Solar Powered flight; investment from CHINA, SINGAPORE, INDIA, DUBAI

(Valencia, Spain )
Turtle Airships company will change the world aviation industry with 200mph solar powered airships.

Constructed with rigid shelled hulls of aluminum and carbon fiber, the airships look like giant turtles. These 'turtle' airships are not blimps or zeppelins. The airships are being designed in Spain and the U.S., with construction and first flight testing to be done in Singapore this year.
Turtle Airships will make a demonstration around-the-world flight of a solar powered airship in 2009.

The airships' hulls are covered with solar cells which power the airships during daylight hours. For flying at night or cloudy weather, the airships use bio-diesel fueled jet engines as a back-up system. The airships cruise at speeds which are comparable to some airplanes.

The airships take off and land straight up and down like a helicopter and are amphibious. They land directly onto the water and take on water ballast for stability like a boat. The airships can land in harbors, rivers, mountain lakes, or the middle of the ocean. The airships will also land on any empty field or at airports, and use built in systems to anchor to the surface without ground crew assistance. Turtle airships do not need huge hangars and can fly in any weather.

'Almost everyone immediately thinks of blimps or the Hindenburg' says company president, Darrell Campbell. 'The Turtle airship is far more advanced in technology and capabilities'.

Although there are less than fifty blimps or zeppelins in the world now, Turtle Airships expects to field hundreds of its' solar powered airships. Turtle Airships plans to invest over $200 Million in airship manufacturing plants and airship operations by 2012; with an expected public offering to raise over $3 Billion scheduled for 2015.


Investment and/or Private Placement offered throughout south Asia: China, Singapore, India, Dubai..........contact Turtle Airships directly turtleairships@hotmail.com


To reach these goals the company will work with local and national Economic Development agencies throughout the world to train workers and develop solar powered airship programs Turtle Airships will also enter into joint ventures and is seeking venture capital and private investments which are directed toward alternative fuels and solar energy.

The company will concentrate on building airships meant for the travel market.


What will it be like to fly in a giant Turtle Airship?
Airship passengers will enjoy private staterooms with showers Large picture windows that can be opened for fresh air during flight. Meals prepared in on-board kitchens and served in fine dining salons. Dance floors Libraries, Internet connections. Airships flight is silent. There is no "turbulence", or banking as on an airplane. Airship flight is so smooth that the FAA does not require seatbelts. Passengers can walk throughout the airship while in flight, including take-off and landings. Airships fly at very low altitudes above the surface; allowing passengers the opportunity for the most spectacular aerial sightseeing! And, in many instances, airships will are able to stop in mid-air and silently float above scenic attactions below such as wildlife, whales, volcanos, icebergs, city lights, etc.

Opportunity for Lifetime Half Price flights on Turtle Airships!

http://www.lulu.com/content/7157175

A secondary emphasis is being given to military applications. The company had been originally considered for a U.S. Department of Defense airship program called 'WALRUS', which was to create giant airships for military transport. Turtle Airships is designing airships for security surveillance and interdiction of pirates in the waters off of Somalia, Indonesia, and Nigeria.

Turtle Airships will also use 'flying hospitals' to deliver worldwide humanitarian aid. Carrying doctors, foods, emergency equipment and other supplies, airships can avoid delays and complex delivery systems by flying to disaster areas and landing directly where help is needed. The airships will be made available to the United Nations, International Red Cross, Red Crescent, and other aid organizations.

'Turtle Airships is the only company in the world that is focused on creating a new aviation industry based on solar powered flight' says Campbell, 'We can save over $100 Billion each year on fuel costs alone, another several hundred billion dollars in airport construction, and eliminate a major source of carbon emissions. Airships are a Trillion dollar industry, still in its' infancy, that will grow for decades.'

