With all the pictures and videosfrom and of the Zeppelin over London one could almost forget that there are many other Airships out there. So today we once again take a look at what the MetLife Blimps are doing. Last time we talked about the Metlife Blimps was in a post in May were we talked about their PGA Tour footage. So what is hot about MetLife's Blimps lately? Well first and hottest of the press is probably the Announcement and Presentation of Snoopy Three. The regular readers will have a little deja vu here because Snoopy three has already been flying last year from August until October but now he is back for it's 2008 flights. You can check out the schedule on the MetLife Website. This years Snoopy Three operation was accompanied with a nice video. The original can be seen here, but there is also a version on YouTube that we embedded right below:
Behind the Scenes Look at How Blimps Help Cover America’s Most Important Sporting Events
Peanuts® Characters Help Celebrate the Christening of the Newest MetLife Blimp
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Snoopy® and the gang joined representatives from MetLife to christen their newest blimp and to celebrate its 2008 flying season. Snoopy Three, the company’s largest airship is known for providing breathtaking beauty shots and spectacular aerial shots of sporting events. The airship is an A-150 model blimp that measures 165 feet long, 46 feet wide and 55 feet tall. The blimp is significantly larger than Snoopy One and Two and will provide coverage of major sporting events such as the PGA championship as well as various NFL Games.
This video goes behind the scenes with Charlie Smith, the line pilot for Snoopy® Three as he shows you how he pilots the blimp that helps provide TV coverage for your favorite sporting events, such as the PGA TOUR and various NFL games.
But Snoopy Three isn't the only MetLife Blimp. Kieth Krause is the Blimp Blogger on board the Snoopy Two treating us regularly with updates on the different events and missions the Blimp flies on his Blog "Blimpin' Ain't Easy" we have mentioned his Blog before and if you aren't a regular reader of his Blog check out some of his latest posts, they usually contain a short video or picture gallery from the places he went.
Unfortunately Keith mostly reports on Snoopy Two, we rarely get news from Snoopy One. And in general we need more Airship/ Blimp Bloggers. The Goodyear Guys caught the virus, Airship Ventures had it from day one but what's with the rest, when will Zeppelin start a Blog or Airship Management Services. If you need help with it send me an email. So that's almost it for MetLife Blimp updates, except for these three great pictures on Flickr unfortunately copyrighted so I can not add them to this entry but have a look at them they are nice:
So that's it for now on the MetLife Blimps, if you think we have forgotten something let us know, drop us an email or post a comment on the Blog, we love to hear from you. Also remember to spread the word. Thanks to you the readers and subscribers we have had the most successful month since we started the Blog back in March 2007. If you have ideas on what we could do better share them in the Forum or send us an Email directly to airshipworld (at) gmail.com Thanks for reading Airshipworld, thanks for subscribing and thanks for stopping by, let's try to make August even more successful than the last Month.
I just found a great great Video of the Zeppelin flying over London on YouTube. It has been online for just a few hours and has only been watched 19 times as of the time I write this. So whats so great and why is it a must watch for every Zeppelin Fan. Well because it is 8 Minutes long, the longest video till now that I have seen of the London flights. It starts out with the Zeppelin showing once again it's unsurpassed ground handling qualities. Following lot of scenes from within the Zeppelin so you can see everything in great detail and you get to experience the introduction that the copilot does when the airship lifts of. Finishing with some nice shots of London and the Zeppelin lifting off with for the next flight. Watch it, rate it, comment on it. It's worth it. And can inspire even more people to want to fly in Airships.
Airship Over London Star Over London [Update] In addition to the Video above, Jim Logajan from the Yahoo Airshiplist pointed out another video of a flight with the London Zeppelin.
Airship Ride Over London [/Update] To read even more about the Zeppelin follow our coverage of the Star Over London. The Zeppelin will fly over the Netherlands later this Summer, subscribe to the blog to be up-to-date on the when and were. And after that Airship Ventures will take the Zeppelin home to San Francisco. As a subscriber you will also not miss a thing. We will keep you informed. You can Subscribe to our RSS Feed in a Feedreader or just get the latest and greatest Airship news delivered to you via Email with our Email Subcription Service. Leave us a comment or send us an Email if you have any questions or suggestions. You can also subscribe to our Mailinglist and Forum where you can exchange your thoughts with other readers. And please spread the word. Link to us from you blog or website, save our stories to Digg, Stumble Upon, Delicious, Facebook and all the others.
As long as the Zeppelin is flying over London the Web is just bursting with pictures and videos. This time the Airship Ventures Blog Up Ship! is servicing us with some London Zeppelin greatness. Click on the Links to get to the Blogposts and then make sure to click on the Pictures to see them in full size.
Also Airship Ventures showed the first sneak peak of the new GPS Tracking System that will be available on the Zeppelin NT allowing those of us who aren't so lucky to be flying with the Zeppelin can at least see it on a Live Tracked Map.
At the Farnborough Airshow that ended last sunday BAE Systems announced they are planning to integrate their existing Unmanned Autonomous Systems in the Lindstrand GA-22 Airhship. The GA-22 Airship was first supplied to the Ministry of Defense in Spain in 2004 and carried a 42kg load. Read the full press release below:
BAE SYSTEMS FLOATS AUTONOMOUS SYTEM AT FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL 14 Jul 2008 | Ref. FI020/2008
A 22 meter long airship, originally developed by balloonist and adventurer Per Lindstrand, could become the latest addition to BAE Systems growing portfolio of autonomous systems.
The GA22 airship, perfect for deployment into roles such as communications relay stations, will be updated and adapted to carry payloads, such as high tech surveillance equipment at up to 150 kilograms in weight, to heights of more than 6,500 feet
BAE Systems plan to integrate their existing Unmanned Autonomous Systems into the GA22 making the technology more accessible to potential users.
“Strategically, GA22 fits perfectly into the autonomous fleet that we are developing“said Richard Williams, Director of Civil Autonomous Systems at BAE Systems “The new vehicle has the possibility of opening up a range of markets for BAE Systems. It has a range of unique capabilities and we have identified a number of roles at major events, from sporting occasions to floods and forest fires, for which GA22 is ideal”.
BAE Systems designers and engineers have worked with Lindstrand Technologies to update the original design. GA22 will be able to carry high-tech surveillance equipment, including a payload of up to 150 kilograms, to heights of more than 6,500ft. In addition, it is being made from a newer and lighter material, which improves the airship’s performance. At the moment GA22 is radio controlled, but the plan is to make it fully autonomous.
Richard continued: “Even more exciting are the long-term prospects for success. I have no doubt that GA22 can make a significant contribution to our civil autonomous systems business,” Richard concludes.
