– In fact, they are not forgotten and continue to be used, – says doctor of technical Sciences Alexander Abutov. For example, such devices are used for transporting goods in remote locations or in developing mineral deposits.
But all these devices now know little. Few people are even aware of what the balloon is different from an airship: the first own engine. And so the study of this technique do at all units. Throughout Siberia and the Far East, the TOGA is the only organization that conducts such work.
Alexander Abutov created in the University a special laboratory, which is developing the aircraft systems. And some of them already tested in practice. So managed to construct very convenient for timber harvesting machine – cable balloon system for transporting goods, which will replace the tractor when operating on slopes. Hybrid airship “grabs” the wood, after being cut down, picks it up and drove to the warehouse. The capacity of the experimental technique – about a ton.
– We have used this complex. And you can prove that it is effective, says the scientist. Any performance is evaluated on a cycle works. In the traditional approach first constructed the access road for tractor, special loading point of the road line and so on. This preparatory stage takes a long time. Plus the purchase of equipment and maintenance. For the balloon does not need to build access roads, additional trunk skidding track, and thus the entire cycle of works, we win, including economically.
in addition, we are talking about the environmental component. Abusow explains that such technology timber harvesting is gentle. Usually when cutting a tree falls and breaks from two to four neighboring. On the trunk or dragged dragged on heavy trucks. In such a case is damaged 30 percent of the soil. Air scheme allows the workpiece to avoid it.
– Developed technique in which the tree can be cut off, pick up and transferred to the loading dock – describes the process Explorer.
But why not use the same purpose cargo helicopters? The question is the price. Same for the lift airships ten times cheaper.
And such examples, when seemingly long-obsolete technique is more useful modern set. Balloons and airships can transport goods and people in remote communities, flying in any season and without requiring equipment runways. These devices can be used for environmental monitoring. For example, to analyze air pollution at regular altitudes. And unlike from the usual drones who can’t stay in the sky long enshrined the balloon is able to stay in one place for months.
– For the Far East is very relevant fire monitoring, – results one more example of Alexander Abutov. Standard types of small aircraft can not cope with this task: first, such devices are few, and secondly, their operation is quite expensive and not always effective.
Now scientists PNU aim to implement best practices in life.
They will be in demand, – said Abusow. – While we create the samples. As soon as you become their display, I think the customers themselves will queue up.
the Airships of the XXI century differ from their predecessors. Their construction used modern materials. Based on dome special multi-layer sheet. In the nineteenth century to create it using a cotton cloth, rubber coating and aluminum coating. All the layers were stitched together. Now it is a polyurethane fabric, the layers which are welded on special machines so intimately that to see them only under a microscope. This material is more durable and better at trapping the gas. If in the last century the aircraft was required to “blow” at least once a week, now do it a maximum of once per month.
