Canadian Airships
Materials and Methods
There are many good ideas for the development of airships and most have yet to be fully explored. Airship structures can be rigid, semi-rigid or non-rigid. Shapes can range from tubular to catamaran designs to disks or spheres. Similarly, many materials can be used to build envelopes and gas cells. Finally, many methods exist to adjust buoyancy. Ballast can be added or removed, or gas can be vented (if hydrogen is used). The lifting gas can be heated, cooled or compressed. Aerodynamic lift can be obtained in conjunction with engine thrust. Of course, all these approaches can be used in various combinations. At this point the dominant design for a cargo airship has yet to be proven, but BASI has come to come conclusions on our design of a robust airship for cold climates.
A rigid, tubular airship design has advantages in locations that experience wide temperature swings. The gas cells inside the hull of the airship can expand or contract with temperature changes and not affect the operations of the aircraft.
The BASI airship operates only from fixed bases, and lands on a rotating terminal. This allows for some systems to be located on the ground, rather than on the airship. For example, access to ground-power reduces the weight and need for on-board electrical power during mooring and transshipping cargo. Ground-handling equipment, e.g. fork-lift trucks, can be staged at the base. Perhaps most importantly, a simpler water-based ballasting system can be used; water ballast can be available at each location to offset weight changes.
A hybrid-electric propulsion system is used to power the airship. Initially, standard turbine generators will be employed, but the plan is to eventually shift to hydrogen fuel in order to eliminate carbon emissions.
The gas cells are designed to hold either hydrogen or helium. The gas cells are protected with a proprietary system of fire-resistant materials and a fire wall.
Airship envelope inside the BASI Research Airdock.
Proprietary materials for gas cells being prepared for sealing at BASI’s Ontario facility.
BASI has developed specialty materials and sealing methods to be used for gas cell manufacturing. Gas cells are perhaps one of the most important structures of a buoyant aircraft and require special knowledge of how these cells work together to provide even lift along the entire length of the aircraft. Dale George is shown here seaming metalized films to calibrate the equipment at BASI’s Ontario location.
Design
Below is the airship depicted in the concept stage. To view images in PDF - download here.
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CANADIAN AIRSHIP LANDING WITH USE OF WINCHES
ROTATING TURNTABLE LANDING PAD TO POINT THE AIRSHIP INTO THE WIND
UNLOADING AND MOVING THE CARGO USING FORKLIFT TRAILER
CANADIAN AIRSHIP DESIGN FEATURES
LOW PERMEABILITY LIFTING GAS CELLS
General Operating Specifications for the 30T-lift Canadian Airship
| Length | 560 feet |
| Max. Diameter | 80 feet |
| Max. Height | 90 feet |
| Max. Width | 100 feet |
| Volume | 2.2 Million Cubic Feet |
| Ballast | Water |
| Fineness Ratio | 6.2 |
| Tail Surfaces | One Rear Stabilizer and Rudder |
| Elevators | Forward Canards, 45 degree |
| Vectoring Control | Full 180 degree, up and down |
| Max. Gross Lift | 60 Tons |
| Max. Takeoff Weight | 62 Tons |
| Useful Load | 30 Tons |
| Power | Twin, Pratt & Whitney PT-6 APUs |
| Propulsion | Four, 390kw Siemens Electric |
| Propellers | Hoffman 12’-6”, 20 degree |
| Fuel Capacity | 1000 US Gallons |
| Fuel Reserve | 200 US Gallons |
| Fuel Consumption | 880 lbs / hour |
| Fuel Type | Jet A Diesel (colored) |
| Cruise Speed | 80 Knots |
| Max. Speed | 100 Knots (full rich settings) |
| Stall Speed | 0 Knots |
| Max. Takeoff Angle | 10 degrees |
| Max. Cross Wind | 25 Knots at 90 Degrees |
| Max. Wind Limit | 50 Knots |
| Max Endurance | 10 Hours |
| Max. Range Nautical Miles | 1200 Miles (lean settings) |
| Typical Range Nautical Miles | 800 Miles |
| Service Ceiling | 5000 feet |
| Cargo Bays | Twin door with aircraft roll-out floors |
| Max. Cargo Length | 160 feet |
| Pilots | Single with Co-Pilot or Unmanned |
| Min. Ground Crew | 2 |
| Ground Control | Terminal Support System Buoyant Aircraft Rotating Terminal, (BART) |