On: Cargo Airships Are Happening

[stubish]

This effort is just starting up? Flying Whales expect to have an airship in 2025 and be operational in 2028 per https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-11/outback-town-launches... . Not that this is a race; better if several companies succeed.

[tim333 → stubish]

I'm old enough to remember Airship Industries (1979):

>The AD500 was "a new-generation airship making use of advanced materials and technology." It was 164 feet (50 m) long and contained 181,200 cubic feet (5,130 m3) of helium.

>Unfortunately, on 8 March 1979, the month-old AD500 was seriously damaged when the nosecone failed while the ship was moored in high winds.

And various other things not really working till they went bust in 1990. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airship_Industries

I wonder if Airship Industries (2024) will do any better?

Their ships don't looks very different - old co https://www.airliners.net/photo/Airship-Industries/Airship-I...

New co https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_...

[1propionyl → tim333]

>Unfortunately, on 8 March 1979, the month-old AD500 was seriously damaged when the nosecone failed while the ship was moored in high winds.

"Well the front's not supposed to fall off, for a start."