusion particles provide at least lateral thrust, and supplemental lift where needed. 

CN208751996 (U) - Insect pest intelligent detecting system based on laser fills ability - China Three Gorges University CTGU

The utility model discloses an insect pest intelligent detecting system based on laser fills ability, it includes that it includes spectral analysis equipment, image recognition equipment and the ground emitting station part of installing on the dirigible, spectral analysis equipment and image recognition equipment pass through network adapter and remote wireless transmission equipment is connected with computer terminal, ground emitting station part and dirigible receiving part share the same light laser charging device and fill the ability. The system provides one kind and replaces the solution that the open wiring was laid, long -range wireless access point replaces long -range cable by wireless transmission based on the laser energy supply system. Utilize image recognition and spectral imaging technique to discern the crops pest condition and the growth condition, pass the ground satellite station back through wireless module and carry out the analysis, ability greatly increased can also the lasing have been filled the investigation cycle of dirigible for the dirigible in the ground station simultaneously, carry by the remote control dirigible with carrying the part opportunity, can greatly improve the utility model discloses a flexibility and coverage. 

CN208691246 (U) - Relieve disaster and use interim basic station - Sichuan Hangrui Xintong Tech Co Ltd

The utility model is suitable for an information technical field provides a relieve disaster and use interim basic station, a relieve disaster and use interim basic station, carry satellite communication system and airborne communication base station system including dirigible, machine, the machine carry a satellite communication system set up in the top of dirigible, the airborne communication base station system set up in the bottom of dirigible, the dirigible includes hull, nacelle, overhead bin and cable, hull with nacelle fixed connection, the nacelle is located hull's bottom surface, the cable with nacelle fixed connection, when relieving disaster, the dirigible can adapt to any topography, even road and bridge damages, and deployment that also can be very fast, stagnant sky that on the other hand, dirigible can be long -time can increase substantially time of the work of basic station, carries through the machine that satellite communication system is direct to be connected with communication satellite, need not to establish relay system, even the basic station is damaged in famine year, also can resume the disaster area communication rapidly on a large scale.

CN208683091 (U) - Support arrangement for inside dirigible utricule - Lehuan Airship Tech Co Ltd

The utility model discloses a support arrangement for inside dirigible utricule, including the centrosphere, first pneumatic cylinder is installed at the upper and lower both ends of centrosphere, these cond telescopic link is installed to the one end of second pneumatic cylinder, the connecting rod is installed to the one end of second telescopic link, fixed stop is installed to the one end of connecting rod, fixed stop's the outside is provided with the mounting hole, install the vaulting pole on the mounting hole, traction wire is installed to vaulting pole one side, fixed stop's one end mid-mounting has fixed cover. The utility model discloses a mid-mounting has the pneumatic cylinder of four directions, all installs the telescopic link in the pneumatic cylinder, and installs criss-cross first annular support chassis of mutually perpendicular and two ring shaped support chassis on the telescopic link top, and first annular support chassis and two ring shaped support chassis through this kind of design can adjust the support degree, carry high versatility.

CN208594007 (U) - Lift platform is used in dirigible rescue - Le Huan Feiting Tech Co Ltd

The utility model discloses a lift platform is used in dirigible rescue, which comprises a bod, inside first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder installed respectively of organism, just first pneumatic cylinder is located one side of second pneumatic cylinder, all install the piston on first pneumatic cylinder and the second pneumatic cylinder, and the piston contracts the pole through the hydraulic pressure liter and is connected with the Plummer, the Plummer top is connected with the backup pad through the folding leg, be fixed with the control arm in the backup pad, and the control arm is connected with power support through adjusting the pivot, be connected through the telescopic link between power support and the control arm, it is fixed mutually with the rail guard that the guide pillar is passed through to power support's one end, and the rail guard is located the organism top. The utility model discloses an installing dual hydraulic cylinder and going up and down to the platform, stability when the guarantee is gone up and down is provided with the regulation pivot simultaneously, the convenient angle of lift of adjusting, and buffer gear can reduce the impact damage that the top load comes to equipment belt.