Darrell Campbell is the designer of the 'turtle' airship, and president of the twenty-seven year old company. For additional information, and direct email address, visit the company Web page at:

http://www.turtleairships.com/

Q: What types of solar panels and amount of power would be needed?
A: The amount of power needed will of course vary with the size of the airships and the amount of propulsion desired. The solar power is meant to supply the needs of the ships at slow speeds of approximately 50mph. Higher speeds are derived from use of the biodiesel fueled jet engines.The type of solar cells are a key technology that enables the creation of this type of aircraft; because they are lightweight, the solar cells used are commonly known as Thin Film Photovoltaics. They are deposited, or printed, directly upon the surface of the rigid panels that make up a Turtle airship hull.

Q: At what stage is the prototype? What might happen in Singapore with initial flight?
A: Turtle Airships is a start-up company. We have initiated the first efforts to create the tooling that will be used to manufacture the rigid aluminum and carbon fiber panels that make up the Turtle airships' hull. This is the extent of our progress at this time. We expect that the immediate reaction of our first flight will be a long awaited acceptance of the viability of lighter-than-air flight that has been missing for decades. A true, proven solar powered flight will bring unparalleled benefits and change to air transport. The work to be accomplished in Singapore reflects our interest in developing airships for use in Indonesia and other southeast asian countries, and our further commitment to bringing Turtle Airships to China and India.

Q: Raising $3 billion sounds like a huge amount. What financiers and economic development agencies are expressing interest so far?
A: Since financing remains unsettled, we cannot discuss it in particular; only give vague ideas. At the moment, most of the money interest is coming from agencies interested in using airships for humanitarian work. We recognize that a $3 Billion IPO is very ambitious; nevertheless, we anticipate that it will be a goal within reason, given that Turtle Airships will be marketing and selling airships that will be priced in the ranges that current airliners command. One indicator of the eventual valuation that Turtle Airships can reach is the formerly expected amount of money proposed to create an airship program for the U.S. military; that was expected to reach several billion dollars.

Q: What would it look like inside?
A: While Turtle Airships chooses to first concentrate on smaller airships that will be employed as 'flying workhorses'; that is, as craft that can carry smaller payloads of people and cargo on relatively short flights..........we do plan on fielding 'flying cruise ships'. These large airships will feature private staterooms with showers, dance floors, dining salons, health spas, libraries, etc. just as on a marine cruise ship. Alas, there will be no swimming pools!

Q: How would they fly safely in any weather?
A: Turtle airships use multiple engines, all of which can direct thrust to any direction. Sensors placed throughout the airship measure forces brought about by varying air currents many times each second; and computers then determine where to apply compensating thrust in order to maintain stability during flight. Of course, the Turtle airships' hull is strong enough to allow it to withstand poor weather conditions. First rule of airship flight....simply avoid bad weather. Airships can do so because they do not have to fly in a straight line from point A to point B in order to conserve fuel, as do airplanes.

Q: What has been happening with this for the past 27 years? What happened with the WALRUS program?
A: Turtle Airships has presented business plans to hundreds of potential partners and investors over the course of two decades. Very limited funds have been available to do this to an extent great enough to capture the attention of a wide audience. Heretofore, none have held enough interest, or had enough vision, to pursue the opportunity, and Turtle Airships was unable to get beyond a concept. Only the most recent hikes in oil prices, and concerns about Global Warming, have caused airships to be considered as potential investments worth investigation. 'WALRUS' was an initial foray into an airship program by the U.S. Department of Defense; which was intended to result in airships to be used in military transport roles. Although Turtle Airships had been considered by the Pentagon as a potential prime contractor for this program, initial grant monies went to comptitor companies with more history and resources. The technologies and designs considered were not then capable of meeting the desired aircraft specifications; and funding for the WALRUS program was cancelled. Instead, the Pentagon has focused on so called 'high altutude airships' and tethered aerostat systems.

Q: Why would the turtles succeed where other airships have failed in recent decades?
A: All prior airship operations have been hampered by the historic problems associated with this type of aircraft. They have been slow; fragile, needed huge hangars, and large ground crews and special mooring facilities. These have all combined to make flying airships a very poor business. The 'turtle' design eliminates these past difficulties. Some recent airship programs have tried to reach for the most advanced, largest airship development projects; these are a poor business model and have led to many failed airship companies. Turtle Airships will focus on creating smaller airships meant to do simple tasks; building them in large numbers rather than huge sizes immediately. This is a proper business model; generating revenues before moving on to more ambitous goals.

