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From: wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ronald J Wanttaja)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Airships, forsooth...
Message-ID: <625@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Apr-85 16:43:25 EST
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.625
Posted: Mon Apr 15 16:43:25 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Apr-85 01:20:53 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
Lines: 49

I don't think we'll see a large upsurge of dirigibles:        

1.  Public opinion.  EVERYBODY knows about the Hindenburg.  This results in
an "Airships are dangerous" attitude, irrespective of the presence of
helium or hydrogen.  You and I know Germany operated Zeppelin passenger
service for thirty years with only that one mishap, or that the Graf
Zeppelin flew around the world soon after Lindbergh flew the Atlantic, but
it will make little impression on the public.  You mean you didn't
know??  :-)

This factor only affects passenger service, of course.

2.  Sensitivity to weather.  I don't care if you power the thing with four
swivelable F100s (engines), get the thing broadside to the wind and you
are going to have problems.  A 200 mile weather detour is trivial to a jet,
inconvenient to a medium recip twin, but of considerable impact to a 80
knot Zep.  A "cruise group" crowd may not object to a delay, but you would
probably want a helipad and helicopter hangar (a la Acron & Macon) to
pamper those who have to get back.

3.  Training.  Note the accident rate of the early zeppelins.  There are no
trained airship officers around, and Blimp experience isn't like horsing
one of the monsters around.  It would take you years to gradually increase
the size and ability of your fleet while training crews at the same time.

4.  Expense of manufacture.  Can one mass-produce dirigibles?  I think not-
they're more like ships, requiring man-intensive contruction techniques.
Note that the US only built about 3 or 4 dirigibles... hardly a good
experience base, especially since they were built over 50 years ago.

5. Non-autonomous operation.  This, I believe, is the major factor.  You
can take your DC-3, fly to any airport, land, taxi to a corner of the
field, shut down, and walk away- without anyone to help, and with
reasonable probability that the Gooney won't go anyware if you just leave
it (except in NM and FL, of course :-) ).  That's a big Uh-Uh for an
airship.  You need men to catch the ropes, guide the ship into the mooring
tower, a bridge watch while moored, engines running and a special watch when
the wind is flakey (ever see pictures of Los Angeles' nosestand?)... in
short, a lot of people to care for one of the monsters.

Me, I like airships.  There are uses for small Blimps, using the one thing
an airship can beat a heaver-than-air machine at:  Endurance.  But I don't
think we'll ever see a return of the levathians.

				   Ron Wanttaja
				   (ssc-vax!wanttaja)

Gee, did you notice?  I went through the whole article without
mentioning my 150!  :-)