RU2575529C2 - Airship - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: claimed airship comprises soft shell (2) with no stiff inner structure filled with the gas easier than air and the gondola (3). The airship comprises also three supports for landing on the surface and locating device (5) embracing said shell (2) from outer side to allow the connection of supports (6a, 6b, 6c) with gondola (3 and shell (2).

EFFECT: simplified design of the airship.

23 cl, 9 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to airships.

In particular, the object of the present invention is an airship designed to fly through the air and land on a solid surface or the surface of a reservoir, including:

a soft shell without any rigid mechanical structure, filled with gas lighter than air, elongated along the longitudinal axis from the front of the nose to the rear of the tail and including the upper and lower parts, and

a gondola attached to the bottom of the shell between the nose and tail.

State of the art

There are many examples of airships of such a "non-rigid" type, i.e. having a soft shell. FR-A-2628061 describes one example of this type of airship.

For an airship of this type, the attachment of the gondola to the soft shell is not strong enough to lift the gondola. This is because the gas inside the soft shell creates a lifting force distributed over the surface of the upper part of the shell. Thus, the gondola is suspended on this upper part of the sheath on cables that pass directly through the sheath.

In addition, airships of this type need a landing zone with a mooring mast, which serves to hold the airship near the earth's surface. Thus, with a change in the direction of the wind, such an airship, naturally, will turn around the mast like a weather vane, until its nose is directed exactly towards the wind. Such mooring masts are expensive structures, and they must be firmly fixed to the ground.

When landing such an airship, a large number of people are required to hold it near the mooring mast, moor to the mast, extending at least one cable from the airship to the top of the mast and to the earth's surface to pull the nose of the airship closer to the top of the mast, and rope around the airship to add ballast and make it easier to hold the airship near the surface of the earth.

Also known are airships of the "rigid" or "semi-rigid" design of the type described in the patents US 1949304, US 1350221, US 2131155 and US 2061075.

However, airships of this type are difficult to manufacture, have a large weight and, therefore, are expensive and inefficient.

Disclosure of invention

The purpose of the present invention is to improve the design of soft type airships, in particular to improve the connection between the nacelle and the soft shell, in order to avoid the need to use the above equipment and personnel in the landing area.

In order to achieve this goal, an airship design is proposed, characterized in that it additionally contains:

at least three horizontally spaced supports designed to mount the airship to the surface, and

a landing device located on the outer surface of the soft shell and linking together the aforementioned supports, the nacelle and the shell.

The specified landing device includes a reinforcing structure, at least partially surrounding the aforementioned shell and separating, therefore, its first and second sides; the shell includes a first surface on the first side and a second surface on the second side; the first and second shell surfaces are soft and are in contact with the incoming air flow during flight.

Using the above design, this airship can be stably fixed to the ground during landing, without the need for equipment such as a mooring mast and any personnel in the landing zone. This airship is, therefore, autonomous. It can land anywhere: on land, at sea or on a lake.

The airship has a light, easy-to-make landing device.

Its production and operation do not require large expenditures.

In various embodiments of the implementation of the airship in accordance with this invention, in addition, can be used one or more of the following devices:

a landing device further comprising:

a reinforcing structure partially surrounding the shell and mounted on the outer surface of the shell, supporting and holding the shell of the airship in the landing device, and

traverses connecting the nacelle with the above reinforcing structure;

reinforcing structure having a round, semicircular or curved shape (optional);

a reinforcing structure including at least one first part located above the horizontal median plane passing along the longitudinal axis and a second part located below the specified plane;

the first part, located next to the nose of the shell;

reinforcing structure made in the form of a single curved beam;

fasteners that apply force to the shell in order to maintain its shape, at least next to the reinforcing structure, to ensure good flow around the shell with air flow during flight;

reinforcing structure made of at least one of several materials, including aluminum, carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium, fiberglass, synthetics, polymeric materials, wood;

a landing device, further including racks attached to the reinforcing structure, extending downward from the first edge to the second edge; every second edge contains one of the above supports intended for landing of the airship on the surface;

the airship, in addition, contains a mooring cable connecting the front of the reinforcing structure with a fixed mooring point on the surface, which serves to hold the airship near the mooring point after landing is not the surface, and at least one of the racks made with an inclination forward relative to the reinforcing structure, in order to provide resistance to traction from the mooring cable;

the airship also contains a mooring cable connecting at least one point of the landing device with a fixed mooring point on the surface, which serves to hold the airship near the mooring point after landing on the surface;

the airship, in addition, includes a longitudinal bracket mounted almost horizontally from the nacelle to the nose of the airship, and a mooring cable connecting the far end of this bracket to a fixed mooring point on the surface, designed to hold the airship near the mooring point after landing.

