Airships are making a comeback with the US military, which could be good news for civilian applications. The military has the deep pockets for research and development, but then, once these ideas are worked out, civilian applications often follow along. So it is for those reasons, and not military boosterism, that we are excited to see that the US Army is planning to deploy an unmanned airship called the LEMV which can spend up to 3 weeks at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 m) with a 2,500 pound (1,134 kg) payload of surveilance equipment by the middle of 2011.
LEMV (Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle) is a hybrid airship which gets most, but not all of its lift from the buoyant volume of the vehicle. 20% of the lift, however, comes from the aerodynamic shape of the craft and from its thrusters. The LEMV is capable of a much longer period of continuous operation than other contemporary unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
The attached video shows trial flights of the Lockheed Martin P-791 prototype which, at 125 feet (38 m) long, was about half the size of the proposed LEMV. The initial Army deployment of the LEMV is to be in Afghanistan. But research applications and disaster relief are just two of the more beneficial uses this technology could be used for in the near future.
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written by David, September 28, 2009
Seeing that it can stay in the air for 2 weeks is indication that it doesn't burn much of anything. Also reading that roughly 15 to 20% of the buoyancy is due to thrust.
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written by campbell, September 28, 2009
This is a LockheedMartin airship design; they also have a contract to build a huge solar powered airship for the U.S. military. These, the two solar powered airplanes flying in Europe, and the Project Sol'r blimp built by engineering students in France......all will help to bring true solar powered aviation. At the moment, only we are focused on doing so....
Darrell Campbell
TURTLE AIRSHIPS
Darrell Campbell
TURTLE AIRSHIPS
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written by Mark, September 28, 2009
I hope they aren't testing it in Area 51 as people will think it is a UFO at night. But this would be great technology for heavy transporting, where you could ship cars and other stuff faster than sea.
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written by rahlquist, September 28, 2009
Since helium is a natural resource we are depleting just like fossil fuel?
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written by campbell, September 28, 2009
This airships is called a "hybrid". It derives only 20% of it's lift from helium, so, it must always be moving under power just as an airplane. the 80% figure quoted refers to this aerodynamic lift which is generated by the forward motion of the airship and it's lifting body shape.
true, helium is a finite resource, quite limited really. while not as scarce as most believe, it still is difficult to find and becoming more costly.
true, helium is a finite resource, quite limited really. while not as scarce as most believe, it still is difficult to find and becoming more costly.
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written by Peter, September 29, 2009
Once they work out how to fuse the atom commercially (ITER) there'll be plenty of helium 
2H + 3H -> 4He + 1n + 17.6 MeV
2H + 3H -> 4He + 1n + 17.6 MeV
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written by carter, October 01, 2009
The helium, unlike a fossil fuel, would not spent after each trip. So the draw on natural resources would not be continuous over the lifetime of the vehicle. Whereas lift derived solely from thrust puts a continuous drain on whatever natural resource is providing the fuel for that thrust.
In short: no, we would not be depleting it "just like a fossil fuel."
In short: no, we would not be depleting it "just like a fossil fuel."
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written by Carol Shetler, October 10, 2009
Airship development needs to move forward. We cannot go on traveling around the globe in skinny fossil-fueled airliners forever. A good sized airship will hold several times the people an airplane can, in much greater comfort.
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written by Geoffrey Cox, October 22, 2009
Damn, just like final fantasy.
Good job military, you guys rock at spending my money!
Good job military, you guys rock at spending my money!
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written by Justin, November 13, 2009
This hybrid idea is all very splendid, and means it can use runways, but if it needs to produce as much as 20% of it's weight by aerodynamic lift that's a big proportion, so a LOT of energy required. This thing is an appalling aerodynamic shape to produce lift, and probably has and L
ratio of little better than 1 or 2. It seems to me that a conventional aircraft with perhaps 40:1 L/D could fly the same payload for considerably less fuel.
Only way out of the inefficient hole, would be if it deployed additional gas tanks to become neutrally buoyant when at altitude. - perhaps it does?
ratio of little better than 1 or 2. It seems to me that a conventional aircraft with perhaps 40:1 L/D could fly the same payload for considerably less fuel. Only way out of the inefficient hole, would be if it deployed additional gas tanks to become neutrally buoyant when at altitude. - perhaps it does?
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