How fast zeppelin

That could happen soon. Airships are enjoying a bit of a revival, as manufacturers develop helium blimps for surveillance , luxury travel and shipping. Hydrogen airships are further off, though some firms are working on components for the craft. For example, Moscow-based RosAeroSystems has developed a chemical additive that renders hydrogen less flammable. Buoyant Aircraft is developing gas bags fit for storing the gas.

Prentice said he thinks investors, regulators and the public will eventually come around to hydrogen. That, in turn, could open the door to larger airships capable of reaching higher altitudes while carrying more cargo. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Share this —. One thing that surprised me about the older blimp was its tiny gondola, which seats from three to seven people, including the pilot -- depending on whether it's covering a sporting event. The new Goodyear Zeppelin accommodates It's got bigger "wrap-around windows" that Goodyear says offer improved "sweeping panoramic views. I have to tell you, the views on the older blimp were still pretty damn awesome. It felt like we were standing atop the world's tallest treehouse, looking out for a hundred miles in every direction.

Massive enough to blot out the sky. When you stand underneath a blimp on a landing field, the thing is so massive that it blots out the sky.

It's nearly the length of an American football field. But this new airship is even longer, measuring feet from tip to tail -- 54 feet more than the current blimp. In the older blimps, the two engines are bolted to the gondola. But in the new ones, engines are attached to the "envelope," the blimp's helium-filled "bag," as the pilots sometimes call it.

The bag on the new blimp is constructed with a semirigid skeleton to make it faster and more nimble. Compare the old and new blimps. It's all part of a phase-out plan of all three Goodyear blimps; the Spirit of Goodyear retired this year in Florida after a record year career. Eventually, it's expected to go on display at an undisclosed aviation museum. The Carson, California-based Spirit of America will be decommissioned in or , and finally, the Pompano Beach, Florida-based Spirit of Innovation is scheduled to retire in A Goodyear pilot shows how he flies the older blimp.

Goodyear has launched an online contest to allow the public to name the new blimp. Most reacted comment. Hottest comment thread. Recent comment authors. Notify of. Robert the Wallace. Vote Up -2 Vote Down Reply. Glenn Johnson. Vote Up 0 Vote Down Reply. Tom Roscoe. Vote Up -9 Vote Down Reply. Vote Up -8 Vote Down Reply.

Karen McGuire. Vote Up 4 Vote Down Reply. Seb H. Vote Up -1 Vote Down Reply. Vote Up 1 Vote Down Reply. Hi Martin, What kind of altitude are you expecting to achieve by this method, and what would be on the platform? Francisco Carvallo. Best Regards, Francisco. Dan B. Anthony Chiofalo. Rod Burgess. Wyatt Rehder. Dan Grossman. Vote Up 2 Vote Down Reply. Load More Comments.