Ten Commandments of Proper Airship Design

COMMANDMENT #1:   Thou Shalt NOT build airships out of FABRICS!

      The definition of an "airship", is; "a motorized, steerable balloon". 
     And therein lies the single most awkward hurdle to proper airship design; ie:  virtually every airship for the last 150 years has been little more than an elongated balloon; or, in the case of zeppelins, a series of balloons. 
      These glorified balloons are invariably constructed of fabrics or modern laminate materials.
      In the case of fabrics; they are all woven, and all leak helium to a very large extent and so must be coated with some type of sealant to hold in lifting gasses.   In the case of modern laminates; while not having the porosity of fabrics, the high-tech nature of the plastics and other materials making up the laminates means that they are very costly.
     Almost all designs heretofore have envelopes that are meant to not only hold in lifting gasses; but are also expected to provide structural strength enough to hang gondolas and engines from, and to provide some measure of weather proofing.   It is to much to ask, that an airships' outer hull necessarily have to (1) hold helium, (2) keep the airship weather proof, and (3) be strong enough to support the weights of gondolas, fins, tails, engines, etc.; and, still be economical to use.  It is virtually impossible, as 150 years of relative failure has proven time and time again.  It is wrong.