Thankyou for downloading the FS2004 Sport Blimp, Model 01.02. This model features swiveling ducted thruster fans, working rudder, pilot with turning head. Model is done in Gmax. By William Ortis, Lionheart Creations Ltd.
This is a one man twin engine powered lighter then air 'negative bouancy' aircraft powered by ducted fans that swivel for unique handling capabilities. This has been a dream project of mine for many many years and is only one of several versions of which I would one day hope to produce. Such a craft would be capable of so many tasks that would require an aircraft to hover as well as well as have VTOL capabilities and yet feature cruising speeds of 70 knots. Note that the envelope structure is a lifting body.
[Design Details]
Note that the shape of the envelope is important to create lift as the design is not a true lighter then air airship, but a 'flying negative bouyancy' airship, meaning that with power off, the craft gently returns to Earth (thought very slowly) and thus requires the engines running to stay aloft for long periods of time. The Envelope is a lifting body shape which is designed to generate lift for added weight and a second passenger. Originally the design featured cockpit access behind the gondola through a door in the envelope. When inside the envelope, in a chamber in the center, you walked forward, and slid down into the gondola dome into the seat. The area that is accessable within the envelope would have the various access to the balloonette maintenance components, etc. and was designed to enable a second passenger if needed. (Other versions would have multi passenger Gondolas and a 'living room' of sorts for the traveling blimp owner).
I devised a form of trim that utilises a weight that runs along the keel area of the envelope, but within the structure. This weight would enable the vehicle to trim continously without the need for drag creating fin surfaces and can use such a component as the battery.
Helium lifting gas with engine exhuast heater recirculation catalyst's to aid lifting capacity of helium to aid in utilising the least amount of Helium possible. An alternative which I would like to study is the use of 'created hydrogen' from a home/hanger hydrogen generator/creator which when installed into the cells is intermixed with another gas that would disable the flamable properties of the hydrogen and yet not kill the lifting properties. Hydrogen has a higher lifting property over Helium and would be far less expensive. Weather it be Helium or Hydrogen, such gasses could be stored and or purchased via tanks. A compressor that could pull the Helium back out of the cells and into tanks would enable prolonged storage of the Sport Blimp with minimal costs to the owner.
Hand powered ultra light controls for working the simplistic control surfaces would enable a lite weight structure.
Engines: 2 4cyl. inline electric start standard air cooled aero engines located within the 'Envelope' several feet behind the Gondola. These are mounted to 'lowering' trollies' that enable the pilot to open the engine access doors, release the drive coupling, and lower the engine down to a waist high level for inspection and maintenance. They are fastened to a DeLorean flex drive shaft of either kevlar or graphite composite construction.
The Sport Blimp is designed to be easily disassembled and transported. The envelope is a stretching fabric that is pulled taught over light ribs that are arranged accross a basic whoop structure which incloses a series of rubber ballonettes that mimick weather balloons and give way to a safety aspect of celled off helium containment cells, much like the early Zeppelins such as the Hindenburg, but on the scale of an ultralight aircraft/lighter then air vehicle.
The Blimp owner is advised to either purchase or create a hanger. A design for an inexpensive structure of folding walls that would hinge upward to create a shelter is recommened when storing the Blimp in its inflated flight ready mode. When one wanted to fly, one simply went out and released the walls which would fall outward and flat, unteather the craft, climb in, and take flight.
[INSTALLATION]
Unzip the main folder into a holding file area, like 'New Downloads' or your desktop. Go to your Panel folder and then into your Guages folder and select all of your guages. Paste them into your Main Guages folder of FS2004.
Next, either drag-and-drop or copy/paste your aircraft file 'SportBlimp' into the Main Aircraft folder of FS2004. You are now ready to fly.
[PANEL]
I like to use the mouse and push the upper panel up and the lower panel down a bit to maximise visibility. The Overhead Panel can be switched of.
[FLIGHT]
Flying the Sport Blimp is actually amazingly simple. The craft is designed to go where you aim the thrusters, thus if you aim the thrusters upward, your craft should then nose upward and begin to climb. With my design of a blimp, I wish to include the ability to have good 'roll' thus I enabled the fan thrusters to have independent attitude control to enable the thrusters to act like 'powered ailerons'. The rudder is moderate in size and is a single control surface. This is required as the vehicle is designed to be controled at extremely low speeds.
The flaps which are not visible are effective and basically act to slow the vehicle down, which come in great during landings. Use of two or more clicks of flaps will enable a nice semi-VTOL take-off.
This model passed all testing in WinXP in FS2004. I cannot be held responsible if this program does anything to your system.
The concept is property of William Ortis, Lionheart Creations Ltd, but you are welcome to repaint the textures. I only ask that you mention me as the designer.
If you have any questions or problems, please feel free to contact me . My email is;
