Abstract: A neutral buoyancy fuel bladder uses hydrogen and oxygen to power an airship. The neutral buoyancy fuel bladder includes a fuel cell, electrolyzer, and means for storing hydrogen, oxygen and water. The fuel cell uses the hydrogen and oxygen to create heat, water and current flow. An energy source transmits a beam to an energy receiving unit on the airship, and the energy from said beam is used to (1) power said airship, and (2) replenish the supply of hydrogen and oxygen.

Abstract: An airship capable of vertical and horizontal flight and able to make right angle turns is preferably of nearly neutral buoyancy and comprises two gas bags, the lower of which is toroidal in shape and surrounds a centrally located engine that has a downwardly facing inlet. Upwardly directed thrust from the engine is redirected by a gate valve arrangement into a manifold of ducts, each of which passes between the upper and lower gas bags to a respective outlet or nozzle adjacent the periphery of the aircraft. To fly the aircraft, a pilot uses the cable-operated valve arrangement to manage the distribution of thrust from the engine into selected ones of the ducts to provide thrust in a desired direction. Preferred pilot operated controls comprise a foot pedal and a rotatable steering wheel mounted on a pedestal hingedly attached to the gondola of the aircraft for fore and aft pivoting motion.

Abstract: A sandwich skin construction that is comprised of an internal structure comprising a plurality of cones disposed between two outer skins is disclosed. The interior contains a pressurized gas to give the resulting sandwich skin construction added strength over a similarly constructed non-pressurized structure of the same material with an equivalent mass. Various attributes of the cones can be adjusted, for example, size and angle, to optimize the performance of the sandwich skin construction to a variety of external stresses. Moreover, a method is provided for manufacturing the sandwich skin construction. The structure can be placed in a pressurized environment before attaching the outer skins.

Abstract: An aerostat, including an aerostat hull and a single ballonet, attached to said aerostat hull, along an attachment line, the attachment line dividing a helium compartment formed by said aerostat hull into a forward helium compartment and an aft helium compartment, wherein a ratio of a volume of the forward helium compartment to volume of the aft helium compartment is equal to a ratio of a volume of the single ballonet forward of the attachment line to a volume of the single ballonet aft of the attachment line.

Abstract: An airship has a flexible gas storage tube which forms a frame that maintains an inflated condition of an envelope of the airship permitting the envelope to be charged with hot air. A pump and valve are provided for supplying gas such as air, helium, and hydrogen to the gas storage tube.

Abstract: The invention is a ballonet system for a lighter-than-air-vehicle, the vehicle having a lift producing gas bag and a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis. In detail, the ballonet system includes a plurality of ballonets located within the gas bag positioned along the longitudinal axis and on each side of the vertical axis of the vehicle. Each of the ballonets include a flexible sheet joined at its periphery thereof to a portion of the wall of the gas bag. A ballonet pressurization system is coupled to each ballonet for pressurizing them with air that includes the portion of the wall of the gas bag forming the ballonet having a plurality of holes therethrough. A manifold having an inlet port is joined to the wall covering the holes therein and is adapted to diffuse the pressurized air entering therein.

Abstract: The invention is a ballonet system for a lighter-than-air-vehicle, the vehicle having a lift producing gasbag and a longitudinal, vertical and lateral axis. In detail, the ballonet system includes a plurality of ballonets located within the gasbag positioned along the longitudinal axis and on each side of the vertical axis of the vehicle. Each of the ballonets include a flexible sheet joined at its periphery thereof to a portion of the wall of the gasbag. A ballonet pressurization system is coupled to each ballonet for pressurizing them with air that includes the portion of the wall of the gasbag forming the ballonet having a plurality of holes therethrough. A manifold having an inlet port is joined to the wall covering the holes therein and is adapted to diffuse the pressurized air entering therein. Also included is at least one fan having an inlet port coupled to ambient atmosphere and an outlet port coupled to the inlet port of the manifold for providing pressurized air to the interior thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for regulating the height of an airship, which includes a floating body of tube-like supporting gas containers and air bags. The air bags are disposed outside and between the supporting gas containers and connect the containers to each other. The apparatus includes at least one fan-compressor for high pressure and/or at least one fan-compressor for low pressure.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aerostat of the double balloon type intended to travel in an autonomous and reversible manner between the ground of a planet having an atmosphere and a predetermined ceiling altitude. This aerostat is of the type comprising a first closed carrier balloon (1) for containing a gas lighter than the gas present in the atmosphere, and a solar hot air balloon (3) comprising a permanent opening (6) permitting its filling by the gas present in the atmosphere. According to the invention the solar hot air balloon is provided at its upper extremity with an opening defined by an annular border, and means for sealingly securing this annular border to the peripheral wall of the carrier balloon (1), such that said carrier balloon extends partially into the interior of the envelope of the hot air balloon (3).

