Company type | Airship Manufacturer, Airship Logistics Service Provider |
---|---|
Industry | Aerospace, Aviation, Defense and Advanced Technologies, Air Logistics |
Founded | 1987[1] |
Founder | Igor Pasternak (Chairman, President & CEO) |
Headquarters | , USA |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Igor Pasternak |
Products | Aeroscraft, Sky Dragon Airship, Tactical Aerostats, Early Warning System |
Divisions | Aeroscraft Corporation North American Defense Advanced Technology Solutions (NADATS) |
Website | www |
Aeros Corp is an American manufacturer of airships based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1993 by the current CEO and Chief Engineer, Igor Pasternak, who was born in Soviet Kazakhstan, raised in Soviet Ukraine, and moved to the U.S. after the Soviet collapse to build airships there. [2] It currently employs more than 100 workers.[ citation needed ]
The company's current products are non-rigids aimed at both the military and commercial markets, including transport, surveillance, broadcasting and advertising. The company's best-selling ship is called the Sky Dragon. [3]
The company is also developing an Aeroscraft, a rigid airship with a number of innovative features, the most important of which is a method of controlling the airship's static lift, which can be reduced by pumping helium from the internal gasbags and storing it under pressure: conversely lift can be increased by re-inflating the gasbags using the stored gas. [4] The company has received $60 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop the concept, [5] resulting in a prototype named Dragon Dream which underwent systems tests and some tethered flights in late 2013. This prototype was subsequently damaged when part of the roof of the hangar at the former Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin, in which it was constructed, collapsed on 7 October 2013. [6]
In 1981, [7] Igor Pasternak founded a design bureau at Lviv Polytechnic University. He started a private company in 1986 producing tethered balloons for advertising. It moved to the United States in 1994. [3]
After 9/11, the company shifted its focus from advertising to surveillance, as its large ships can hold 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of radar-surveillance equipment. The blimps have such varied uses as monitoring oil pipelines in Mexico to performing surveillance for the Ukrainian government along the Russian border. [3]
In 2005, Aeros was granted the largest contract under DARPA's project Walrus HULA. Project Walrus was not renewed in 2010. [8] However, the Pentagon continued to fund Aeros through the Rapid Reaction Technology Office, contracting with them in 2010 to build a prototype that could demonstrate key technologies. [9]
The Pentagon has provided US$50 million in funding for the development of the "Pelican" prototype. [10]
The Aeroscraft is a planned heavy-lift, variable-buoyancy cargo airship featuring an onboard buoyancy management system, rigid structure, vertical takeoff and landing performance, and operational abilities at low speed, in hover, and from unprepared surfaces. It has a number of innovative features, the most important of which is a method of controlling the airship's static lift, which can be reduced by pumping helium from the internal gasbags and storing it under pressure: conversely lift can be increased by reinflating the gasbags using the stored gas. [11]
Project Pelican was a US government-funded project to build and test a half-scale prototype of the proposed full-size Aeroscraft, using representative structure and avionics. [12] Having a length of 266 feet (81 m) and design speed of 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph), it does not carry a payload. [13] The company received US$60 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop the concept, [14] resulting in a prototype named Dragon Dream, which underwent systems tests and some tethered flights in late 2013. The first floating took place on January 3, 2013, at the hangar at the former Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin in which it was constructed, where it hovered indoors at a height of 12 feet (3.7 m) for several minutes. [15] The Pentagon has declared that the tests of the Dragon Dream were a "success", with the craft meeting its demonstration objectives. [16] The airship was rolled out of its hangar on July 4, 2013 [17] [18] and performed its first flight on September 11. It was subsequently damaged when part of the roof of the hangar collapsed on it on 7 October 2013. [19] The company sued the Navy for $65 million in 2015 for the collapse. [20] The lawsuit was settled in favor of Aeros with an award of $6,882,918 for damages.