Q: How and why did you and others involved in the company get involved? Where has early funding come from?
A: Darrell Campbell designed the 'turtle' airship in 1980; as an expression of a personal desire to build a 'flying recreational vehicle' for himself and his family. That grew into an idea for a business. Partner Andrew Trefethen joined Turtle Airships after reading Darrells' book 'Helium Phoenix' and catching the vision of what Turtle can become. Other persons have become involved as they have decided to create a new air transport system that uses solar power; to change the world. Some have great desire to use airships for humanitarian work. Initial funding was made through the personal resources of the partners.

Q: How big are the airships and how many passengers can be carried?
A: The historic precedent for number of persons carried on a giant airship in the 1930's was 207. Using carbon fiber allows us to build airships that are stronger, but almost half as heavy as those early airships. Turtle Airships aims at fielding ships that will carry over 400 passengers. However, we see the greatest market for Turtle Airships to be airship sizes that are comparable to flying busses, or flying trucks; these would be approximately the length of a common blimp, but would be much wider, as though three blimps were joined together. These airships could serve as a new form of business aircraft. The smaller size also allows for more rapid mass production of airships; which is the Turtle Airships goal.

Q: Does Turtle Airships have any positions available? What types of people are needed?
A: No positions are currently available. Turtle Airships will operate an airship academy to train people for the company and to enter the airship industry as a whole; we will train personnel from other airship operators, or for businesses or agencies that purchase or lease airships from Turtle Airships. The training will involve everything from the history of airships, to design, to hands-on experience in building airships, and flight training. Our goal is to work with an established international organization of colleges to select students and recent graduates from around the world.

Q: How will the airships be used for humanitarian aid?
A: A related, sister, non-profit organization named TurtleDove Airships will operate airships configured as 'flying hospitals'. These will deliver doctors, medicines, food, water systems, and other emergency aid equipment to disaster victims around the world. Using airships for this purpose is more versatile and cost effective than other forms of transport. The airships will be made available to the United Nations, International Red Cross, Red Crescent. and other non-profit aid organizations.

Q: What can you reveal about Turtle Airships' goals?
A: Turtle Airships expects to be the world leader in the airship industry; with a design that will become the standard for other airship companies to follow. However, our goal lies far beyond merely building and operating airships. Ultimately, Turtle Airships wants to work with national and local economic development agencies and communities to create a global industry; to bring affordable, efficient, and versatile air transport to developing nations

Worldwide aerial touring on SOLAR POWERED modern airships

What will it be like to fly in a giant Turtle Airship?

Airship passengers will enjoy private staterooms with showers
Large picture windows that can be opened for fresh air during flight. Meals prepared in on-board kitchens and served in fine dining salons. Dance floors Libraries, Internet connections.

Airships flight is silent. There is no "turbulence", or banking as on an airplane. Airship flight is so smooth that the FAA does not require seatbelts. Passengers can walk throughout the airship while in flight, including take-off and landings.

Airships fly at very low altitudes above the surface; allowing passengers the opportunity for the most spectacular aerial sightseeing! And, in many instances, airships will are able to stop in mid-air and silently float above scenic attactions below such as wildlife, whales, volcanos, icebergs, city lights, etc.

Solar Powered "FLYING CRUISE SHIPS"

Large rigid airships will become a new form of travel; aerial cruising.

The great zeppelins of the past were able to carry more than 200 passengers and to travel across the globe. Passengers enjoyed unparalleled sightseeing; and living on board the airships was much like being on a marine cruise ship.

However, that was then.

Now, modern high-tech materials, coupled with computer alalysis and design will result in large airships that are much more capable than the great airships of the 1930's. These new airships will be much faster, with speeds that are comparable to some airplanes. New shapes and materials allows the airships to fly in all weather conditions;and computer controled flight gives passengers unequaled safety and comfort.

