Airships are Back
Airships have made their comeback, and in more than one way. Lockheed Martin has been developing the High Altitude Airship (HAA) which can reach 60,000 feet and provide advanced tactical information.
And there’s more. Cargo, Passenger, Satellite, and other airships.
Back in the old days, we had Zeppelin rigid airships filled with Hydrogen. The US Navy also experimented with flying aircraft carriers. The Zeppelin exploded ending passenger travel, and the US Navy mothballed the project. But much like the Northrop flying wing YB-35, technology had to grow before the concept was practical. The flying wing returned as the Northrop Grumman B-2 Stealth Bomber. Now technology has finally caught up to rigid airships. No more Goodyear blimps at sporting events, this is the real deal. Why? Mostly because it’s cost-effective.
Military Use: Park it at 60,000 feet. Solar-powered and uses almost no fuel. Costs less. Works better than an AWACS. Can stay in position for weeks or months. Best of all, it can be unmanned.
Commercial Use: Slow cargo haulers. Carry twice as much as a 747. Hybrid fuel modes. Takes longer, so no FedEx Airships.
Passenger Use: It’s like a cruise ship in the sky. Carry’s fewer people, and that’s why they’ll pay more. Great for honeymoons and anniversaries. If somebody jumps overboard, you don’t have to go back for them or call the Coast Guard.
Satellite: Why spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to fly a satellite when you can use an unmanned rigid airship instead?
I predict that in 10-years or less, rigid airships will be an everyday thing, which leads to:
Sky Pirates! That’s right because no self-respecting criminal limits themself to mere oceans. All that loot up in the sky is just too much to resist.
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