Silent Flight: PV Powered Blimps

Even with a pv-solar situation where you only realize 50 watts/m^2 the
blimp would still go 17 mph which allows for a lot of options not
possible with a balloon.

In the summer vacation season in the Grand Canyon or some other SW
desert area, the airship would go considerably faster.

There are no economies of scale as far as speed is concerned.
Increasing size only increases lift.

The cost might not be prohibitive. Covering half a 30 m dia sphere
with 1400 m^2 of $300/m^2 pv would cost half a million dollars, but
would displace 14 tons of air.

A lot of recreation related industries can spend that.

The only other alternative for silent flight is to have something like
a hybrid electric vehicle drive train with a good sized battery.

Economies of scale would definitely allow for a heavy battery in a
larger blimp with a longer range.

When you approach the area of interest kill the engine and use the
battery to power the motor for awhile.

Maybe get a police dept to replace a helicopter with an electric hybrid
electric blimp. Not only does the noise wake everyone up but it alerts
the criminals.


Bret Cahill