The (silent) video below shows the first inflation test of E Green Technologies new Bullet 580 Airship at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama.
The airship, is 235' long by 105' in diameter, making it the largest operating airship in the world. The Bullet 580 has a unique design of seven internal helium envelopes that control lift while the outer envelope is completely non-rigid and contained with simple ambient air.
The Bullet has five times the lift capability of conventional airships and can hover, spin and rotate on an axis, and no longer require wind to maintain stability. The airships are green fueled by algae and/or diesel with later versions to run on a hybrid electric engine. Test flights for the craft will begin in early summer, 2010.
They look like becoming a cheaper alternative to satellite surveillance since there is no currently efficient manned or unmanned system for mid- or high- altitude and long duration flight, between 50,000-75,000 feet with the capability to stay airborne for weeks to months, providing a stable sustainable platform. They also look like proving invaluable for disaster relief, remote sensing, communications, missile defense warning and weather monitoring.
