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by TylerE 2725 days ago
No. The payload fraction is just too poor. For instance, the Hindenburg, which was the largest, most advanced Zeppelin ever built, had a payload capacity of only 21,000lbs. That's using hydrogen, which, is, obviously not real safe. If it had used helium instead, it would have had a payload capacity of -34,000lbs.

For comparison, a single 40' standard container has a maximum load of 57,000lbs, and a large cargo ship can carry thousands of those.
2 comments
FlyMoreRockets 2724 days ago
What was the mass of the Hindenburg without the lift gas? Doubtless modern composites could significantly reduce that mass, which could go directly into increased payload.

Alternatively, an airship of the same mass of the Hindenburg could be made significantly larger, and since payload scales with the lifting gas volume, payload would also increase.

Oh, and throw the Hindenburg's aluminum piano over the side.

I note with interest that you say the Hindenburg would have had a greater payload with Helium rather than Hydrogen. Why do you say that?

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TylerE 2724 days ago
> I note with interest that you say the Hindenburg would have had a greater payload with Helium rather than Hydrogen. Why do you say that?

I did not say that. Note the negative.

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FlyMoreRockets 2724 days ago
I saw the dash, but didn't understand it. If the payload with hydrogen is 21,000lbs and it is -34,000 pounds with helium, then it seems like it wouldn't even get off the ground. But clearly, it did get off the ground with passengers using helium, it was designed to fly with helium.
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TylerE 2724 days ago
No it wasn't. The German Zeppelin's always run hydrogen. At the time the US had the only real supply of helium and they wouldn't sell to Germany.
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FlyMoreRockets 2724 days ago
Okay, I stand corrected about it flying on helium, thank you for correcting me, +1. However, the Hindenburg was designed to fly using helium as the lift gas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindenburg-class_airship#Lift_...

The article goes on to say the difference in lift between hydrogen and helium is only 8%.

Edit: drop the apostrophe on zeppelins

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TylerE 2724 days ago
8% of 500,000lbs is....
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btrettel 2725 days ago
Thanks for posting. These are interesting figures that show airships are not as good as I suspected.
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