Dassault Systèmes has a long-standing business partnership with Worldwide Aeros Corp, the California-based maker of 770-foot-long Aeroscraft cargo airship. Our colleges at the Future Realities community on LinkedIn published a good overview of the forthcoming Aeroscraft, and what it may hold for the future of air cargo and passenger transport.
From the article:
The Aeroscraft isn’t like the familiar blimps, although the shape is similar. The exterior is made of a rigid shell of fiberglass and carbon-fiber composite about two millimeters thick, similar to an airplane.
[…]
Inside, separate containers, made of high-performance multilayer fabric, hold nonflammable helium. The Aeroscraft operates like a submarine in order to land, Mr. Pasternak says. The pilot compresses the helium to make it heavier than air, and fills the empty space with outside air for ballast.
[…]
Aeros’s technology allows its airship to take off vertically, like a helicopter, or hover for hours over a point on the ground without having to be tied down. The cargo is suspended inside the rigid shell with the helium balloons—and the cargo bay is bigger than any current commercial cargo aircraft. The different airship models can carry payloads ranging from 66 tons to 500 tons.
We are proud to play a role in the future of this aircraft, since Worldwide Aeros Corp. is using Dassault Systèmes’ Engineered to Fly. industry solution experience to manage the product development of their aircraft. Be sure to read the full article to find out how airships will one day become the cargo ships of the sky.
*images courtesy of Worldwide Aeros Corp
