Aeroscraft hybird airship for DARPA Walrus

[Jjames763]

@disquietawe

Actually, because the buoyancy is from density more than weight, and hydrogen is H2, the real lift difference is more like 8% heavier.

Most assume blimps are easy to shoot down. But they are actually vastly more durable than all other aircraft. Blimps have literally been torn in two, shot thousands of times(with hydrogen) and still fly for hours. Also, people forget that it isn't defenseless.

[MrPennalto]

They should have used the theme from Thunderbirds.

[123456wasp]

Looks alot like some UFO designs!

[phillyblizzard]

NASA included this in it's recent list for future generations of aircraft. Ha, they finally caught up :)

[Aware681]

See the latest on Hybrid Air Vehicle, Ltd out of England. They signed a huge contract with the US military and plan to have a prototype out in the summer of this year.

[lucidwayne]

Not very practical looking, in a war time scenario the Hindenburg comes to mind.

[ShimmySnail]

@lucidwayne The Hindenburg was hydrogen, helium, which the allies refused to ship to Germany, is completely inert. Even if one had to use hydrogen, it's an urban legend the Hindenburg burned due to a hydrogen explosion. What caught fire was the covering of the blimp itself, which was not flame retardant. Many blimps were used in WWI for their large bomb capacities to good effect and for reconnaisance.

[disquietawe]

@ShimmySnail I'm sure the hydrogen made it worse than it would have been. Also, hydrogen airships became way too unsafe the second we invented tracer ammunition. One burning bullet pierces the blimp and it roasts. Helium is the safest alternative, but it's up to four times the weight (depending on isotope), which makes it far less effective.

[zeppship]

@ShimmySnail watch seconds from disaster and you'll know whether it was the skin or the gas. (+it's not a blimp)

[Consumerofknowledge]

The future of control. WHy can't someone CUT DARPAS funding?

[EvilMordac]

A large enough platform like this can serve the role of a mobile support base or staging aria quite easily. Basically the same as a light carrier was during ww2. The nazi's were experimenting with this during ww2 as well. Developing a carrier airship system.

[secretagentmann9]

this thing is using non-flammable helium, and can carry crazy loads because it has six engines generating lift. think of the commercial applications of this thing... it could carry more than several jets could, and land in the area of a football field...

[ehswan]

Yeah. let's just keep fighting and killing each other.

[SSrb1099]

I think they would be bit vulnerable to an RPG.

[duanemperor]

this looks like cnc4!

[MokomaSusi]

How is planning to build "hybrid airship" war mongering?

[candr]

Probably a long time, this particular item was canceled awhile back. by the DARPA, as the author stated, but there is interest in some not so massive machines.

[mustyballs]

How close is DARPA to making this a realty?

[jasonguyperson]

I want to tip it over.. ^.^

[bunjit1]

terrific - more war mongering.

[dogsbd]

Idiot.

[bunjit1]

and still smarter than you.

[dogsbd]

Obviously not.

[BlankUberAlles]

be easy to shoot down, but I bet they wouldn't even consider it unless it was reasonably assured it could be defended....man, I dunno

[Semmarv]

Actually, from what i've read about combat airships used in the world war era, They tend to be much more resilient to damage than one would suspect. And given the immense tactical advantage of landing hundreds of men at a time, I'm sure that they would find a way to make it work.

(Granted, If it works well, then new tactics will be developed for attacking them too. but that's war for ya.)

[candr]

True but that was in WW1 and the Zep's had multiple gas bags inside, not to mention they sailed thousands of feet higher then the aircraft of the time. Once the higher ceiling craft came into being more were shot down. In todays militaries with rockets designed to explode on comand, it might not be that hard, However the ones in used in the Tanker wars of the 80's they found it hard for radar locks as well as being protected by other aircraft and weapons (course they were looking for exocets.)

[CapsaicinHat]

@candr Aeorstats flying VERY high are still used for surveillance. Toss one up, leave it up for months or a year at a time.

There are lots of problems with airships (they're dangerously twitchy at loading and unloading, they are a big slow moving target--though they do fail gracefully, got to take one out entirely or it can coast down; a single rocket won't do it) but ignoring the military issues they are phenomenal. One can replace fleets of trucks or ships w/o infrastructure at delivery.

[platon576]

put some guns and armor on that thing and you have a mobile base

[valvetrom]

BANG  ? why

[grendeljack]

dude this would be awesome for disaster relief- and mass evacuation efforts.

[awesomemohawk]

Who said there would only be one? And somthing like this woulb obviously be for transport of cargo not combat droping like they depict.

[MurderDeathKill01]

lol?

its DARPA, everything they have made has been used by the army in some aspect.

I.e: The "Nanosuit" that they are making now...

What do you think Crysis was based off of?

The prototype suit being developed by DARPA has the same features as the one in Crysis, except the functions are still so expiremental, they're deemed too unstable for use.

[ramzahnY]

Yeah, all eggs in one basket...

[Inmango]

yep

[theshipman]

Wo!!! Now THAT is cool.