About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is the premier global defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 97,500 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15.7 billion (US $31.4 billion) in 2007.
The ancient lines and geoglyphs in Nazca, Peru have fascinated mankind for a long time. Just recently they were featured in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". In order to make sure the world has a permanent record and to survey the endangered lines a new Project is underway to this with a low flying, low impact Airship. John Christopher from Airship Initiatives most well known for his Zeppelin Tours is announcing a new Project this week: The Airship Nasca Project working with Professor Nick Saunders and the University of Bristol Archaeology Department who himself is involved in on-going research at Nazca with Professor Clive Ruddles of Leicester University. The survey mission is planned to take place in 2010. To read more about the project. Go to the Airship Nazca Website and read the press release that Airship Initiatives has put out. Below are also some more pictures of the project and the concept.
The Airship Nazca Project PRESS RELEASE: Issued 25 July 2008 – for immediate release Announcing the Airship Nazca project Airship Nazca is an exiting new project using an airship as an aerial platform for a photographic and remote-sensing survey of the endangered lines and geoglyphs in Peru, which were featured recently in the film 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'. The Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca and Pampas de Jumana are one of the greatest cultural wonders of our planet. Situated in south-western Peru, 500 square km of arid plains are covered with lines straight as an arrow, fantastic geometric shapes and over seventy drawings of animals, insects and even human figures. These geoglyphs are huge, for example the famous Monkey with its spiralling tail is over 91.5 m across, while the Hummingbird - the symbol for this project and which in Andean mythology represents a special messenger of the gods - has a wingspan of 61 m. Best seen from the air, their purpose and how they were made has intrigued archaeologists and mathematicians ever since their re-discovery. But now they are under threat and may face irredeemable damage as the result of tourism pressure and the impact of climate change. In 2010 Airship Nazca will undertake the most detailed survey of the site ever conducted. “It will raise the profile of Nazca and other sites at risk, emphasising the need to protect the drawings while providing a blueprint of every square centimetre,” commented John Christopher of Airship Initiatives, the project coordinator. Heritage under threat Nazca is one of the most fragile archaeological sites in the world. The plains consist of a powdery gypsum-laden soil covered by a layer of rocks and stones; glacial debris that has been fragmented into small pieces. These stones have a high iron content and through oxidization they have darkened to give the site its distinctive reddish-brown tone. The lines and geoglyphs were created by clearing the stones and piling them to either side, thus exposing and contrasting the stones with the lighter-coloured soil underneath. The reason why the lines and geoglyphs have survived for so long is because of the site's stable climate which has almost no rain. However as reported by UNESCO there is growing concern about the impact of climate change upon many world heritage sites and in Peru there are regional factors with deforestation and erosion blamed for mudslides and flash-floods in many areas. In 2000 unusually heavy rains triggered mudslides in the hills south of the drawings, causing damage to one of the minor lines and prompting one archaeologist to declare it "an important wake up call." The rise in international tourism has brought mixed blessings to many parts of the world. Of concern at Nazca is not the quantity of visitors, but the actions of a few. Because the surface is so fragile any marks made by the tyres of a vehicle, or even a footprint, will last as long as the lines themselves. Tourists are now kept off the main area and see the drawings from the 15 m viewing tower or from light aircraft. Location The Nazca lines and geoglyphs cover the arid plains situated between the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains in the south-west of Peru. Location coordinates: 14 degrees 41' 38.3” S, Long 75 degrees 06' 49.6” W Why use an airship? The airship is an ideal stable platform from which to conduct a low-level survey. It can be adapted to carry a range of equipment and instruments, flying low-and-slow or even maintaining station if required. The airship can also take best advantage of the light conditions to photograph the lines and drawings which are shallow and do not show up well on satellite imagery. It will also provide the opportunity to carry equipment and experiments devised by students and school children and some may even get the opportunity to fly in the airship as part of their studies. Crucially, given the fragile nature of the Nazca site, the airship is environmentally non-intrusive and the entire survey will be conducted without leaving a single footprint on the surface. Recent advances in remote sensing technology, especially with Lidar which using pulses of light to produce accurate terrain modelling, should provide the most comprehensive survey of Nazca ever attempted. World Heritage Site The Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca and Pampas de Jumana were inscribed on to the World Heritage List relatively recently, in 1994. The list, maintained by the World Heritage Programme administered by UNESCO, includes 878 sites which are considered as having outstanding importance. The Airship Nazca project team The Airship Nazca project has been devised by John Christopher of Airship Initiatives, a UK-based company dedicated to putting airships to work. With extensive experience in lighterthan-air flight and operations, Airship Initiatives are involved in a range of airship projects and also act as independent consultants for clients all over the world. The Zeppelin Tours part of their operation organises airship pleasure flights in many countries including Germany, Japan, the UK and in the USA. Airship Initiatives is working with Professor Nick Saunders and the University of Bristol Archaeology Department on the archaeological aspects of the project, and the handling of the data and imagery obtained. Nick Saunders is recognised internationally as an expert on the Nazca lines and geoglyphs and, together with Professor Clive Ruddles of Leicester University, is involved in on-going research at Nazca. For more information or pictures contact: John Christopher, Airship Initiatives Email jc@airshipinitiatives.com Tel +44 (0)870 479 8373 www.airshipnazca.com
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A Hot Air Balloon looses a lot of its lift by the heat that radiates out of the envelope. This heat loss has to be counter acted by reheating the air inside the envelope. So how could a hot air balloon made more energy efficient and the reheating reduced? By insulating the envelope so that it doesn't loose so much heat and that is exactly what Festo has done. The company that is known for its AirJelly and AirRay lighter than air projects continues to innovate. Festo has build a hot air balloon that uses up to 70% less energy than a comparable traditional hot air balloon. This is achieved with a new material that sits on the inside of the balloon envelope. This aerofabríx® insulation not only reduces heat loss it also extends the life of the envelope by reducing the heat of the outer envelope layer. Check out the whitepapers below for the full detail, more information and additional pictures. I could imagine that this new envelope material would be of great use for Dan Nachbars Personal Blimp as well as the Gefa Flug hot air airships.
