Lighter-than-air craft gaining favor in Mideast | Aviation International News

Lighter-than-air craft gaining favor in Mideast

Using gas for lift is hardly new, but interest in the idea is making something of a resurgence here in the Middle East.

By David Donald • Contributor - UK

November 12, 2007

Using gas for lift is hardly new, but interest in the idea is making something of a resurgence here in the Middle East.

The public’s perception of the usefulness of lighter-than-air (LTA) flight largely ended in flames with the 1937 crash of the Hindenburg, but the advantages of LTA are many and have increasing application to today’s surveillance requirements. Inert helium now gets used rather than hydrogen, and while it’s heavier, helium still offers excellent lifting properties–roughly equivalent to 1 kilogram for every cubic meter of gas.

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