EADS unmanned Arctic hybrid airship
EADS Innovation Works video animation of its concept for an un manned airship to provide pesistent surevillance of the Arctic. The airship is a catamaran, with rigid hulls using helium to provide buoyancy and joined by wings to provide aerodynamic lift. Bouyancy is controlled passively the retracting sections of the lower hull to vary the helium volume. The 90m-long airship would fly for 40 days at 23,000ft, loitering at 60km/h but with a dash speed of 150km/h.