Insulated hot - air balloon A hot - air balloon with fuel consumption reduced by half Innovative insulation sets standards in energy efficiency for balloons Volume - specific buoyancy (kg / m²) 0.40 +50 % 0.30 -50 % with 3.5 mm insulation without insulation 0.20 0.10 0.00 200 surface - specific heat output (W / m²) 300 400 500 600 700 800 Flock insulator Results of measurements on the model balloon (volume: 30 m3) Conveying five persons in a hot-air balloon for one hour consumes around the same amount of fuel as an economical passenger car during a drive from Berlin to Barcelona. Thanks to an innovative ultra - light membrane flock insulating material, the fuel consumption of a balloon can be reduced by more than 50 %, or its carrying capacity can be correspondingly increased for the same consumption rate. Insulated hot - air balloon, which was manufactured for Festo, is the world’s first balloon to include this new insulating material, which allows the number of fuel cylinders to be reduced and additional passengers to be transported. At the same time, the thermal load on the balloon material is reduced and its service life thereby extended. In the development project HeiDAS (hot-steam aerostat) by Festo, steam was used instead of hot air to fill the balloon. Steam has twice the load-bearing capacity of air; however, it necessitates insulation to prevent condensation from forming on the interior of the balloon envelope. For this purpose, flock insulation is bonded to a light but sensitive carrier foil that was first produced on commission from Festo in 2003. The membrane flock insulating material was further developed and applied to the insulated steam balloon. A new ultralight metallised base fabric transforms the foil into an insulating material suitable for everyday use in balloons. The innovative membrane flock insulating material provides the layer of air required for insulation by means of vertically oriented raised fibres on the base membrane. This membrane with its spacing elements is known as the spacing layer. The gap is closed by a covering layer. The insulting effect is determined by the width of this space, the flock pattern and the surface characteristics of the spacing and covering layers. The outer layer of the balloon envelope itself provides the insulation. The membrane flock insulating material is extremely light, highly reflective, mildly heat - reflective, temperature - resistant, compressible, readily adaptable to individual requirements and easily optimised by means of adjusting the spacing gap and the number of layers. High compressibility is a fundamental requirement, since balloons are packed and transported after a flight. Simulations and measurements carried out with test balloons have provided for initial insulation optimization and savings estimates. Subsequent measurements on the test balloons have confirmed that fuel consumption is reduced by half for a given buoyant force, or carrying capacity is considerably increased for a given quantity of fuel. 2 Insulated hot - air balloon in the air The lightweight insulation is situated on the interior of the envelope, where it is protected against the adverse effects of everyday handling; this insulation in turn protects the load bearing envelope against the effects of high temperatures. Higher temperatures than usual are encountered on the inner surface of the insulating material, while the cooler exterior of the envelope hardly radiates any heat. To test this technology in practice, the engineers from UltraMagic and the Technical University of Berlin undertook trials using a first manned and insulated test balloon with a volume of 1.600 m3, under various conditions for a period of six months. This prototype completed about 100 hours of operation, during which it attained consumption savings of more than 70 % and confirmed the material’s durability. With increasing size, the ratio of a balloon’s surface area to its volume decreases. At the same time, the internal pressure on the insulating material increases and reduces the insulating gap between the envelope layers. These effects could impair the function of the insulation. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the aerofabríx® insulation in the new Festo insulated hot - air balloon, a special race was staged: fuel consumption was measured in a direct comparison with an uninsulated balloon of the same volume and with the same load. After 40 minutes of operation, the conventional balloon had used 37.2 kg of Thermographic images without insulation (left, approx. 55° C) and with insulation (right, approx. 40° C) of model balloons with 30 m3 volume and identical load-bearing capacity propane – the contents of several tank cylinders. The insulated hot air balloon, by contrast, had consumed less than 11 kg – in other words 30 % of the fuel required by the conventional balloon; this represents a drastic improvement in energy efficiency. The insulated hot - air balloon shows what innovations are possible in lighter - than - air aviation. Festo manufactures energy - efficient products and advises its customers as to how energy can be put to even more efficient use in automation. With the insulated hot air balloon insulated balloon envelope, it will be possible to make balloon travel 50 % more efficient in future. 3 Technical data Balloontype: Volume: Envelope weight: Passengers: Fabric insulation: Thickness: Specific weight: Thermal conductivity: U value (6 mm): Max. operating temperature: M - 105 3000 m3 158 kg 4–5 aerofabríx® [Iso] 45 | 4.5 6 mm 45 g / m2 0,0265 W / mK 4,5 W / m2K 140° C Project partners Project initiator: Dr. Wilfried Stoll, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Festo AG Project manager: Dipl. - Ing. (FH) Markus Fischer, Corporate Design Festo AG & Co. KG Envelope concept and manufacture: Josep Maria Lladó Costa, UltraMagic S.A., Igualada, Spain Material development and manufacture: Dr. - Ing. Alexander Bormann, Dipl. - Ing. Stefan Skutnik, Milan Habovcik, German Aerospace Centre (ILR), Technical University of Berlin, Germany Christian Gebhardt, aeroíx, Berlin, Germany Thermographic images and laboratory tests: Ilka Rudolph, Martin Wähmer, Maik Scheel German Aerospace Centre (ILR), Technical University of Berlin, Germany Flock technology consultants: Prof. Chokri Sherif, Birgit Mrozik Institute of Fibre and Apparel Technology (ITB), Technical University of Dresden, Germany Joachim Müller, Engineer’s office for flock technology, Büdingen, Germany Balloon operator for Festo: Rien Jurg Promotions BV, Hengelo, The Netherlands Further support and consultation: Prof. Jürgen Thorbeck, German Aerospace Centre (ILR), Technical University of Berlin Yousif Abdel Gadir, aerarium e.V., Berlin, Germany Photos: Walter Fogel, Angelbachtal, Germany Festo AG & Co. KG Corporate Design Rechbergstraße 3 73770 Denkendorf www.festo.com / ballooning Phone +49 / 7 11 / 347 - 38 80 Fax +49 / 7 11 / 347 - 38 99 fish@de.festo.com Brand designation: aerofabríx® is a brand of Dr. - Ing. Alexander Bormann, Berlin, Germany 53342 EN