Each support is equipped with at least one wheel mounted in such a way that the airship can land on a hard surface and move horizontally along it; supports are mounted vertically down under the nacelle;

the gondola contains a trough and a loading device designed to lift materials from the surface and lay in the trough as ballast;

each support is equipped with a float serving to ensure that the airship can land on a water surface;

a container and a pump are provided in the gondola to fill said container with water in order to provide ballast for the airship when flying in the mode of hovering above water or when landing on water;

in addition, the airship includes a certain number of rotary power plants, and at least one of the power plants is able to rotate relative to two sequentially (one after the other) mounted axes so that the specified power plant can be oriented in any direction;

each support is equipped with a container that is at least partially filled to provide ballast for the airship when flying in the mode of hovering above the surface or when landing on the surface;

at least one support is also equipped with a float;

rear support and gondola are equipped with floats;

both front supports located laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the sheath are connected by a cable in order to keep the capacities of the front supports in a vertical position;

the landing device also includes front struts connecting said front supports to the gondola;

when the airship is in flight, the front struts can fold almost parallel to the longitudinal axis, and can be released sideways when the airship is either preparing to land on the surface, or flies in hover mode.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other characteristic features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the following description of three possible embodiments, given here by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The above drawings contain:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the airship in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a side view of the airship shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of the airship shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side view similar to that shown in Figure 2, with a schematic illustration of the method of mooring the airship,

Figure 5 is a detailed image of the rear power plant of the airship shown in Figure 1,

6 is a perspective view of the airship in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention,

Fig.7 is a side view of the airship shown in Fig.6, with a schematic illustration of the method of mooring the airship,

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an airship in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, and

Fig.9 is a front view of the airship shown in Fig.8.

Identical or similar elements in the various drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The forward direction referred to in the present description, should be understood as the direction along the X axis shown in the drawings. The backward direction, respectively, should be understood as the opposite direction. Similarly, the aforementioned upper part corresponds to the Z axis direction shown in the drawings. These directions are provided only to simplify the reading and understanding of the description of the present invention.

The implementation of the invention

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the airship 1 includes:

soft shell 2 without any internal structure, filled with gas lighter than air,

nacelle 3, designed to accommodate and transport, for example, a pilot.

The shell 2 is elongated along the longitudinal axis AX from the nose 2a located in front of the airship to the tail 2b located in the rear of the airship. Tail 2b includes ailerons or tail units 2e, which ensure the stability of the airship in a straight horizontal flight. The soft shell 2 contains the upper and lower parts (2C and 2d, respectively, located above and below the horizontal plane passing along the longitudinal axis AX).

The tail unit 2e includes a rudder and a rudder, and the shell 2 contains balloons filled with gas to enable control of the airship.

The gondola 3 is attached to the lower part 2d of the shell between the nose 2A and the tail 2b of the airship.

In addition, the airship 1 includes at least three horizontally spaced supports 6a, 6b, 6c. These supports 6a, 6b, 6c are intended for landing of the airship 1 on the surface of the landing zone.

The airship 1 also contains a landing device 5 located outside the shell 2 and combining the supports (6a, 6b, 6c), the nacelle 3 and the shell 2, and partially surrounding the shell 2 in a plane intersecting the longitudinal axis AX.

According to a first embodiment of the airship 1 shown in FIGS. 1-5, the landing device 5 includes:

a reinforcing structure 7 of a rounded shape, starting from the nose 2A and partially surrounding the lower part 2d of the shell 2,

a first crosshead 4a extending between the nacelle 3 and the reinforcing structure 7 from the first side of the airship 1,

a second yoke 4b extending between the nacelle 3 and the reinforcing structure 7 from the second side of the airship 1, located opposite the first side,

a third crosshead 4c located at the rear between the nacelle 3 and the rear strut 8c and connecting the reinforcing structure 7 to the third support 6c, and

attached to the reinforcing structure of the strut 8a, 8b, 8c, extending down from the first end 8.1 to the second end 8.2; at each second end 8.2, one of the above supports 6a, 6b, 6c is installed for landing the airship on the surface.