CN208484822 (U) - Be used for large -scale dirigible to let mooring device fly away - Shaanxi Tieying Special Vehicle Co Ltd

The utility model provides a be used for large -scale dirigible to let mooring device fly away is equipped with to be equipped with in hoist engine and the frame to be used for measuring in the frame and moors the rope and put the detection device of rope parameter, is equipped with hoist engine control panel and control box respectively on the panel of frame front end cabinet door top and the inclined plane board, be equipped with in the control box cutter bar control module and cutter bar control module with locate the cutting put in order on the car operation panel always control module passthrough the optical cable and be connected, cutter bar control module is connected through the wire with the cutter bar and is cutting by the synchronizing cutting s that follow moor rope of a plurality of cutter bars of realization to being connected the dirigible after cutting total control module to send the cutting signal under total control module condition unobstructed with cutter bar control module circuit more. The utility model discloses realizing the many synchronizing cutting s with moor rope of a plurality of cutter bars to connecting the dirigible under the smooth noiseless circumstances of online sweetgum fruit, improving the dirigible and draw the precision, overcome external disturbance, guarantee mainly with the rope synchronizing cutting that moor, the dirigible is let factor of safety fly away and is improved greatly, need not operating personnel is manual shears the rope that moors.

CN208306974 (U) - Rigid airship - Beijing Kongtiangao Tech Co Ltd

The utility model relates to an airship technology field provides a rigid airship, rigid airship's surface is the rotating surface of the 360 degree rotatory formation in axis for ship shape wheel profile along the line of starting point by ship shape wheel profile and terminal point, wherein, the oval arc of fourth that ship shape wheel profile is linked up by the direction along breasting the tape from the starting point in proper order, with the parallel flat line in axis, the circular arc that passes through, sharply constitute to one side. The utility model discloses a dirigible bodily form is formed by semiellipse ball, cylinder, rotary -table and cone combination, has simplified manufacturing process, has reduced manufacturing cost, the efficiency of the engineering is improved, safe risk has been reduced. Simultaneously, through controlling dirigible bodily form draw ratio between 3 to 4 to obtain less resistance coefficient and great volume and surface area. In addition, the dirigible structure of the gasbag overall arrangement mode through interior gasbag storage helium, outer gasbag storage air obviously improves the ability of the resistant super -heated super pressure of dirigible under the few circumstances of weight gain. 

CN208248486 (U) - Novel rigid stratospheric dirigible of structure - Beijing Kongtiangao Tech Co Ltd

The utility model relates to an airship technology field provides a novel rigid stratospheric dirigible of structure, rigid stratospheric dirigible includes: interior gasbag is filled with the helium in the interior gasbag, the outer gasbag of gasbag is filled with the air in surrounding in the space between the utricule of outer gasbag and the utricule of interior gasbag, and outer gasbag frame, form gasbag surface outside, constitute by beaded finish and member. The utility model discloses a rigid stratospheric dirigible structure of the gasbag overall arrangement mode of outer gasbag storage air, interior gasbag storage helium reaches the designing requirement of satisfying the resistant super -heated super pressure of dirigible under the few circumstances of weight gain. Simultaneously, through the hard and soft mixed structure of components such as gasbag bag body material outside frame, rope and the high strength of utilizing rigidity beaded finish and rigid bar spare component, the super pressure ability of the outer gasbag of improvement. In addition, through the utricule design of the outer gasbag of zero -pressure super pressure, the built -in subdivision of helium bag, the utilization ratio of improvement bag body material intensity.

CN208248485 (U) - Stratospheric nacelle for dirigible - Acad Opto Electronics Cas

The utility model relates to a stratospheric airship technology field especially relates to a stratospheric nacelle for dirigible, include transition rack who is connected with the hull of dirigible and year thing cabin of carrying on dirigible payload, carry a thing cabin and include structural framework that transition rack and structural framework are connected formation by carbon fiber tube, transition rack passes through connecting portion with structural framework and is connected. The utility model discloses a structural framework in transition rack and year thing cabin all adopts carbon fiber tube to connect the constitution, and the intensity of carbon fiber is higher, and density is lower, adopts the form of tubular product frame simultaneously, and it is heavy by 30% to make the structure subtract, has satisfied the requirement of stratospheric dirigible structure lightweight design. Transition rack draws tong «pan» bind connecting through rope and hull, should guarantee to draw the tong «pan» atress even among the connection process as far as possible, avoids the part to draw tong «pan» root atress too big. This nacelle can design under the prerequisite in the lightweight, improves structure specific strength and specific rigidity, lays a good foundation for the application of carbon-fibre composite on stratospheric dirigible.

