Airships to be resurrected

By P.Sunderarajan

NEW DELHI, JUNE 9. A group of Indian scientists have joined an international effort to resurrect airships, which were an important form of transportation of men and material during World War II, but which went into disuse following a major mishap.

With the end of the Cold War, the main aim of the effort is to use it for passenger and freight movement in difficult terrains like hilly areas, which are prone to landslips, for lifting men and material during earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters and for urban management like riot control.

According to the scientists working on the project, which is sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology's Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), the complete design for the airship would be ready by the end of this year and the first prototype could roll out by 2004. Commercial flights could commence three years later.

Mr. Y.S.Rajan, Executive Director, TIFAC, and one of the main person behind the project, said the modern airships would be far safer than those used in the World War II times, considering the rapid advances that have taken place in the areas of guidance systems and avionics in recent years.

They would also be sleeker and carry more weight as newer materials are now available in the wake of developments in the area of composite materials.

Mr. Rajan, who is also technical secretary to Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government, told The Hindu that the airships would also be a cheaper mode of transport compared to the conventional aircraft and helicopters, and at the same time be a more viable alternative, as they would be able to take off and land vertically and thus would not need laying of runways or airstrips. Several airlines have already shown interest in the project, he added.

A group of scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, have been designated as the nodal agency for the project and they are working in collaboration with scientists teams across the country and several industries specialising in composite materials, avionics and other such high tech areas.

The Indian scientists are also in close touch with their counterparts in the U.S., Russia, and Germany, where similar efforts were on to ensure constant sharing of expertise.

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