In particular, the landing device 5 contains the following elements (indicated with positions):

the first and second front struts 8a, 8b located on the sides of the reinforcing structure 7 in its front part, in front of the nacelle 3, and

a third strut 8c located at the rear of the reinforcing structure 7, behind the nacelle 3.

In order to stiffen the structure, the landing device 5, in principle, can also include other traverses located between these elements.

Alternatively, the front struts 8a, 8b can be hinged so that they can be folded from the released (landing) position shown in the drawings to the flight position, in which they are located almost parallel to the longitudinal axis AX, while the supports 8a, 8b move closer to the shell of 2 airships.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the reinforcing structure 7 has an almost elliptical annular shape, but this reinforcing structure 7 located on the outer surface of the shell 2 can be made in the form of a closed curved loop, and can also have a round shape or a semicircular shape, like a beam, bent so that it partially covers the shell 2. The shape of this reinforcing structure 7 is similar to the shape of the "bow" covering the windsurfer's sail.

The reinforcing structure 7, for example, can be enclosed in a plane P (see FIG. 2), inclined downward relative to the longitudinal axis AX towards the tail of the airship. Thus, the reinforcing structure 7 partially covers the lower part 2d of the shell 2, and the struts 8a, 8b, 8c have a small length. The reinforcing structure 7 can, for example, be bent up towards the nose of the airship, when viewed from the side, similar to the image shown in Figure 2, to further reduce the length of the uprights 8a, 8b, 8c and increase their mechanical strength.

The reinforcing structure 7 can be made in the form of a single curved beam.

The reinforcing structure 7 and all elements of the landing device 5 should be light weight and have high mechanical strength. For example, these elements can be made of aluminum or carbon fiber. In particular, the annular reinforcing structure 7 can be carried out according to the same technology by which the mast of the boats are made. Another possible option is to use magnesium, wood, steel, as well as any combination of these materials.

The cross section of the reinforcing structure 7 or struts 8a, 8b, 8c can preferably be profiled in the direction of the longitudinal axis AX in order to reduce the aerodynamic drag of these components. The cross section does not have to be constant along the length of the structure.

The reinforcing structure 7 is attached to the shell 2 by means of fastening nodes 9 located at least at the front point 7a of the reinforcing structure near the nose of the airship and at the lateral point 7b located on the side closer to the rear of the reinforcing structure, for example, next to the nacelle 3, to provide support for the shell 2 of the airship 1.

The aforementioned fastening nodes 9, for example, can be made in the form of cables or tensile ropes, exerting a tensile force on a connecting element attached to the sheath 2 to ensure that the profile of the sheath 2 is maintained at least next to the reinforcing structure. The connecting element, for example, may include a support plate fixed to the surface of the sheath 2 to distribute the load, and a ring attached to the plate through which at least one of the above extension ropes is passed. As a support plate, a fabric disc with a radius greater than the diameter of the ring and the spokes provided therein can be used to provide rigidity.

When the airship moves forward during flight, significant aerodynamic forces are applied to its nose, directed back along the axis AX. These aerodynamic forces not only slow down the speed of the airship, but also deform the bow of the shell 2a. When a certain flight speed is reached, the nose of the airship “flattenes,” which further increases the aerodynamic forces and enhances the effect of this phenomenon. This problem, in particular, is especially acute for soft airships. Thus, due to the presence of the reinforcing structure 7 and the attachment points 9, the shell 2 is forced to maintain its shape near the reinforcing structure 7, in the direction along the longitudinal axis AX. This prevents the nose 2a of the shell 2 from flattening when the airship 1 moves forward during flight. Due to this, the passage of the soft shell 2 through the incoming air flow is maintained and maintained.

As a possible option, the attachment nodes 9 can be controlled from the gondola 3 of the airship. For example, the tensile load can be changed, increased or decreased, depending on the flight parameters, namely flight speed, flight altitude, climb, decrease, and turns. Thus, the shape and tension of the shell can be adjusted to simplify flight control.

