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The Real Future of Transport -- Heli-Blimps?

by Tim Stevens on July 11, 2008 at 05:14 PM

Are Heli-Blimps the Real Future of Transport?
Hot on the heels of the revelation that solar-powered, inflatable turtles are the future of mass transportation, Boeing is showing its vision of the heavy-hauling skies of the the near-future with its JHL-40 Skyhook heli-blimp, a craft it hopes will revolutionize the transport industry for remote, inhospitable places, like the Canadian Arctic.

It is just what it sounds like -- a combination of a blimp with four separate helicopter motors at the sides. The blimp itself, filled with helium, results in an aircraft that is neutrally buoyant in the air; able to stay aloft without any additional power. The four helicopter motors at the corners (not that it really has corners) would be just for lifting, and would in theory allow the thing to carry a 40-ton load up to 200 miles. That compares quite favorably to today's heavy aerial hauler, the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, which can only carry one quarter the load half as far before refueling.

Boeing is set to begin building two prototypes very soon and, as soon as these get the go-ahead by the necessary government agencies, we could see them hauling heavy loads in the sky above -- perhaps battling for airborne supremacy with those flying turtles. [Source: CNET]

Tags: blimp, boeing, dirigibles, future tech, FutureTech, JHL-40, Skyhook, travel

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