Giant airship’s eco-credentials - July 10, 2008
A giant airship could make it less environmentally damaging to undertake logging, mining and drilling in remote areas, according to the Boeing Corporation.
It says the boringly titled JHL-40, developed with Canadian company Skyhook, will be able to run 40-tonne loads into remote regions without the need to build roads and will “reduce the carbon footprint of the industrial projects it supports” (press release). This has an obvious attraction as road building is often cited as a devastating consequence of commercial activities in, for example, the Amazon.
“SkyHook is what we describe in our industry as a game-changer,” says Dave Koopersmith, a Boeing vice president (Wall Street Journal).
The airship will use just enough helium to carry its own weight, leaving the lift from its four helicopter rotors to deal with cargo. It could find use in the Arctic, forested regions, and in taking equipment to drilling rigs at sea.
Although it’s getting a lot of coverage, no one seems to be asking the obvious question: by making individual projects in remote regions easier don’t we encourage more of them?
Image: Boeing image by Joe Naujokas
Comments
Note, 21,000 HP at 0.2+ pounds per horsepower per hour - at least two tons of fuel burn per hour, at least for the first hour. Have to pick-up cargo or ballast, or power down for the return trip.
Posted by: Albert Robbins | July 10, 2008 09:59 PM
Hey interesting take on the topic, I also blogged about it here http://airshipworld.blogspot.com/2008/07/boeingskyhook-international-jhl-40.html
I think technologically it's not a bad thing and it is possible. Your last though if we encourage those projects, well I agree those projects will become easier but in my opinion less invasive if you can fly cargo to and from a location you do not have to build streets and infrastructure. Less trucks, less roads and hopefully less fuel. Sounds like a not so bad thing. I see it like medical procedures on the human body. Centuries ago we did few but those were highly invasive and destroyed more than they healed. Today we do more medical procedures but it's actually better because they cause less harm to the body. I see the Skyhook the same way.
Reagards
Andreas
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Editor of Airshipworld
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Posted by: Andreas | July 11, 2008 02:05 PM
I also about it too here http://aerocrat.livejournal.com/40816.html (that is in Russian) - translated keep is that - http://www.worldlingo.com/wl/services/S1790.5/translation?wl_srclang=ru&wl_trglang=en&wl_rurl=http%3A%2F%2Faerocrat.livejournal.com%2F&wl_url=http%3A%2F%2Faerocrat.livejournal.com%2F40816.html
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Aeronautical themes Blog
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Posted by: aerocrat | July 11, 2008 04:46 PM