The "turtle" airship in particular, is ideally suited for aerial touring. Because it is amphibious, passengers can board at a pier just as they do for marine cruise ships. The use of solar power gives the Turtle Airship unlimited range; and offers a way to reduce carbon emissions which may contribute to Global Warming.

Turtle Airships will eventually be offering free airship rides to a select few thousand persons, as the company grows and gains airworthiness certifications from the FAA.

Our purpose in offering free rides will be as like any other business........we'll be looking forward to hearing excited and pleased passengers; and hope that they will share their experience with their friends. Persons interested in Turtle Airships' progress towards these goals are welcome to communicate by email at all times.

turtleairships@hotmail.com

NEW WAY TO FLY ( Solar Blimp news)

Imagine flying to Paris on board a giant airship; with a private stateroom and shower Sleeping in a queen sized bed, with a huge picture window that looks out onto the ocean and countryside just a few hundred feet below. You can open the windows for fresh air...or even talk to people on the ground
Imagine dining in a fine restaurant in perfect comfort; no more balancing airplane food on your knees. Then, going dancing Your airship becomes your air transportation, your hotel, and your tour bus; all rolled up into one package

Imagine your airship stopping in mid air, and floating silently above some fabulous scenic view below; whales in the ocean, or the mouth of a volcano, or the ruins of some ancient civilization!It's all coming
Learn more about Turtle Airships

The latest news: a small 72' blimp will become the first Solar Powered airship to cross the English Channel from France. This is good news..........but, it is a "blimp". As all blimps, it is slow and fragile and cannot perform real work.

Turtle Airships has been focused on creating viable solar powered flight for years; and the "turtle" airship design is extremely more capable than any blimp. The Turtle Airship can be scaled upwards to carry several hundred passengers or several hundred tons of cargo.

http://www.solarflight.blogspot.com

200 mph Solar Powered Blimp??!!

Design of "turtle" airship:

(1) The hull or envelope is a lightweight shell of rigid material instead of fabric or plastic.

(2) The shape of the hull is a flattened helipsoid rather than the traditional "cigar" shape.

(3) Engines and accommodations are placed within the hull instead of in the traditional gondola configuration.

(4) Horizontal planes or elevator controls are placed at both the bow and stern of the airship

(5) Thrust is directed through portions of the airship hull itself

........airplanes are a mature technology, and only small increments in generally applicable capabilities are possible. Because of their dependence upon runways, airplanes can only serve in limited markets; while at the same time, the costs associated with airplanes continues to rise; in fuel, maintenance, and the enormous costs of runway expansions or airport construction. However, the worldwide demand for air transport is expected to double within twenty years. Clearly, an alternative or additional air transport system is needed.

These three true facts about airplanes prompted the creation of the turtle airship:

Airplanes are complex, expensive, and dangerous.
Airships are simple, inexpensive, and safe.

