Aerosmena

The Airship-designing Initiative Design Bureau (Moscow, Russia), headed by Orfey Kozlov has developed a family of new airships with a carrying capacity of 60, 120, 240 and 600 tons. As a basis for the transport complex, a group of engineers decided to use a lens-shaped airship with the principle of thermos-ballasting. This aero platform belongs to the hybrid type of the new generation airship.

This airship does not take any special ground infrastructure, which is very expensive for operation. The Aerosmena allows for low cost of operation and manufacturing as an aero platform for the transport and logistics segment of the freight market. For example, the cost of the aero platform project with 60-ton payload from development to certification is in the region of US $120 million, whilst the cost of the 200-ton platform will be in the region of US $150 million.

By comparison, you can specify the programme of the aircraft Airbus Beluga XL with a lifting capacity of 50.5 tons. The development and production of such a transport aircraft required an investment of €1 billion. The cost of the programme to build a Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft (carrying capacity 37 tons) is estimated at $ 1.4 billion.

The one flight hour cost will supposedly be 10-15 times lower than for the transport aviatia aircrafts. Flight stability and reliability is provided by a specially developed control system that allows you to dampen any external air disturbances (for example, in the autorotation mode of helicopter propellers). Zero buoyancy of the unloaded aeroplatform is provided by the shell with helium in the upper part of the hull. To raise the payload (60 ... 120 ... 200 ... 600 tons), it takes to heat the volume with air by the exhaust gases’ strems of 8 helicopter engines (the internal temperature will be up to 200 degrees). In the case of landing or maneuver, on-board “brains” are to regulate the heating inside of air “cavity” and take-off force (= Archimedean force). Therefore, payload aboard will be load / unload in the hang mode even, or after landing as usually even in the field condition. For landing it takes release hot air into the atmosphere makes the aeroplatform heavier than air which can be parked in the wild area without infrastructure.

The air-gas system incorporates original computerised control system and actuators (fans, valves, etc.). The cavities for helium gas are situated within the shell circumferentially -- symmetrically about the Y axis. Between the gas bags and the outer envelope there is cavities for the heated air, which provides for ballasting of the device.

In an aeroplatform, the buoyancy is created by 2 ways: as with the heliumfilled balloon and with the heating air in the inside cavities as well in another part of hull. The flight is provided by the power plant, which rotates the helicopter and aircraft type propellers to create thrust. An additional flight resource is provided by aerodynamic forces (including vertical thrust screws, which can also function in autorotation mode).

To obtain a vertical thrust the aeroplatform uses the helicopter screws.The power plant provides the creation of the necessary control forces, allowing to effectively regulate the position and movement of the airship in flight with to all six degrees of freedom. The air platform has a static imbalance for the providing of the reliable landing in case of failed engines, as well as parking on the ground without mooring at wind impact to 15 m/s.

The bearing frame structure is made in the form of a bowl-shaped cross truss structure (made of light alloys or carbon fibre) with an outer ring (torus). In the center of the “cross” there is a hollow pillar (shaft) with an upper force ring, to hold the outer envelope. There is at the ends of the “cross” in the place (at the outer torus ring), the engines’ package with propellers of vertical and horizontal thrust are installed. There are attached to the “cross” the removable suspended platform for equipment and payload, as well as the landing gear and mooring and mooring devices.

The entire flight programme hold by a multi-level on-board control system developed specifically for the Aerosmena project. To park, or land during operational acts the aeroplatform bleeds out the inside hot air in the atmosphere and then the ship becomes heavier than air. To prepare for flight (even in the field), the Aerosmena airship takes 15 minutes.

The non-stop flight range of the airship is over 5000 km. The envelope icing is not possible, since hot air heats the entire surface of the body of the aeroplatform. The Aerosmena airship moves along an air trajectory (almost without interference) at a speed of 150–200 km / h (it takes some modification to increase the speed to 300 km / h).

The aeroplatform is equipped with a propulsion package, which provides a high level of stability in flight, as well as good handling and manoeuvrability of the Aerosmena ship, even with strong winds (up to 35 m / s). In full compliance with the requirements of flight worthiness by ICAO, this aeroplatforms’ family has duplicated all onboard systems of the flight control and navigating . Such onboard equipment lets the airship flight very stability without risks.

When performing transport and logistics’ tasks, the Aerosмена airship can work according to the door to-door scheme, which significantly reduces the cost of technological operations for the transportation of cargo. Such aeroplatform is designed to provide the long-time aerpoplatform hanging at a given point with stabilisation of given coordinates and altitude and also to take the takeoff and landing

without a special ground infrastructure and even in field condition. Thus, the delivery and acceptance of freight can be provided both in the landing mode and in the hang mode.The airship is designed to perform various tasks: from passenger and freight transportation to delivering of the oversized cargo in the assembled condition (for example, full mounted hydroelectric turbines, power line towers, drilling rigs, etc.). For operational functional change, the aeroplatform operates by using interchangeable nacelles of various types (cargo platform, fire module, passenger compartment, mobile office, rigging crane, etc.).

The functionality of interchangeable cargo and special platforms in the Aerosmen complex

1. Loading platform to ship: - directly on the cargo platform; - on the external sling.

2. Passenger platform (all the possibilities for a comfortable flights of passengers).

3. Medical platform (autonomous mobile hospital).

4. Tourist Flying Yach (mobile Lux hotel)

5. Expeditionary (options are determined by requirements specifications, confirmed by orderers).

6. Building and installation operations (the works with special mechanisms and units).

7. Firefighting platform to efficient suppressing fire and people rescue.

8. Platform for courier and postal services (the deck is equipped for the autonomous drones’ operations).

9. Platform for monitoring and control of land and sea surfaces (patrolling, search for minerals, search for submarines, sunken ships, mineseeking, etc.).

