Ground Handling Equipment Kit

The V shaped ship thread got me thinking about ground handling and storage, and instead of hijacking it further I thought I would start a new thread.  Also I know that this comes up regularly in discussion so it might be good to condense it all in one topic.

My thinking is that even if we only supply a common lift envelope and other components for participants to put their own ships together, there is going to be specific equipment that is going to be needed in addition to the actual aircraft.  These will also be needed by us for testing the prototype and for our own builds/flying.

Assumptions:

• The target market for this system is the middle class individual with around  US$10K budget to invest in an airship.
  
• They will have several thousand dollars a year to spend on flying and maintaining their aircraft.
• They will fly "recreationally ". On weekends, with often months between flight sessions.
  
• They will not have access to dedicated on-airport hanger facilities.
• They will have a typical suburban house car garage to store and work on their equipment.
• They will have a car or  truck/SUV to transport the aircraft from storage to assembly/take off point.
  

• The Common Airship Shell is going to be an ultralight class, non-rigid, lenticular, airship.
• Neutrally buoyant or slightly HTA fully loaded, relying on at least some forward airspeed or wind for vertical climb.
• A gaseous helium or hydrogen liftgas system with a single monocoque compartment with inner shaping baffles.
• A ventrally suspended gondola structure that contains the pilot, propulsion, and other systems.
• Single person (pilot) handling.
• Small utility trailer or SUV/van ground transporting capacity.
• Inflating and deflating of the lift gas envelop machinery in order to facilitate the above ground transportation/storage and preservation of lift gas supply.
  

• A mooring anchor system for securing in place a tie down mass, be it the transport vehicle or trailer.
• Safe static discharge and control equipment.
  
• A compressor pump suitable for the liftgas system, with which to deflate the envelope.
• A compressed gas cylinder from which to inflate the airship and to receive gas from the compressor.
• A portable windsock.
• A large tarp (with anchor stakes) to serve as a clean, padded setup,inflate/deflate surface for the envelope.  It also serves as a protective cover when wrapped around the folded up envelope.
• A fuel supply or spare batteries & charger for the craft's propulsion system.
• Envelope patch kit and tools.

1. Not sure we all plan on using internal baffles. 
2. There seems to be some uncertainty as to tanking vs inflated storage. This needs some clarity. 

Agreed  100%   If  the  Ship is  FAR 103  legal,  then  making money with it  " legitimately"  is  out of  the question  as well unless it is  tethered,  and tested  as man  rated equipment   ..  ,  well at least here in the US   this is  true .  If you  design  to  ELS (experimental light sport )  free flight standards , you  can   make  money  with it   but   then   you  have to conform to  FAA stringent  and ongoing inspections /  pilot  testing  / training / physicals /  all the  way to Airship  instructor  rating /  IFR  VFR  flight rules .  N numbered  aircraft ,   the  whole works.  and  that is  going to  be  crazy expensive and  time consuming in  and of itself .  Not to mention  the   modifications to  the  airship  the FAA will  mandate  to you   to make it  airworthy . And I can  guarantee  you  Hydrogen   wont be  allowed  . .   So   yea,  whats  the  whole point  of this venture anyway . Its inherently  expensive , even  at  a hobby level . Powered  Paragliding  or powered hang gliding ,  for good gear  and proper training  is  going  to  cost  10 grand +  for something  you  can  easily pack in or on  your  car and  use basically anytime . We cant compete with this .  The on going  cost to  fill and top off   is  a reality  that just  wont go  away .    This is  as large   or even larger  than  full size aircraft .  The ONLY option  is to  be able  to  re-tank  the gas   in  cylinders    that  are   DOT rated  for  transport,  With  equipment  made  for this application .  .  Hydrogen generation at home ,   is  going to  be   #1  slow,  #2  may not be  allowed in your  area  at  the  amount needed to be made , By  restricted covenants , or even  by local or  state laws. #3  may  void your  homeowners insurance policy ,  #4 Very  dangerous If  not  carefully  constructed  for  generation with  redundancies for  this amount of gas production. ,    and closely  monitored when  working .  
 Hot  Air  , Specifically  Pressurized hot  air  Is  the only  Viable option  to  a Home brew  100% LTA  Airships that  are  daily  transportable . But  they  will be  large .  Unless  the  Gas  suppliers   jump in  and  make  lift gas affordable /  manageable  ..Not likely  to happen ,  
 Our other  option is  Inflated wing  /  blended body   type  aircraft  using  what  we have gained so far  with  home made  envelopes ,  and  by  chance  using  some lift gas  in  small  amounts of  He  or  H ,   affordable    and  transportable enough and  to  help offset   the  lift  requirements in  this type  50 / 50 lift  proposal to get in the air,   Or  Combine  Hot  Air / hot gas  into  this equation  making  a 33 % lift gas / 33 % Aerodynamic lift  / 33 % Hot Air / gas  Hybrid  Far 103 legal  single person  aircraft . 
  In my pursuit  with  Area 51 Branson  My payload  lift is  300 pounds . Its going to  cost  1500 dollars  to  fill it at  corp  pricing.   In  2 good days of operations  I can  recover  that cost .  That leaves  29 days  of  the month   to  generate income  topping  off  at  10 %   every  10  days . Depending  completely on  the weather to  be  good  to make  a profit .   I have  searched  extensively   for  ways  to  re- tank  affordable  and in a  timely  way because if  the  weather is  forecast to  be  bad  for  several  days  in a row ,  Why  bleed out , and also put  the envelope at  risk.  I have  found  None , even used ,  that   will  be  affordable and  quick  starting off  this  business .  Maybe  later  I  can  afford  something   , Or  maybe one of  you   Can   actually  build something  affordable that  can  do  the job of  2500 psi  + back in  rated cylinders ,Uncontaminated with  air or oil ,  and completely  draw down  the  envelope volume  in 6 hours or less . That  my  friends  will be  a masterpiece  of engineering , and  for  sure  a Big  Huge  money maker  all by itself .  I do  wish  you  the best of luck  with it .         
   

cryogenics? lol

I dont know  why  those links  appeared in my post ...?
 CRYO  ea ,  Thats  actually  how  they  get  helium to a 99.9% pure state . Hows  you  gonna do  that affordable   ?  

IM, those are just lefora ads. Hopefully they will go away.

Ice cubes.  Lots of ice cubes. ;)

Liquid He is probably a bit much to ask for, but H is do able. Cryo storage is another issue... hmmm... Which brings us around to ammonia.  Liquifies at a MUCH higher temperature.

The random links are the forum software trying to be "helpful", actually they are links to ads.

"[Assumptions:

• The target market for this system is the middle class individual with around  US$10K budget to invest in an airship.
  
• They will have several thousand dollars a year to spend on flying and maintaining their aircraft.
• }"