The New Dirigible is NEW!

One key idea of the modern dirigible plan is the weight-helium ratios.

Other current attempts (and all other attempts that I know about) try replicating the original zeppelins: they are huge.

They may have unlimited lift, but they are simply huge.

So instead of creating a ship based on a capacity of unlimited lift (20,000 feet or more), what about a smaller capacity resulting in a lift of a few hundred or couple thousand feet?

After all, how high do you have to go?

Dirigibles and Airships in the News

First, what's a dirigible?

"Craft Is Lighter Than Air — and Doesn’t Pollute It", NY Times, July 19, 2010

Solar Powered Blimp Set to Fly Across English Channel, Inhabitat, July 2009

Projet Sol'r, Les Francais site du web

Results of Google Dirigible Image Search

Northrup Grumman building dirigibles for the Army, in Spanish!
http://es.engadget.com/tag/dirigible

"Manned Cloud", a dirigible hotel in the rainforest! Shaped like a Manatee! Also in Spanish!
http://www.arqhys.com/contenidos/mannedcloud-dirigibles-ecologicos.html



More articles on the US Department of Defense contracting for dirigibles, in Spanish!
http://virtualtechnology.blogspot.com/2008/03/dirigibles-de-ultima-generacion.html

This one lifts buildings, in Spanish!
http://bl0gic0.blogspot.com/2010/10/llego-el-dirigible-que-transporta.html

New Dirigible Prototypes:







This is unfortunately what many people associate with dirigibles, Hindenburg, 1937:

More History and Background of Dirigibles

A nice collection of photos and articles here:
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php?topic=5795.30

Interesting designs (in Spanish)
http://airvoila.com/dirigibles-ecologicos-de-ultima-generacion/

More on that weird boxy shaped dirigible (in spanish):
http://mrmannoticias.blogspot.com/2007/10/dirigible-de-crucero-de-strato.html