Composite Airship Can Transport Troops & Cargo

From troop deployments and military surveillance to mobilizing disaster relief efforts, a new hybrid airship prototype holds promise as an innovative mode of aerial transport. When deployed, the 500-footlong Aeroscraft airship will provide increased capacity to move massive loads into remote areas, including fragile terrains, says Mansoor Kouchak, vice president of engineering for manufacturer Aeros in Montebello, Calif. The vessel’s carbon composite and aluminum shell is central to the airship’s expansive payload capabilities as it provides structural strength for the craft, which has an anticipated range of 3,100 nautical miles and an estimated airspeed of 110 knots. The Aeroscraft is in the final stages of assembly and all components have been validated and tested. The firm is ahead of schedule in testing the prototype and intends to scale up the production process, eventually constructing a 66-ton commercial airship. Aeros expects to conduct test flights by the end of this year. The craft’s rigid framework is a key aspect of the invention, providing the vessel with “full authority when in low speed or hover mode,” says Sadia Ashraf, communications manager for the company. Most airships have non-rigid structures that are prone to puncture and are extremely light when cargo is offloaded, causing them to float away without a ballast. By contrast, the Aeroscraft has an internal ballast system and a rigid structure to control lift at all flight stages and carry maximum payload while in hover mode. Igor Pasternak, chief engineer and founder of the company, says the Aeroscraft is the only rigid variablebuoyancy air vehicle of its kind. The airship’s buoyancy system, which incorporates carbon fiber frames, has the potential to revolutionize air transport, says Pasternak, who launched the company in 1987 while still residing in the Ukraine. The aerospace inventor moved to the United States in 1993. Several types of carbon fiber tubing, fabricated to achieve a high strength-to-weight ratio, were used to construct the ship’s trusses. A very strong, lightweight fabric covers the vessel’s skeleton. The craft’s buoyancy management system uses compressed helium, which creates a vacuum inside the envelope, so the operator can adjust the vessel’s buoyancy. Controlling the level of helium makes the vessel lighter or heavier, allowing the pilot to raise or lower the craft. “When helium is compressed into pressure vessels, it creates a vacuum inside the envelope allowing for the air to fill in the expansion bags,” says Kouchak. “At this stage, the vehicle becomes heavy.” The Aeroscraft buoyancy management system employs side engines capable of tilting the craft, which allows for vertical takeoffs and landings and eliminates the need for runways, ground support or any type of on-theground infrastructure. These capabilities will aid the U.S. military’s efforts to supply cargo to forces rapidly and efficiently in areas of conflict around the world that lack sufficient infrastructures. The Aeroscraft also could deploy troops to areas with rugged terrain, such as Afghanistan. “There are commercial, military and other high-level interests in accessing those areas of the world that hold valuable resources that are inaccessible,” says Fred Edworthy, vice president of business development at Aeros. “We have also focused on logistics companies moving project cargo — particularly those working in austere environments with a lack of infrastructure, or those [transporting] heavy, irregular loads.” Earlier this year, Reps. Grace F. Napolitano, Brad Sherman, Judy Chu and Adam Schiff secured $15.5 million in federal funding for commercial development of the airship, as the U.S. military stands to benefit from the technology. Aeros says it has also obtained funding from numerous other private and government entities. Pasternak says the U.S. defense market already is a key client for other products supplied by the company. “Our tethered aerostats and FAA-type certified airships have been equipped with the high-tech surveillance gear and radio-telecommunication equipment that have helped various security agencies around the world to carry out their missions,” he says. But military agencies aren’t the only ones interested in the Aeroscraft. Edworthy envisions other applications, such as shipping perishable fruit and vegetables, lifting pipeline components and assisting in rescue operations. Delivering aid to victims of a tsunami or transporting rescue teams into areas decimated by natural disasters are two possible scenarios.