Cargolifter Joey
Joey was an airship test vehicle from Cargolifter on the linear scale 1: 8 of the planned Cargolifter CL160 , i.e. with 1/512 of its volume and buoyancy. It served to gain flight experience, to test developments and new materials and to check model calculations. The name Joey is a term used for kangaroo babies . It would have easily found space in the cargo area of the Cargolifter CL160 (or in the bag of its "mother").
technology
Joey is designed as a semi-rigid airship with a very short keel. The total length is 32 m with a diameter of 8 m and a lifting gas volume of 1050 cubic meters. It is driven by two non-adjustable solo motors with a total of 35.2 kW propulsion power. The crew consists of the pilot and, if necessary, a test engineer. Joey can lift a maximum of 147 kg with a dead weight of 827 kg.
The helium gas is housed in 4 gas cells. A small cell of approx. 100 m³ is in the nose, another smaller cell of approx. 100 m³ is also in the stern of the float. In the middle there are two large gas cells of approx. 400 m³ each on the right and left. Because of the gas cells is not for this airship ballonett necessary. In the space between the gas cells, overpressure is generated with fans so that the buoyancy body can compensate for the forces that occur, in particular the bending moments from the banana-shaped tail units and the lead-weighted nose cap. The overpressure inside the envelope is 450 Pa (4.5 mbar). In the middle of the envelope, roughly on its equatorial plane, there is a helium valve on each side. Above the keel are the fans for pressurization and air valves.
The four tail units arranged in a cross shape are connected to one another via a rigid tail unit cross inside the hull. A bumper is attached to this tail unit so that the lower tail unit is not damaged during take-off or landing.
The gondola is attached to the central keel, which is made of tubes made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic . The fore and aft keel are used more for aesthetic reasons. The gondola itself is a welded tubular steel framework.
Use and subsequent whereabouts
The first flight took place on October 18, 1999 on the Cargolifter site in Briesen / Brand (municipality of Halbe ) near Berlin , after Joey had received approval from the Federal Aviation Office (LBA) as a test airship. As a test pilot, the Swede Mats Backlin steered the airship on its maiden flight.
As an airworthy version, Joey was first presented to the public in May 2000. By then, the airship had ascended six times and had also completed flights of up to one hour. In mid-February 2001 the airship had completed its eighth flight; By the end of April 2001, a total of 14 journeys had been documented.
After the insolvency of Cargolifter AG in mid-2002, Joey was auctioned off in October 2003 for 13,500 euros to the businessman Philip Yiin in Malaysia. In 2009, Joey was owned by Marvin Johnson from France, where it is being revised in a hangar in Normandy and is to be certified as an ultralight aircraft.
See also
literature
- Bock, JK / Knauer, B .: Lighter than air: transport and carrier systems . Verlag Frankenschwelle, Hildburghausen 2003, ISBN 3-86180-139-6 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bock / Knauer: Lighter than air: Transport and carrier systems, p. 33.
- ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung (April 10, 2000): Low-flying aircraft: Interview with Mats Backlin
- ↑ Berliner Zeitung (May 18, 2000): 32-meter airship "Joey" made its first public appearance. Aircraft is the forerunner of the large Cargolifter transporters.
- ↑ Der Tagesspiegel (February 19, 2001): Under the clouds the plans are still limitless. Behind the scenes at Cargo Lifter AG, airship engineers sit in craft bunkers. Look for windshield wipers and heating mats.
- ↑ Der Tagesspiegel (February 19, 2001): Luftikus with a class Z driver's license. Cargo lifter pilot Mats Bäcklin drives the test zeppelin "Joey". (Interview with Mats Bäcklin)
- ^ Manfred Griehl: Typenkompass Deutsche Luftschiffe since 1871. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2010, ISBN 978-3-613-03226-2 , p. 116.