CN208021702 (U) - Flexible foldable anchoring platform - Danyang Haotian Aircraft Tech Co Ltd

The utility model belongs to staying dirigible field relates to a flexible foldable anchoring platform, and it includes, and chassis, gyration are supported, rotating platform, roll over folding arm, mooring mast, hoist engine system and switch board. Wherein the chassis scalable rotatory hydraulic leg of installation is used for the support and the auto -control handling of whole anchoring platform, rotating platform supports through the gyration and links to each other with the chassis, can be rotatory around center of turning circle, and it is flexible that rotating platform can follow platform truck length direction. The utility model has the advantages of compact structure, mobility is good, carry on 500 3000 the anchoring of mi butong specification staying dirigible, go up to the air, resident and recovery demand, have higher stability, security and economic nature.

CN207956026 (U) - Triaxial ellipsoid dirigible - Acad Opto Electronics Cas

The utility model provides a triaxial ellipsoid dirigible, include: the utricule is as carrying on the platform to it supplies triaxial ellipsoid dirigible flight to produce flight power, two power propellers, set up respectively in the below of utricule, this power propeller are used for producing and transmitting the propulsive force extremely the utricule is realized triaxial ellipsoid dirigible's driftage, and elevating control mechanism, be located the below of utricule, including slide rail and slider, the slider slides on the slide rail, realizes triaxial ellipsoid dirigible's elevating control. The utility model discloses a dirigible is triaxial ellipsoid structure, realizes the dirigible driftage realizing the every single move of dirigible through sliding through the differential control of power propeller, can realize triaxial ellipsoid dirigible's driftage and elevating control.

US2018286255 (A1) - Autonomously operated dirigible - Above DaaS Inc [US]

Propulsion of an unmanned vehicle may include determining and ordering a subset of altitude-differentiated wind vectors, the subset facilitating directional air flow from a starting geographic region to a destination geographic region, and configuring the vehicle and adjusting the altitude of the vehicle to the altitude corresponding to each of the subset of wind vectors as ordered based on a flight plan that includes at least one of a duration and distance for each of the ordered subset of the wind vectors.

CN207809755 (U) - Stratospheric dirigible aerodynamic layout structure of supplementary stabilization in area - Beijing Infinite Space Tech Co Ltd

The utility model relates to a stratospheric dirigible aerodynamic layout structure of supplementary stabilization in area, the aerodynamic layout structure includes hull, fin and supplementary stabilization, supplementary stabilization includes supplementary stabilization and lower supplementary stabilization, includes specifically that face, strip edge strengthening rib, middle part pass power strengthening rib and a plurality of fixed connection ring on every side, adopt the utility model provides an aerodynamic layout structure can show course static stability and every single move static stability when improving the flight of stratospheric dirigible, makes the flight process of stratospheric dirigible obtain trim control system, is showing the flight stability and the failsafe nature that have improved stratospheric dirigible.

CN207737486 (U) - Miniature unmanned airship of rigid connection multibody - Univ Wuhan Tech

The utility model relates to a flying device provides a miniature unmanned airship of rigid connection multi -body, including main pneumatophore, a plurality of auxiliary air bag body, carbon fiber connected pole, fin, advancing device, nacelle, main pneumatophore and auxiliary air bag body volume is 0.9m3, main pneumatophore passes through carbon fiber connected pole and a plurality of auxiliaryair bag body rigid connection, can confirm the number and the arrangement form of the auxiliary air bag body according to load, competent arranging for example, triangle -shaped, quadrangle and hexahedron arrange and so on. The below of main pneumatophore is equipped with advancing device and nacelle. In order to realize the dirigible lightweight, the fine combined material of film glass who chooses adhesion PU for use is as the covering. Through the estimation, single pneumatophore quality is about 200g. The utility model discloses miniature unmanned airship of rigid connection multi -body has overcome the huge problem of monomer pneumatophore volume, and according to the arrange number of the auxiliary air bag body of task load, it is convenient to dismantle, easily deposits.

