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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 02:48 PM by ShadowXIX
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I was just watching the Show "Mail Call" on the History channel and the featured a new DOD Recon Blimp 
They mentioned that Blimps are already hard to see on Radar as Longbow mentioned since Radar waves pass right through most of the Blimp. So I imagine
making them very stealthy wouldn't be that hard at all.
They also seem to be very easy and cheap to maintain compared to other aircraft requiring 3 hours maintenance for every 1 hour flight compared to 15
hours maintenance for 1 hour flight time for planes for example.
www.msnbc.msn.com...
[edit on 1-6-2006 by ShadowXIX]
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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 02:53 PM by ShatteredSkies
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I was just watching that too, and I saw that I was like "Hmm, this would be a great adition to the forums."
You beat me to it.
So making a stealth blimp should be easy, just to shoot down everyone who said it wasn't plausible. 
Shattered OUT...
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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 03:32 PM by Xenophobe
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Originally posted by sardion2000
A blimp is just a big amorphous gasbag. The future of aerostat technology will be a rigid, aerodynamic, stealthy flying wing using Vacuum cells for
weight and mass reduction, while it gets most of its lift from Aerodynamics and Jet/Turbine/Prop. engines.
Interesting point that you bring up here regarding vacuum cells. I understand the concept, but I would like to know how much progress had been made in
this direction.
I would imagine that whatever material used for a vacuum cell would have to be extremely light, extremely strong, and extremely gas impermeable. Has
anyone invented such a material yet? Or, better yet, has anyone created a functional vacuum cell yet?
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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 04:37 PM by Bhadhidar
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Hope this works!
Originally posted by Bhadhidar
This is a design I've been toying with since the USAF wrecked the last project I worked on. I call it "ALPHA".
The Lift cells employ the same material NASA uses for its Long Duration Balloons. The bouyency controls are all computerized, employing
electro-reactive "artificial muscle-like" polymer fibers which expand/contract in response to electric currents applied to them. Contraction would
squeeze the lift cell, increasing internal pressure on the lift gas, making it denser and thus less bouyant; release would allow the gas to expand,
becoming less dense and generating more lift. This would allow the craft to drop/gain altitude and correct for pitch and roll.
The perimeter and payload support frames are pre-stressed carbon fiber tubes. Employing sort of an isometric "stress/counter-stress" principle, the
frame works like opposing elliptical "leaf" or cart springs to provide strength and rigidity with minimum material weight.
Motive power is provided by idependently fully pivoting electric ducted-fan motors, utilizing quiet, low-speed props optimized for extreme
high-altitude performance and based on a design employed by NASA's Helios project.
ALPHA is an LTA/UAV, capable of automonous opertion and multi-function, multi-mission configuration, although recon/long duration surveillence is its
primary design goal.
[edit on 30-5-2006 by Bhadhidar]
[edit on 30-5-2006 by Bhadhidar]
[edit on 30-5-2006 by Bhadhidar]
I'm not aware of any current material capable of functioning as the "shell" for a vaccuum cell. Pity, though; sure would open the skies for LAV
development (If you'll pardon the pun!). I have heard of a relatively simple "cleaving" process being developed for the production of one and two
atom thick metallic and ceramic material "sheets" with supposedly "amazing" properties and strength-to-weight ratios.
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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 05:02 PM by Xenophobe
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Bhadhidar,
Welcome to the fray!
Very nice design. I think the use of electroactive fibers to vary the bouyancy of a lift cell is quite a novel idea! Two thumbs up! 
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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 05:24 PM by Darkpr0
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I imaginei the only really big obstacle is maintaining rigidityin such a large shape. To stimulate artificial and natural muscle you need a constant
electric charge, and for such a large amount of contracting muscle the power requirements could be fairly large. I'm not sure on wh at kind of power
it takes to sustain rigidity in current artificial muscles, but sheer amount of it could become a problem for power generation/supplies. I also read
an article on current muscle designs. Apparently even the strongest and most innovative was easily beaten by a high-school girl. Muscles are gonna
have to get a lot stronger to be able to sufficiently compress gases such as helium so that it becomes less bouyant.
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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 05:43 PM by Darkpr0
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Me=pwned.
That was an old article that I read-back around Sept '05. Still I suspect you would need a generator of some sort to provide a constant source of
electric current.
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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 05:53 PM by ShadowXIX
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100 times stronger than natural muscles  Man I didnt know that stuff was close to that strong and powered by alcohol Amazing.
I always invisoned if the made real exoskeletons for soldiers they would be made up of some type of artificial muscles rather then pistons and motors
but I never imagine they would get that strong this fast.
You could really be talking some super-human strength levels with suits like that.
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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 06:00 PM by ShatteredSkies
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I'd have to agree with Shadow on this one, exo-suits with pistons/hydraulics can only do so much, artifical muscle and nano-enhancements are probably
the ultimate build for an exo-suit.
Shattered OUT...
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reply posted on 1-6-2006 @ 11:35 PM by Murcielago
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longbow
And you cannot make it optically invisible because such stalth skin weights too much.
my first post was right before yours, showing what you say "cannot" be possible...??? Do ya at least look at other peoples pictures? let alone the
words.
A stealthy blimp is 100% possable...all it takes is some deep pockets...I would be stunned if the US Gov doesn't allready posses them.
BTW, I also feel 100 times stronger when powered by alcohol. 
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reply posted on 2-6-2006 @ 05:06 PM by Char2c35t
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best way to test the viiblity of a shealth blimp would be over a populated area and watch the area news if there isnt a big deal made about the
"ufo" then you know that you did your job designing the craft and that it works minus a few nutcases that report they have "seen" an object.
High Alt recon spy blip could be used to pick up communications of other militaries and bounce them back up to a satilite then to hq. Electron
warfare and spying with weaponized versons later.
I always thought a UAV carrier shealth blimp that act as a mothership aka sky carrier where you can have your blimp floating high above and out of
theatre.
What about this thought Super High alt blimp shealth blimp equiped with rods of GOD they wouldnt have to go threw the atmosphere but still would have
great volicity!
Or even as a sf or ranger bat development ship? a huge div or bat jumping at High alt for a mission as the glide to thier target.
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reply posted on 2-6-2006 @ 05:53 PM by ShadowXIX
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Originally posted by Murcielago
BTW, I also feel 100 times stronger when powered by alcohol.
 Man that was great funniest thing I read on ATS in awhile.
New meaning for the term Beer muscles
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reply posted on 2-6-2006 @ 05:56 PM by Darkpr0
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I was actually thinking of saying that, but 28.8 dialup loads too slow and I'm too lazy to keep checking back if its loaded yet and so forth. Makes
it difficult viewing...ahem...multimedia files.
Just kidding. Dialup sucks.
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reply posted on 17-9-2009 @ 12:00 PM by alexander_delta
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Since "griefers" were kind enough to have the Wiki page on the stealth blimp deleted, the main source for stealth blimp news now has a new home:
The Stealth Blimp dot com
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