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Abstract
The 12 second flight of the world’s first heavier-than-air powered vehicle in 1904
heralded the birth of a new transport mode. In the days, months, and years following that
event, it must have been evident that airplanes had a future, but not its shape and extent.
The first propeller driven airship was flown 50 years earlier than the Wright Brothers
airplane in 1852i. A century and a half later, we may be about to witness the birth, or
rebirth, of airships as a transport mode.
For airships, it is not like the day after Kitty Hawk, but it almost could be. Except
infrequently as billboards, camera platforms and novelty tours, commercial uses for large
airships ended with the Hindenburg disaster, three quarters of a century earlier. For
decades, the memory of the Hindenburg catastrophe, as well as technological advances in
heavier-than-air flight, trucking, and maritime transport conspired to make the airship
seem a slow, cumbersome, and ultimately tragic detour in the history of transportation.
More recently, however, interest has been renewed in airships due to technological
developments in a number of fields; including materials science, engines, weather
forecasting, avionics and computer assisted design. With improved performance and cost
profiles, airships are being considered now for new roles in the movement of general
freight, fluids, indivisible loads, perishable food products and passengersii.
Interest in airships has been heightened by their indirect advantages. These
vehicles could mitigate several negative externalities associated with other forms of
transport. Concerns about port, road, and airport congestion, and evidence of climate
change have caused the economically advanced nations to reconsider their transportation
systems. As most industrial countries are net importers of petroleum, the inherent fuel
efficiency of airships is a further economic incentive. Consequently, many nations are
taking a hard second look at airship technology.
Over the last 30 years, airship technology has gained a large and loyal following.
At the time of this writing, at least a dozen firms in ten different countries are developing
research prototypes and commercial airships. In addition, the U.S. Department of
Defense has issued a request for information (DARPA, 2004) for development of an
airship capable of carrying very large and/or heavy cargoes and personnel.
The creation of a new mode of transport can have unpredictable economic effects.
Improved service and lower transportation costs can stimulate new commodity flows,
industrial activity and trade routes. In this paper, we consider the business case for using
airships to transport Hawaiian pineapple/papaya to the U.S. mainland. The inherent
strengths and weaknesses of airships, relative to other modes, are examined with a
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particular view toward exploring this possible early application of long-distance
transport. On a more general level, it is hoped that this paper will stimulate thought and
discussion about the potential for airships to create a paradigm shift in freight and
passenger transportation.