The new giant flying condom

[ozzy72]

Well it is back....

The world's biggest airship will make its first commercial flight over Tokyo later this week, 70 years after the Hindenburg disaster brought the golden age of the dirigible to a fiery end.
The new helium-filled Zeppelin NT is 75 metres (246ft) long and will take passengers between 300-600 metres above Tokyo at speeds of up to 50 miles an hour.
Built by the German firm Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik, the Zeppelin will offer regular weekend and holiday flights over Tokyo from this Friday, including a night flight on Christmas Day and a sunrise excursion on New Year's Day.
Tickets for the 90-minute trips, the first commercial airship flights in Japan, will cost 126,000 yen (

[Hagar]

Sorry but I think the airship concept died with the Hindenburg. Airships are slow & clumsy in ideal conditions but what happens in if they're caught in bad weather? The bigger they are the more difficult they are to manoeuvre, especially near the ground. Unless they're kept in a specially built hangar the first storm will blow them away or severely damage them.

I'm not against airships per se. I once had an enjoyable ride in one of the Airship Industries blimps while on holiday in Florida. It was great fun but even in calm conditions it took an experienced ground crew of about 30 strong men to manhandle it during "take-off" & "landing".

[Tweek]

Sorry but I think the airship concept died with the Hindenburg. Airships are slow & clumsy in ideal conditions but what happens in if they're caught in bad weather? The bigger they are the more difficult they are to manoeuvre, especially near the ground. Unless they're kept in a specially built hangar the first storm will blow them away or severely damage them.

I'm not against airships per se. I once had an enjoyable ride in one of the Airship Industries blimps while on holiday in Florida. It was great fun but even in calm conditions it took an experienced ground crew of about 30 strong men to manhandle it during "take-off" & "landing".

I may be wrong, but I can't imagine safety will pick up right from where it left in 1937.

Plus, it's something novel, and is bound to attract tourists.

[Hagar]

I may be wrong, but I can't imagine safety will pick up right from where it left in 1937.

I'm not talking about the construction of the airship itself or the gas used in it. What I meant was that an airship the size of the Hindenburg couldn't compete with a modern airliner even if it was built from the latest high-tech materials & used helium instead of hydrogen to keep it in the air. The whole concept of operating a large airship is impractical. IMHO

Plus, it's something novel, and is bound to attract tourists.

That's true but I wonder how long it will last. I'll give it until it's caught in some rough weather. Not many years ago they ran regular pleasure trips using small blimps over Orlando, Florida for several seasons but you won't see one now.

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Goodmorning all...

We have had one of the Goodyear Blimps and the Fiji Film Blimp here several times in the last decade. We see lots of hot air balloons all the time, the most common of course is the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon, they are here about six times a year.
Blimps and Hot Air Balloons are a spectacle to watch and even better to have a ride in.

[Hagar]

I've just checked the original news report. "World's biggest airship" is very misleading & with a length of 246 feet it's a tiddler compared with the Hindenburg's 804 feet. It might be the world's largest blimp but note its payload is a crew of 3 plus 8 passengers. The Hindenburg had a crew of 40 & could carry up to 72 passengers.

I think the publication is Janes Defence something or other magazine, it is distributed to military bases and I have read a few of them while waiting for someone, but the United States Government through the Pentagon is spending a very large amount of money on the development of heavy lift Blimps.  I do not remember who the contractor was in the United States nor the actual name of the magazine.  The article was quite interesting and rather lengthy.

Think this is the one Doug. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/walrus-heavylift-blimp-getting-off-the-ground-01103
No mention of the size of the thing. Methinks it will have to be a pretty big Walrus if it's going to carry a payload of 500-1,000 tons.  ::)