Isolierter Heißluft - Ballon Ein Heißluft - Ballon mit halbiertem Brennstoffverbrauch Innovative Isolation setzt Maßstab bei der Energie - Effizienz von Ballonen Volumenspezifischer Auftrieb (kg/m2) 0,40 +50 % 0,30 -50 % mit 3,5 mm Isolation ohne Isolation 0,20 0,10 0,00 200 Oberflächenspezifische Heizleistung (W/m2) 300 400 500 600 700 800 Membran-Flock-Dämmstoff Ergebnisse der Messungen am Modellballon mit 30 m3 Um im Heißluftballon mit fünf Personen eine Stunde in der Luft zu schweben, wird etwa so viel Brennstoff verbrannt, wie ein sparsames Auto für die Fahrt von Berlin nach Barcelona benötigt. Mit Hilfe eines innovativen, ultraleichten Membran - Flock Dämmstoffs kann nun der Verbrauch des Heißluftballons um mehr als 50 % gesenkt bzw. dessen Tragkraft bei gleichem Verbrauch entsprechend gesteigert werden. Der isolierte Heißluft - Ballon, der für Festo gebaut wurde, ist der weltweit erste Ballon, der mit dieser neuen Isolation ausgeliefert wird. Die Isolation ermöglicht die Reduzierung der Anzahl von Brennstoffzylindern und die Mitnahme von zusätzlichen Passagieren. Gleichzeitig reduziert sich die thermische Beanspruchung der tragenden Ballonhülle, was die Lebensdauer der Hülle verlängert. Im Entwicklungs - Projekt HeiDAS (Heißdampfaerostat) von Festo, wurde anstelle von Heißluft im Ballon Wasserdampf verwendet. Dieser besitzt die doppelte Tragkraft, erfordert aber eine Isolation, um die Kondensation des Dampfes im Traggasbehälter zu vermeiden. Dafür wurde 2003 im Auftrag von Festo erstmals die Flockisolation auf leichter, aber empfindlicher Trägerfolie produziert. Der Membran-Flock-Dämmstoff wurde weiterentwickelt und auf den isolierten Heißluft-Ballon übertragen. Ein neues ultraleichtes, metallisiertes Trägergewebe macht nun aus der Folienisolation einen alltagstauglichen Ballondämmstoff. Beim innovativen Membran - Flock - Dämmstoff wird die für die Dämmwirkung erforderliche Luftschicht durch senkrecht auf der Trägermembran stehende, aufgeflockte Fasern gewährleistet. Die Trägermembran mit Abstandshaltern wird Abstandslage genannt. Der Spalt wird durch eine Decklage geschlossen. Der Abstand, das Flockmuster und die Oberflächeneigenschaften von Abstandslage und Decklage definieren die Isolationswirkung. Bei der Ballonisolation stellt die äußere Ballonhülle selbst die Decklage dar. Der Membran - Flock - Dämmstoff ist extrem leicht, hoch reflektierend, gering wärmeabstrahlend, temperaturbeständig, komprimierbar, leicht konfektionierbar und durch Spaltabstand und Lagenanzahl einfach optimierbar. Hohe Komprimierbarkeit ist eine grundlegende Forderung, da Ballone nach dem Flug verpackt und transportiert werden. Simulation und Messungen an Versuchsballonen erlaubten eine Voroptimierung der Isolation und die Abschätzung der Einsparung. Die nachfolgenden Messungen an Versuchsballonen bestätigten eine Halbierung des Verbrauchs bei gleich bleibendem Auftrieb bzw. eine deutliche Steigerung der Tragkraft bei gleichem Verbrauch. 2 Isolierter Heißluft - Ballon in der Luft Die leichte Isolation wird an der Innenseite des Ballons angebracht, womit sie vor den rauen Einwirkungen beim Handling des Ballons geschützt ist und ihrerseits nun die tragende Hülle vor hohen Temperaturen schützt. Dabei treten an der Innenseite der Isolation durchaus höhere Temperaturen als üblich auf, die kühlere Außenseite der Hülle strahlt kaum noch Wärme ab. Um die neue Technologie in der Praxis zu erproben, testeten die Ingenieure von UltraMagic und der Technischen Universität Berlin sechs Monate lang einen ersten bemannten und isolierten 1600 Kubikmeter großen Versuchsballon unter verschiedenen Einsatzbedingungen. Dieser Prototyp absolvierte etwa 100 Flugstunden, erreichte Verbrauchseinsparungen von über 70 % und bestätigt die Haltbarkeit des Materials. Mit zunehmender Größe verringert sich das Verhältnis von Oberfläche zu Volumen der Ballone. Gleichzeitig steigt der Innendruck auf die Isolation und presst den isolierenden Spalt weiter zusammen. Diese Effekte könnten den Vorteil der Isolation schmälern. Um die Wirksamkeit der aerofabríx® Isolation beim neuen isolierten Heißluft - Ballon von Festo zu demonstrieren, fand eine Wettfahrt der besonderen Art statt: parallel zu einem nicht isolierten Ballon mit gleichem Volumen und gleicher Beladung galt es, den Verbrauch im direkten Vergleich zu bestimmen. Nach 40 Minuten Fahrzeit verbrauchte der konventionelle Ballon mit 37,2 kg Propan den Inhalt aus mehreren Tankzylindern. Thermografieaufnahmen ohne Isolierung (links, ca. 55° C) und mit Isolierung (rechts, ca. 40° C) an Modellballonen mit 30 m3 Volumen bei gleicher Tragkraft Der isolierte Heißluft-Ballon begnügte sich hingegen mit weniger als 11 kg und benötigte somit nur 30 % des Brennstoffs im Vergleich zum konventionellen Ballon; eine extreme Verbesserung der Energie-Effizienz. Der isolierte Heißluft - Ballon zeigt, welche Innovationen in der Leichter-als-Luft-Luftfahrt möglich sind. Festo stellt energieeffiziente Produkte her und berät seine Kunden, wie die Energie in der Automation noch effizienter genutzt werden kann. Mit der isolierten Ballonhülle ist es in Zukunft möglich, das Ballonfahren um 50 % effizienter zu betreiben. 3 Technische Daten Ballontyp: Volumen: Hüllengewicht: Passagiere: Stoffisolation: Lagendicke: Flächengewicht: Wärmeleitfähigkeit: U-Wert (6 mm): max. Einsatztemperatur: M - 105 3000 m3 158 kg 4–5 aerofabríx® [Iso] 45 | 4.5 6 mm 45 g / m2 0,0265 W / mK 4,5 W / m2K 140° C Projektbeteiligte Projektinitiator: Dr. Wilfried Stoll, Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender der Festo AG Projektleiter: Dipl. - Ing. (FH) Markus Fischer, Corporate Design Festo AG & Co. KG Hüllenkonzept und Fertigung: Josep Maria Lladó Costa, UltraMagic S.A., Igualada, Spanien Materialentwicklung und Fertigung: Dr. - Ing. Alexander Bormann, Dipl. - Ing. Stefan Skutnik, Milan Habovcik, Institut für Luft - und Raumfahrt, Technische Universität Berlin Christian Gebhardt, aeroíx, Berlin Thermografieaufnahmen und Laborversuche: Ilka Rudolph, Martin Wähmer, Maik Scheel, Institut für Luft - und Raumfahrt, Technische Universität Berlin Flock-Technologieberatung: Prof. Chokri Sherif, Birgit Mrozik, Institut für Textil- und Bekleidungstechnik, Technische Universität Dresden Joachim Müller, Ingenieurbüro für Flocktechnologie, Büdingen Betrieb der Ballone für Festo: Rien Jurg Promotions BV, Hengelo, Niederlande Weitere Unterstützung und Beratung: Prof. Jürgen Thorbeck, Institut für Luft - und Raumfahrt, Technische Universität Berlin Yousif Abdel Gadir, aerarium e.V., Berlin Fotos: Walter Fogel, Angelbachtal Marken: aerofabríx® ist eine Marke von Dr. - Ing. Alexander Bormann, Berlin Festo AG & Co. KG Corporate Design Rechbergstraße 3 73770 Denkendorf www.festo.com / de / ballooning Telefon 07 11 / 347 - 38 80 Telefax 07 11 / 347 - 38 99 fish@de.festo.com 53341 GE
I just got home from a long week in Farnborough (Yes the Airshow was fantastic) and did not have a chance to Blog until now, so there is a lot to catch up. Of course one of the Topics of this week in the media was the Zeppelin airship over London. Before we dive into the many many fantastic photo galleries I want to thank georgehorror for giving me permission to embed this video of the Zeppelin NT arriving in England. We featured a link to it earlier but now we can present you the embedded version. Enjoy!
