Thermal updraft

[Lowaltitudephoto]

I just starting flying gliders this year, large 10 foot ones. One of the issues gliders sometimes run into is a strong thermal updraft (boomer they call them). There is alot written about how to get out of them as they can be strong enough to put your aircraft out of sight. Probably not a problem at 500 feet and below, but just curious if it ever affects the blimps.

[Guga]

I caught a thermal with a 10 meter blimp that exausted my fuel trying to get out off it...
After the fuel was gone in my tree engines... I deflated the envelope... witch still went up at a incredible rate...
The deflated envelope is just like a parachute... even though the deflated blimp weighted 15 kilos the deflated envelope area was sufficient to rise in a strong thermal...

Remember... "Blimps Don´t Crash... they Fly Away..." :eek:

I only was abble to retriev it because I had a release roll of 400 meters of strong line to pull it down... (after an hour of terror and stress)
Luckly I was in a unpopulated area... :rolleyes:

I learned a lesson... RC Outdoor blimps shud never go above 30 meters high... mine now have a sensor and a Submarine Horn signaling...dive...dive...dive... so I imediatelly take action if it goes over 30 meter for more that 20 secs... :cool:

[Blimpman]

Never had an issue with thermals been flying for 5 years in the hottest state in the union.
Stop the hype!

[hobbyguy4]

Keep in mind Guga is in Brazil. BTW, an excellent hang gliding location, known for booming thermals. He is definitely in a location primed to strong thermal activity, usually moreso than in the midwest. Let me temper that statement with the knowledge of a strong lake effect up in Michigan as well, often sparking monster thermals in certain locations. I've been hang gliding up at Michigan and Indiana dunes and felt how strong the thermals blow in off the Lake. During soaring flights, some over two hours you notice a large variation in conditions. It is very impressive feeling the instant tempurature change and resulting "elevator ride" once you enter a thermal. Take definite note when entering the strong down draft at the edge of a boomer commonly known as "going over the falls". (thanks for the lesson Bernie W).
Through a little preplanning, we're aware however that conditions we were often flying in indicated the likelyhood of high winds and strong thermals. It would never be a scenario where we would allow a blimp to fly in. Thermals for the most part can be "mostly" avoided through your preflight planning, knowledge of your environment and time of day you are wanting to fly. Notice I said "mostly" avoided. Sometimes things could happen and a strong rogue updraft could blow through. Education of your environment goes a long way. Also, avoiding scenarios right after a front blows through, or during the midday tempurature spikes will help.
I do like the drop line theory. I can see it definitely helping in some emergency applications. Nice "dive horn" concept as well.

[Guga]

Never had an issue with thermals been flying for 5 years in the hottest state in the union.
Stop the hype!

Wel well... only five years...? :)
I begun Blimping in 1996... a little bit more experient... :D
and also flying paragliders in thermal conditions only... :cool:

No Ofense... ;)

[Lowaltitudephoto]

Guga, you have to keep below 30 meters?! That's only about 100 feet. I had visions of nice high flights of 150 meters or more. (oops, I mean nothing more than 400 feet to comply with FAA recommendations).
I do like the idea of the safety line you drop down. Do you, or anyone else, have a description or photo of how those things work? Do you put anything on the end like a little grapling hook or something similar? Rather than the sub horn, I had given thought to using a Picolario, used mostly by glider flyers. http://www.picolario-usa.com/2.%20Ebene%20Picolario/Picolario1_page.htm It would give you an indciation of altitude, and whether you were in a climb or not. Of course, I won't need one if I have to stay under 100 feet.

[tomp999]

Hi Guga!
About that 30ft blimp pic from when you flew in Vegas back in '98, it looks like a MobileAirships blimp? I have their tail fin "blueprint" for that size fin and I made a set of them, but they looked waaay too small? Did they work Ok for you? I was thinking they might work with a good deal of forward velocity, but I wanted to fly slow.

