Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a blimp. A cargo blimp. Sharon Gill wonders if April 1st has come round again this year ...
Not long ago the freight industry first thought a cargo ship semi-powered by an oversized parasail was a hoax. But it wasn't. The SkySails system not only exists, it has been successfully trialled.
Now the cargo blimp. And, yes, it's real. Honest. Or it will be, when Boeing and SkyHook have finished building it.
Click here to see the pictures.
Boeing and SkyHook International have agreed to jointly develop the Hess Heavy Lifter (JHL-40), a new commercial heavy-lift rotorcraft designed to address the limitations and expense of transporting equipment and materials in remote regions.
Boeing has received the first increment of a multi-year contract from SkyHook to develop the new aircraft.
According to Pat Donnelly, director of Advanced Rotorcraft Systems for Boeing, SkyHook secured the patent for the neutrally buoyant aircraft and approached Boeing with the opportunity to develop and build the system. "We conducted a feasibility study and decided this opportunity is a perfect fit for Advanced Systems' technical capabilities," said Donnelly.
The neutrally buoyant feature allows SkyHook to safely carry payloads unmatched by any existing rotorcraft. The helium-filled envelope is sized to support the weight of the vehicle and fuel without payload. With the empty weight of the aircraft supported by the envelope, the lift generated by four rotors is dedicated solely to lifting the payload, leaving the aircraft neutrally buoyant.
The SkyHook JHL-40 aircraft will be capable of lifting a 40-ton sling load and transporting it up to 200 miles without refuelling - ideal in harsh environments such as the Canadian Arctic and Alaska, where conventional land and water transportation methods are inadequate, unreliable and expensive.
"There is a definite need for this technology," said Pete Jess, SkyHook president & chief operating officer. "The list of customers waiting for SkyHook's services is extensive, and they enthusiastically support the development of the JHL-40.
According to Jess, some companies have suggested that this new technology will enable them to modify their current operational strategy and begin working much sooner on projects that were thought to be fifteen or twenty years away.
The JHL-40 eliminates the need for new roads or railways to be constructed in remote areas.
"This Boeing-SkyHook technology represents an environmentally acceptable solution for these companies' heavy-lift short-haul challenges, and it's the only way many projects will be able to progress economically," said Jess.
Boeing will design and fabricate two production prototypes of the JHL-40. Skyhook will own, maintain, operate and service all JHL-40 aircraft for customers worldwide.
The new aircraft will enter commercial service as soon as it is certified by Transport Canada and the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Looking at the images, it seems to be an awfully big blimp to be carrying such a small crate.
Maybe it's full of lead ...
