A test drive of a new HB50 Hyperblimp envelope with front and rear thrust vectoring motors. Autopilot integration coming.
The creators explain what it's for: "We have very high speeds and very long endurance so the platform is ideal for about anything. We have a universal mounting system that lets us put almost anything that is under the payload limits up in the sky. This ship will carry about 10 lbs extra payload.
Presently we have used this design to film off roading, marathons, bike races, nature shots and golf courses. It is perfect for anything from border patrol and event security to crop study and nature filming.
We are currently working with Marine biologists who will use the platform to track and study migrating whales. Unlike planes and helicopters this airship can silently hover over the whales and gather the images needed. They will also be able to take plume samples by lowering a device to into the mist of the whale plumes. For the first time ever the biologist can gather this information while being un-intrusive to the whales environment.
The ship in this video has been customized for Forest Service Fire Fighting Applications. It is set up to carry a TransPeater for communications link, 2 axis HD camera and Thermal Image camera. With all of these mounted it becomes the ideal asset for watching fire lines and tracking ground operations. Unlike other platforms, we can attach a tether and avoid FAA regulations that would otherwise apply."
The creators explain what it's for: "We have very high speeds and very long endurance so the platform is ideal for about anything. We have a universal mounting system that lets us put almost anything that is under the payload limits up in the sky. This ship will carry about 10 lbs extra payload.
Presently we have used this design to film off roading, marathons, bike races, nature shots and golf courses. It is perfect for anything from border patrol and event security to crop study and nature filming.
We are currently working with Marine biologists who will use the platform to track and study migrating whales. Unlike planes and helicopters this airship can silently hover over the whales and gather the images needed. They will also be able to take plume samples by lowering a device to into the mist of the whale plumes. For the first time ever the biologist can gather this information while being un-intrusive to the whales environment.
The ship in this video has been customized for Forest Service Fire Fighting Applications. It is set up to carry a TransPeater for communications link, 2 axis HD camera and Thermal Image camera. With all of these mounted it becomes the ideal asset for watching fire lines and tracking ground operations. Unlike other platforms, we can attach a tether and avoid FAA regulations that would otherwise apply."
Comments
darn , looks like WayPoints needs to be k.m wide :-(0) and new definition of LOS too
these guys are serious in both edge of speed spectrum !!
It would swallow him and spit out a few days later, anywhere on the globe. ;-)
I believe it is as safe as easystar, but one would die of heart attack 1s before it hits because of the size...
on profile, it looks like a flying saucer, but if you turn in from profile to straight-on, it "disappears" quite quickly.
To sort the drift issue out you would overfill the aerostat so the tether line was tighter but yes it would still drag back over the ground. Mind once it gets windy you might as well swap vehicles for a kite.How about an ardukite, actually I can't think of anything it would bring to the party over a well designed kite.
Seriously, the problem is not with 50kts wind, at this point most small UAS are out, even if they can penetrate the wind, the turbulence will make the data useless. The problem is that with 5kts winds on the ground and 12kts up high, you need constant power to stay in range.
At the end a blimp has huge drag for given payload even optimised like this, if we compare to any winged platform. Therefore pushing it around is relatively costly on distances.
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