The company is beginning production of two examples, an ML866 and an ML868 model. [21] [ unreliable source? ] A model capable of lifting 500 tons, the ML86X, is also proposed. [13]
The ML866 model will be 555 feet (169 m) in length, have a payload capacity of 66 tons, a top speed of 120 knots (222 km/h), a range of 3,100 nmi (5,700 km), and an altitude ceiling of 12,000 ft (3,700 m). The larger ML868 model will be 770 feet (230 m) in length and carry 250 tons, with the same speed and altitude ceiling as the ML866. [13] The company ultimately plans to build a ML86X with a length of 920 feet (280 m), a height of 215 feet (66 m), and a width of 355 feet (108 m), with the capacity to carry 500 tons. [3]
Aeros is currently seeking US$3 billion to fund the construction of 24 Aeroscraft vehicles, including the 250-ton capacity ML868 model. [22] The CEO has stated that he aims to have a global fleet operating by 2023. [3]
Because the Aeroscraft is equipped with VTOL capability, it can deliver cargo directly from point-of-origin to point-of-need. Furthermore, other hybrid airships are runway dependent at higher operating weights, but the Aeroscraft does not need a runway, even at full payload. Because of its COSH technology, its computer-controlled virtually-automated directional thrust and station-keeping technology facilitates off and on-loading stores while in hover. [23]
The cargo bay is located at the bottom of the aircraft cavity and is loaded by using a pulley system to load the cargo from the ground. At 1.8 million cubic feet, the cargo bay of the largest Aeroscraft design is much larger than that of any existing commercial freight aircraft (including the Boeing 747-8F and the Antonov 124 aircraft). [23]
The Aeroscraft is a rigid airship, having an internal structure to maintain its shape. As such it can reach otherwise difficult or inaccessible locations and can hover indefinitely at zero airspeed and with a full payload on board. [24] The design incorporates cargo bays that are larger than any current air, truck or rail transport, while the payload capacity is significantly more than the current 16-ton maximum for helicopters. [13] [25]
Propulsion is provided by conventional propellers, and in addition the Aeroscraft design has six downward-pointing turbofan jet engines that assist in vertical take-off and landing. [26] These turbofans, together with the Aeros "COSH" buoyancy control system, make the Aeroscraft capable of taking off and landing vertically without the need for a runway, a ground crew, or external ballast. [27]
As with any airship, the Aeroscraft may be used to transport cargo to remote or difficult locations and to hover over uneven terrain, in both civil and military use. [12] [28]
The manufacturer also envisions the delivery of large amounts of commercial merchandise from a centralized location. [29]
Aeros has developed a technology to avoid the need for ballast, which they call "control of static heaviness (COSH)". The main gas bag is inflated with helium to create lift for takeoff, then on landing some of the gas is re-compressed into a storage tank to partially deflate the gas bag and reduce lift. [24] [26] [30]
Worldwide Aeros was awarded a patent for this system in May 2015. It internally ballasts the non-flammable helium into the aircraft’s helium pressure envelopes (HPEs), helping the vehicle manage buoyancy. The HPE units contain and control the compressed helium and allow the overall volume of helium to be reduced or increased, enabling the air vehicle to become heavy or buoyant in a controlled manner. The compression of helium into the HPE’s creates a negative pressure within the Aeroscraft Aeroshell, permitting air-expansion chambers to fill with air, which acts with reduced helium static lift to make the Aeroscraft heavier to compensate for adjustments in load. [31]
The Aeroscraft’s cargo system provides the aircraft with unmatched volume and flexibility when deploying cargo to virtually any point on the planet, empowering the aircraft to pick-up and off-load cargo in more efficient ways, even from hover. The internal cargo handling system has been designed to facilitate cargo loading, sorting, and unloading in a more innovative and efficient manner, overcoming pre-deployment requirements for ground handling cargo equipment in austere environments. The system affixes containers and cargo pallets to rails in the fuselage ceiling, rather than on the floor; adjusts cargo positioning to accommodate changes in center of gravity, such as when other cargo is loaded and unloaded; facilitates access to any piece of cargo at any time, eliminating unneeded cargo movements and reducing ground time; and eliminates labor costs with traditional cargo handling and weight-and-balance requirements. [31]
