World's largest aircraft crashes on landing during second test run

a reply to: intrptr

I imagine its generally always windy at 20,000ft.

The craft must have some form of station keeping capability's if it can land and maneuver, they obviously require work all the same. Don't know how well the thing would function at altitude. I imagine it would pretty much have to go where the jet stream took it.

a reply to: andy06shake

Generally, blimps can't handle a lot of wind and won't launch in inclement weather. Because their massive surface area is one huge wind foil, the power and weight of the engines is intentionally kept light to reduce overall gross weight. All that balloon and those little, teeny props.

Fair weather flyers.

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a reply to: odzeandennz

Suppose that's a point considering if the craft were to lose power the thing can theoretically float gently to the ground as apposed to in to the ground like a dart.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: odzeandennz

Suppose that's a point considering if the craft were to lose power the thing can theoretically float gently to the ground as apposed to in to the ground like a dart.

It will hit the ground at wind speed. At even a few miles per hour that could be disastrous.

I really find this pointless. is this the 1850s all over again? couldn't have come up with a better way to move cargo? (if that is the true intent).... $25 million seems like a lot of money to float around in a big balloon..

Last time I saw one of those it was called "Airship" not Aircraft.....

a reply to: andy06shake

So nobody learned from the Hindenburg incident I see.

This may sound like a ridiculous comment but I'm still struggling to see the purpose of this airship/aircraft.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Different gas, different property's. This thing can't explode in the same manner as the Hindenburg so they kind of learned something.

a reply to: andy06shake

where did it break up at

A lot of places where a vehicle like this would be viable economically is where it is windy, think winter in Alaska, Canada, Siberia.

a reply to: donaldfan353667

It did not break up, just somewhat done a bellyflop. No one was injured and the vehicle sustained only slight damage, apparently to the cockpit area.

a reply to: kurthall

It goes 95 MPH, not bad for such a big arse

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a reply to: andy06shake

You'd think that 80+ years of advancement in Engineering mankind would have figured out how to nail the whole blimp-type craft thing by now.

I realize there are plenty of arguments for the advantages of such a craft, but such things seem so beneath where our tech should be expected to be currently.

a reply to: JerryDriver

Well it's all window dressing isn't it?
I mean, when Von Braun commented that the space shuttle was obsolete, he wasnt talking about the new HLV rockets, he was talking about the REAL space program.

Blimps are great, hell they have enough surface area (and can fly above clouds) so the solar energy alone would be enough. No More Fossil Fuel, get it?
As a cheap pollution free transport, you can't fault it.
But like i said, it needs some upgrading, maybe add the Coanda effect to the control surfaces & coat the underside with a barium/hafnium mixture & it will easily double the lift, height, & speed.
Oops, probably said too much already.....

a reply to: JerryDriver

Well until breakthroughs in postulated technologies such as anti gravity/mass cancellation come about, we pretty much have to work with what we have that being air planes and blimps.

What would you suggest?

a reply to: JerryDriver

As long as there are people involved there will be accidents.

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a reply to: andy06shake

I just made a few suggestions

There's a vast difference between what we have and what the plebs get to see