Economical transport

The future for economical transport

A company are developing what could be the future in economical transport over long distances as well as being strategic in military operations where greater capacity can be an advantage on the battlefield. Worldwide Aeros Corp are currently running tests on the futuristic “blimp like” aircraft which eventually will be able to carry loads three times more than the biggest military cargo planes.

Dragon Dream

The project being funded by the US military will be capable of vertical take-off and landing and will use a third of the fuel required for such haulage used today.  The tests are being carried out in a seventeen storey tall Second World War hanger in Orange County in California.

cockpit

The first “float” tests were successful where all systems were functioning correctly and when more funding is injected to the project the high tech airship could transform the transportation of heavy cargos and large loads across the world.

The future

The prototype airship named Dragon Dream, differs from conventional airships and uses technology where a space frame sits inside the vehicle and around the frame is a rigid cell, It also functions like a submarine releasing air to rise and taking in air to descend which allows a change in buoyancy enabling vertical take-off and landing. It will have a range of 3,000 nautical miles, cargo capacity of 66 tons and a ceiling height of 18.000 feet.

Dragon Dream testing video  

Conventional airships and hybrid airships are unable to control static lifts and require a ballast to stay anchored after a cargo offload, they also require a runway and have non rigid structures, whereas the Dragon Dream uses its own internal ballast system, has a rigid structure and facilitates vertical take-off and landing along with a hover at maximum payload.

Images Aerocraft.com

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