Flight International also has a short article on the Zeppelin on their website. Unfortunately they get the title of their post a bit wrong when they say "London’s biggest star is a blimp" because the airship that flies over London is not at all a blimp it's a Zeppelin and has a rigid structure inside, which set's it appart from a blimp and give it the superior ground handling abilities with a ground crew of just 3 men that you don't get from the Goodyear blimps or other traditional blimps.
Thanks to jim smith and Brian Hall for the link to the Telegraph gallery. Thanks to ARNOLD NAYLER for the pointer to the Flight International Article. Thanks to stella_cat for the link to the Londonist Do you know of any other good articles, pictures or even videos of the Stella Artois "Star Over London" Zeppelin that is currently flying over London then send them to us via email or post the links in the comments section.
Thanks to Cnet i found the Patent that Pete Jess filed, you can read it here at the WIPO website. We have also included the PDF of the International Patent Application below. It's interesting to see the different look of the aircraft in the patent versus the artists impression seen on the Skyhook website. I am sure the final version will again look a little bit different. To read more about the Skyhook concept please read our article on it here as well as our follow up on the heavy lift rotorcraft concept. If you like what you read please spread the word and subscribe to Airshipworld. Tell your friends and colleagues about the Blog and help us to reach an even broader audience.
The Miami Herald also featured a very nice article about the Coastal Surveillance Airship called "Blimp recruited for interdictions at sea" featured in the article is Capt. Scott Buschman, commander of the Coast Guard Sector Key West he says:
"I've certainly never worked with an airship before, but there are several areas of potential for persistent air surveillance -- longer than a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. And it certainly is economical." and continues "To me, the airship has the potential to make the cutters much more efficient. The airship is much higher, which expands the horizons and expands the eyes of the cutter."
A cutter is a classification of a US Coast Guard vessel that is over 65 feet in length. We wish the Airship Management Services Skyship all the luck and hope that the project is going to be a great success.
Another operation that was already successful was the mission in Trinidad & Tobago. Here is the impressive route the Skyship took to get from Miami Florida all the way down. Click on the map to see it in a larger size.
The Skyships have been around for a long time and they are here to stay which is great. We will talk about the Skyships and what they have been doing even in the 1980s already. Especially in reference to a certain other airship and what it is doing right now and will be doing soon. To wrap up I want to treat you with a great picture of the Skyship 600 which can carry up to 12 passengers and has been around since 1984 (yes you read correctly). Click on the image for a larger size
As nice as it is to write about the Zeppelin and other airship operations it is always nice to be able to report about something refreshingly new. Boeing and the Canadian Company Skyhook International supirsed yesterday with a press release that they are going to develop a heavy lift rotor craft. The concept called JHL-40 (Jess Heavy Lifter) named after the SkyHook president and COO Pete Jess. The 40 stands for a 40-ton (88 000 lb) lifting capability. The airship will have an envelope that will make it neutrally buoyant and 4 rotors that will be used to lift the cargo. Here is the full press release:
ST. LOUIS, July 08, 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and SkyHook International Inc. today announced a teaming agreement to develop the JHL-40 (Jess Heavy Lifter), a new commercial heavy-lift rotorcraft designed to address the limitations and expense of transporting equipment and materials in remote regions. Boeing has received the first increment of a multiyear contract from SkyHook to develop the new aircraft.
"SkyHook secured the patent for this neutrally buoyant aircraft and approached Boeing with the opportunity to develop and build the system," said Pat Donnelly, director of Advanced Rotorcraft Systems for Boeing. "We conducted a feasibility study and decided this opportunity is a perfect fit for Advanced Systems' technical capabilities."
The neutrally buoyant feature allows SkyHook to safely carry payloads unmatched by any rotorcraft in existence today. The helium-filled envelope is sized to support the weight of the vehicle and fuel without payload. With the empty weight of the aircraft supported by the envelope, the lift generated by four rotors is dedicated solely to lifting the payload, leaving the aircraft neutrally buoyant.
The SkyHook JHL-40 aircraft will be capable of lifting a 40-ton sling load and transporting it up to 200 miles without refueling in harsh environments such as the Canadian Arctic and Alaska. Currently, conventional land and water transportation methods in these undeveloped regions are inadequate, unreliable and costly. With its lifting capacity and range, the SkyHook JHL-40 aircraft changes that for a variety of industries around the world.
"There is a definite need for this technology. The list of customers waiting for SkyHook's services is extensive, and they enthusiastically support the development of the JHL-40," said Pete Jess, SkyHook president and chief operating officer. "Companies have suggested this new technology will enable them to modify their current operational strategy and begin working much sooner on projects that were thought to be 15 to 20 years away. This Boeing-SkyHook technology represents an environmentally acceptable solution for these companies' heavy-lift short-haul challenges, and it's the only way many projects will be able to progress economically."
The JHL-40 is environmentally acceptable because it mitigates the impact of building new roadways in remote areas, and Skyhook is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of the industrial projects it supports.
Boeing is designing and will fabricate two production prototypes of the JHL-40 at its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Park, Pa. Skyhook will own, maintain, operate and service all JHL-40 aircraft for customers worldwide. The new aircraft will enter commercial service as soon as it is certified by Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
SkyHook International Inc. is a privately owned company located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. SkyHook principals have been focused on providing solutions to logistical challenges in remote regions. They have a 30-year history in remote area operations and logistics in support of exploration, research and development in isolated regions of the world. For more information, visit www.skyhookinternational.com. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.1 billion business with 71,000 employees worldwide.