Typically, airships are extremely sensitive to crosswind. With a crosswind, shell 2 is prone to deformation, and the airship begins to sway. The reinforcing structure 7 allows the shell 2 to remain in its original position, and the side front struts 8a, 8b provide the airship 1 with greater stability when exposed to crosswind.

Prior art airships when mooring to a mast in a mooring area rotate around a mast under the influence of wind. Sometimes the airship hits the mast or some object nearby; such cases are not uncommon and are sometimes fatal to an airship, especially a soft type airship. The reinforcing structure 7 of the airship 1 protects the soft shell 2 from contact, at least in the lateral and longitudinal directions of its front end.

The creation of an airship with a soft shell 2 means that the cost of its construction will be low, that it will have a small weight, and that the landing device 5 will be able to stabilize and protect such an airship.

The airship 1, in addition, contains a mooring cable 10 connecting the bow 7a of the reinforcing structure 7 with a fixed mooring point 11 on the surface, used to hold the airship 1 near the mooring point 11 after landing on the surface.

In the above position, a tensile force T is applied from the mooring cable 10 to the nose of the airship 1, as shown in FIG. 4.

The front struts 8a, 8b are inclined forward from the reinforcing structure 7 in order to counter this tensile force and keep the airship 1 in a stable position.

As a possible option, the mooring cable 10 may connect the nacelle 3 or any element of the landing device 5 with the mooring point 11; in this case, he will still exert a forward tensile force on the airship, especially in the headwind.

Airship 1 also contains:

the first and second power plants 15a, 15b, mounted laterally on both sides of the nacelle 3, pivotally mounted and capable of rotating about a transverse axis AT perpendicular to the longitudinal axis AX, and

the third power plant 15c, located at the rear of the airship, for example, on the rear pillar 8c, and capable of turning relative to two control axes AC1, AC2 sequentially and perpendicular to each other in such a way that the third power plant can create traction in almost any direction (see Fig. 5). This third power plant 15c, for example, can be rotated relative to the automated rack 16 of any other similar device.

These power plants are equipped with rotating propellers driven by one or more engines.

The first and second power plants 15a, 15b are designed to create thrust to propel the airship forward in cruise flight. When they rotate relative to the transverse axis AT, the thrust created by them helps to either take off or land.

The third power plant 15c, located near the tail of the airship, is itself capable, depending on the orientation of the two aforementioned axes, to ensure that the airship rotates around the vertical axis, like a helicopter, or to compensate for the longitudinal pitch moment in order to stabilize the airship during flight in hover mode.

These power plants 15a, 15b, 15c provide ease of control of the airship, in particular, when flying in hover mode, as well as on takeoff and landing.

The airship proposed by the present invention may land:

on the water surface (for example, at sea or on a lake)

or on a hard surface, such as an airfield or field.

In the previous example, for the airship 1, intended for landing and the surface of the water, all supports 6a, 6b, 6c are equipped with floats 12a, 12b, 12c. For example, at the end of the mooring cable 10 there is an anchor, and at some specific length there is a marker buoy.

When the airship 1 is landing on water, the pilot releases the mooring cable 10 so that the anchor is immersed in water and the buoy remains on the surface of the water; this place is considered mooring point 11, and the pilot lands, touching the surface of the water with floats 12, in close proximity to it, and then backs up. Under the influence of wind on the shell 2, the airship will naturally shift away from the indicated marker buoy, the mooring cable 10 between the bow 7a and the buoy will stretch, and the airship 1 will occupy a position in which its longitudinal axis AX will be parallel to the direction of the wind; the nose of the airship will be directed towards the wind. When the wind direction changes, the airship will shift by a certain angle relative to the buoy.

Alternatively, the mooring cable 10 may be equipped with an anchor device used to attach to a buoy already installed earlier on the surface of the water. After landing on the surface of the water, the pilot moves the airship 1 closer to the buoy, fixes the anchor device on the buoy and touches all floats with the surface of the water near it. The rest of the maneuver is similar. As an anchor device, a ring can be used that can be put on the buoy and which can be tightened when the airship 1 moves away from the buoy and the tensile force of the mooring cable 10 increases.

In addition, the nacelle 3 may further include a container 3a and a pump. After landing on water, the pilot turns on the pump to fill the capacity of the gondola 3. Thus, the airship 1 is autonomously loaded with ballast, and its stability is increased.