Abstract: An airship having improved controllability which comprises: an axial fluid pathway penetrating through a body of the airship in an axial direction, at least one radial fluid pathway crossing the axial fluid pathway and penetrating through the body in a radial direction, the axial fluid pathway and the radial fluid pathway forming a ventilating-thrusting tube having a rigid framework construction, propulsion means, thrust generating direction of which is adjustable, arranged in a crossing region of the axial fluid pathway and the radial fluid pathway, and a lift balloon arranged beside the ventilating-thrusting tube in such a manner that a gap is formed between the ventilating-thrusting tube and the lift balloon to allow air to flow through. This arrangement lowers a tendency of yawing due to a transverse wind. The airship has a semi-rigid and semi-flexible construction capable of making up for drawbacks of both rigid type and flexible type.

Abstract: A spacecraft having a plurality of concentric balloons (1a,1b), 1c) as protection means, wherein inside the innermost balloon (1c) is located a spacecraft (2) or living facility for human being, together with adequate gaseous material favorable for such equipment or human activity. The outer balloons having progressively lower gas pressures. The multiple balloon system has improved degree of protection against cosmic vacuum environment, improved degree of prevention of escaping of material, with less pressure difference across each balloon membrane and more mechanical strength as compared with a single balloon system. Strings (3a,3b) or similar support members are placed in each inter-balloon space so as to prevent touching or cling of the balloons.

Abstract: A lighter-than-air craft [10] having an outer envelope [11] divided into an inner envelope [25] and a plurality of compartments [40,41,42]. The compartments are filled with lifting gases such as helium and hydrogen and the overall lifting force of the craft is regulated by supplying hot air to the inner envelope.

Abstract: The invention concerns a steered aerostatic balloon and in particular the creation of balloons of large volumes, which are free (airships, space balloons) or captive (material loading or unloading balloons). This balloon has an outer envelope (1) containing air, an interpolar connector (11) connecting the lower pole (2) and the upper pole (3) of this envelope, a grid of longitudinal reinforcements (8) connected to the poles (2) and (3), a grid of circumferential reinforcements (8) connected to the poles (2) and (3), a grid of circumferential reinforcements (7), at least one inside envelope (12) within the first envelope and containing helium, this latter envelope during inflation coming to rest against the outer envelope and being provided with poles fixed on the interpolar connector (11), and lastly air intake means and air evacuation means to and from the outer envelope.

Abstract: A lighter-than-air saucer or disc-shaped non-rigid airship is disclosed. A saucer-shaped flexible envelope is provided within which an annular pressurized tube is positioned so as to maintain the flexible envelope in a saucer shape when inflated. Walls within the envelope from a central chamber and a plurality of outer chambers symmetrically disposed around the central chamber. Typically a load such as a gondola is suspended beneath the central chamber. To maintain level horizontal flight stability, differential forces are developed by preferably providing the central chamber with heated air and the outer chambers with a lighter-than-air gas such as helium providing greater lift than the central chamber. Propulsion units are preferably arranged at opposite peripheral side edges of the envelope and maneuvering of the saucer-shaped airship is accomplished by rotating the airship.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dirigible, especially a non-rigid dirigible, wherein the body of the dirigible has at its bow section and at its stern section cells pressurized under a higher pressure than the maximum dynamic pressure produced at the bow under flight conditions, whereby the body of said dirigible in the region of the pressure transition circular lines is subdivided by partitions forming said cells, which partitions are adapted to receive pressure without any substantial deformation.

Abstract: A variable density aircraft is formed of at least one variable volume container such as a balloon, gas cell, or collapsible hinged panel hull which is supplied with a gas for container expansion and comtraction by an aircraft carried reversible, fluid expansion/contraction system. The variation of the volume of such containment device without a commensurate variation of mass results in a densemetric variation in the aircraft.

Abstract: The invention is new construction of a dirigible for use in transporting natural gas. The aircraft has a rigid outer shell forming an elongated body. The aircraft has a plurality of collapsible chambers for holding cargo gas serially disposed along the longitudinal axis of the rigid outer shell. The collapsible chambers are inter-connected by a common manifold disposed within the rigid outer shell that penetrates the outer shell for the purpose of loading and unloading the cargo gas.

Abstract: An aircraft capable of flying at very low velocities utilizing a wing envelope of an aerodynamic configuration having cells filled with a lighter-than-air gas. In one embodiment the buoyancy of the wing is slightly less than the total weight of the aircraft wherein forward movement is required to provide lift. In another embodiment the buoyancy is greater than the aircraft weight wherein forward motion is required to produce universal control without the release of gas or ballast. The wing envelope is formed of a plurality of trussed members radially extending from an axis producing a plurality of cells covered by a lightweight high strength skin material, the aircraft being characterized by high strength, economy and efficiency of construction and efficiency of lift at low speeds.

Abstract: A thermodynamic kite comprising a non-rigid inflatable body member, a partially rigid helium storage envelope, and a rigid housing. The rigid housing being attached to the underside of the body member contains equipment for maintaining the kite at a preselected altitude as well as safety devices. Attached to the surface of the body member are an interconnected series of inflatable tubes which provide controlled rigidity to the inflatable body member. A radome containing a radar antenna is attached to the body member.