Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/15

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Subject: [Leica] IMG: The Zepplin is Coming!
From: douglas.sharp at gmx.de (Douglas Sharp)
Date: Thu Jan 15 11:28:40 2009
References: <C59537E6.1F8A1%lug@steveunsworth.co.uk>

Steve,

They are one of the few companies still actually building rigid framed 
airships.


The german venture Cargolifter folded a couple of years ago, and was 
perhaps fraudulent from the beginning. The promising and innovative 
company Airship Industries in the UK collapsed in 1990.

The Dynalift concept by Ohio Airships in the US is fascinating in its 
combination of buoyant and aerodynamic lift. Half airship, half plane.

The enormous hangar close to Berlin that was built by Cargholifter is 
now an indoor tropical theme park - it is so large that they have 
problems with changeable micro-weather conditions indoors.

For those who are interested in airship development, prototypes and who 
operates them, this site is quite interesting: 
http://spot.colorado.edu/~dziadeck/airship/manufacturers.htm

After reading through it, it appears to me that the industry is not a 
good investment - which I find rather sad.

The well known Goodyear and Fuji machines are actually Dirigible Blimps 
i.e. a hull without internal supporting members but powered and steerable.

The original blimps were tethered and not dirigible (observation blimps, 
usually deployed on ships for anti-submarine surveiilance or as barrage 
balloons against low flying attack aircraft.)

The legend that there were types of airship designated A-Rigid and 
B-Limp (thus the name) in the US forces has yet to be proved.

Cheers
Douglas

Steve Unsworth wrote:
> Seen one of these over the Bodensee in Germany - the Zeppelin factory is by
> its shores and the town of Friedrichshafen has a rather good Zeppelin
> museum.
>
> Steve
>
>
> On 15/1/09 01:39, "Jim Nichols" <jhnichols@lighttube.net> wrote:
>
>   
>> Jerry,
>>
>> If I recall correctly what I read about this project, it does have a rigid
>> structure.  It would not be considered a B-LIMP.
>>
>> Jim Nichols
>> Tullahoma, TN USA
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jerry Lehrer" Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 7:18 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG: The Zepplin is Coming!
>>
>>
>>     
>>> Dick,
>>>
>>> It is not a Zeppelin, it is a BLIMP!
>>>       
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>   

In reply to: Message from lug at steveunsworth.co.uk (Steve Unsworth) ([Leica] IMG: The Zepplin is Coming!)