In the previous example, the airship 1, intended for landing and a solid surface, all supports 6a, 6b, 6c are equipped with wheels. These wheels, in principle, can rotate about a vertical axis. Thus, the gondola 3 is at a predetermined height relative to the surface of the earth. At the end of the mooring cable, for example, a hook or a gripping device may be provided.

When landing the airship 1, the pilot releases the mooring cable 10 so that the gripping device is attached to the mooring point 11 on the ground; the pilot lands on the above wheels near this point 11, and then backs up. Under the influence of wind on the shell 2, the airship naturally moves away from the indicated mooring point, the mooring cable 10 between the bow 7a and the mooring point 11 is stretched, and the airship 1 will take a position in which its longitudinal axis AX will be parallel to the direction of the wind; the nose of the airship will be directed towards the wind. When the wind direction changes, the airship will shift by a certain angle relative to the mooring point 11.

In addition, the nacelle 3 may further include a container 3a, or a trough, and a loading device for lifting material from the surface of the earth and loading it into the trough 3a. After landing on a hard surface, the pilot turns on the aforementioned loading device to fill the trough 3a of the nacelle 3 with water. Thus, the airship 1 is autonomously loaded with ballast and its stability is increased.

As this loading device, for example, a small bucket excavator equipped with a bucket, a gripping device or a screw conveyor can be used to drill holes in the ground under the nacelle 3 and load the extracted material.

Depending on the nature of the rock, the material recovered may be soil, sand or gravel. The loading device may be modified or selected in accordance with the nature of the material on the surface of the earth.

The two aforementioned support devices may be combined. Each support 6a, 6b, 6c of the airship 1 can be equipped with a float and a wheel protruding under the specified float. These supports can also be equipped with any other devices used for landing on the surface.

The gondola 3 of the airship may contain several devices for its weighting, in particular a pump for filling the tank with water and a loading device. The airship described above can land autonomously on the surface of the sea or on the earth’s surface, in the absence of any special devices such as a mooring mast and without the presence of personnel in the landing zone.

Weighting devices can be used not only during landing. In fact, during long flights, the weight of the nacelle decreases as fuel is consumed by power plants. Therefore, the airship 1 may decrease from time to time and fly in hover mode for a short period of time to compensate for the weight loss. For example, equipping an airship with a tank and a pump allows it to fly across the sea.

In accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention, presented in Fig.6 and 7, the landing device 5 includes:

a reinforcing structure 7 in the form of an arc extending from the first front support 6a up to the extreme upper section 7f above the shell 2, and then again down to the second front support 6b;

a first yoke 4a connecting the nacelle 3 to the first front support 6a;

a second yoke 4b connecting the nacelle 3 to the second front support 6b, and

a third beam 4 s connecting the nacelle 3 to a third support 6 c located at the rear of the airship.

The reinforcing structure 7 is connected to the shell 2 using at least one attachment point. Figure 6 shows such a mount 9, connecting the extreme upper section 7f of the reinforcing structure 7 with the shell 2, and another mount 9, located in the middle of the airship on the side surface of the shell 2.

The aforementioned attachment nodes provide coverage of the shell 2 by the landing device 5 and a rigid connection of the shell to this landing device.

In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, when the airship 1 is landing on the surface, the mooring cable 10 is pulled forward by connecting the nacelle 3 or one of the traverses 4a, 4b with the mooring point 11. The mooring cable 10 in this position, as in the previous example, again creates a forward tensile force T.

According to a third embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the landing device 5 includes:

a reinforcing structure 7 of a rounded shape, starting from the nose 2A and partially surrounding the lower part 2d of the shell 2,

a first crosshead 4a extending between the nacelle 3 and the reinforcing structure 7 from the first side of the airship 1,

a second yoke 4b extending between the nacelle 3 and the reinforcing structure 7 from the second side of the airship 1, located opposite the first side,

a third crosshead 4c located at the rear between the nacelle 3 and the rear strut 8c and connecting the reinforcing structure 7 to the third support 6c, and

attached to the reinforcing structure 7, the rear rack 8C, extending down from the first end 8.1 to the second end 8.2; at the second end 8.2, one of the above supports 6c is installed, designed to land the airship on the surface.

