"Marc" wrote in message
news:tXH0c.9865$ko6.197285@attbi_s02...


1) I wonder why a typical blimp has to use such a large volume (the
ballon)
to provide the lift and a relatively tiny cabin attached underneath,
whereas
this craft seems to use a much smaller volume (the wings). Has the
inventor
calculated this correctly?

Those two big pontoons are also being used for lift. The cargo/passengers
ride in the small section between the wings. Whatever else you can say about
it, this thing is enormous.

It is really just a huge double dirigible with wings. The wings double as
additional helium storage. If it were my design I would replace the wind
turbines with conventional blimp engines and use the wings and rudders for
directional control, folding the props to reduce drag during the glide
portion of the flight. This would give greatly improved range and
controllability during the climb. Right now his aircraft has a claimed range
of only 400 nm, hardly worth the effort given the costs involved.

It is not really a "perpetual motion machine" any more than any other
lighter than air aircraft. The compressed air stored by the turbines is not
used to provide lift. It can provide some thrust, but not enough to keep the
aircraft flying indefinitely, nor does the inventor claim any such thing is
possible. Obviously they are not able to store much air during the descent,
which is why the aircraft has such a short range. When you get right down to
it, I have to wonder why he is bothering with them at all.

Although it is short range and slow, it is expensive. People have been
fooling around with various winged blimp designs for years. Perhaps some day
someone will come up with something workable.