Do people fly R/C Zeppelins?

[FatJeff]

I've got a keen interest in Zeppelins for some reason. I think they're just really, really cool. I wonder if there are any R/C scale Zeppelin kits out there? And if there are, does anyone fly 'em?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Majortomski]

Jeff welcome to the LTA world. Specifically No there are no R/C kits of rigid airships. And yes a gentleman in England built a beautiful huge R/C version of the R-100. The major drawback with a rigid over the blimps the most of us fly is the weight of the structure. It's a lot easier to inflate a 10 pound plastic bag then to get the gas pressures right in a frail built up tube.
HTH

tom

[Lone Yankee]

Howdy!

The primary reason for a stiff-frame zep is aerodynamics. It is very difficult to get that cigar shape with a gasbag. For our miniature size ships that advantage is even more difficult to achieve. A good rule of thumb is that one ounce of weight requires one cubic foot of helium to lift. So, adding a frame to you blimp adds more weight so you need more helium so you have to make the blimp bigger which adds more weight.... You get the idea. For "living room" flying I gave up on the rigid frame idea and use a straight gasbag. If you can find a solution, though, you will be a legend in your own time!

-LY.

[BryanHarstad]

To get the rigid shape, with out the extra weight, has anyone every tried to us some type of internal fabric/plastic baffel, or even some internal threads that hold the sides into a more apropriate shape.

[WillowPtarmigan]

Bump. I thought of something. When I see an inflated RC blimp, it leaves creasing. Maybe if I do it correctly, I can make it look like a dirigible. From there I can make a RC dirigible, that is 5 to 7 feet in length.