Additionally, airships are able to lift larger payloads than airplanes; are able to carry larger objects than airplanes, use less fuel, can remain in the air for long durations without refueling, can hover or takeoff/land vertically like helicopters, and can serve more markets than airplanes because airships do not need airport runways.
The question arises; why then, are there so few airships?
There are two primary reasons; the first being that airplanes have been successful for the past sixty years and have benefited from continual improvements in design and technology; whereas airships have been neglected since the explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937.
The second reason is simply that airships have not evolved in major ways from the designs of the early 20th Century; indeed, airship designs have retrogressed to some degree from the Zeppelins of the 1930's. Airships are still slow, cumbersome, and dependent upon unique ground handling facilities and operations.
The following improvements in airship design MUST be made in order to create airships that are truly workhorse aircraft and not simply novelties good for little more than aerial advertising and telecasting:
(1) Airships must be fast. Current average design speeds of approximately 75mph cruise are to slow, and actually lag behind the cruise speed of l930's Zeppelin technology.
(2) Airships must become "all weather" aircraft. The materials out of which airships are made must be able to withstand the same types of weather exposures and wear as airplanes.
(3) Airships cannot continue to require large hangers for storage. The costs of huge hangers can actually exceed the cost of the airships themselves.
(4) Airships must become totally independent of special mooring masts and other unique, limited ground handling facilities. Airships should be able to land or take off as readily as airplanes or helicopters.
(5) Airships must be more easily maneuverable. Ways must be found to eliminate the large ground crews that have traditionally been needed to assist airships in take off or landings.
(6) Airships have to be easier to load/unload cargo from, or for passengers to board.
(7) Airships need improvement in flight characteristics; specifically, the "porpoising" of airships in flight should be reduced or eliminated; and, altitude changes made easier to achieve without effecting buoyancy.
(8) Airship construction needs to be made easier, faster, and less expensive. Ways must be found to reduce the amount of labor involved in airship construction.
(9) Airship lifespan must be increased. True economic benefits can be realized simply by replacing current envelope technologies with more durable materials.

EACH OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS ON AIRSHIP DESIGN ARE REPRESENTED BY THE TURTLE AIRSHIP.

The creation of an airship is not an aerodynamic challenge; it is a structural one; put enough lifting gas into any gas tight container and it will lift itself and a payload; that is, it will fly. How well the airship will perform in the air is dependant upon any number of design features; all of which can be constantly improved upon or changed.
However, the single most important consideration when designing an airship is not it's lifting capacity, nor it's flight characteristics. It is the airships' ground handling.
This is the first premise of the "turtle" airship design.
For over a century; virtually every airship ever built has used the same ground handling; ie: airships have docked at special mooring masts, and, because of their limitations on maneuverability when doing so, have required large ground crews. The limitations of this system are blatantly apparent; the airship can only land/take off from a specially prepared facility, and must have people readily available at this same location. No transport system can be economically viable under such constraints.In addition, all airships have contact with the earth in extremely small points; typically, a ball and socket contact with the airships' mooring mast, with a single wheel at the bottom of the airships' gondola, and mooring lines. While mooring masts were conceived as a way of allowing airships to be able to pivot, or move with winds when docked; it has proven over and over to be hazardous; airships are damaged or destroyed when winds exceed the design of their docking facilities.

Problem or challenge: Eliminate special mooring of airship.

Solution: Flatten the bottom of airship.
A flat bottom allows the airship to set down solidly; and/or it permits the airship to have more contact points for additional tie downs, landing gear, etc.The immediate reaction to the solution presented is that it reduces gas volume; and therefore lifting capacity. However, it is more important to be able to control an airship on the ground. Volume can be increased readily; the airship has to have a large "footprint" to make ground contact secure.
The new flat bottom of the airship allows it to land outside of the location of the traditional mooring mast. However, it is still dependent upon ground crew assistance for landing or take off. Because of their great size and lightweight nature; airships are very susceptible to winds during take off or landing; and must therefore steer into the wind to reduce any cross winds during these operations. Additionally, when landing; airships typically have less steering ability because the amount of air passing over the rudders and/or elevators at the stern of the ship is less. These factors limit the airship when it must dock at a mooring mast; and require assistance from ground crews to pull the airship into place.
Problem or challenge: Eliminate ground crew for landing/take off.