CN207637812 (U) - Flexible thin-film solar cell is used to stratospheric dirigible - Beijing Infinite Space Tech Co Ltd

The utility model provides a flexible thin-film solar cell is used to stratospheric dirigible, including solar cell panel and base wad, solar cell panel with the upper surface phase -match laminating of base wad, array structure is described for the solid of compressing a plurality of cell to the solar cell panel structure, can provide the light plane of incidence of a plurality of different angles, cell's shape is the rectangle. The utility model discloses a multiple reflection when making light go into the face with a constant angle degree scope oblique fire, can be passed through to the mode that many planes combinations was put up, reaches the effect that weakens the reverberation energy, provides the direct projection plane of a plurality of different angles simultaneously, realizes to a certain extent to the irradiant automatic tracking of the sun that the efficiencies of light energy utilization of balanced different periods on daytime makes solar array maximum power output curve tend towards stability on the whole.

CN207403919 (U) - Novel unmanned airship - Univ Beifang Nationalities

The utility model provides a novel unmanned airship, including the gasbag that is used for producing the air buoyancy, be used for providing go forward power promote mainly the hydraulic buffer stop, many rotors device of the posture adjustment that is used for flying, still include communication device and controlling means. Novel unmanned airship utilizes many rotors device with realization flight posture adjustment, realizes through ballonet that flight posture adjustment compares with traditional dirigible, and the operation of many rotors’ device is nimbler, and flight posture adjustment responds rapidly, can realize the adjustment that becomes more meticulous. Novel unmanned airship utilizes the hydraulic buffer stop provided the direction of advance for novel unmanned airship the power of promoting mainly that sets up at the gasbag afterbody to overcome the great aerodynamic drag of gasbag.

The Chinese airship S500 is a wind generator at an altitude of 500 meters above the ground

According the patent’ data China is leading country in this area. China domestically developed buoyant airborne turbine (BAT) reached a record height on Thursday in central China's Hubei Province, harnessing stronger, steadier winds from higher altitudes to generate power. The helium-filled S500 blimp ascended to 500 meters above ground in the city of Jingmen, generating power at a rate of over 50 kW, according to Beijing SAWES Energy Technology Co., Ltd., one of the developers of the system. The operation broke records for both the maximum flying height and power generated by an airborne turbine of such a design, according to the company.

High-altitude wind is considered a widespread and stable source of clean energy that can be harvested at low cost. A BAT system employs a kite-like airship to fly up the generator and send down the electricity through the tethers to the ground. The S500 airship is developed by the company in collaboration with Chinese institutes including Tsinghua University and the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. «S500 is developed for scenarios such as emergency rescue, surveying and mapping, and urban security. When an earthquake or flood occurs, it can be quickly launched to ensure on-site power supply and communication»,- said the company's chief technology officer Weng Hanke.

Afterword to the patents presented above

At the dawn of general computerization, when computers were BESMs, took up entire rooms for their installation, required an immeasurable amount of energy to operate and an exorbitant staff for maintenance and operation, all experts unanimously claimed that this topic had no prospects. Even those who were head over heels in this topic.

For example, Thomas Watson, president of IBM, 1943: «I think that the world demand for computers will be about five to ten pieces».

Ken Olson, founder and president of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977: «Nobody would come up with the funny idea of having a computer in their home».

Miniaturization of the element base has led to the fact that not only in the house, but in everyone's pocket, purse, shopper, now everyone has a powerful computing complex with mind-boggling communication capabilities. And the rapid entry into our lives of computing devices, which essentially all current gadgets are, occurred when they became necessary for the average person, and not just scientists, and became available to consumers with a wide range of income levels.

Miniaturization played a decisive role in the mass production and widespread use of computers, mobile phones, smartphones and other gadgets. The impetus for miniaturization was the active demand for services and opportunities that the achievements of electronics provided and opened up for everyone.

In the application to airships, miniaturization creates the preconditions for the emergence of mass demand for lighter-than-air aircraft, but not in the format of grandiose cruisers of the Fifth Ocean, but in the form of mini-airships. It is only necessary to provide this demand by creating mini-airships capable of satisfying the needs of a wide range of consumers, where the airship itself will become a platform for placing various types of equipment and devices that provide the consumer with significant and unprecedented opportunities for work, creativity, leisure and entertainment.

It is, of course, tempting to immediately aim to create cruisers of the Fifth Ocean, where an immeasurable amount of money will be invested. But in fact, the road to a distant goal begins with the first small step.

If you look back a little with an eye on tomorrow, then such achievements of today's technologies as microelectronics, microenergy, microengines, new materials, artificial intelligence, 3D technologies can move airship construction forward so much that all other leaders of advanced technologies will only see the tail. The tail of airships plowing the expanses of the Fifth Ocean. And it comes to mind that we need to start with the creation and launching into the sky of mini-airships – airships with a lifting capacity from hundreds of grams to several kilograms.