Everyone with just a little experience in airships will be reminded of the Piasecki PA-97 Helistat which looks quite similar to the new JHL-40 project. This is also what the National Post pointed out in their article about this new aircraft. Unfortunately Piaseckis Helistat built in the 1980s under a US Navy contract was probably to early for it's time having 4 real Helicopter attached to an old Navy blimp envelope that was of no use anymore. The helicopters were controlled by a single pilot sitting in one of the helicopters controlling the others through a cable system. Check out the Wikipedia article on the Piasecki PA-97 Helistat the article also links to a video that shows some footage of the final catastrophic flight. Pessimists would proably argue because it didn't work back then it wont work today. But one has to realize the differences. The PA-97 was pieced together out of old pieces that were reused. It wasn't an aircraft designed from the ground up, without any electronic stabilization or computer assistance. Now over 20 years later the game has changed and if Boeing and Skyhook are developing this craft from the ground up I have no doubt that they will be successful. You should also check out the Skyhook International Website which has lots of pictures and additional information. I assume that the site will grow with time.
But let's have a closer look at the press release and read between the lines. The unit at Boeing that will work on this is the Integrated Defense Systems and in there the Rotorcraft Systems department. Looking at the aircrafts available one of them sticks out. The V-22 Osprey a tilt rotor aircraft that is quite unique in the world. Also read the Wikipedia article on the Osprey. Now why look at the Osprey and not at the Chinook? The Osprey can carry up to 15,000 lbs (6,147 kg) where as the Chinook can carry 26,000 lbs (11,794 kg). Well we now have to look for another clue in the press release. The acronym JHL-40. Sure the press release talks about "Jess heavy Lift" but is this really the whole truth? While reading an article about the Skyhook on gizmag.com I stumbled across this article that talks about a Quad TiltRotor (QTR) aircraft for the Joint Heavy Lift Programm of the US Army and there they are again our three letters JHL (Joint Heavy Lift) or (Jess Heavy Lift). According to Global Security.org
The Joint Vertical Aircraft Task Force is developing requirements to meet Army and Navy needs for a heavy lift transport rotorcraft that is expected to include, at a minimum, a 20-ton payload lift capability. The Army hasn’t settled on what kind of aircraft it envisions: it could be a quad tiltrotor, conventional helicopter, or a hybrid.
The last word in this introduction is key "hybrid". So an airship, quad tiltrotor hybrid ? It's possible. If you look at the first info of a QTR(quad tilt rotor) from Being it's probably this pressrelease where Boeing IDS is awarded the contract the QTR as part of the JHL program. And now we come full circle back to the Osprey since the QTR is a evolution pretty much using the technology of the Osprey. So 4 instead of 2 rotors let's say that doubles the lift then we get from 2 x 6,147 kg = 12294 kg or 12 tons or if we size it up and use the Chinook figures 2 x 11,794 kg = 23,588 or 23 tons which is above the limit of the 20-ton payload lift capability mentioned in the JHL program. But all these numbers are when using conventional technology. An Osprey actually has maximum vertical takeoff weight of 23,859 kg = 23 tons make it 4 rotors (2 Ospreys) and you have 40 tons. If you want to have those 40 tons as useful payload all you need to do is to neutralize the empty takeoff weight of the "2 Ospreys" which is roughly 20 tons. Considering the Zeppelin NT 07 has enough Helium to produce a raw lift of 7 tons without it's structure an airship envelope a bit bigger than twice the size should do it. So there you have it that's how you get to the JHL-40 it's all possible you just have to do the math. Of course this was really naive math and I am happy to get input from the professionals in the industry if they could chime in in the Forum or the comments on the Blog I am sure I have made mistakes or made incorrect assumptions or is it all sound. Send me your feedback positive as well as negative.
With the Guardian writing an article the New York Times now joins the pack of major newspapers that published airship articles. The article in the NY Times of course mentions the Zeppelin NT but also the Manned Cloud by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud and a new project between a company called Aerospace Adour and France’s postal service, La Poste. Definitely worth a read, the article also features some nice size comparison of airships as well as picture gallery.
As you might know the new Zeppelin NT #4 is supposed to start flights over London this Thrusday July 10th 2008. Unfortunately the weather god doesn't seem to like the Zeppelin. If you check the Star Over London all status lights are currently red. On Friday morning the Zeppelin left Friedrichshafen on it's way to London. The original plan was to be in London beginning of this week. Currently the Zeppelin is more or less stranded in Bonn (Germany) because of bad weather. The team from Airship Ventures is traveling with the Zeppelin on it's way to London and while they have to wait for better weather they are blogging keeping us all updated. Here is what they wrote today in a post called Ground Hog Day:
Ground Crew, Pilots and Mechanics were all at breakfast this morning for our now 'regular' 9am meeting. This is like 'Ground Hog Day' said Fritz. Ah, I said, I guess that means we're stuck in Bonn for another day.
The weather is pretty awful for the next few days, not here in Bonn where the sun is shining, but in the English Channel. A low pressure is sitting over the UK at present causing very high winds from the SW whistling through the channel.
The Bad News is that it looks to be that way for at least the next couple of days, and then another front sweeps in.
Someone was asking Fritz yesterday ' but can't this airship travel in 30-40 knot winds?' Yes, it can. But if you fly at 45 knots into a 35 knot headwind, then you'll be going very slowly and burning a great deal of fuel!
Have a look at their latest updates on their blog Up Ship!. They have published a whole lot of stuff in the last few days some even dating back a bit. To make it easier for you to find it. Here are the links to their latest posts, featuring bits from the transit flight, pictures and other gems. (newest first)
If you want to work for Airship Ventures, check out this Blogpost they are "Seeking A&P Technicians and Ground Crew" you can also head over to their career page on their website, were they list currently open positions and future hires. So keep an eye on it if you want to be part of the Company who brings the Zeppelin back to the US.
I know this Item is already a few days old and yes it has been almost a week since my last post, but the day job still take precedence. So as the Headline alludes the Zeppelin NT now has it's official Type Certificate for the US. After the approval of the Airworthiness Criteria in May 2008 the Zeppelin NT with the official type designation LZ N07-100 has now it's official type certification from the FAA. You can either go to that page and download the PDF or just continue reading the type certificate below or click here to read it. The Zeppelin NT is now the 22nd Airship with an FAA Type Certificate, here is a list of all of the airships. Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik has also issued a press release along with this milestone. This is the most important piece of the press release to continue reading jump down to the full text in English and German
US market opened for Zeppelin NT airships
Friedrichshafen, June, 26th 2008 – ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co. KG receives the Type certificate for the Zeppelin NT from the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA. After successful negotiations with Airship Ventures Inc., the maiden flight of the Zeppelin NT sold to Airship Ventures and the FAA Type Certification, the US market is opened for the Zeppelin NT.