This rigid structure has hard points for mounting engines, canards, cockpit, propulsion systems, and other auxiliary systems both inside and outside of the hull. [31]
The Aeroscraft is equipped with landing cushions which allow landing on rough terrain and water, and perform like a hovercraft during taxi by pushing air through them. In addition, the landing cushions have a suction capability which ensures the vehicle stays grounded and in place when not in flight. This allows it to operate in heavier wind conditions. [31]
The Aeroscraft is equipped with vectored thrust engines that rotate and allow maneuverability. In addition to aiding helicopter-like vertical take-off and landing capability, the vectored thrust propels the vehicle in forward flight and aids the vehicle with ground-based taxiing. [31]
When in forward flight, the Aeroscraft is controlled by the aerodynamic control surfaces ; however, the low speed control system aids the pilot in lower wind conditions such as during VTOL and hover. The LSC system acts as a rear thruster to propel the vehicle in forward flight, and permits the thrust to be redirected while in hover to help the vehicle maintain desired positioning and orientation. [31]
Dragon Dream (Prototype) | ML 806 | ML 866 | ML 868 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | 0 tons | 6 tons | 66 tons | 250 tons |
Length | 266 ft | 555 ft | 770 ft | |
Wingspan | 96 ft | 177 ft | 296 ft | |
Height | 51 ft | 120 ft | 183 ft | |
Max speed | 100 m/h | 140 m/h | 140 m/h | |
Range | n/a | 500 miles | 3,100 miles | 6,200 miles |
Altitude ceiling | 9,800 ft | 6,000 ft | 12,000 ft | 12,000 ft |
Cargo dimensions (ft) | n/a | 40 x 8 x 10 | 220 x 40 x 30 | 380 x 61 x 45 |
Cargo Cubic Volume | n/a | 3,200 cubic ft | 264,000 cubic ft | 1,043,100 cubic ft |
Product name | Description | Image |
---|---|---|
Aeroscraft | Aeros’ successful technology demonstration vehicle for the 66-ton capacity Aeroscraft, ‘Dragon Dream’ takes flight in 2013. Named RAVB as part of its development under Project Pelican for the Department of Defense [33] | |
40A Sky Dragon | Aeros launched airship model ’40A Sky Dragon,’ with increased payload and capabilities | |
40B Sky Dragon | Aeros developed the ’40B Sky Dragon’ equipped with a fly-by-wire system, and received FAA type certification | |
40D Sky Dragon | Aeros launched ’40D Sky Dragon,’ to global operations and receives type certification from the FAA [34] | |
Aeros 50 | Aeros' first airship | |
Sky Crow Tactical Aerostat System | The tactical aerostat system is designed to perform aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. [35] |
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, in a few cases, direct downward thrust from its engines. Common examples of aircraft include airplanes, helicopters, airships, gliders, paramotors, and hot air balloons.
A blimp (/blɪmp/), or non-rigid airship, is an airship (dirigible) without an internal structural framework or a keel. Unlike semi-rigid and rigid airships, blimps rely on the pressure of the lifting gas inside the envelope and the strength of the envelope itself to maintain their shape. Blimps are known for their use in advertising, surveillance, and as observation platforms due to their maneuverability and steady flight capabilities.
An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air.
The Zeppelin NT is a class of helium-filled airships being manufactured since the 1990s by the German company Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH (ZLT) in Friedrichshafen. The initial model is the N07. The company considers itself the successor of the companies founded by Ferdinand von Zeppelin which constructed and operated the very successful Zeppelin airships in the first third of the 20th century. There are, however, a number of notable differences between the Zeppelin NT and original Zeppelins as well as between the Zeppelin NT and usual non-rigid airships known as blimps. The Zeppelin NT is classified as a semi-rigid airship.
An aerostat is a lighter-than-air aircraft that gains its lift through the use of a buoyant gas. Aerostats include unpowered balloons and powered airships. A balloon may be free-flying or tethered. The average density of the craft is lower than the density of atmospheric air, because its main component is one or more gasbags, a lightweight skin containing a lifting gas to provide buoyancy, to which other components such as a gondola containing equipment or people are attached. Especially with airships, the gasbags are often protected by an outer envelope.
