Hybrid Airship
Abstract
In conjunction with the NASA-Ames Research Center the USAF Research Laboratory, and U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), the Department has undertaken a hybrid airship project which is a non-deployable technology demonstrator that integrates independent technologies into a single, rigid aeroshell variable buoyancy (RAVB) air vehicle. The project will demonstrate the technical maturity of a scalable vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. Key technologies to be demonstrated include a buoyancy management system to enable ballast-independent operations, composite lightweight rigid external structure to reduce environmental restrictions, a responsive low-speed/hover control system with associated control algorithms, and a ground handling subsystem to enable operations on unimproved landing surfaces. The program objective is to mitigate long-term technical risk by integrating and demonstrating a suite of technologies with the potential to reduce operational constraints on future heavy-lift, buoyant-aircraft development programs. If successful, the prototype will enable the rapid development of a nascent class of air vehicle which will radically reduce the energy use per ton-mile of airlift operations, permit high-payload operations directly into and out of austere regions with little infrastructure, and enable long-endurance manned or unmanned air operations. RAVB aircraft appear to be potentially scalable to payloads of 500-1,000 tons (compared with payloads in the 125-ton range for the largest current U.S. cargo aircraft). With cruise speeds of 80-100 knots, RAVB aircraft could surpass by several times the speed of fast sealift. With the potential to operate from land or water with very little infrastructure, RAVB aircraft may also drastically reduce the need for intermodal transportation as cargo moves from origin to point of need, with corresponding reduction in delivery times. Using a two step process, the project has been reduced to a four year program. Step one, in FY 2011, consisted of Assistant Secretary of Defense (ASD) Research and Engineering (R&E) providing an additional $6.000 million to the program (new total FY 2011 $14.000 million) to fund acceleration of the actions needed for early completion. These actions consisted of finalizing vehicle design, analysis, and subsystem prototyping/testing. Step two of this process was to roll some of the requested FY 2013 funding ($5.000 million) into FY 2012 to fund systems integration and construction plus ground and flight testing. This project is an interagency effort between the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center, and the USAF Research Laboratory.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2013
- Source ID
- 583d1ad8b0ed6cf7957902b889027b5d