Post by emonseo30 on Mar 11, 2024 4:50:19 GMT -5
Helium-powered airship from the French company Flying Whales
The airship is back with Flying Whales who are redesigning helium-powered aircraft to access the inaccessible.
After the Hindenburg disaster in , the era of the airship was considered over. But French company Flying Whales is determined to explore the full potential of the aircraft with the launch of its first ship scheduled for
The project was launched in after a series of discussions with the Office National des Forêts (ONF – French National Forestry Office), which thought that an airship would be particularly effective in targeting hard-to-reach natural resources in areas such as the Alps. , Corsica and French Guiana.
The LCAT airs Phone Number List hip will be able to transport up to metric tons of goods at altitudes close to , meters. Airships could soon be a solution for countries with such vast expanses of territory.
Romain Schalck, market manager at Flying Whales, told Air Liquide : "Blimps could be used to collect tree trunks without impacting the ground by floating above the site and loading and unloading cargo with cables."
In addition to France, Canada (specifically the province of Quebec) and China, through its state-owned company AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China), have also shown interest by investing in the project.
In the UK, Hybrid Air Vehicles is developing the Airlander airship for cargo and tourism purposes. It can accommodate up to people for a banquet, or passengers to spend the night in private suites.
Helium-powered airship from the French company Flying Whales
How much will a Flying Whales airship cost?
As of now, the price of the aircraft is confidential, but it is suggested that the price is closer to that of a helicopter than that of an airplane .
Several components of the cargo-carrying airship are made to be environmentally friendly , such as its helium-powered floating capabilities, hybrid-electric propulsion system, and lack of need for additional infrastructure during takeoffs and landings.
Since the airship uses helium to float, the LCAT has low fuel consumption compared to traditional aircraft .
The hybrid electric propulsion system powering the aircraft also gives Flying Whales the opportunity to pivot to full electric propulsion in the future, further decreasing the aircraft's carbon footprint.
“We decided to equip the first airship with hybrid propulsion first because we think that today we are in a world where we cannot create new industrial tools without taking into account environmental protection,” Schalck said.
"A hybrid electric propulsion is not the perfect protector for the environment , but it is a good first step."
However, there is a problem with Flying Whales' ambitious plan: the world is almost out of helium.
The airship is back with Flying Whales who are redesigning helium-powered aircraft to access the inaccessible.
After the Hindenburg disaster in , the era of the airship was considered over. But French company Flying Whales is determined to explore the full potential of the aircraft with the launch of its first ship scheduled for
The project was launched in after a series of discussions with the Office National des Forêts (ONF – French National Forestry Office), which thought that an airship would be particularly effective in targeting hard-to-reach natural resources in areas such as the Alps. , Corsica and French Guiana.
The LCAT airs Phone Number List hip will be able to transport up to metric tons of goods at altitudes close to , meters. Airships could soon be a solution for countries with such vast expanses of territory.
Romain Schalck, market manager at Flying Whales, told Air Liquide : "Blimps could be used to collect tree trunks without impacting the ground by floating above the site and loading and unloading cargo with cables."
In addition to France, Canada (specifically the province of Quebec) and China, through its state-owned company AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China), have also shown interest by investing in the project.
In the UK, Hybrid Air Vehicles is developing the Airlander airship for cargo and tourism purposes. It can accommodate up to people for a banquet, or passengers to spend the night in private suites.
Helium-powered airship from the French company Flying Whales
How much will a Flying Whales airship cost?
As of now, the price of the aircraft is confidential, but it is suggested that the price is closer to that of a helicopter than that of an airplane .
Several components of the cargo-carrying airship are made to be environmentally friendly , such as its helium-powered floating capabilities, hybrid-electric propulsion system, and lack of need for additional infrastructure during takeoffs and landings.
Since the airship uses helium to float, the LCAT has low fuel consumption compared to traditional aircraft .
The hybrid electric propulsion system powering the aircraft also gives Flying Whales the opportunity to pivot to full electric propulsion in the future, further decreasing the aircraft's carbon footprint.
“We decided to equip the first airship with hybrid propulsion first because we think that today we are in a world where we cannot create new industrial tools without taking into account environmental protection,” Schalck said.
"A hybrid electric propulsion is not the perfect protector for the environment , but it is a good first step."
However, there is a problem with Flying Whales' ambitious plan: the world is almost out of helium.