Cargolifter AG was a German company founded in 1996 to offer logistical services through point-to point transport of heavy and outsized loads. This service was based on the development of a heavy lift airship, the CL160, a 550,000 m3 (19,000,000 cu ft) vessel designed to carry a 160 t payload. The airship was never built and the company went bankrupt in July 2002. Today, shareholder-founded CL CargoLifter GmbH & Co. KG company seeks to continue selling the lighter-than-air technology. CargoLifter and Russia’s Aerosmena are among those developing huge airships that can lift up to 600 tons of freight while hovering above the ground or sea.
A hybrid airship is a powered aircraft that obtains some of its lift as a lighter-than-air (LTA) airship and some from aerodynamic lift as a heavier-than-air aerodyne.
The Goodyear Blimp is any one of a fleet of airships operated by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, used mainly for advertising purposes and capturing aerial views of live sporting events for television. The term blimp itself is defined as a non-rigid airship—without any internal structure, the pressure of lifting gas within the airship envelope maintains the vessel's shape.
The Walrus HULA project was a DARPA-funded experiment to create an airship capable of traveling up to 12,000 nautical miles in range, while carrying 500–1000 tons of air cargo. In distinct contrast to earlier generation airships, the Walrus HULA would be a heavier-than-air vehicle and would generate lift through a combination of aerodynamics, thrust vectoring, and gas buoyancy generation and management.
A rigid airship is a type of airship in which the envelope is supported by an internal framework rather than by being kept in shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope, as in blimps and semi-rigid airships. Rigid airships are often commonly called Zeppelins, though this technically refers only to airships built by the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin company.
SkyCat is a class of proposed heavy-lift hybrid airships which derive more than half of their lift by helium buoyancy and the balance via aerodynamic lift produced by aerodynamic shaping. The SkyCat design incorporates hover cushion technology in place of wheels, allowing craft to take off and land anywhere, including remote regions without need for airports or sophisticated forward based infrastructure.
Marine Corps Air Station Tustin is a former United States Navy and United States Marine Corps air station, located in Tustin, California.
Hangar No. 1 is an airship hangar located at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst in Manchester Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. It was the intended destination of the rigid airship LZ 129 Hindenburg prior to the Hindenburg disaster on May 6, 1937, when it burned while landing. Built in 1921, it is one of the oldest surviving structures associated with that period's development of lighter-than-air flight. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968.
The Piasecki PA-97 Helistat was an American experimental heavy-lift aircraft, built by Piasecki by fastening four H-34J helicopters to a framework beneath a helium-inflated blimp envelope. The sole prototype was lost during a test flight, killing a test pilot and injuring another four in the course of a single incident.
The static buoyancy of airships in flight is not constant. It is therefore necessary to control the altitude of an airship by controlling its buoyancy: buoyancy compensation.
Airship Industries was a British manufacturers of modern non-rigid airships (blimps) active under that name from 1980 to 1990 and controlled for part of that time by Alan Bond. The first company, Aerospace Developments, was founded in 1970, and a successor, Hybrid Air Vehicles, remains active as of 2022. Airship Industries itself was active between 1980 and 1990.
The Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander 10 is a hybrid airship designed and built by British manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV). Comprising a helium airship with auxiliary wing and tail surfaces, it flies using both aerostatic and aerodynamic lift and is powered by four diesel engine-driven ducted propellers.
The AeroLift CycloCrane was a unique US hybrid airship which adopted helicopter derived airfoil control for low speed flight manoeuvring by spinning on its axis. It was intended to be a heavy load lifter, initially aimed at the Canadian logging industry. A proof of concept vehicle flew at times during the 1980s, but no large production aircraft were built.
Dragon Dream is an experimental lighter than air (LTA) cargo rigid airship built by Worldwide Aeros Corp as a half-scale proof of concept prototype for a design which the manufacturer calls the "Aeroscraft". The development and design has been funded by the US government through the military Walrus HULA and then the "Pelican" projects.
Igor Pasternak is an American aviation entrepreneur, inventor and engineer specializing in designing and building airships. He is best known as the founder and CEO of Worldwide Aeros Corp, an American manufacturer of airships based in Montebello, California and for his research on variable buoyancy control for airships. Igor Pasternak is an advocate of the cargo airship industry and lighter-than-air flight.