Ultralight Solomon Thermal Flyer

Code Name: AERA 51 (will rename to working title after prototype is successful)

Mission Profile: Flight test working model prototype of hybrid (helium/thermal/specific gravity) airship.

Guidelines: Motorless, Remote Controlled, Ease of Construction.
Set up and follow implementation schedule for first flight and testing.

Timeline:  One month after all materials are on hand, functioning prototype will take to the air.

Design:  Previous past prototypes have already developed the concept to the phase where the parameters are set for a working scaled model proof of concept vehicle. 
Basic key features of design: 
A) Easy to construct tubing for containment of helium hybrid lift technology. 
B) Easy to construct hot air lift chamber. 
C) The use of specific gravity for forward motion in both ascending and descending is incorporated with the wings designed into the airship.

Testing Phase:  Control of airship is to be determined at this phase for use of control surfaces by themselves or in conjunction with hot air valves and/or weight displacement mechanism.  This will allow design to progress before the full scale design phase is started.

Sounds exciting. You might want to look at the aquaglider. It was made by the guy that does the hyperblimps. It took him a long time to get these toys to work using buoyancy to produce a good amount of forward thrust. I believe he found that flexible wingtips were the key. 

But, I look forward to seeing this progress.

May 11th, 2010:  Picked up an AirHog SwitchBlade which you can buy online at Amazon for $39.00.  Which will be the motive force for testing of the airship out in the early test phase without the use of hot air for lift.  (if all goes according to plans).
(Air Hog SwitchBlade)

May 13th, 2010:  Bought the aluminum and carbon fiber tubing for the model.  Need to go pick up a couple of sheets of 4x8 sheets of expanded polystyrene foil faced sheating (EPS) insulation (which is at Lowes)  that I'll use for the rigid framework.

I usually find "polyshield" available.  Its easy to cut with a razor knife and pretty lightweight, I buy the thinnest with is 1/2" but I cut off a lot and just use 2" strips of it. 

EPS Polyshield

The polyshield will also temper the UV sunlight problem. Do you know how much it weighs per square foot?

I'll get a weight on the square foot this weekend for you.

Friday, May 14th, 2010
Airship Harbor cleaned, organized and ready to proceed with manufacturing.  (Garage is cleaned tables in place).  Will start searching for used helium tank to buy.

Sounds exciting. I'm also glad to see someone else considering Airhogs for propulsion. 

Swampie, I did get the material cut, but now I can't find the small scale I have.  (I moved since the last time I used it).  I'll take the piece over the local hobby store as they have an small electronic scale (I'll get the make of the scale as I'd like to get it anyway and anyone putting together a small airship especially with rigid components should get one before even starting).
 
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Construction began in evening.    Worked away to David Bowie Sound + Vision cd 1.
Two rigid hull sides cut from the polyshield.
Crossbracing secured to hull sides.  Found out more bracing than expected will be needed.  Thin drop cloth material layed over to see issues needing to be resolved for outer covering.
 
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010
Lightened rigid side hulls by cutting excess polyshield bracing.  May need to reduce the 2" wide stripping used down to 1" will need to test helium envelope bouyancy before removing more.
Visited helium supply (welding store) and found pricing.  Contacted second store.  Prices will follow to Small Blimps Forum tomorrow.
2 hobby stores visited for additional carbon fiber rods.
Replaced carbon fiber rods on model (except main center crossbracing) with 5cm wide strips of Polyshield.
Possibly start production on helium gas cells tomorrow.

ps: Dude and all:  The Air Hogs are flying great (when there is no wind) (I bought two an airplane and the Switchblade) the SwitchBlade is great for just hovering in the garage....flying it outdoors in forward motion is very tricky. 

Hope this works: Here is a link to view the models progress.

It feels a little heavy at this point already, so I'll be doing some more lightening as the ship progresses. 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/memberLandingPage.jsp

Nav, I'll send you the link direct from the Ofoto website.  If anyone else can't view from here let me know I'll try something else.

May 20th, 2010

Picked up an electric scale (in the foodware (plates, dish, utensil) section of a store by me) they have electric or spring loaded ones that are cheaper.  The brand I picked up is made by Taylor called a Classic Digital Kitchen Scale.

Swampie, the weight of the 1 foot x 1 foot peice is 20 grams or .7 oz... but like I said I usually use strips. 
If you have a hot metal wire device you could probably slice it in half for 10 grams per square foot...

1. I couldn't see it. The kodak page comes up with no PIX.
 
2. Thanks for the weights
 
3.Do you have an original reference on the Solomon Thermal Flyer?
 
 

Think maybe this wild link will get yah there?  Copy and paste maybe?

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=981708339113%3A616730604&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

The only other thing would be to get your emails and send the picture/link direct from Ofoto website to your email address.... you can send your emails to me via messages hear on the forum, that way they won't get lost in my other emails....

These posts have some of the links I've found regarding Dr. Solomon Andrews:

http://smallblimps.lefora.com/2009/06/12/proposed-remake-original-aereon-type/

Probably the best is to see post 6 with the google link from the book "The great dirigibles their triumphs and disasters, by John Toland.

ps: Solomon's wasn't a thermal ship, it was filled with hydrogen, without any thermal / hot air.

That pic link worked for me. I see pic of a gore that has been cut out. If there are more pictures, I can only see one. 

Yeah, there are a lot more.... probably need to copy the link into your browser and then sign up for free Ofoto to view the rest of the pics....  nope not a gore!!!! goreless ship....

Ok, I signed up and I was able to see all your pics and comments. The model looks cool, I look forward to seeing more as it progresses. 

Yep, the problem was I wasn't registered with them. Figured they would be nice enough to let plain civilians look at their customers stuff. Nope.

Nice ship Paul! Looks simple and easy so far!  Attractive shape, a football without the difficult roundness and the gore challenge is lost. hooray.

That thing is going up!

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
Reverse engineered (took apart) the Airhog SwitchBlade.  Removed all unneeded components to get down to only motors and batteries and electronics.  Svelt package comes in at 47 grams...  which is the weight of one the 52 inch x 84 inch Emergency Blanket (mylar type) that I bought for $2.49 each that will be used for the hull covering for heat rentention on AERA 51 prototype.

Monday, May 24th, 2010
Further lightening of framework, without weaking overall framework by much.  Went from about 2" frame to 1" frame.
Reduced weight of frame from 222 grams down to 144grams.

Strengthened front leading and aft trailing edges with thicker carbon fiber rods in those locations only.  Top and bottom mylar skin installed well into the night and early morning.  Mylar type emergency blanket added nice amount tension to framework.
Total ships weight at this point without electronics, motors, helium cells is 255 grams.  Time for helium bag production and testing.

AERA51 Updated photo album with 9 more pics (new pics start at motors and components picture):

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=333227839113%3A40486657&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

I bet it was fun to take that plane apart. Probably worth the 50 bucks right there. 

The pics with the mylar skin look awesome. Good, clean work.