Posted on 09/11/2013 5:16:51 AM PDT by C19fan
Zeppelins were once considered the future of air transport - but after the horror of the Hindenburg disaster, they disappeared from the skies for more than 75 years. Now a pioneering aviation firm hopes to bring back the airships in a bid to revolutionise the global market in transporting freight. The Aeroscraft is built using innovative technology which allows it to control its flight better than previous airships, so it should avoid the problems experienced by the first generation of zeppelins.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
250 tons of lift is pretty significant. Airships could easily be used for a lot of things that can’t readily be shipped overland. If it is truely economical to operate, it could also mean that manufacturing facilities for some things that today need to be in areas that can provide transport (i.e., near shipyards and such), could be located elsewhere. Or it might change the manufacturing processes, such that some larger things wouldn’t be shipped in smaller pieces like they are today, and assembled on-site. You could assemble it all at the factory, then ship the entire unit. Interesting possibilities.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.