When considering a major combat situation where troops
and armoured vehicles are required on the battlefield as
soon as possible after landing, the loading, exact
positioning, and securing of heavy duty vehicles within
the airship’s cargo bay, but especially tanks, or
armoured vehicles is crucial to the deployment time at
the drop zone. The payload area has been designed in
shape of a “tunnel” in order to provide drive on - drive
off, facilities in one straight line. This feature is
further assisted by the positioning of unloading doors,
at either end of the craft, ensuring that the maximum
time for vehicle unloading is the time that it takes a
vehicle to drive the hundred and sixty metres from the
most central position, then down the ramps, and straight
into the drop zone.
The area designated to accommodate infantry troops, and
other military personnel is located above the vehicle
and equipment-holding area thus providing a protective
feature consisting of two helium filled Kevlar-like
composite strut floor panels, over which are placed
reinforced floors of same material. The personnel have a
choice, where they wish to go, and spend the flight
time, but above all a means of reassurance that should
the airship be hit from below, the equipment and
material positioned below them shall provide an
effective life saving measure in blocking most
projectiles, even of smaller missile type, reaching
them.
Upon landing, they can either disembark together with
their vehicles, depending upon whether they are tank
crew, APC crew, truck drivers, etc., or if infantry,
they can disembark straight from the craft on foot, via
inflatable slides, or simply on the top of the exiting
vehicles. In areas of extreme risk where speed is
essential and surprise is paramount it is possible for
the craft to land, the troops to enter their vehicles
and the drop doors for each armoured vehicle to be
disengaged totally upon actual contact with landing
zone. These are “panels” located within the actual floor
of the payload area that are put there initially for
safety purposes where it may be decided to drop out a
single tank, or an armoured vehicle to avoid disaster in
emergency procedures, in an instance where every other
protective and healing feature in the safety chain would
fail. Another use of this system is that if one were to
land directly in the mid of a battle zone under fire,
the airship can unload all of its cargo within one
millisecond upon touch down, take off in “jump” fashion,
leaving the troops in their vehicles, on the ground,
battle ready, from the first second of exposure.
The job of a designer of such craft is to provide
multiple options so that the battlefield commander can
then make his own choices from the selection available
and take full advantage of any situation. One can only
formulate strategy if one has at least some options.
The
airship withstands not one, but even several missile hits. This
defensive measure is achieved by the use of the segmental, and
modular (patent pending) designs for the construction of the Hull.
Even if all other defensive measures that autonomously guard the
airship against missile hits, by performing various special
manoeuvre sequences fail, this airship will survive several direct
hits dependant upon the actual payload carried at the time of the
impact. In such an instance, the self-sealing mechanism of the
airship instantly kicks in and attempts to mend the damage, (for the
time being), by sealing the orifices created in the hull. However,
should this system fail, just as all the others, the safety system
incorporates a simple design feature that permits ejection of one,
or any chosen number of heavy load items, from the damaged sections,
which instantly assists in counteracting the effects of damage
caused, enables sustained flight, and permits safe passage towards
any other desired location whereupon repairs are undertaken in a
very short span of time, at worst by simply removing the damaged
segment.
The
design of the airship evolved from the clear principle that in an
instance where one is hit by a missile under an angle close to 45°,
or 90°
from either plane, is highly unlikely, therefore a same sided
triangular cross section was taken as the best start out shape from
which the final product evolved. This was in addition filled with
torpedo-like inflated shapes that fulfil multiple functions, but
above all create individual sealed units, parts of the total volume
of the airship, of which most will always remain in absolute order,
even if something as serious as a missile hit occurs. The same
principle of course applies in the case of the chosen segmental
design.
Designed for military operations, the airship sensors, flight and
telemetric systems, acting together with the counter acting ailerons
(wings), and vectored thrust propulsion units, enable the airship to
sense that a missile has been fired from a certain distance, which
will eventually impact the craft in its front, mid, or rear section
in a given span of time. Angle of approach is also taken into
consideration, and automated defence systems override the manual
input without informing the pilot that such operation is about to
take place. The following theoretical sequence is then executed.
While the airship was flying in a straight line at same flight
level, at a speed of 150 km/hour the system sensors have noted a
missile approaching and calculated the approximate hit area on the
craft, the angle from which the missile will impact, and the
approximate time remaining till impact in milliseconds.
This calculation is then used to determine how much time will be
required to execute the best from the range of available defence
manoeuvres depending upon the exact position, angle, and velocity of
the airship. The flight systems remain in standard flight mode,
permitting the pilot to fly the airship as if nothing irregular was
taking place, but shortly before the calculated impact the automated
defence mode kicks in, and executes an instant evasive manoeuvre.
This can be for instance any of the following special manoeuvres.
The missile was going to hit the front section - the systems execute
airship full stop at the same level, thus achieving that the missile
has no time to redirect itself due to the apparent velocity
difference of itself and the airship. The missile was going to hit
the underside of the back section - the systems execute a full stop,
and a 45 degrees turn around horizontal axis just before the impact
is expected to take place. The missile passes by upwards.
The
airship is travelling at one level in a straight line, at maximum
velocity, while a missile was fired from a fighter jet approaching
at the same, or similar level. The missile was going to hit the back
section of the airship under slight angle, causing maximum damage,
as it would pass through many sections at once - the systems
calculate its approach speed, time of impact, and approximate area
of impact. Upon this, the automated defence systems execute a jump
up one flight level, or down one flight level depending upon the
calculated angle difference from horizontal mid cross section plane
through the airship. This is achieved by using maximum output of the
engines, and instant deflection, (upwards or downwards), of all four
ailerons in an exact time sequence. Other preventative and defensive
measures are also available, which reduce even more the likelihood
of the craft being selected as a target - these are restricted to
public.
