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Imagine floating over London's landmarks from a blimp. Although such an opportunity does not occur frequently, the German airship company, DZR GmbH, offered Zeppelin sightseeing flights during the summer of 2008. The Stella Artois Star Over London 2008 sightseeing tour flew passengers in a Zeppelin NT07 over London's landmarks during... more »
Before becoming a pilot, the first obstacle is obtaining a private pilot's license, or PPL. The steppingstone to a career as a commercial pilot for the big airlines or as commander of a corporate jet, a private pilot's license also allows general aviation enthusiasts to take to the skies on their own. These licenses can be expensive,... more »
There are a number of different types of air flight, each relying on different techniques developed at different times in history. In addition, a natural type of air flight evolved in animals, specifically birds and insects. Each of these different types provide ways for humans and animals to travel through the air. The main concepts... more »
A number of different types of air transportation exist, both commercially and privately. Some of these types have been developed over the course of decades or even centuries to meet the needs of modern humans. Each different type is unique in the way it achieves flight, the speed it travels and the sustainability of its voyage. Many... more »
Akron, Ohio, is about 40 miles south of Cleveland. But you don't have to visit Akron's more famous neighbor city to enjoy a great vacation; Akron has terrific attractions of its own. From museums and the arts to sports, parks and the truly unusual, Akron is one of the Midwest's terrific getaway spots. more »
No other way to fly is as smooth and dreamy as a blimp ride. There is no turbulence. You can even wave to people staring up at you. Want to take a... more »
If you have ever looked up in the sky and seen the great, majestic Goodyear Blimp flying overhead and wished it could be you in the pilot's seat,... more »
WDL Aviation began in the mid-1950s, primarily flying aerial advertising but also providing limited business charter services. Today, the company... more »
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is an airship without an internal supporting framework or keel. A non-rigid airship differs from a semi-rigid airship and a rigid airship (e.g., a Zeppelin) in that it does not have any rigid structure, neither a complete framework nor a partial keel, to help the airbag maintain its shape. Rather, these aircraft rely on both a higher pressure of the lifting gas (usually helium) inside the envelope and the strength of the envelope itself.
The term "blimp" refers only to free-flying aircraft. The term is sometimes erroneously used to refer to the tethered craft known as moored balloons. While often very similar in shape, moored balloons have no propulsion and are tethered to the ground.
Principle
Since blimps keep their shape with internal overpressure, typically the only solid parts are the passenger car (gondola) and the tail fins. A non-rigid airship that uses heated air instead of a light gas (such as helium) as a lifting medium is called a hot-air airship.
Volume changes of the lifting gas, due to temperature changes, is balanced using ballonets (air bags), in order to maintain the overpressure. Without sufficient overpressure, the blimp loses steerability and top speed is degraded. The propeller air stream can be used to inflate the hull. In some models, such as the Skyship 600, differential ballonet inflation can provide a measure of pitch trim control.
The engines driving the propellers are usually directly attached to the gondola, and in some models are partly steerable.
Blimps are the most commonly built airships, because they are relatively easy to build and easy to transport once deflated. However, because of their unstable hull, their size is limited. A blimp with too long a hull will kink in the middle when the overpressure is insufficient or when maneuvered too fast (this has also happened with semi-rigid airships with weak keels). This led to the development of semi-rigids and read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blimp
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