Can airship, in general, transport oil from place to place?

Question

can this idea happen, if so will it be a cheaper and safer way to transfer oil?

Answer 1

YES an air ship can but it does not have the storage space to transport million of gallons so it would not be cost effective. The US Air force has a refueling airplanes. A ship on water can transport massive amounts of anything almost anywhere in the world at a cheaper price.

Answer 2

A Helium Lift Airship can carry a lot of fuel, and if there is a leak it can spread it all over the countryside. It's also a nice fat, and slow target for an RPG or other unguided missile or grenade launcher. And, there are only 2 countries that have a source of natural helium. Since Helium is so much lighter than air a lot of it left the planet a long time ago.

When the Hindenburg crashed, it was a small loss of life, but a fiery crash that was one of the few accidents every caught on motion picture film. That film was published worldwide, and it ended the career of any Blimp manufacturer. The Hindenburg used the flammable gas hydrogen, and theories abound about its demise. The most likely cause was a lightning hit that charged the skin, painted with aluminum paint. When the wet ropes hit the ground the charge discharged. There were some hydrogen leaks from the gasbags, a normal occurrence. The result was a huge explosion. So many people remember that explosion that few people every wanted to see blimps used again.

Since the United States is one of the countries that has a source of helium the idea of using blimps has been discussed in the past. Helium can't burn; in fact it could replace oxygen and suppress a fire. The Blockbuster and Goodyear blimps have been flying for a long time with no problems, but still the Lighter-Than-Air Airship is an unpopular idea. Hauling fuel across the countryside would set up a situation very similar to the Hindenburg so it would be a poor idea.

In the movie "Stealth" they had a network of blimps that carried aircraft fuel---the most flammable fuel. The idea was to make it possible to make in flight refueling. It takes a lot of fuel to get a military bomber, transport, or jet into the air. Now days when a jet fighter or bomber takes off for a mission, carrying a full bomb load, it takes off without a full fuel tank, and then refuels from a refueling transport as soon as it can. It is easier for the slower transport to lift the fuel than for the jet, with more powerful engines. So this sounds like a good idea, except that in the movie the scale was off. Most jets would need a refueling or two before they could reach one of those blimps. So overall the idea of airborne fuel is not a good one.

Answer 3

A flying Supertanker? Not very practical. To move a heavy large items any greay distance(Oil, troops, tanks, cars, containers) Ships are the best option. To lift it's own weight + a heavy volume cargo like Oil would take a massive Rigid airship 2or 3 times that of Hindenbuirg. While Your Airship would have a speed advantage, the handing dificulties landing & taking off Alone would doom this Idea. Plus the FAA would never go for it.

Answer 4

Think about it, an American oil company flying airships from Kuwait and attempting to by pass countries that hate American capitalism.

One SAM (surface to air missle) coming right up!

Unless we guard it with fighter jets, its not very practical

Answer 5

Not cheaper or safer. Cost too much to ship smaller loads than a tanker ship. Planes crash more often than ships.

Answer 6

No..it just wouldn't be practical as compared to sea going vessels.
The size of the gas envelope would make it completely unruley in anything but dead calm winds.
Just not a practical idea.

Answer 7

not realistically, to heavy to be profitable