New weapons and equipment testing by the United States during the war in Afghanistan. One is the Zeppelin airship that was once famous during World War I.
In 2010, nearly a month of three units Zeppelin circled the northern region of Afghanistan. The aircraft was watching the movement of the Taliban and the United States to supply troops. The plane was made by the company Hybrid Air Vehicles, which gets defense contract of U.S. $ 315 million from the government of the United States.
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| The U.S. Army's pilot-optional Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle will conduct surveillance in Afghanistan. Northrop Grumman and the British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles recently won the $517 million contract to build the hybrid airship. (Picture from: http://spectrum.ieee.org/) |
But Defense Ministry spokesman said it had received reports about a possible new use of the airship to transport equipment and logistics in the military mission. "But there are currently no plans to buy it," he said last week.
Hybrid Air Vehicles has been a pioneer in the design and manufacture of a giant balloon. Companies from the United States is developing the aircraft with the latest technologies that are cost effective, low carbon emissions, and focus to the mission of transporting goods as well as aerial surveillance.
Such a capability is needed for the present and future aircraft. The company is developing hybrid air vehicle technology to produce 60 percent of lift aerostatic using helium gas and 40 percent of the aerodynamic shape resulting from the aircraft.
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| LEMV advantages. (Picture from: Koran Tempo 3810) |
The resulting air balloon aircraft supposedly called "lighter than air". Using the power of four units of the driving machine called a propulsor, the plane was able to take off and land vertically.
Innovation produces revolutionary air balloon flight with a potential global market. Director of Business Development of Hybrid Air Vehicles, Hardy Giesler, said in 2010 the company built a partnership with Northrop Grumman, its peers. They receive U.S. $ 517 million from the U.S. Army to develop a Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV). "The aircraft is capable of flying at altitudes above 20 thousand feet above sea level for 21 days nonstop. Not to be confused refuel," said Giesler in the pages of site Hybrid Air Vehicles.
LEMV is air transportation specifically designed to carry very heavy loads and travel very far. The aircraft is capable of landing on land, ice, snow, well above the water, so it does not require grounding.
These aircraft, the manufacturer offers a service to transport cargo, firefighting operations, transport of military logistics, and commercial aviation services. With a payload capacity of 50 tons, the aircraft is capable of flying at speeds of up to 185 kilometers per hour. Without the need for the runway, the aircraft is able to send logistics to remote areas.
If necessary, the ability to transport these aircraft can be increased to 200 tons. Even in future aircraft designed to carry cargo up to 1,000 tons.
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| The SkyHook airship, a joint project of Boeing and the Canadian company SkyHook International, is a rotary-airship hybrid that will haul oil-drilling equipment in northern Canada. (Picture from: http://spectrum.ieee.org/) |
Giesler said alternative air transportation is known to be very environmentally friendly. Fuel consumption is also very economical to save up to 75 percent fuel compared to other types of commercial aircraft.
This aircraft is in the detail design stage and will be assembled this year. "The first vehicle for commercial purposes is scheduled to begin in 2014," said Giesler. *** [HAV | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 3810]
Twice Hercules Capacity
If the U.S. Army uses modern airship in the military mission in Afghanistan. Then the British Royal Navy did not want to miss. They use it to supply the number of aircraft carriers.
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| Airship that can travel over 90mph could by used by Royal Navy. (Picture from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/) |
British soldier lured after persuaded by Northrop Grumman, the U.S. defense company that developed the aircraft with this oval-shaped balloon.
They then equip it with advanced surveillance cameras to spy on enemy movements. In addition, the British military commanders consider the Zeppelin as a troop transport plane as it can carry up to 150 soldiers. The aircraft is capable of flying up to speeds of 80 knots, three times faster than the naval vessels, and can travel for days without having to refuel.
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| Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV). (Picture from: Koran Tempo 3810) |
Modern Zeppelin fuel is a mixture of helium and 60 percent 40 percent air, making it much safer and less vulnerable to enemy fire. Innovation is different from its predecessor that made Zeppelin so highly flammable hydrogen as the enemy was shot in World War I.
The test results of the company Hybrid Air Vehicles shows that the bullets and missiles can penetrate without burning the Zeppelin airship in which the gas mixture which has a very low pressure. "The aircraft could be the ideal solution for logistics support to aircraft carriers, and to support intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance," the source said British Royal Navy, told The Telegraph.
According to sources, the ability of modern Zeppelin transport goods up to 50 tons is a remarkable innovation. "That's more than double the capacity of a (plane) Hercules," he compares the modern Zeppelin with a giant-sized transport aircraft, Hercules.
The aircraft is priced at U.S. $ 60 million of this could be flown from a distance as unmanned aircraft. Modern Zeppelin was not only interested in the military a number of countries. Commercial parties were interested in utilizing the sophistication and efficiency of this aircraft. Oil companies, for example, are looking at this type of aircraft to carry heavy equipment to remote drilling station without having to build an airfield.
They also can open a relaxing and comfortable flight routes across the Atlantic while carrying 200 passengers in transit for 36 hours. Operational costs are also much more efficient, because the modern Zeppelin consumes only one-fifth of the fuel used jet aircraft. *** [TELEGRAPH | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 3810]
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