The type certification for the Zeppelin NT has been successfully completed. The FAA has issued the type certificate. This type certificate is the basis for the timely start of Zeppelin NT operations in the US. “We received the type certification for one the most important aviation markets in the world,” said Thomas Brandt, CEO of ZLT, „this is a further very important step to the North American market.” Robert Gritzbach, Chief Engineer of ZLT commented: “An intensive process has been successfully concluded. The FAA has recognized the German-European certification requirements for modern airships in the Zeppelin NT category for commercial passenger transport, in an enduring public hearing process.”
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AS1CE Revision 0 ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co KG LZ N07-100 June 11, 2008 TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. AS1CE This data sheet which is part of Type Certificate No. AS1CE prescribes conditions and limitations under which the product for which the type certificate was issued meets the airworthiness requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Type Certificate Holder ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co KG Allmannweilerstrasse 132 D-88046 Friedrichshafen Germany I - Model LZ N07-100, Normal Category (See Note 4) Airship (Approved June 11, 2008) (Note: some dimensions and quantities in this type certificate data sheet are noted only in metric units.) Structural Type Envelope Semi-rigid (internal structure in envelope.) Volume 298,409 cubic feet (8450 cubic meters) Maximum Pressure 2.4 inches H20 (600 Pa) Minimum Pressure 1.2 inches H20 (300 Pa) Volume 21,189 cubic feet or with Option B10 14,479 cubic feet (forward) Volume 56,504 cubic feet (aft) Helium, recommended minimum purity 94% 3 Textron Lycoming IO-360-C1G6 engines. 2 side mounted, 1 aft mounted. Vectorable propellers. TCDS 1E10 100/100LL Minimum Grade Aviation Fuel See Airship Flight Manual Maximum continuous, 2700 r.p.m. Takeoff, 2700 r.p.m. Maximum cylinder head temperature, 500°F (260 °C) Maximum inlet oil temperature, 244°F (118°C) On each side engine: 1 Hoffman HO-V373( )-D propeller. (driven through Zeppelin vectoring transmission system.) 2.7 meters diameter maximum propeller RPM 1250 TCDS P30BO Ballonets (2) Lifting Gas Engine Fuel(s) Oil Engine Limits Propellers Page No. Rev. No. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - AS1CE 2 Propellers, (continued) On aft engine: 1 Hoffman HO-V373( )-D propeller 2.7 meters diameter (driven through Zeppelin vectoring transmission system.) maximum propeller RPM 1250 TCDS P30BO 1 Hoffman HO-V123F-DR/220GV lateral propeller 2.2 meters diameter (driven by Zeppelin transmission system.) maximum propeller RPM 2025 TCDS P5EU Airspeed Limits Maneuvering Speed Maximum Operating Limit Speed Design Speed for Maximum Gust Intensity Maximum T/O and Landing configuration speed Take off and Landing In Flight Maximum Forward Maximum Aft Maximum Forward Maximum aft 45 knots IAS 70 knots IAS 45 knots IAS 35 knots IAS 39.150 meters 39.900 meters 38.400 meters 39.900 meters C.G. Range The above center of gravity limitations are given in the Construction Coordinate System of the airship. The reference datum of this coordinate system is 5.000 m ahead of the nose of the airship. The horizontal reference line runs parallel to the airships centerline. Leveling Means Maximum Weights Seat rails, or in accordance with Airship Maintenance Manual Chapter 8. Maximum airship equilibrium (normal condition) weight Maximum car (gondola) gross weight Maximum static heaviness: In Flight Take off and landing Maximum static lightness 16,865 lbs. (7650 kg) 5,390 lbs. (2690 kg) 1,102 lbs. (500 kg) 882 lbs. (400 kg) -441 lbs. (-200 kg) Minimum Crew Minimum Flight Crew: One pilot. All pilots must comply with the requirements of 14 CFR Part 61.31 (h) (1) and (2) before serving as pilot in command of this aircraft. Type specific training requirements are identified in the current version of the FAA Flight Standardization Board (FSB) Report for the Zeppelin LZ N07. (For Single Pilot Operation the seat of the pilot is the LH seat. For Two Pilot Operation the crew station for the Pilot Flying is the LH seat (except training flights). Other Crew: For passenger-carrying operations, a second crew member, or another crew member in the right-hand seat is required. This crew member may be a qualified flight crew member, or another crew member, who has completed a Zeppelin training program that includes passenger assistance and emergency evacuation procedures. AS1CE 3 Number of Seats 15 places total: 2 (flight deck) at gondola station 22.38 meters 1 passenger LH at gondola station 23.31 meters 1 passenger LH at gondola station 24.49 meters 1 passenger LH at gondola station 25.31 meters 1 passenger LH at gondola station 26.12 meters 1 passenger LH at gondola station 26.93 meters 1 passenger LH at gondola station 27.75 meters 1 passenger RH at gondola station 23.31 meters 1 passenger RH at gondola station 24.72 meters 1 passenger RH at gondola station 25.49 meters 1 passenger RH at gondola station 26.25 meters 1 passenger RH at gondola station 27.00 meters 1 passenger RH at gondola station 27.77 meters 1 passenger RH at gondola station 28.53 meters (or optional configurations identified in Zeppelin document 07 TD 01 250, Zeppelin LZ N07-100 Optional Cabin Layouts, but not to exceed 13 passenger seats.) Baggage/Cargo Fuel Capacity No dedicated baggage/cargo station. 110.95 gallons usable at gondola station 29.3 meters (LH) 110.95 gallons usable at gondola station 29.3 meters (RH) 84.57 gallons usable at gondola station 76.6 meters (Aft) The unuseable fuel is included in the certificated empty weight (See Note 1.) 8.0 qts. maximum, 5.0 qts. minimum at 29.3 meters (LH) 8.0 qts. maximum, 5.0 qts. minimum at 29.3 meters (RH) 8.0 qts. maximum, 5.0 qts. minimum at 76.6 meters (Aft) In flight: 1543 lbs. (700 kg) of water at 25.6 meters 441 lbs (200 kg) at 26.9 m. (Gondola locker aft) Ground: 1543 lbs. (700 kg) of water at 25.6 meters 441 lbs (200 kg) at 24.1 meters (Gondola locker forward) 661 lbs (300 kg) at 26.9 meters (Gondola locker aft) 397 lbs (180 kg) at 63.2 meters (Landing gear aft) Oil Capacity Ballast Maximum Operating Altitude Control Surfaces Control Surface Movements Vectored Thrust Movements 10,000 feet (pressure altitude.) Three (triform), inverted "Y". ± 20° (all) Side Engines: Aft Engine: 0º (forward horizontal) to 120º up. 0º (aft horizontal) to 90º down. Avoid sustained operation with forward swivel angles between 43° and 57° during normal operation Serial Nos. Eligible Import Requirements 002 and on. (ZLT Option K73 must be installed for US import.) The FAA can issue a U.S. airworthiness certificate based on an NAA Export Certificate of Airworthiness (Export C of A) signed by a representative of the Luftfahrt Bundesamt on behalf of the European Community. The Export C of A should contain the following statement: ‘The aircraft covered by this certificate has been examined, tested, and found to comply with U.S. airworthiness regulations 14 CFR Part 21.17(b) approved under U.S. Type Certificate No. AS1CE and to be in a condition for safe operation.’ AS1CE 4 Certification Basis 14 CFR Parts 21.17(b) at amendment 21-70, effective December 31, 1992: Compliance with FAR 21.17(b) has been shown utilizing the provisions of Advisory Circular 21.17-1 dated October 30, 1992, section 5. The airworthiness and environmental requirements met under this provision are the German national requirement the Lufttüchtigkeitsforderungen für Luftschiffe der Kategorien Normal und Zubringer (LFLS), issued April 13, 2001, with additional or alternate requirements as identified in notice for final design criteria in the Federal Register; Volume 73, Number 62, on March 31, 2008. Compliance to LFLS §1415 ditching provisions, has been shown. Application for Type Certificate dated January 10, 2001. Type Certificate No. AS1CE issued May 27, 2008. The Luftfahrt Bundesamt originally type certificated this aircraft under its type certificate Number 9004. The FAA validated this product under U.S. Type Certificate Number AS1CE. Effective September 28, 2003, the European Aviation Safety Agency EASA) began oversight of this product on behalf of Germany. Approved for Day/Night VFR operations. Equipment The basic required equipment as prescribed in the applicable airworthiness requirements (see Certification Basis) must be installed in the aircraft for certification. In addition to the above required equipment, the following equipment is also required: FAA approved Airship Flight Manual, Document Number 07 ML 01 200, Revision E, issued April 2, 2003, or later FAA approved revision. (See Note 4.) The airship must be operated in accordance with Zeppelin Airship Ground Handling Manual, 07 ML 01 400, Revision C-00, dated November 16, 2007, or later FAA approved revision. This manual is to be made available to the operator's flight and ground crews. Service Information Each of the documents listed below must state that it is approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) or – for approvals made before September 28, 2003 – by the Luftfahrt Bundesamt. • Service bulletins, • Structural repair manuals, • Vendor manuals, • Aircraft flight manuals, and • Overhaul and maintenance manuals. The FAA accepts such documents and considers them FAA-approved unless one of the following conditions exists: • The documents change the limitations, performance, or procedures of the FAA approved manuals; or •The documents make an acoustical or emissions changes to this product’s U.S. type certificate as defined in 14 CFR § 21.93. The FAA uses the post type validation procedures to approve these documents. The FAA may delegate on case-by-case to EASA to approve on behalf of the FAA for the U.S. type certificate. If this is the case it will be noted on the document. NOTE 1. Current weight and balance report together with list of equipment included in certificated empty weight, and loading instructions when necessary, must be provided for each airship at time of original certification. The certificated empty weight includes unusable fluids. AS1CE 5 NOTE 2. All placards required in the Airship Flight Manual and Maintenance Manual must be installed in the appropriate locations. Maintenance and Inspection of this airship must be carried out according to Airship Maintenance Manual, Document Number 07 ML 05 200, Revision D-01 dated March 25, 2003, or later FAA accepted revision. This airship is type certificated in the Normal category for airships in the United States, but is approved to carry up to 13 passengers. Options listed in ZLT Document 07 TD 01 131 dated May 15, 2008 are FAA approved as noted in this document. Later options will be approved according to the FAA-EASA agreements for type design changes. ...END... NOTE 3. NOTE 4. NOTE 5.
PRESS RELEASE Zeppelin NT Airships receive FAA Authorization US market opened for Zeppelin NT airships Friedrichshafen, June, 26th 2008 – ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co. KG receives the Type certificate for the Zeppelin NT from the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA. After successful negotiations with Airship Ventures Inc., the maiden flight of the Zeppelin NT sold to Airship Ventures and the FAA Type Certification, the US market is opened for the Zeppelin NT. The type certification for the Zeppelin NT has been successfully completed. The FAA has issued the type certificate. This type certificate is the basis for the timely start of Zeppelin NT operations in the US. “We received the type certification for one the most important aviation markets in the world,” said Thomas Brandt, CEO of ZLT, „this is a further very important step to the North American market.” Robert Gritzbach, Chief Engineer of ZLT commented: “An intensive process has been successfully concluded. The FAA has recognized the German-European certification requirements for modern airships in the Zeppelin NT category for commercial passenger transport, in an enduring public hearing process.” Airship Ventures is happy about the on time type certification and is already planning their fleet expansion in the USA. Alex Hall, Airship Ventures CEO, remarked: “We see a market for a further two or three Zeppelin NT airships in the US.” The Zeppelin NT has already conquered Germany and Japan. Its ability to perform multiple applications from passenger flights to various special missions are the convincing factor. Figures got the modern airship displays 13.500 flight hours and over 75.000 passengers since 2001. The newly finished Zeppelin NT (maiden flight on May 21st 2008) shows a number of technical improvements, amongst others are the reduced weight while increasing lift and the near doubling of airframe lifetime. ABOUT ZEPPELIN LUFTSCHIFFTECHNIK GMBH & CO. KG Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co. KG, headquartered in historic Friedrichshafen, Germany, develops, manufactures and markets the Zeppelin NT, a modern lighter than air multi-purpose airship. Zeppelin NT airships are currently operating in Japan and Germany. In partnership with Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik, a Zeppelin NT 07 has flown commercial air tours, advertising and scientific missions throughout Europe since 2001. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press-Contact: Kathrin Runge Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei GmbH Allmannsweilerstrasse 132 D-88046 Friedrichshafen Tel.: +49 7541 5900 547 Fax.: +49 7541 5900 22547 presse@zeppelin-nt.de www.zeppelin-nt.de
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