Lockheed Martin recently promoted their Hybrid Airship with the motto, No roads, no problem!
Near the end of the video, they share some stats:
- 10′x10′x60′ Cargo Bay
- 21 Metric Ton Capacity
- Room for 19 Passengers
For context, a “small” modern cargo aircraft like the Boeing 737-700C might have a cargo capacity of 3,800 cu ft and 18.2 metric tons.
I’m surprised that the airship’s cargo capacity is so high by weight but so low by volume.
The hybrid advantage, they argue, is that it’s faster than sea or land transport, but more fuel-efficient than other forms of air transport.
That and they require little to no infrastructure.
Crashes and burns in high winds.
While you have to take some extra precautions when it comes to weather, dirigibles can operate fine under most conditions. The storms that caused the loss of a number of airships in the first half of the 20th century are now easily trackable thanks to satellites and weather radar, so assuming no gross incompetence that’s unlikely to be a problem for modern LTA operations.
It’s a hybrid airship because it’s not actually lighter than air. Just 80 percent of its lift comes from buoyancy; the rest comes from aerodynamic lift. This video explains (slightly) more.
Presumably because it's intended for moving cargo and not apes.