Tue Sep 05, 2017 8:10 am
#1556850
Ah, a technical question, I'm competent to answer those. Operating with positive heaviness and a wide range of positive heaviness, both of which Airlander will do gives advantages in ground handling and in handling the aircraft as disposable load is added or removed. You are correct that traditional cylindrical LTA ships add and remove heaviness to keep themselves at around equilibrium. Those processes require people and equipment. Helium is not free, neither was hydrogen but it could at least be made easily on-site. Operating heavy rather than at EQ or light makes the ground handling task easier, Airlander will need only a handful of ground handling people.
We have demonstrated over recent months that a lot of maintenance work can be done outside using ascender equipment.
All that commercial stuff is outside the competence of this 'umble hengineer.