The landing device 5 includes front struts 8a, 8b, different from the racks of the first embodiment of the invention in that they are arranged almost horizontally, connecting the first edge attached to the nacelle with the second edge with the front supports 6a, 6b mounted on it. These front supports 6a, 6b are located on the side on each side of the airship 1 relative to its longitudinal axis AX. Together with the rear support 6c, they allow the airship to land on the surface.

The front supports ba, 6b are shifted to the side and are located at a distance D from the nacelle 3; they are held by the front struts 8a, 8b.

Both front supports 6a, 6b are equipped with containers 13a, 13b instead of floats 12a, 12b serving to land the airship on the water surface. These containers can be filled with liquid (or emptied) using a pump, in order to create ballast water.

Both containers 13a, 13b can be immersed in and lifted out of the vessel with the help of cables 18a, 18b connecting these containers with the reinforcing structure 7, for example, at some place near the attachment point of the beam 4a, 4b to the reinforcing structure 7.

These capacitive cables 18a, 18b are thus designed to immerse containers under water and raise them to the surface of the water.

The rear support 6c and the nacelle 3 are also equipped with tanks 13c, 13d. They can also be equipped with floats 12c, 12d.

Based on the foregoing, the principle of operation of this embodiment of the invention is the opposite of the principle of operation of the previously discussed options.

In previous embodiments of the present invention, when the airship touches the surface of the water, its lift force (upward force generated by the gas is lighter than air, which filled the shell) is less than its weight (downward force of gravity). The floats 12a, 12b, 12c compensate for the negative difference between the lifting force and the weight so that the airship 1 can remain on the surface of the water.

In a third embodiment, when the airship 1 is landing on water, the lift of the airship is still greater than its weight. The above containers compensate for the positive difference between lift and weight, so that the airship 1 remains on the surface of the water.

When the airship 1 is landing on water, the front tanks 13a, 13b are immersed in water and filled with water. Then, cables 18a, 18b are turned on, raising said containers 13a, 13b at least partially to the surface of the water. This creates an additional downward force, the value of which is determined by the weight of the liquid raised above the surface of the water; the specified additional force is equal to the value of the above positive difference, which creates the effect of "binding" of the airship 1 to the surface of the water. The stability of this airship on the surface of the hearth is very high.

When the lateral wind acts on the airship, it creates a significant force acting on the lateral surface of the shell 2 from the side from which the wind blows, and tends to overturn it to the leeward side. In this case, the capacity on the front pillar from the windward side can be raised higher. In this case, the cables 18a, 18b create pulling forces of different sizes acting on the reinforcing structure, which counteract the overturning moment, thereby compensating for the effect of the side wind.

This embodiment of the invention has several advantages.

Capacitive cables 18a, 18b respond to force from the front legs 6a, 6b in such a way that the front legs 8a, 8b can be stronger and lighter.

The front struts 8a, 8b can be made longer so as to extend the front legs 6a, 6b to a greater horizontal distance D. Thus, it is possible to increase the stability of the airship 1 when exposed to crosswind.

In addition, the increase in size D and the use of liquid in containers instead of air in the floats means that the dimensions of these supports can be reduced. Such supports will create less resistance when the airship 1 moves forward.

The containers 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d are preferably made in a lenticular shape having:

an elongated elongated vertical section providing a low drag coefficient when moving in a direction parallel to the surface, and a small resistance when moving the airship 1 forward, and

a horizontal cross section of an almost circular shape, creating a high drag coefficient when moving in a direction perpendicular to the surface.

The indicated characteristics of the containers provide low resistance when the airship moves forward, but create high rolling resistance under the influence of a crosswind, and also absorb the keel pitching and "chatter" created by the waves.

In the various embodiments of the present invention, the reinforcing structure 7 of the airship allows air to flow around the soft shell of the airship 1. The reinforcing structure 7 partially surrounds the shell 2, separating its first and second sides. Shell 2 includes a first surface on the first side and a second surface on the second side. The first and second surfaces of the shell are soft and during the flight of the airship 1 are in contact with the incoming air flow.

Thus, the shell 2 does not have any rigid internal structure and is not covered by any rigid external structure.

Said reinforcing structure 7 is a frame type structure with an opening into which the shell 2 is inserted; this design separates the first and second sides of the shell. Said reinforcing structure 7 holds the sheath 2 inside the aforementioned opening by attachment points.

