Introduction
In 1975, Skyship Research and Development Limited created a lenticular-shaped concept model airship.
A small group of businessmen men together with John West Design Associated, set up a company to design a range of airships with payloads varying from 100 to 1,000 tons. This research company was known as Skyship Research and Development Limited and held all the patents and designs linked with the project. A second company known as Intercontinental Skyship (Transport) Limited, was formed to develop the commercial aspect of the project.
Design and Concept
After considerable research, the company considered that a disc-shaped vessel was the most feasible for the purposes. With the proposed symmetrical lenticular shape, the Sky Ship would be 700 ft in diameter, and the maximum thickness would be 208 feet. The structure of the ship, together with all systems, ballast and engine,s would weigh 400 tons, whilst the disposable lift would also be 400 tons. This would give an all-up weight of 800 tons. The Sky Ship was to have a 70 to 90 knot cruising speed, with a maximum speed of 100 knots. The propulsion would be made by ten Rolls-Royce Tyne turbo-props totalling some 40,000hp situated within the structure to minimise noise, which in turn would power 21ft swivelling Hawker Siddeley Dynamics Ltd.
Structure
The main frame consisted of a wire-braced core defined by welded aluminium girders composed of tubular elements. Around the core were sited six identical aluminium trusses similar to slices of a cake. Each truss formed a deep-section cantilever beam. Around the periphery was a rim girder to carry the weight of the engines.
In the bottom quarter of the central core was the main cargo space, which was hexagonally shaped, 150ft corner to corner and 50ft high.
The main structure would house 19 gasbags with an estimated 28.6m cubic feet of helium.
The cost of the vessel as described would be £10m to £15m ( £75m – £110m 2023 values), with the eventual cost being determined by the selection of control systems and other equipment.
The Model
A concept model of the 400-ton Sky Ship was demonstrated in Cardington Shed 1 in April 1975.
Click here for a Pathe news footage newsreel of the model in flight (1 min 16 seconds)
The saucer-shaped airship was helium-filled and flown under remote control, with trailing lanyards for manual reversion in case of difficulties.
The model was 9ft 6inches high in the centre and carried a payload of 40lb or 18kg, which mainly consisted of batteries and radio control equipment. The gross lift was 215lb or 97.5kg