If we turn to the root causes of the current dominance of aviation in the air, then one of the trump cards of aircraft construction at the dawn of the conquest of airspace compared to airship construction was the ability to create small aircraft by numerous enthusiasts. Several people could make an airplane and lift it into the air, but many people were needed to create and operate an airship. Hence the rapid progress of aviation – each small team of amateurs contributed something new to the design and development of machines, which allowed professionals to quickly achieve striking success in the creation of heavier-than-air aircraft.

In this context, an obvious thought is in the air: small devices - mini-airships - can contribute to the revival of airship construction. Weightless materials, miniature electronics, micro-engines give airships a chance to triumphantly rise into the sky again. But not in the form of giant devices – conquerors of the skies, but in the format of mini-airships: small devices lighter than air with micro-engines on board, mini-equipment for control and implementation of assigned tasks and great prospects for commercial application. An example before our eyes – drones. But mini-airships have incomparably greater potential in terms of non-stop stay in the air compared to drones.

Mini-airships – a platform for bold solutions

Mini-airship – a platform for testing new engineering solutions in the field of aeronautics 

Mini-airships may be of interest to designers of full-size airships as an experimental platform for testing new non-standard solutions in the field of aeronautics. From this platform, vacuum airships, aerohelium airships, helium-neon laser airships, high-speed airships, all-weather airships, ornithopter airships, airships with a propulsion shell, airships with a solar shell, and folding airships may find their way into the sky. Many things can arise from mini-airships. Many of the things that have arisen can be used to create full-size yachts, cruisers, and Fifth Ocean trucks.

The Fifth Ocean cruiser in all its glory and power 

We need to start reviving the mass production of airships with small-sized airships, fortunately, this is now technically possible. If you dig deep, not wide. Later, in breadth. When the technologies of aeronautics on mini-airships are polished, then full-size cruisers, yachts and trucks of the Fifth Ocean will conquer the sky.

Airship construction is not just the creation of vehicles. It is a unique platform for the development of new technologies and the introduction of non-standard technical solutions, which will organically include artificial intelligence, new materials, drones, and many other latest achievements of modern science and technology from microelectronics to energy.

Work on mini-airships will allow accumulating the developments of scientists and the developments of engineers and will open up the opportunity to implement them specifically in products, where they will manifest themselves in all their glory. Moreover, if the business goes well, then sponsors will swarm around it, and, if you apply your mind, those discoveries of engineers and those ideas of scientists that they already have, but have nothing to apply to, will enter its orbit. It will be worth it if you look at airships from a non-standard angle: see them not just as a means of transport, but as an experimental platform for the technical implementation of bold engineering solutions. In the format of mini-airships.

Commercial side of mini-airships

Mini-airships themselves can become a profitable product if buyers are infected with their interest

For example, through games.

Observer. Composition: a radio-controlled airship for video surveillance and photographing the area, a camera on the airship for photography, a video camera on the airship for transmitting images, a helmet with an image receiver and a built-in display for controlling the airship and taking photographs, a program for compiling a map of the area based on aerial photography.

Pilot. Composition: a radio-controlled airship, a video camera for piloting directly from the airship, a helmet with an image receiver and a built-in display for controlling the airship.

Air combat. Composition: a set of two "Pilot" kits. The airships are additionally equipped with a laser for combat and photo sensors for recording the defeat of the enemy airship. The photo sensors are connected to the airship's control and life support systems to activate the "Defy" program, which blocks the control and other systems of the airship when it is hit by an enemy laser.

Treasure hunters. Composition: radio-controlled airships with radars for searching for a radio beacon. This buoy is the treasure, for the discovery of which a cash reward is given. The search for the treasure can be complicated by making one of the radio beacons, which are turned on one by one for a while, the treasure. The one who finds the radio beacon that is turned on at the moment gets his treasure.

Minesweeper. Composition: radio-controlled airship with a metal detector. Metal objects are mines that need to be detected. If the mini-airship is equipped with sensors that detect real mines (an explosives sensor, a metal sensor, a plastic sensor, powerful optics, other means of searching for mines), then you will get a real automatic sapper, not tied to the ground, the use of which will make minefields ineffective. The airship-sapper can change the picture of military operations, just as drones have changed the nature of modern warfare. The advantage over ground-based mine clearing equipment is contactless detection of mines. The advantage over drones is a long time of continuous operation, low energy consumption when searching for mines.