The reinforcing structure 7 does not pass through the shell 2, and the shell 2 does not have any rigid internal structure.

The reinforcing structure 7 does not cover the shell 2; it does not cover any significant area of the shell. Most of the outer surface of the described soft shell 2, for example, 80% of the surface, is in contact with the incoming air flow. The reinforcing structure 7 is thus not a covering structure. For example, it may have a ring shape and be located around the shell 2.

The reinforcing structure 7 can be located at some distance from the soft shell 2 without being in contact with it, which is achieved by using attachment points 9, which provide the connection of the reinforcing structure 7 with the soft shell 2.

The reinforcing structure 7 of the present invention does not fall within the design class of semi-rigid or rigid airships.

Several fastening points distributed along the length of the reinforcing structure 7 can, for example, be connected by cables to the fastening nodes 9 located on the outer surface of the shell 2 according to a curve corresponding to the horizontal projection of the reinforcing structure 7 onto the shell 2. Since the reinforcing structure 7 covers the shell 2, the curve mentioned above has a large length, and the interaction forces between the shell 2 and the reinforcing structure 7 are better distributed over the surface of the shell.

The aforementioned attachment points 9 can be arranged on the shell 2 in turn and / or alternately with the attachment points of the reinforcing structure 7. They can be located both above and below the projection curve of the reinforcing structure 7. Thus, the reinforcing structure 7 is connected to a larger part of the area of the shell 2, thereby achieving a more uniform load distribution over the shell.

The reinforcing structure 7 allows you to attach the soft shell 2 to the nacelle 3, perceives the load from the supports, holds the shape of the shell and prevents its deformation. The weight of the proposed reinforcing structure is small, the cost is low.

In addition, the design of the airship may include a substantially horizontal longitudinal bracket 10a (see FIG. 8) extending from the nacelle 3 towards the nose 2a of the airship. This longitudinal bracket 10a can be made telescopic so that you can adjust the position of its distal end in the range from the nacelle to the vertical projection of the nose 2a.

The specified longitudinal bracket 10a is used to connect the mooring cable from its distal end to the fixed point of the mooring 11 on the surface. Thus, this ensures the retention of the airship 1 near the mooring point 11 when landing on the surface.

The use of the specified mooring device provides immobility of the airship 1 on the surface during landing. Under the influence of wind on the sheath 2 of the airship, the mooring cable 10 is stretched, and the airship occupies a position in which its longitudinal axis AX is parallel to the direction of the wind.

The longitudinal bracket 10a of small length (less than from the nacelle to the vertical projection of the nose 2a) is easier to manufacture, it can better withstand the load and provides a small radius of rotation of the airship under the influence of wind when mooring. However, if a portion of the shell surface area is located in front of the far end of the above longitudinal bracket 10a, the effect of the side wind is partially reduced.

When choosing the length of the longitudinal bracket 10a of such a length at which its distal end practically coincides with the vertical projection of the nose 2a, all the impact of the wind will be directed to the orientation of the airship 1 in the wind; while the radius of rotation of the airship will be greater than in the previous case.

In both cases, the direction of the airship 1 in the direction of the wind is fast, and the effect of the transverse wind takes place only for a short period of time, which reduces the risk of the airship tipping over.

Claims (23)

