Design and fabrication of a quick dismantlable remotely controlled semirigid finless airship

Abstract

Remotely controlled airships are very much suitable for aerial photography, product promotion, and surveillance. This paper describes a methodology for sizing and design of a small semirigid airship that can be quickly assembled or dismantled. The airship is meant for flight demonstrations and as an aerial platform for indoor surveillance. The propulsion system is a novel design where the differential thrust and swiveling motors control the entire flight regime, with no fins or control surfaces. Topics such as all-up weight estimation based on payload weight, envelope sizing calculations, design and fabrication of a quick dismantlable semirigid structure design are covered.