The "airship" had a period of the first era in the aviation industry, and then withdrew from the stage of history due to the panic caused by the two great disasters of the Hindenburg in 1937 and the early British R101 experimental airship. In recent years, commercial airships are making a comeback, and the "airship" that can travel around the world may appear as early as 2026, will you go for a ride?
Beijing Youth Daily reporter learned that in recent years, as the search for solutions to climate change and the achievement of carbon goals, a number of airship companies around the world are building a safer and faster new generation of airships. For example, Flying Whales, a French company engaged in rigid airship technology for heavy-haul transportation, has announced that it will build a production plant in the United Arab Emirates, and the UK-based company Hybrid Air Vehicles is also developing AirLander airships for short-haul business and luxury travel, with plans to start operations in 2026In the United States, the company invested by Google co-founder Sergei Brin is planning to build a large, rigid-frame Zeppelin, called "Pathfinder (LTA Research)".
French flying whales
It can transport 60 tons of cargo at a time to transport wind blades and timber
It transports wind blades, high-pressure towers, industrial parts, mobile hospitals, timber ...... harvested in forestsSébastien Bougon, chairman and CEO of Flying Whale France, said that the 200-meter-long, 50-meter-diameter airship has a 96-meter-long cargo hold capable of loading and unloading in hovering flight, and for the first time in history, it is capable of loading and unloading up to 60 tons of heavy or bulky cargo. Named after the whale because it was designed to mimic marine mammals, this ship transports huge cargoes such as wind blades, high-pressure towers, industrial parts, mobile hospitals, timber cut from forests, and more to remote areas.
Production at the plant in the UAE is expected to begin in 2027. The airship can fly hundreds to thousands of kilometers and, no, will be operated by Flying Whales Services. Called LCA60T, the vessel is 200 meters long, 50 meters in diameter, and has a cargo hold length of 96 meters, and for the first time in history, it is capable of loading and unloading up to 60 tons of heavy or bulky cargo.
The company aims to have four ** lines around the world, located in Quebec in Canada, Nouvelle Aquitaine in France, Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Victoria in Australia. Each facility will meet the needs of the entire region. With the support of a consortium of 50 leading aviation partners, including Honeywell, Thales, Safran and AWS, the company will set up Whale Industries and Whale Services in each of the four locations.
In terms of cost, Sébastien Bougon revealed that this new mode of transport is 20 times cheaper than *** and airplanes, and slightly more expensive than trucks. They are in contact with regulators in the U.S. and Europe, and he believes the airship will be as safe as jets operating globally.
Airlander, UK
Ten aircraft have been ordered and are expected to be delivered in 2026
UK-based Hybrid Air Vehicles (H**) has developed the "AirLander" to dramatically reduce aviation emissions, with the company saying its airships have reduced emissions by 90%.
The flagship product "Airlander 10", built by the British company H**, may be the world's largest aviation aircraft. It is 92 meters long, shaped like a hybrid of an airplane, an airship and ***, more than 380 meters longer than an Airbus A20 passenger aircraft, and cost more than $0 million to build. An airship with a capacity of 100 passengers, floats using helium and moves using electric propulsion.
The speed of an airship is much slower as compared to flying in an airplane. The average flight speed of a modern jetliner is around 800-850 kmh, while the Airlander flies at a speed of about 129 kmh.
At the moment, the Spanish airline Air Nostrum has announced an order for 10 "Airlanders", which are expected to be delivered in 2026.
Air Nostrum has unveiled a high-profile plan to launch in 2026 a tourist helium airship that can accommodate up to 100 passengers, which is very environmentally friendly and emits almost no harmful substances.
As countries such as France, Denmark, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom begin to set ambitious tasks for the decarbonisation of domestic and short-haul flights, companies are exploring all possible ways to reduce carbon emissions on how to achieve this. ”。This was stated by Carlos Bertomeu, president of Air Nostrom.
H** has plans to start deliveries of airships to Air Nostrum starting in 2026. As of now, it has survived on debt, loans, multiple rounds of crowdfunding and equity from "angel investors", as well as UK and EU** grants and loans. H** continues to seek at least £100 million in funding to build its target's first three airships by 2024.
