New lifter design in progress

[onthecuttingedge2005]

hey Sojourner, are you the same Sojourner from the old lifters group, I use to research with everybody about 10 years ago or so.

How's everything going?

Jerry

[Cloxxki]

Has it been tried to have the "helium balloon" type of counterweight that doubles as power source? Could a light-than-air balloon type structure store charges, as in a battery? It being gas, capacity is bound to be fractional, but then, the weight on earth is zero, so your get a lot for a little. Just hot air is too temperature dependable.
Balloons inside other balloon might allow for interesting form of (electrostatic?) insulation? Seems cool to charge a balloon rather than to just heat or fill it.
Mythbusters had a lead sheet helium balloon, so even metalic (coated) balloons are not unthinkable. Volume is everything. But why use that volume only for lighter-than-air application, is could perhaps be a battery!
Next step would be for the balloon to not only heat from solar power, but also charge, which can in turn power another lifter technology. Would be interesting to keep the whole craft heavier-than-air, but still use the structural integrity, surface and volume of the balloon.

[Paul-R]

Wow! Nice forum look!

Is anyone here done any work in lifter-technology-assisted aircraft?

Yes. Northrop Grummann.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6875095/Electrogravitics-Systemspdf

Paul-R.

[onthecuttingedge2005]

If you want to see the company that is making solid state material for top secret flying vehicles of the next generation then keep your eyes on the companies that manufacture large quantities of Aerogel. specifically the more exotic types of Aerogels made from Carbon Nano-tubes which are in the birth stages of developements.

I am not telling you which companies do this but just what to look for.
it is the rigid bodies that are lighter than air but stronger than diamond are the properties that are required to make dreams come true in space vehicle technology.

give it some nick name like: An~gel(Aero) Foam or even Angel(Aero) Hair (Aero)gel. do you see the strangeness. could it be (((Aero)Nitride)~Gel)

Also, just keep an eye out for large investments in the Aerogel industries both past and future.

Good Luck.
Jerry

[Cloxxki]

I've been looking into aerogels with reasonable weight and still significant structural integrity, but came up with little. Let alone lighter than air. If an aerogel is made that works on par with a soft metal or wood per volume unit, then interesting things could be made, for sure.
For now I mostly see applications in insulation, covers, furnature.

If there are specific grades of aerogel appropriate for high-tech building, I'd be most interested. Just something that is compression resistant (to fill up a hollow beam) would already be mayor. Some hollow carbon structures get foam inserted, aerogel would be the next level. Perhaps outside shells for crafts could be coated aerogels. Thin steel plating goes a long way though.