6 ms·
Could a vacuum airship be possible?
- aww_dang 5y agoWhat would the composite sandwich structure be composed of?
- kylehotchkiss 5y agoThe patent says “aluminum alloy honeycomb”. Sounds expensive! I wonder if the patentholder actually got this thing working in real life. There’s probably a lot of money in the idea if it’s feasible.
- perilunar 5y agoWhy would there be any money at all in it? Helium-filled balloons can lift 86% of the theoretical maximum (and hydrogen 93%). If there isn't a lot of money in helium airships why would there be in vacuum airships?
- aww_dang 5y agoHelium is expensive in large volumes. >With refined helium price costing around $30 per hundred cubic feet, filling an airship the size of the Goodyear blimp could cost in the $75,000 range. Filling Lockheed Martin's LMH-1 could cost $390,000 https://undark.org/2016/03/11/how-to-keep-airships-afloat/#:~:text=With%20refined%20helium%20price%20costing,LMH%2D1%20could%20cost%20%24390%2C000 https://undark.org/2016/03/11/how-to-keep-airships-afloat/#:....