Solution: First, enable the airship to use directed thrust to maneuver instead of relying upon manpower to pull it into place or inadequate rudder/elevator controls.Second, design the airship to take on ballast immediately upon touch down in order to keep it in ground contact.
The "turtle" airship has been designed as an amphibious craft. Its' primary landing surface is water. Immediately upon contact with the water, the airship takes on water as ballast to make it heavy and stable. This landing procedure eliminates the ground crew. It allows the airship to land with the wind, into the wind, or with cross winds; because the landing area has been increased to include a much larger area than a restrictive mooring mast. (it also permits the airship to land virtually anywhere, since 7/10ths of the Earths' surface is water)Upon landing and taking on water ballast, the turtle airship approaches, and is docked to, a pier just as a marine vessel would be.
Terra Firma: Landing on the ground is accomplished as follows: The turtle airship carries an on board mooring system The bottom of a turtle airship hull features a large number of anchoring points to secure mooring lines to in addition to the above mentioned systems.
In order to land and to maintain ground contact while anchoring systems are employed, it is needful to force the airship down. This is accomplished by means of directed thrust. In the past; airships have been designed to turn propellers to direct thrust. This involves too much force and complexity to overcome the gyroscopic same-plane force of the spinning propeller; and involves special gearing, etc. A far more simple solution is used in a turtle airship. Thrust can be directed straight up through portions of the hull itself through plenums; and by deflection of thrust with the bow and stern planes.
By directing thrust in this manner, the turtle airship is far more maneuverable than all past airship designs; the turtle airship can spin on its' own axis or move directly from side to side. Using a combination of sensors, and GPS receivers located throughout the body of the airship, the turtle airship can maintain an exact position while hovering. This ability completely eliminates all need for any assistance from ground crew or ground facilities.

Problem: Current airships (blimps) cannot use directed thrust to any real advantage straight up or down because the engines are placed under the center portion of the hull or envelope; this placement is used to keep the center of weight directly under the center of lift. Likewise, accommodations are kept in gondolas that occupy this same position.

Solution: To be able to fully operate by using directed thrust straight up or down, the engines should be placed towards the perimeter or circumference of the airship.
On a turtle airship, the engines are placed towards the outside of the hull, in such a manner that the thrust can be directed straight up or down without the body of the airship in the way.

Problem: on a typical blimp type airship engines cannot be moved towards the outside of the hull because the catenary curtain or cables used to support these weights are attached to the top center of the airship's envelope..

Solution: Eliminate the catenary curtain or cables that airships now use, and replace this type of suspended support with a rigid keel and frame.
The turtle airship uses carbon fiber girders in a truss structure to support the engine weights. Doing so allows the engines to be placed anywhere on the hull. It also allows accommodations for crew or passengers to be placed away from the bottom center of the airship; towards the outside of the hull.

Problem: Placing engine, ballast, accommodations, etc at such distances puts huge bending forces on the keel structure.

Solution: Form the keel inside the airship in the same way as a suspension bridge is made, this allows weights to be placed far away from the center of the airship; weight moment is transferred by cable back to the center.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS INFORMATION IS TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF AIRSHIP PROGRAMS AROUND THE WORLD; ALL SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME; AND SUBJECT TO PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.

A 200 mph airship?? That's impossible. NO, it is not.
Think carefully.....attach a blimp to the space shuttle, and you have it. Ah, but the rocket's to strong and the blimp is to weak. That's true. Then, reduce the strength of the rocket, and build the airship stronger. Do it again, and again, and again; until they meet in the middle at some point that is actually, truly "do-able".

What you end up with is an airship constructed, not out of fabric like in the past, but out of materials that are very strong; carbon fiber will do nicely.
And the rocket?... It becomes not a rocket at all, but a jet engine.
And there you have it........a 200 mph, jet powered airship.
Now, because the airship is constructed out of carbon fiber, it is strong enough to carry enough solar cells to power it; slowly. About 60 mph.
Slow=Solar Power. Fast=jet engines.

We're working towards it. No one else is.

INDIA to build AIRSHIPS (Singapore) (Dubai)

Well..! Got a Google alert stating that India was going to build 32 airships. Fantastic news.

(Sigh) Not so. It was a typo; supposed to read "WArships"

Still, a few years back, India began an airship program, but it hasn't fielded anything yet. Of more importance actually is that they also were developing a helium plant. Now, that's good news.

In time, it is likely that the first truly modern airships (not blimps or dirigible types) will come from the southern reaches of Asia/Southeast Asia. A lot of interest lately from Singapore and Dubai.

Someone will eventually see the potential and want to build decent airships. Turtle Airships is waiting!

turtleairships@hotmail.com