Originally Posted by
JOE-FBS
It is also worth noting that those misty eyed romantics that run Lockheed Martin are also spending money on a similar programme to HAV.
Lockheed Martin is investigating more or less stationary surveillance/communications platforms. As I have already stated, I think that airships offer promise for this application. Plying air commerce ... not so much.
Originally Posted by
JOE-FBS
While constantly comparing HAV to the airships of the 1930s makes about as much sense as comparing an A350 to a Ju52,
Well, no not really. The JU52 became obsolete because there were better versions of the same technology (fixed wing, heavier than air aircraft) , not because the fundamental technology lacked promise and application compared to other technologies. That's 2 completely different concepts. It's worth noting that if airplane technology had reached a plateau with the JU52, if some technological barrier had prevented refining airplane technology past that point, the JU52 would still be in service, because even in it's crude 1930's form, the airplane it would still offer powerful advantages over other forms of transport available today. The ability to travel well over twice practical sustained driving speed, and do it in a straight line without roads or rails, and over mountains, swamps and water, would still have application, because there's nothing that does what it does. By contrast, the airship fell out of use because other technologies developed which could do almost everything the airship could do, but better and faster.
Point being, there's a world of difference between "That stage of development of that particular technology is obsolete because later refinements of the same technology perform much better" and "That technology became obsolete because other technologies perform much better"