Seems like they'd be less expensive to operate even with a two man crew. They also wouldn't have the additional potential failure points associated with landing and/or taking off from the water. Plus, with all the huge new natural gas finds, helium has to be readily available these days at a reasonable price.
I've been thinking that before long we'd hear about the plan for Amazon dirigibles doing this at lower cost even with Chinese flight crew provided through cooperation with the Chinese government.
If hydrogen could be used as a lifting gas for unmanned dirigibles (or blimps); then, I think lighter-than-air would be a winner. Hydrogen is a lot cheaper than helium, and there’s a virtually unlimited supply. (Note: if you look at movies of the Hindenburg fire — that’s not hydrogen you see burning.)
I've been thinking that before long we'd hear about the plan for Amazon dirigibles doing this at lower cost even with Chinese flight crew provided through cooperation with the Chinese government.
Chris Connell, president of [CFI], says he is “intrigued” by the company’s concept.“Air cargo is all about speed at high price,” he says. “Ocean freight is longer transit times at lower pricing. And with certain goods—be it perishables, or goods that are looking for that middle ground—that idea of middle price for middle transit times is that sweet spot.”
Connell says he’s used to end-to-end transit times of as much as seven days to send cargo from the West Coast to Hawaii by ship. He has the option to pay a premium to send it by air cargo for same-day arrival. But in many cases, there could be an argument for the middle ground that Natilus is aiming for, where cargo can be delivered to its destination in about three days, once loading and unloading is taken into consideration.