More than 20 years of development and research has finally borne fruit for the Skunk Works engineers at Lockheed Martin. Their airship is designed to allow the delivery of large loads of cargo to otherwise inaccessible areas.
lockheed martin
Lockheed Martin Hybrid Airship —
Lockheed says its airship uses only one tenth of the fuel required by helicopters per ton and, like helicopters, can access remote areas around the world.
lockheed martin
Airlander 10 —
The Airlander 10 is a hybrid airship designed by UK-based firm Hybrid Air Vehicles, which took part in CNN's live Twitter chat on June 15.
Courtesy Hydrid Air Vehicles
Airlander 10 —
The lightweight airship, seen here in a concept illustration, can carry up to 10 tons and stay in the air for five days continuously.
Courtesy Hybrid Air Vehicles
Airlander 10 —
It was originally designed for the U.S. military to use for surveillance of troops and conflict zones overseas, but a lack of funding grounded the project.
Courtesy Hybrid Air Vehicles
Airlander 10 —
HAV brought the technology back and is underway with plans to lift off again thanks to a £3.4 million ($5.1 million) grant from the UK government, aimed at helping emerging technologies and job creation.
Oli Scarff/Getty Images/file
Aeroscraft —
Airships appear to be undergoing something of a renaissance -- U.S.-based Aeros is working on the Aeroscraft, a cargo-carrying airship.
AEROS
Aeroscraft —
The Aeroscraft is designed to carry large loads of cargo over long distances to areas where there is little or no infrastructure.
AEROS
Aeroscraft —
Aeroscorp, which also makes advertising airships, is testing a smaller version of the Aeroscraft at the company's massive flight test hangar in Tustin, California.
AEROSCORP
Aerostat —
Other airships in development include Raytheon's JLENS aerostat, designed to carry out surveillance missions, hovering high in the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 30 days at a time.
Image: Raytheon
A history of airships —
Airships were once hailed as the future of flight. Glamorous, luxurious and fast, they were one of the icons of the Art Deco era.
General Photographic Agency/Getty Images/File
A history of airships —
They developed from the hot air balloon; the Montgolfier brothers launched the first manned balloon flight in Paris in 1783.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
A history of airships —
Hydrogen-filled balloons were used for surveillance and reconnaissance during the American Civil War in the 1860s.
Fotosearch/Getty Images/File
A history of airships —
But the Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in 1937, put paid to the era of passenger-carrying airships.
A history of airships —
Over the decades, they have continued to be used for advertising, and at sporting events, such as this one at the London 2012 Olympics.