The calculated economic efficiency of the aeroplatform is profitable than transport aviation aircrafts. The cost of a ton-kilometer for the innovative airship Aerosmena-200 (carrying capacity 200 tons) is estimated at $0.3 as well but for the An-225 ‘Mriya’ cargo aircraft (payload is 120 tons) - $1.2.

The readiness to develop of the projects.

We had had successful negotiations with potential industrial partners. In particular, the famous Russian scientific and research aeronautic complex TsAGI is ready to participate in the project implementation (aerodynamics, appearance, calculations); research and production companies Saratov’s KBPA, Moscow’s ISMC Mars and Ulyanovsk’s UKBP (flight control, flight and navigation complex) are ready too; Ulyanovsk’s the Aviastar-SP OJSC or JSC DKBA(design documentation, manufacturing, testing) – in course of...

The Aerosmena specialists for the transport airship family had chosen the lenticular shape of the hull. Aerodynamic characteristics of this type of aircraft by researchers based on calculations, as well as testing models in the TsAGI wind tunnel, testing small-sized flying models.

The Aerosmena airship has advantages over other types of air transport. These specifics are next: - lenticular dirigible equipped with the hi-tech flight control complex, unlike cigara-shaped old-type airship, has significantly superior stability, controllability and flight maneuverability.

- payload is placed on the multifunctional cargo platform or on the external load hang system. The payload of the projecting Aerosmena airships is almost unlimited; the aeroplatform modul for the payload can be modified to use as base for drones for various purposes.

- the ability to perform vertical takeoff and landing, lateral (along the Z axis) and longitudinal (along the X axis) possibilities of basing on unprepared small-sized platforms (depending on the carrying capacity and dimensions of the platform platform);

- upon delivery of the payload there is no need for intermediate transshipments.

- low cost of transportation;

- providing a wide range of functional capabilities that provide autonomous (proper) means of loading / unloading and thermal ballasting of the device.

Manufacturing and testing of the first serial airship, approximately may take 30 to 36 months. The schedule of the certification procedures will be determined under accordance with the requirements specifications of the ordered airship. The project can be determined only after the coordination with the customer of the source data for a specific device. Analogues of the proposed development of the aircraft in the world currently does not exist. The main characteristics of the complex.The composition of the transport complex.The platform includes: - Hull (frame; outer shell; bags for helium; crew cabin with pilot and operator workplaces; containers for onboard equipment; flight-navigation complex; power package; air-gas system; docking devices and facilities to coupling for the suspension specialized platform; onboard cable; power supply system ; mooring elements; lighting protection equipment; rescue equipment; light equipment).

- Specialised suspended interchangeable freight platform (platform base with with docking device to couple with the airship hull; household compartment (kitchen, lavatory, changing room, beds, first-aid post, storage room); payload compartment; chassis; freight ramps to load and launch drones from aboard and the further storage them; loading and unloading equipment; power supply system; firefighting equipment; mooring system; onboard cable). Central ground complex (ground control station includes workplace dispatcher / operator; ground handling kit; the operational point of logistics (provision of spare parts, auxiliary transport and fuel and lubricants); power supply system; fire and medical services; gas supply system; housing complex for attendants).

The power plant (8 engines with air helicopter and aircraft propellers with variable pitch as propellers, which provide control of the magnitude and direction (including reversal) of vertical and horizontal (due to skewing of the propeller blades) thrust; screws control the movement of the device relative to all six degrees freedom of movement.

Characteristics of the device with a loading capacity of 60 tons take-off weight: 140 tons;

- Empty weight: 42 tons;

- cruising speed (km / h): 120

- maximum speed (km / h): 150

- cruising altitude (m): 2000

- maximum flight altitude (m): 3000

- flight range at maximum payload (km): 5000

- hang height when working on the ground (m): up to 30

- wind speed during takeoff and landing (m / s): up to 25

- wind speed when parked on the ground (m / s): up to 30

- wind speed when working on the ground in hover mode (m / s): up to 15

Picture by Athol Franz

In the process of preparing projects, the following work was performed. 1. The shape of the lenticular aeroplatform was developed, some models were tested in the MAI and the TsAGI wind tunnels, all project aerodynamic characteristics were confirmed. Mathematical models of the apparatus were developed and mathematical modeling of all flight modes was carried out. Formed flight control algorithms that take into account the static instability of the device and provide the specified characteristics of stability and controllability. Three flying models were manufactured (with a diameter of 1.0 m, 2.0 meters and 7.0 meters), and their flight tests were conducted, including at the Emergencies Ministry training ground, with confirmed positive results. A model with a diameter of 7.0 m was built and presented in 2011 at the Moscow International Aerospace Salon (MAKS-2011). To present we had prepared the technical requirements for the Aerosmena power package. In partly, we determined the types of engines and moving parts for the machines working with a carrying capacity to 60 tons payload (and too for 100, 200 and 600 tons payload). After agreeing and confirmation on the requirements specifications, the Aerosmena project team will be ready to start to build the first aeroplatform.

As part of the preparatory work, preliminary negotiations are held with potential joint-venture enterprises. Under the condition of stable financing the first regular heavy-duty aeroplatform Aerosmena will be manufactured and operated within the next 3 years. In Russia, there is specialised industrial base and a qualified developers.