Airships could resupply artic environments
It's well known in security circles that the melting of Arctic ice is creating a series of new challenges and opportunities for many of the world's Arctic powers - from newly accessible hydrocarbon resources to shorter shipping lanes through the Northwest Passage. But sea travel is not the only route through the Arctic's treacherous terrain. The photo above depicts an "airship" developed by the British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles and ordered by Canada's Discovery Air Innovations to service Canadian mines in the far north of the country.
According to Keith Barry, the ship is capable of lifting 50 tons and can deliver its freight to frigid and inaccessible climes at a quarter of the cost of the alternatives. And if you're worried about a Hindenburg redux, don't. "New ships have rigid envelopes that eliminate the need for a frame, and they are filled with nonflammable helium. Hybrid aircraft can even be heavier than air, taking off like a conventional airplane and landing softly like a hovercraft," Barry writes.
(Image: Discovery Air Innovations)
