An artist's depiction of the E-Green Technologies Bullet 580 Airship. Credit: Wade Buffington/EGT
Posted on 05/24/2010 10:48:42 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
A huge inflatable vehicle as long as a 23-floor skyscraper is tall has become the world's largest airship in its bid to serve as a stratospheric satellite, or "stratellite," according to its developers.
The 235-foot (72 m) long airship, known as the Bullet 580, has a top speed of 80 mph (129 km/h) and can serve as a high-flying sentinel that stays aloft for long periods of time. Getting the new sky behemoth inflated required six hours inside Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Ala.
"Our airships are radically different designs that move beyond the performance limitations of traditional blimps or zeppelins by combining advanced technology with simple construction and the ability to fuel with algae, protecting our environment," said Michael Lawson, chairman and CEO of E-Green Technologies.
The airship is designed to carry payloads of up to 2,000 pounds (907 kg) at altitudes of 20,000 feet (6,096 m). Any cargo aboard the airship would sit within an outer envelope made from a new type of Kevlar, or the same material used to build bulletproof vests. That allows the envelope to have a width just one-sixteenth of an inch thick, but still be 10 times stronger than steel.
Airships have undergone a resurgence of interest as both military and civilian operators eye their cost-efficient operations compared to traditional fixed-wing aircraft. But even the modern record-holder for size dwindles in comparison to airships back in their heyday, such as the 804-foot (245 m) Hindenberg.
E-Green Technologies considers the Bullet 580 as the first in a wave of airships in production for commercial use. It acquired the airship's developers, 21st Century Airships, in November 2009.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Soon to be over cities near you.
Soon to be over cities near you.
hence the kevlar to protect cargo and crew. :-)
So, is it rigid or not? I’d love to see a carbon-fiber framed zeppelin floated with helium to provide passenger service again.
bttt
I think they’ll be WAY above small-arms range.
it’s like a giant tylenol without wings!
2000 lb is a mighty small payload for a vehicle that large.
At the Tustin Airbase here in CA we still have the hangers used to house the original ones.
Move them here.
Great Godzilla Suppositories, ...now you’ve inflated it, how are you going to get it out?
Is this correct? It doesn't seem like much.
Why would anyone want to move any business to ‘Kalifornia’?
Why would anyone want to move any business to ‘Kalifornia’?
I think this was a test inflation to check for structural issues in a controlled environment.
If this craft has a top speed of 80mph, going west in the north hemisphere is going to be a chore. Some "bullet". Dollars to doughnuts, some environnmental whacko will complain about the sanctity of the ozone layer.
The Graf Zepplin was over 800 ft long.
“Worlds Largest” at 235 feet is a bit of hyperbole.
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