1. An airship designed to fly through the air and land on a solid surface or surface of a reservoir, comprising:
flexible shell (2) without any rigid mechanical structure, filled with gas lighter than air, elongated along the longitudinal axis (AX) from the nose located in front of (2a) to the tail located at the back (2b) and includes the upper part (2c) and lower part (2d), and
a gondola (3) located under the lower part (2d) of the shell between the nose and tail,
characterized in that it further includes:
at least three horizontally spaced supports (6a, 6b, 6c) intended for mounting the airship on the surface, and
a reinforcing structure located outside the shell and attached to it, while the reinforcing structure at least partially surrounds the lower part (2d) of the shell (2) to hold the shell (2), while limiting the first and second sides of the shell, and
a landing device (5) located on the outer surface of the shell (2) and connecting together at least the supports (6a, 6b, 6c) and the nacelle (3) with a reinforcing structure;
the shell includes a first surface on the first side of the shell and a second surface on the second side of the shell; the first and second shell surfaces are flexible and are in contact with the incoming air flow during flight. 2. The airship according to claim 1, the landing device (5) of which further comprises:
a reinforcing structure (7), partially surrounding the shell (2) and attached to the outer surface of the shell (2) with the help of fasteners (9), supporting and holding the shell of the airship in the landing device, and
traverses (4a, 4b) connecting the nacelle (3) with the above reinforcing structure (7). 3. The airship according to claim 2, the reinforcing structure (7) of which can be selected annular, semicircular and curved. 4. The airship according to claim 2, the reinforcing structure (7) of which includes at least one first part located above the horizontal median plane passing along the longitudinal axis (AX), and a second part located below the specified plane. 5. The airship according to claim 4, said first part of which is located next to the nose (2a) of the shell. 6. The airship according to claim 2, the reinforcing structure (7) of which is made of a single curved beam. 7. The airship according to claim 2, the attachment points (9) of which create forces acting on the shell (2) to maintain its shape, at least next to the reinforcing structure (7), which ensures good airflow around the shell during the flight. 8. The airship according to claim 2, the reinforcing structure (7) of which is made of at least one of several materials, including aluminum, carbon fiber, magnesium, titanium, fiberglass, synthetics, polymeric materials, wood. 9. The airship according to claim 2, the landing device (5) of which also includes racks (8a, 8b, 8c) attached to the reinforcing structure (7), extending down from the first end (8.1) to the second end (8.2), moreover at each second end (8.2) one of the above supports (6a, 6b, 6c) is installed, designed to land the airship on the surface. 10. The airship according to claim 9, including, in addition, a mooring cable (10) connecting the front part (7a) of the reinforcing structure with a fixed mooring point (11) on the surface, which serves to hold the airship near the mooring point after landing on the surface , and at least one of the uprights (8a, 8b, 8c), made with an inclination forward relative to the reinforcing structure (7), in order to provide resistance to traction from the mooring cable (10). 11. The airship according to claim 1, further comprising a mooring cable (10) connecting at least one point of the landing device (5) with a fixed mooring point (11) on the surface, which serves to hold the airship near the mooring point after landing on the surface . 12. An airship according to claim 1, further comprising a longitudinal arm mounted almost horizontally from the nacelle (3) to the nose (2a) of the airship and a mooring cable (10) connecting the distal end of this arm to a fixed mooring point (11) on the surface, designed to hold the airship near the mooring point after landing on the surface. 13. The airship according to claim 1, each support (6a, 6b, 6c) of which includes at least one wheel serving to enable the airship to land on a hard surface and to move it horizontally on a given surface, said supports (6a, 6b 6c) are mounted vertically under the nacelle (3). 14. The airship according to claim 13, the gondola (3) of which includes a trough and a loading device for lifting materials from the surface and laying them in the trough as ballast for the indicated airship. 15. The airship according to claim 1, each support (6a, 6b, 6c) of which includes a float, providing the ability to land the specified airship on the water surface. 16. An airship according to claim 1, the nacelle (3) of which includes a container and a pump for filling said container with water in order to provide ballast for the airship when flying in hover mode or when landing on water. 17. The airship according to claim 1, which includes a certain number of rotary power plants (15a, 15b, 15c), at least one of which is capable of turning relative to two mounted axes (AC1, AC2) in series so that the specified power plant can be oriented in any direction. 18. The airship according to any one of claims 1 to 12, each support (6a, 6b, 6c) of which includes a container (13a, 13b, 13c) for at least partially filling the specified capacity in order to provide ballast for the airship during flight in the mode hanging above the surface or when landing on the surface. 19. The airship according to claim 18, at least one support of which is also equipped with a float. 20. The airship according to claim 18, the rear support (6c) and the gondola (3) of which are equipped with floats. 21. The airship according to claim 18, both front legs (6a, 6b) of which, located laterally relative to the longitudinal axis (AX) of the shell (2), are connected by a cable to the landing device in order to hold the containers (13a, 13b) of the said front legs (6a 6b) in an upright position. 22. The airship according to claim 21, the landing device (5) of which, in addition, includes front struts (8a, 8b) connecting both of these front supports (6a, 6b) with the nacelle (3). 23. The airship according to claim 22, the front struts (8a, 8b) of which can be folded almost parallel to the longitudinal axis (AX) during flight and can be released sideways when the airship is either preparing to land on the surface or flies in the hover mode .

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