Google co-founders plan to build "Pathfinder".
It can accommodate up to 14 passengers
An interesting project focused on restoring airships in recent years has been the lighter-than-air research (LTA Research) by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. LTA was founded in 2015 with plans to build a large rigid frame zeppelin called the Pathfinder.
The shell of the airship is made of laminated, non-flammable tedlar material. It is buoyant by 13 helium-filled and polyurethane-coated ripstop nylon pouches. Propulsion is provided by 12 electric propellers. The airship's propulsion motors can rotate from -180 degrees to +180 degrees and provide vector thrust and position control. The aircraft is controlled by simple joystick commands and operated by fly-by-wire system.
In addition to the electric motors, it also uses a pair of 150-kilowatt diesel generators, although plans are to eventually replace them with hydrogen fuel cells. The airship has a top speed of about 120 kilometers per hour, can accommodate up to 14 passengers, and carries about 2-5 tons of cargo.
French "European airship".
Round-the-world flights are scheduled to begin in 2026
A French company called Euro Airship is developing a hydrogen-powered airship called Solar Airship I. If the project goes well, it is expected to start a round-the-world flight in 2026, circumnavigating the world from west to east, with no landing in between, and an average flight altitude of about 6,000 meters. The full flight duration is 20 to 30 days.
It will be powered by a combination of hydrogen-powered and electric aircraft. It will be a rigid airship 151 meters long, filled with helium of about 530,000 cubic meters. Theoretically, it allows unlimited flight range and time. Dual power supplies are key to achieving this feature. During the day, solar energy will be used to drive the motor, which can be enhanced with an additional solar film;Hydrogen fuel cells will be used at night or when needed.
The goal of the Solar-Powered Airship 1 expedition is to fly from west to east over the world in 20 days on a route close to the equator. Three famous pilots and explorers, Bertrand Piccard, Dorine Bournon, and Michel Tognin, are already waiting in line. The first expedition of the Solar-powered Airship 1 will serve as a model for future commercial marketing. Industry commentators believe that the project is unlikely to see airships for long-haul commercial aviation operations anytime soon, but there are many other potential applications.
With large panoramic windows Oceansky, Sweden
Plan a luxury airship cruise in the Arctic and Africa
The Swedish company Oceansky Cruises is a prime example of an attempt to restore the airship to its former glory. Oceansky's vision for the airship was that it could carry up to 16 visitors and 7 crew members, and was designed as a flying luxury hotel with large panoramic windows.
Carl Oscar Lawaczeck, CEO and Founder of Oceansky, said: "Oceansky Cruises' vision and mission is to lead the future of sustainable aviation, not through new fuels or short-range electric aircraft, but by bringing airships back into the sky with a zero carbon footprint. ”。
Oceansky Cruises has announced plans for an Arctic expedition with weekly flights from Longyearbyen, Svalbard. From the public **, the airship looks like a luxury hotel, with lounges, panoramic windows, and only eight luxury cabins. The estimated 38-hour journey will cost $210,000 for a two-person cabin.
The company also offers another route where the airship will float over Southern Africa, a trip that gives passengers the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the region's best attractions, including Namibia's desert, Victoria Falls, the Okavango Delta, and the white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean.
South Africa Cloudline
A "mini airship" will be built to challenge delivery drones
Cloudline is a South Africa-based startup that has received millions of dollars in venture capital for its mini airships. The Cloudline airship is only 18 meters long and weighs 2-3 kg. The company positions airships as an alternative to *** and other VTOL aircraft, with a higher payload capacity than UAVs.
The mini airship is filled with helium and equipped with solar panels and backup batteries to power the engines. They can fly for up to 12 hours and fly up to 400 kilometers while maintaining a cruising altitude of 1,220 meters above take-off altitude.
Each airship, once operational, will be autonomous and follow a predetermined route. In the event of an anomaly, such as bad weather, the company can modify the telemetry data to find a new safe route for the airship.
Resembles a UFO saucer shape
Russian aerosmena plans to build an airship with a capacity of 600 tons
The strangest, but most interesting modern airship concept is the A600, which the Russian aerosmena program manufactures. Aerosmena said the UFO-like UFO-like shape will make it easier for the airship to maneuver and land in crosswinds compared to conventional airships. aerosmena plans to produce models from 20 tons to 600 tons with a range of up to 8,000 km and speeds of up to 250 km/h.
