From Brian Richards
The interview with Hokan Colting, builder of up-to-date dirigibles, reminded me that it is now many years since articles about a renaissance of airships began to appear (22 May, p 44). We have read that for many applications where low speeds could be acceptable, dirigibles constructed using today’s technologies would bring significant advantages over conventional aircraft or ground vehicles. These advantages would mainly be environmental: low fuel consumption, low pollution, low noise and low demand on raw materials.
In addition, simplified take-off and landing infrastructures, and remote control – which could be made to operate with wide safety margins – would probably bring cost-advantages too.
Modern dirigibles are said to be especially attractive for transporting bulky objects such as long girders, containers or large prefabricated elements. So it was a little disappointing that the interview made no mention of freight transport. The applications quoted by Colting mostly utilise the high-altitude performance of his airships. I would be interested to know whether the possibility of low-cost, environmentally friendly freight transport is still an aim in the development of modern dirigibles.
Préverenges, Switzerland
