Lighter-than-air (LTA) Aircraft Technology

Charles R Luffman, Aeronautical Engineer, Specialist in LTA Structures, LTA Solutions Limited.
LTA technology, largely overlooked these days, covers those giant aircraft that primarily use aerostatic lift
(buoyancy) to remain airborne instead of aerodynamic lift, as used by aeroplanes and helicopters. The
vehicle types involved include:
• Airships and Dirigible Balloon Systems – Rigid, Semi-rigid and Non-rigid (Blimps)
• Free balloons
• Tethered aerostats (Barrage Balloons, Joy Ride systems, Mobile Platforms, High Reach)
• Hybrids – Lifting bodies, utilising significant aerodynamic lift
The capabilities of these aircraft are somewhat undervalued in the 21st Century, with the result that the
industry barely exists and so their benefits are unavailable. Yet these aircraft, in an age where global
warming, noise, pollution, security matters and the effects of disasters need solutions, could provide
relatively cheap environmentally friendly new ways that would benefit society. In some cases they also
would make possible some things that currently are too difficult or costly to do.
Public misconceptions about LTA vehicles abound. At one extreme are those who dismiss the technology
based on events that occurred 75 years ago and, at the other extreme, are those who over-estimate their
capabilities but under estimate the development costs of such aircraft technology. This lecture will provide
an overview of the various types and give a realistic picture of the services LTA technology may be used
for. The opportunities and the challenges faced by LTA technology also will be discussed.
Charles Luffman has spent over 25 years working as a professional engineer in the airship industry. He
has been involved in American, British and German airship projects, and observed the re-birth of this
technology.
Lecture on Tuesday 8 April 2008 at: 19:00 (7 pm)
The Campus
North Somerset Council Library, Conferencing and Leisure Services
Highlands Lane
Locking Castle
Weston-super-Mare
Somerset
BS24 7DX
Tel: 01934 427427
Fax 01934 427323
Contact: Paul Hillman
Email: campus@n-somerset.gov.uk
Website: www.n-somerset.gov.uk