This is just a rough idea of how a mini-airship can be made not only a toy, but also a very useful tool for many. For example, the "Observer" for farmers will turn out to be a tireless shepherd, or an all-seeing agronomist, or a vigilant guard; for foresters and firefighters - a means of detecting forest fires and monitoring their spread; for the police - monitoring the situation on the roads and the territory under their care; for oil, gas and power industry workers - monitoring the condition of oil and gas pipelines, power lines, for land surveyors - an assistant in land surveying, for tourists - a guide on the route.

And in terms of entertainment based on radio-controlled personal mini-airships, there is a lot of scope. Here you can hunt, fish, take photos and videos, and do whatever your heart desires, provided you have a platform with the appropriate equipment that can stay in the air for a long time. This will not be a drone with a half-hour flight time, but a flying unmanned aircraft with a power reserve of many hours.

And one more thing. Not obvious, but significant. Airship pilots need to be trained now. Anyone who plays with a toy airship as a child can become an airship pilot when they grow up. Or a designer. Or a mechanic. Or the owner of an airship company.

If things go well, mini-airships will open the way to the sky for powerful lighter-than-air airspace cruisers, which at the beginning of the last century almost conquered the Fifth Ocean, but were shot down on takeoff by fighters on the eve of the human slaughter that went down in history as the Second World War, where effective means of exterminating their own kind were needed. Airships were not up to the task at that time.

Mini-airships in military service

The nature of warfare has changed dramatically. And whether we like it or not, the involvement of airships in combat is inevitable. A drone-airship and a drone-aircraft are two very different things on the battlefield in their capabilities. One arrives, uses up its energy resources and goes back to base. The other can stand on combat duty for days. So far, no one is particularly concerned about this simply because there are no mini-airship drones. Whoever uses them first will have the sky over the battlefield.

Now, on the battlefield and in the rear, the tone is set not by columns of armored vehicles and armadas of aircraft, but by inconspicuous drones filled with explosives or conducting aerial reconnaissance. Like in a shooting gallery, they destroy armored vehicles and manpower of the warring parties and, like a knife through butter, pass through air defense systems, reaching remote targets in the enemy's rear.

A distinctive feature of deadly drones and reconnaissance drones is that they are unarmed and have no means of self-defense. And here mini-airships - small autonomous remote-controlled airships with AI on board, equipped with all kinds of video surveillance systems, modern detectors, anti-drone means: electronic warfare systems, lasers, small missiles, small arms - can take revenge on aircraft on the battlefield, becoming drone fighters.

The main advantage of mini-airships over classic drones is the duration of stay in the air, the ability to patrol the territory for a long time and at long distances. The advantage over ground-based means of destroying drones is the ability to detect a target at a distance and approach it for its guaranteed destruction, intercept drones directly when crossing the border, identify low-flying objects, record ground-based missile launches and shots, including grenade launchers.

If we return to earth... All wars end sooner or later. And here, with such a postscript of wars as minefields, the issue of mine clearance comes into full swing. Here, a mine clearance airship comes to mind: a radio-controlled airship with a mine and explosive detector. If the mini-airship is equipped with sensors that detect real mines (an explosive sensor, a metal sensor, a plastic sensor, powerful optics, and other mine detection equipment), then you get a real automatic mine clearance vehicle, not tied to the ground, the use of which will make minefields ineffective. A mine clearance airship, clearing a path through minefields, can change the picture of military operations, just as kamikaze drones and reconnaissance drones have changed the nature of modern warfare. The advantage of mini-airships over ground-based mine clearance equipment is contactless detection and neutralization of mines. The advantage of mini-airships over drones is a long time of continuous operation, low energy consumption when searching for mines.

Everyone needs airships. There needs to be enough of them for everyone

There are many other things that can be attached to airships from technology that has already been successfully used in other areas. Miniaturization of technical means allows us to create airships with an extremely low load, but unlimited technical capabilities, and it would be reasonable to start mass production of airships not with insanely expensive toys for warriors and the nouveau riche, but with goods accessible to the average consumer. Like... Well, like with personal computers (PC): we need to make a PD - a personal airship. Acceptable in size and affordable in price, that is, a mini-airship. And not just a few, but millions. So that there is enough for everyone and launching them was as easy and simple as paper airplanes.