New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
1–10 of 75 posts
Re: New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
#2I'm curious if it can achieve the 20km altitude. I would bet weather would be a significant factor with keeping it aloft and on course.
Re: New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
#3I remember a proposal for one of these balloon gliders by NASA. Except on an entirely different scale. Be cool to see how it works out.
Re: New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
#4For those curious, University of the Highlands and Islands is in Inverness, Scotland. Quite a bit north of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Re: New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
#5With the soaring price of helium, I wonder what it costs to fill up that gas bag and how quickly it leaks out. And at what point filling it up costs more than the "almost expendable" aircraft.
In the novel/film Contact the character S.R. Hadden lives in an airliner that rarely lands. With a larger Phoenix that lifestyle could become available to somewhat less wealthy billionaires. Maybe it could eventually become an atmospheric variation of seasteading.
Re: New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
#6With the soaring price of helium, I wonder what it costs to fill up that gas bag and how quickly it leaks out. And at what point filling it up costs more than the "almost expendable" aircraft. In the novel/film Contact the character S.R. Hadden lives in an airliner that rarely lands. With a larger Phoenix that lifestyle could become available to somewhat less wealthy billionaires. Maybe it could eventually become an…
There are no really great lifting gases. Steam is ok but must be kept hot. H2 is dangerously explosive. Vacuum is the best (a so-called "null ship") but no known material can maintain the hull pressure under vacuum.
Re: New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
#7With the soaring price of helium, I wonder what it costs to fill up that gas bag and how quickly it leaks out. And at what point filling it up costs more than the "almost expendable" aircraft. In the novel/film Contact the character S.R. Hadden lives in an airliner that rarely lands. With a larger Phoenix that lifestyle could become available to somewhat less wealthy billionaires. Maybe it could eventually become an…
If helium gets really expensive, they could switch to hydrogen. Maybe even switch inflight, by replenishing lost helium with hydrogen. Maybe by hydrolysis. For a plane operating in remote areas at altitude, the explosion risk is not an issue.
Re: New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
#8The same method of altitude control, using a compressor and an internal "ballonet", is used on Google Loon.
Re: New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
#9The solar powered blimp in the photos looks too slow to stay in one place on a somewhat windy day, which would be necessary if it's a satellite replacement.
Re: New aircraft rises 'like a balloon'
#10For those curious, University of the Highlands and Islands is in Inverness, Scotland. Quite a bit north of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
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