AirLander take off then 2nd Flight Mishap
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Texas, like a whole other country
Posts: 444
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
1 Post
Core dump - a telegraph pole generally carries a telephone line or electricity line.
Very glad no one got hurt in the prang. I'm not really sure where this whole business will wind up, but it's a fascinating show in the meantime.
Psychophysiological entity
The company apparently IMMEDIATELY denied a witness report that it had struck power lines.
Why?
Why?
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Alaska, PNG, etc.
Age: 60
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ummm, yeah. Obviously a long repositioning flight for a shrot charter is pretty unlikely to make sense in most cases. Although I have positioned empty from the Northeastern US to Santiago, to pick up a process vessel for a gold mine in Mauritania, the lack of which had halted production. The manager of the gold mine was there when we unloaded it, and he commented that it would take about 2 days to pay for the charter, which is why they were willing to pay to fly to Chile to pick it up. Anyway, that a bit of a thangent. You're kind of missing the point of my post. The point is, your post claiming the Airlander would be quicker than trying to arrange a heavy-lift aircraft is based in the idea that the Airlander is magically going to be there immediately, right exactly exactly when you need it, ready to start loading, but a heavy lift aircraft will have to be arranged and positioned. In other words, you want to compare the payload flight only of the airlander, to the whole process of arranging an ad-hoc charter when considering a heavy lift aircraft. In Ad-Hoc service the Airlander also will have to be arranged and positioned, and it will position very slowly. That was my point for commenting on how long it would take to position my aircraft to Manchester Vs the Airlander.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Derbyshire, England.
Posts: 4,091
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A Squared - Yes, your point is taken and I am not overly optimistic for the long term commercial future of the Airlander. Ad hoc freight charter was one possibility but, as you say, it would need one available immediately and on site, or short positioning flight, to be viable, an unlikely scenario!
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: on a blue balloon
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A bunch of Anoraks?
I scoured their website for two bits of information: the blimp's economic justification and the size of the market (in units). Absent.
I get the impression of a British 1960's style project: technically driven, underfunded and lacking credible commercial management.
I scoured their website for two bits of information: the blimp's economic justification and the size of the market (in units). Absent.
I get the impression of a British 1960's style project: technically driven, underfunded and lacking credible commercial management.
I get the impression of a British 1960's style project: technically driven, underfunded and lacking credible commercial management.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: on a blue balloon
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wageslave: "it was designed and built in the USA..."
True, but the Americans know when to get out.
If the business plan doesn't hold up they'll pull the plug: viz Boeing 2707.
True, but the Americans know when to get out.
If the business plan doesn't hold up they'll pull the plug: viz Boeing 2707.
Last edited by oldchina; 27th Aug 2016 at 12:41.
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hmmm some of us remember the CV-990... or more recently all those very light business jets that were going to revolutionise air travel for the middle classes - almost all from US manufacturers
Billions down the tube IIRC
Billions down the tube IIRC
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Alaska, PNG, etc.
Age: 60
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Or the Terrafugia Transition. Even from this side of the pond, I'm left scratching my head over the idea that the US is too smart to get involved in ill-advised aviation programs.
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: last time I looked I was still here.
Posts: 4,507
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When is it going to do an Atlantic crossing; a Pacific crossing and a round the world non-stop? They would sure gain some publicity (hopefully positive) and the R&D gained would be huge. But then again, you wouldn't try it unless it was a 95% certainty.
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Alaska, PNG, etc.
Age: 60
Posts: 1,550
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you read the history of this device, it was once scheduled to do some of that/ Back when it was still a US DoD project with Northrup Grumman, it was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan under it's own power. That was determined to be a bad idea, and the plan was changed to shipping it deflated to Afghanistan. Then sometime later the whole thing was scrapped completely. An a related note, it's a bit odd that this is being touted as the "first flight". The Airlander flew back in 2012 when it was called HAV304, and yeah, it's physically the same airframe.
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Texas, like a whole other country
Posts: 444
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
1 Post
...or more recently all those very light business jets that were going to revolutionise air travel for the middle classes - almost all from US manufacturers
(Although they apparently make them in the US, as they do with some of their cars....)
I agree there was a lot of hype when these aircraft were first announced. As they just now seem to be reaching the certification phase, I'll guess we'll see how it pans out -- for the companies that are still around, anyway.
Last edited by Carbon Bootprint; 28th Aug 2016 at 04:57.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Hotel Sheets, Downtown Plunketville
Age: 76
Posts: 0
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jeremy Clarkson`s article in The Sunday Times today says it all. The whole thing is nothing but an expensive joke. What a complete and utter waste of a gas which is a finite resource.
Guest
Posts: n/a