I’ve been wondering about something for a while and want to hear the SDMB input.
Is it feasible for bulk cargo to be shipped in lighter than air craft?
I imagine a massive dirigible built with cutting edge technology (carbon composites, super high efficiency engines, and such) with a massive cargo deck on the bottom. I can’t decide if a containerized system would be better than loading freight straight onto the airship. Containers would be much more compatible with the existing cargo transport network but would add significantly to the weight. Weight would be a serious issue for dirigibles.
The way I see it, one of the disadvantages would be less cargo capacity for even the largest airship compared to most sea transport ships. But I don’t have any idea of the relative loads. If an airship carried less than a ship, it might be offset by the airships speed compared to a sea ship. An airship could cross the Pacific from China to the US in a few days versus the weeks a ship takes. This is further enhanced by the fact that the airship doesn’t have to stop at a seaport. It can load up at an inland airfield in China, cross the Pacific and keep going past L.A. or San Francisco to a more central location like Indiana or even all the way to the east coast. This would save time and money transfering from ships at the west coast and allow much greater flexibility for locating air-ground transfer hubs.
Another disadvantage is of course the “Oh the humanity!” effect. But with helium gas in use, the public would probably get past that in little time.
One little-known but very real advantage for the airships would be safety from pirates. There are many instances of piracy on the high seas today and insurance companies are getting hit hard by these costs. Let’s watch the crazy guys with the speed boat and RPGs try to board a dirigible a mile in the sky.
I don’t know how much weather could affect deliveries. En route the airship should be able to fly over or around inclement weather. The only time they couldn’t avoid it is during takeoff or landing. But I don’t know how bad that could be.
I may think of other aspects and add them later. But for now let’s hear what you guys all think.
I can’t see how the speed difference really matters. Urgent or perishable items will always be sent by plane. With any other regular supply chain, does it matter whether it’s days or weeks? If I’m importing one container of Chinese-made shirts each month, do I care which day of the month they arrive?
Bulk ocean transport, and long-distance rail freight, are two of the most cost-efficient modes of transport in existence. You’re going to have to build a damn good airship to compete.
This idea has certainly been floated (har!) many times, with proponents for hydrogen arguing that its risks are overstated. I know I’ve heard people pushing the idea, but I don’t know what its status is.
By the way, it’s not just lighter-than-air. People have proposed heavier-than-air lifters using new technology. See the (probably 'way out of date by now) books The Future of Flight by Dean Ing and Leik Myrabo, and Ing’s science fiction novel about the idea, The Big Lifters.
It does indeed matter. Supply Chain Management, Time to Market, and controling Cash Flow are essential for a sucessful business.
Also, I always thought that a massive air ship would be really handy in fighting forest fires. It could just drink in a massive amount of water and then hover high above the fire raining down on it.
Speed may not be a factor now because people are accustomed to the slow pace of sea travel and plan accordingly. But a lot of big companies would love to shorten the lag between ordering and receiving the goods. This is especially important in any company using a just-in-time business model to shorten and eliminate storage costs. Airships seem like they could be perfect for those goods too bulky to be worth airplane travel, like those chinese-made shirts, but still desirable enough to be worth speedy shipping.
As for efficiency, airships are pretty good already. Incorporating solar power for hybrid engines might be feasible. If you made the top material of the airship transparent, you could put the solar panels inside. The heating from the sun might even be used to increase lifting power. And once an air shipping line was established, economies of scale could further increase efficiency.