Cargo Airship - Aeroscraft







The Aeroscraft provides true vertical take-off and landing flight operations with agility like a helicopter, but with the ability to carry much more weight. It can travel long distances like an airplane, and it can provide more space and fuel efficiency only made possible by lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicle technology.
Unlike other airships, the Aeroscraft is the only vehicle with COSH. COSH is an internal, patent-pending system that controls the vehicle's buoyancy so that the vehicle is heavier-than-air during ground operations and lighter-than-air during flight. The COSH system compresses non-flammable helium into the helium pressure envelopes to allow the vehicle to manage buoyant lift similarly to submarine's ballast management under water. COSH allows the Aeroscraft to act as a “flying submarine.”
The proprietary ceiling suspension cargo deployment (CSCD) system that automates, weight-balances, and permits terrestrial or marine cargo deployment. The Aeroscraft's rigid shell works in concert with the internal ballast control system, which provides its runway-independent vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and hover capability, at max cargo payload, without the use of off-board ballasting.
The Aeroscraft is equipped with landing cushions that aid the vehicles unique functionality. They aid landing on unimproved surfaces, even water, and perform like a hovercraft during taxi by pushing air through them. In addition, the landing cushions are equipped with very powerful gripping/suction capabilities that ensure the vehicle stays grounded and in place when not in flight.
The Aeroscraft’s rigid structure provides an excellent range of hard points for mounting engines, canards, cockpit, propulsion systems, and other auxiliary systems both inside and outside of the hull.
The Aeroscraft is equipped with vectored thrust engines that rotate and allow maneuverability. In addition to aiding helicopter-like vertical take-off and landing capability, the vectored thrust propels the vehicle in forward flight and aids the vehicle with ground-based taxiing.
The low speed control system aids the pilot in lower wind conditions such as during VTOL and hover. The LSC system acts as a rear thruster to propel the vehicle in forward flight, and permits the thrust to be redirected while in hover to help the vehicle maintain desired positioning and orientation.
The Aeroscraft is a new unimodal solution to an intermodal cargo logistics universe. The Aeroscraft also elevates intermodal logistics by providing a new ship-to-shore delivery capability that bypasses ports and a new hover-deployment capability that can overcome the pain points involved with both marine and terrestrial mega-engineering projects. The vehicle’s massive cargo compartment is designed not just to accommodate high-value project cargo like aerospace components and equipment for wind farms, but will also help modular construction by lessening the final assembly requirements at project sites.
Because the Aeroscraft is equipped with VTOL capability, it can deliver cargo directly from point-of-origin to point-of-need. Furthermore, other hybrid airships are runway dependent at higher operating weights, but the Aeroscraft does not need a runway, even at full payload. Because of its innovative COSH technology, its computer-controlled virtually-automated directional thrust and station-keeping technology facilitates off and on-loading stores while in hover.
The cargo bay is located at the bottom of the aircraft cavity and is loaded by using a gantry system to load the cargo from the ground. The cargo bay of the largest Aeroscraft is much larger than any bay container in any commercial freight aircraft carrier today (including the Boeing 747-8F and the Antonov 124 aircraft).
The Aeroscraft provides a logistics solution for the traditional energy sector. It offers the ability to pickup oversized and heavy equipment from the factory floor and deliver it directly to Alaska, the Middle East or Texas. The Aeroscraft expands energy related construction opportunities. For example, the Aeroscraft increases oil and gas exploration opportunities because the airship can transport necessary supplies to remote locations without infrastructure.
The Aeroscraft is also a perfect solution for regions dealing with permafrost and the accompanying dangerous driving conditions that make road transport possible for only a small period of time each year. The Aeroscraft is not impacted by permafrost because of its vertical take-off and landing capability and its hover capability. Therefore, it can deliver cargo anywhere at any time of the year.
The Aeroscraft was developed to deliver machinery and supplies to forward operating bases with route flexibility and without need for runway or ground infrastructure. It fills the gap between low speed, higher capacity sea lift and high speed, lower-capacity airlift and provides fast global delivery at a significant cost-per-ton-mile saving over current airlift options.
With the largest wind turbine blade more than 200 ft long, moving wind blades from the factory floor to the project site can require up to eight hauls using multiple transportation modes. The Aeroscraft can pick up wind blades from the factory floor and deliver them directly to locations without infrastructure. Aeros is currently discussing more efficient ways to transport large wind turbine components with leading companies in the wind-turbine industry.
The Aeroscraft speeds relief and recovery missions by providing a cargo airship that can hover over a cleared space and lower desperately needed supplies to victims and emergency personnel. The Aeroscraft is able to deliver large quantities relief supplies to those in need, and also deliver fuel, hospital generators or provide water.
The Aeroscraft gives the agriculture industry the ability to deliver fresh produce overnight directly from the fields and seafood shipped directly from ports to their distribution centers thousands of miles away. We offer faster shelf stocking without the trained personnel needed for on-loading and off-loading aircraft payloads.
The Aeroscraft is capable of containing an air-deployed mobile hospitals complete with operating rooms, emergency equipment and the ability to exit hostile environments faster than land or sea transport.
Imagine soon: flying hotels carrying passengers in spacious accommodations over land and sea competing for travel dollars with the water-bound cruise ships. Air casinos and other entertainment applications are possible using the Aeroscraft. Even a new sector of luxurious sky yachts will soon soar above the clouds in spacious comfort.
The Aeroscraft is an ideal addition to the firefighters’ arsenal. The Aeroscraft can contain area fires such as those that threaten forests and developed areas. The Aeroscraft can maintain low speeds or a given GPS position while carrying more than 66 tons of water to virtually any location. Similar to fixed wing and rotorcraft, the Aeroscraft will be able to filling at lakes, reservoirs, or oceans and dump water onto hot spots.