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I have a blurry recollection of seeing an aircraft design that was a combination of an airplane and a dirigible. It looked like a poofy manta ray, an inflated
by jp555 9y ago
I have a blurry recollection of seeing an aircraft design that was a combination of an airplane and a dirigible. It looked like a poofy manta ray, an inflated rigid lifting body or flying wing. It wasn't quite VTOL & needed a very short runway, but it also gained more maneuverability in flight. Maybe it was too much of a compromise though.
- theophrastus 9y agoPerhaps you're thinking of the infamous 'Deltoid Pumpkinseed'[1][2] ? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEREON_26 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEREON_26 [2] https://www.amazon.com/Deltoid-Pumpkin-Seed-John-McPhee/dp/0374516359/ https://www.amazon.com/Deltoid-Pumpkin-Seed-John-McPhee/dp/0...
- cr0sh 9y agoYou mean this one? http://mashable.com/2017/05/24/airlander-butt-plane-successfully-flies/ http://mashable.com/2017/05/24/airlander-butt-plane-successf... There's actually been more than one of these types of aircraft (known as Lighter Than Air - or LTA Aircraft), either as an idea or prototype throughout history.
- astebbin 9y agoCould it be this one [0], or its predecessor [1]? [0] http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lockheed-martin-aircraft-20160308-story.html http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lockheed-martin-aircra... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_P-791 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_P-791
- sk8ingdom 9y agoThat type of vehicle is called a hybrid airship! [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_airship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_airship