Airships will venture to ends of earth
A new age of airships might be upon us. US aerospace and defence group Lockheed Martin has developed a hybrid airship that does not need mooring towers or runways, making it easy to operate even in remote areas. The aircraft will be able to transport heavy cargo over huge distances, doing away with the need for ships and ports. Airships are cheaper and can fly further than helicopters.Lockheed is ready to take orders, and mining and energy companies are expected to be among the first customers."Our airships will allow companies to do projects in remote areas where there are no roads or railways but where heavy equipment is needed," said Rob Binns, CEO of Lockheed partner Hybrid Enterprises.The helium with which the hybrid airships are inflated cannot alone lift the craft's entire weight when it is loaded. The gas provides 80% of the lift required and the rest is generated as the airship - shaped like an aerofoil - is driven forward by its propellers.Lockheed's design can carry 21t of cargo and 19 people more than 2400km at a cruising speed approaching 120km/h. It can land on snow, sand, gravel or even water. ..
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