Oshkosh Electric Flight Competition....EAA AirVenture 2011,,, er probably 2012...

Here are the official rules:

http://www.airventure.org/electric/prizerules.html

I think the Small Blimp Forum should make it a goal to fly in the 2012 competition!  Lots of publicity.... and if we have a kit to sell..... plus we get to recoup some money by winning the time aloft (Endurance), time to climb? and the most innovative prize... (no chance on speed).  3 out of 4 taint bad.... could net us $180,000 in prizes.... ($60,000 each category and a historical comeback for airships!)

Opps sorry, $60,000 total in prizes, so maybe only $10,000 per category... maybe by 2012 it will be more.

The categories are:
1. Endurance
2. Time to Climb
3. Maximum Speed
4. Innovation Evaluation

On 1 and 4, we have a decided advantage. On 2 and 3 , we're going to suck profusely. The underlying assumption in suggesting we join this competition, is that the criteria will encompass more than just standard fixed wing aircraft.

"The Prize is open to any legal aircraft that has an electric propulsion system and is capable of being flown by a 200 pound pilot."

I think you should email the EAA and see if they were thinking airships as an included part.

I believe they were thinking about this:

Yes, definitely get with EAA to see if they will allow LTA and hybrid craft before devoting any brain power to it. 

Bolt, are you going to contact them?

Yes, I'll contact them,  I don't see any reason they won't allow!!, Unless they see the need to open up future category for airships only, still a bonus.

-Boldt

That would be preferable so the airships didn't have to compete with those little mosquitoes.

I've sent in the preliminary application and asked the airship question.  Let's see what/when they respond.

About the pix I posted; there was a gas powered Cri-cri and they re-designed to this environmental one. In case you're wondering what 4 brush-less electric motors can do, that's what is mounted on this plane.

"Reminiscent of James Bond’s fold-away Acrostar mini-plane, the Cri-Cri is the world’s smallest electric plane and this week made its official maiden flight at Le Bourget airport near Paris. Jointly developed by EADS Innovation Works, Aero Composites Saintonge and the Green Cri-Cri Association, the lillipution aircraft is the first-ever four-engined all-electric aerobatic plane.

Designed with numerous innovative technologies, the Cri-Cri boasts a lightweight composite structure that reduces the weight of the entire plane, allowing for the additional weight of the necessary batteries and the four brushless electric motors and counter-rotating propellers. All this leads to zero CO2 emissions and less noise compared to thermal propulsion that also utilizes higher-energy density lithium batteries.
With the batteries, the Cri-Cri is able to maintain 30 minutes of autonomous cruise flight at 110km/h or an alternative 15 minutes of autonomous aerobatics at speeds reaching up to 250 km/h. For the test flight, the plane remained airborne for 7 minutes before landing.

The Cri-Cri is a low-cost test bed for system integration of electrical technologies in support of projects like our hybrid propulsion concept for helicopters,” stated Jean Botti, EADS’s Chief Technical Officer. “We hope to get a lot of useful information out of this project.”
The Cri-Cri is not the only ‘environmental form of air travel’  that EADS is researching. Currently the company is also experimenting with algae based biofuel and a helicopter hybrid propulsion system combining electrical power with piston engines. With such technologies being enhanced, could it only be a matter of time before air travel is no longer one of the largest polluters on the planet, but one of the cleanest?"

http://inhabitat.com/cri-cri-the-worlds-smallest-electric-plane-takes-flight/

Notice the article said the Cri-cri was an aerobatic plane.  Our use for brush-less motors and high performance batteries would be tamer than this. So we should get better endurance for the same amount of capacity.

Okay, had to remail and got a quicker reply this time:
 

Paul

Sorry you haven’t received a reply… we have been “ getting organized”.

We may already have both the Goodyear Blimp AND the Zeppelin NT coming to Oshkosh this summer, so this could be a real “blimp fest” !! 

Obviously there are unique operational factors with a blimp that we’d need to work through.  But generally, we want you to feel welcome.

My #1 question from reading your application is where are you at, currently, in the process of building and flying the airship?  (I see your participation in 2011 is contingent on funding).

By the way, even if you are unable to fly in 2011 we would be very happy to give you a free display space in the Electric Flight Center.

Regards

Adam

Funding :

1. Build a ship

2. Be able to trailer it to Oshkosh

3. Sustained protection presence around the craft around the clock.

4. Tie down capability to withstand a storm.

to name a few.