New Type of Hot Air Blimp

An anonymous reader writes to let un know about a story up on the Experimental Aircraft Association site about a new kind of blimp. From the article: "Alberto, whose name pays homage to Brazilian aviation pioneer, Alberto Santos-Dumont, is 102 feet long with a 70-foot diameter and uses hot air rather than helium for lift. Its innovative foldable frame (much like an giant umbrella) creates structural support of its hot-air envelope, and it has a fly-by-wire vectored thrust steering system. Alberto is a hybrid; a hot-air balloon with aluminum ribs that looks more like a blimp, but with a tail propeller that gives it directional control." The home site of the blimp's developers has a timeline, photos, and a video of the blimp in flight.

In place of a flying car, I'm having one of these.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm an apartment dweller so about the parking situation...

Cool!

[zymurgyboy]

So RMS learned to fly?

Another piece in the puzzle

[Ingolfke]

This blimp isn't just a step forward for aviation, it's a major step forward in the development and construction of a viable space elevator. One of the primary problems that has plagued the space elevator proponents is the identification of a cost effective means of transporting the carbon nanotube teather from the Earth's surface to a proper orbit. This blimp and advances in carbon nanotubes could signal the beginning of cheap space transport for all mankind.

Mark this day on your calendar folks.

Re:Cool!

[Tackhead]

> So RMS learned to fly?

"God as my witness, I honestly thought RMS could fly."
- Steve Ballmer

Re:Big Deal

[Ingolfke]

Stop being a hater for a single second and think about this,

Word up playa. Representin' hot air baloons with internal frames against these clowns tha' be fruntin. Fa real.

Re:Interesting source of lift

[inKubus]

The first thing I thought was to use hot HELIUM. I mean, why not? Surely hot Helium will have even more lifting power than regular helium.

Cheap Fuel

[cdr_data]

This will be the ultimate way to get around Washington DC. Plenty of free fuel....

Re:Another piece in the puzzle

[silentounce]

No, we agreed that you encase the personnel car with water to shield from the radiation. And you fill the water with sharks with laser beams as an extra defense mechanism. That was the consensus that was reached.