It can carry up to 10 people
The domestic airship AS700 has obtained the type certificate of the Aviation Administration
According to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, in December 2023, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has issued a type certificate to the AS700 civil manned airship independently developed by China.
AVIC, a leading Chinese aircraft manufacturer, said the AS700 civil airship was developed by the AVIC Special Vehicle Research Institute, which complies with the airworthiness regulations of the Civil Aviation Administration of China and has independent property rights to the manned airship.
A single-cabin manned airship has a single-point landing gear. The maximum take-off weight is 4150 kg, the maximum range is 700 km, and the maximum endurance is 10 hours. The manned airship can carry up to 10 people, including 1 pilot.
AS700 is a new type of soft quasi-balanced airship model, which can take off and land for short distances as well as vertically. AVIC said it is mainly used for air tours, emergency rescue, urban security and other fields.
The AS700 was developed by the Special Vehicle Research Institute of Aviation Industry Corporation of China. The research is scheduled to start in August 2018 and includes three prototype airships, the report said.
AS700 can achieve short-distance, low-carbon vertical take-off and landing, and can be used for aerial sightseeing, emergency rescue, urban security and other fields. At present, there are no similar products in the domestic market, which has the best advantages compared with other airship products in the international market.
Previously, in September 2021, the "5G Caiyun No. 1" unmanned airship jointly developed by China Mobile Yunnan, Yunnan Innovation Research Institute of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Huawei Technologies *** successfully completed the test task in Chuxiong Yuanmou, becoming the first successful case in China to carry 5G base stations through unmanned airships.
Spotlight
Will the new airship be able to take its place in the aviation market?
In 1852, inventors such as Henri Giffard built a steam-powered airship. The development of airships reached its peak in the early 1900s with the development of rigid airships by Ferdinand von Zeppelin, notably the famous LZ 1 in 1900.
The early 20th century was the era of airships. Often referred to as "Led Zeppelins", these airships feature a metal beam frame that retains its shape. The Zeppelin lasted a staggering 112 hours and took more than 300 hours to complete its round-the-world flight. It was also the first "flight" to cross the Atlantic, and it used to take 4 days to travel from Germany to the United States by ship, and only 2 days by airship.
On May 6, 1937, the largest commercial airship at that time, the Hindenburg, flew from Germany to the United States, and when it flew to Lakehurst, New Jersey, the United States, to berth, more than 30 people were unfortunately killed. Subsequently, the British one"r-100"and the American airship "Akron" also crashed one after another, resulting in the development of airships in a state of stagnation for a long time.
There are two main reasons for the "short-lived" glory of traditional airships and their subsequent withdrawal from the stage of history: First, the inherent safety problems of airships. Disasters such as the Hindenburg fire and crash in 1937 and the similar British R101 tragedy in 1930 naturally shook public trust in the spacecraft. Airships are all in seconds due to the highly flammable hydrogen used for lifting**. Although helium was an effective alternative gas, the cost of mass production at the time was prohibitive. The second is the sensitivity of airships to bad weather, and their carrying capacity and speed are quickly overshadowed by airplanes and more traditional modes of transport such as trains and ships due to their large surface area and slower speed, which make them vulnerable to strong winds, storms, and turbulence.
A 2019 report by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis showed that reintroducing airships into the world's transport fabric could reduce carbon emissions in the transport industry and increase the viability of a "100% sustainable world." The transport sector accounts for 25% of global CO2 emissions, 3% of which comes from cargo ships – a metric that is expected to increase by 50% to 250% by 2050.
Industry insiders believe that the airship now designed is similar to an airplane, playing a stabilizing and maneuvering role through the tail;The new meteorological equipment also allows the airship to give early warning of the weather;Helium is safer than hydrogen. So will the new airship be able to take its place in the aviation market?Only time will tell if they will be able to break into a market that is already heavily saturated with traditionally heavier-than-air aircraft.
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Text: Beijing Youth Daily reporter Lin Lishuang.
Edited by Fan Hongwei.