Military Blimps

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piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
17,168
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C

cwjerome

Diamond Member
Sep 30, 2004
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We've had aerostats for a long time, using them along the southern border and in the ME. Putting a couple around the DC area seems reasonable.

The cargo-blimp is just a test prototype... we experiment with all kinds of stuff all the time, not sure how this is particularly newsworthy.
 
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piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
17,168
60
91
I am not necessarily against a blimp-like aircraft. I found it interesting that 2 completely different concepts would be going on at the same time when everyone else is building Jet fighters and giant jet liners.

I was wondering how practicle a 400 ft blimp is for moving 67 tons of cargo. I could not help thinking how large a target it made. However, the advantage is that it can land vertically like a helicopter. So it might be used to land large numbers of troops or evacuate a devastated area.
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,195
14,628
146
I'm old enough to remember seeing lots of military blimps.

(no...I'm not QUITE old enough to remember the Hindenburg.) :p
 
manimal

manimal

Lifer
Mar 30, 2007
13,559
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We are one step closer to spaceships. That looks friggin sweet! Wonder if I can boost it~!
 
M

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
74,688
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Airships can be built that carry 500 tons, twice the capacity of the heaviest lift plane and far more fuel efficiently.
 
Steeplerot

Steeplerot

Lifer
Mar 29, 2004
13,051
6
81
Not only is it a old and still great/fuel efficent way of moving huge amounts of cargo. Its very post- constructivst. I dig it aestheticly.

High winds are rough though.
 
IronWing

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
72,694
33,564
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We've had a string of tethered blimps on the US/Mexican border for years, used as a platform for downward facing radar to detect low level drug flights. An astonishing waste of money but it makes folks feel safer, more drug-free I guess.
 
Doppel

Doppel

Lifer
Feb 5, 2011
13,306
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US has had an expansive blimp program for some decades now. It is very waistful, though, as evidently fat is heavier than air.
 
Agent11

Agent11

Diamond Member
Jan 22, 2006
3,535
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I read about a high altitude missile platform blimp a while ago. The neat thing about blimps is that they are very safe.
 
Steeplerot

Steeplerot

Lifer
Mar 29, 2004
13,051
6
81
hal2kilo said:
Was just going to mention this, but you beat me to it. Has generally been the downfall of this technology.
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I read a book about the 20's-30s the Soviets tried to distribute building materials this way. Problem is the winds overruled centralized planning a good part of the time. They sometimes would blow off somewhere else , then the pilots would have to hope a nearby village had some comrades intuitive enough to help land. That village would get hooked up with goods etc they needed from moscow. A model of soviet efficency lol -but it was pretty successful. With all the new tech and those positionable jet engines vtol craft use to keep on course it could be a big thing for freight for civilian non combat use. (Of course we still maintain a fleet of smallish airships)
 
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S

sourn

Senior member
Dec 26, 2012
577
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Seems like the perfect vehicle to "acquire" when the zombie apocalypse happens.
 
DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
Seems that if you control the air, in an area where it would be difficult to bring in materials needed in combat, you could bring them in with a blimp?
 
irishScott

irishScott

Lifer
Oct 10, 2006
21,562
3
0
DrPizza said:
Seems that if you control the air, in an area where it would be difficult to bring in materials needed in combat, you could bring them in with a blimp?
Click to expand...

You'd need control of a large perimeter too though, otherwise the nearest guy with an AK could take it out on landing.
 
Doppel

Doppel

Lifer
Feb 5, 2011
13,306
3
0
I know I did read recently about blimps being looked at for massive air transport due to huge lifting capabilities.
 
Murloc

Murloc

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2008
5,382
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91
too dangerous imho, it's not easy to sink a container ship, while this just needs a rocket and it's gone. The same can be said for helicopters but helicopters are not so huge.
I bet you can destroy one when it's landed with a mortar if you're lucky because it's so big.

They can still be useful for non-warzone policing I guess since they probably consume less fuel and can just stay up there.

If this thing ever gets out of the lab it would be quite amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cdfWdHZRrE
 
klinc

klinc

Senior member
Jan 30, 2011
555
0
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Wonder what radar can pick up things that's flying at the edge of space....
 
D

Darwin333

Lifer
Dec 11, 2006
19,946
2,329
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piasabird said:
Department of Defense is testing and building blimp and similar aircraft.

http://finance.yahoo.com/video/high-tech-cargo-blimp-getting-080535153.html

Cargo lighter than air craft that takes off vertically.

http://news.yahoo.com/blimps-bolster-washingtons-air-shield-test-204629886--finance.html

Air defense Blimp with technical package with Radar for aircraft and missle interception.

Interesting that we would move to blimps.

Remember you are paying for this.
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They actually make a ton of sense for certain applications. Their biggest drawback (and it is pretty damn big) is their vulnerability.
 
Nebor

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
12
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irishScott said:
You'd need control of a large perimeter too though, otherwise the nearest guy with an AK could take it out on landing.
Click to expand...

Nah, the existing PTDS systems get pelted with small arms all the time. They have multiple layers of self sealing material and mutiple interior sections.

The biggest danger to blimps in our current operating environment are friendly helicopters clipping their tethers.
 
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