...and how come in Vegas, you couldn't find a scantily dressed babe to pose with you and the blimp? I kneel and bow in your honor whenever I see your blimps with babes photos :)
Have a good one!
TOMP

[Guga]

Hi Guga!
About that 30ft blimp pic from when you flew in Vegas back in '98, it looks like a MobileAirships blimp? I have their tail fin "blueprint" for that size fin and I made a set of them, but they looked waaay too small? Did they work Ok for you? I was thinking they might work with a good deal of forward velocity, but I wanted to fly slow.

...and how come in Vegas, you couldn't find a scantily dressed babe to pose with you and the blimp? I kneel and bow in your honor whenever I see your blimps with babes photos :)
Have a good one!
TOMP

Yes... that was a Mobile airship... I was flying for training purposes... :cool:

As a matter of fact Tomp... that where a lot of Babes in that roof we used for landing... they were going in and out of the Cassino to take brakes... and they wud stay there watching us flying this Mobile Airship... in the Sky of Vegas...
But unfortunately we did not take any pictures of the Babes the 4 days we stayed there... :rolleyes:

Just this one picture from the Babes at the local Hooters... hehehehe :D

[Guga]

Guga, you have to keep below 30 meters?! That's only about 100 feet. I had visions of nice high flights of 150 meters or more. (oops, I mean nothing more than 400 feet to comply with FAA recommendations).
I do like the idea of the safety line you drop down. Do you, or anyone else, have a description or photo of how those things work? Do you put anything on the end like a little grapling hook or something similar? Rather than the sub horn, I had given thought to using a Picolario, used mostly by glider flyers. http://www.picolario-usa.com/2.%20Ebene%20Picolario/Picolario1_page.htm It would give you an indciation of altitude, and whether you were in a climb or not. Of course, I won't need one if I have to stay under 100 feet.


Dear LowAltitudePhoto...

The Gadget I made for retrieving is very simple... :)

It is only a Spool rolled up with aprox 400 meters of line in it...
This Spools stays inside of a compartment box inside the gondola bottom...
A servo controls the door opening...once the door is open...(by the pilot woken by the Horn)
the whole Spool drop from the gondola leaving the line tied down to 3 diferent points in the gondola and the envelope...
As the Spool drops rolling down it is realeasing the line...
As it hits the ground it continues releasing the line because the inertia...
the line released on the ground weaves thru every obstacle it encounters... thus anchoring the Blimp...
All one got to do is...get the Spool and rollup the line again unweaving thru any obstacle it weaved thru...

For blowing the Submarine Horn... I used a modified Paraglider Vario (set between 30 and 50 meters) that triggers a solenoid blowing the Stupid German Submarine Horn...
Ahrruaaa...Ahrruaaa... Dive... Dive... Ahrruaaaa...Dive... :D

The word DIVE... DIVE... DIVE..(as the horn Ahrruaaa blows) it is Sung by me and the 2 helpers just to be in the German character disciplin... :p

Bealieve me it caughts all attentions imediately... and customers love it... ;)

Simple and ingenious Huh? :cool:

[Lowaltitudephoto]

Yes Guga, very ingenious! There are electronics out there that will maintain preset atltitudes for you. From one of the manufacturers I deal with on my helicopters, there is a system that stabilizes the helo in pitch and roll. He is adding an altitude stabilization systemto this avionics package that I would think could be adapted to the blimps. Not sure how important that is for those that use it, but I can imagine some benefits for it. With the time some of you spend in the air, it could help reduce some pilot work load. There are some very sophisticated electronics that are coming to market, great time to be involved in RC. I used to work on automatic flight control systems for full sized helicopters and some of the electronics systems rival their capabilities.

[powerblimp]

hi guga
how was the flights conditions in las vegas not too windy place?

could be nice to have one airship full time over there do you think it will be a good business..
too cold now in switzerland!

cheers phil

(about rope i use exacly the same system simple and very effective)

The Gadget I made for retrieving is very simple... :)

It is only a Spool rolled up with aprox 400 meters of line in it...
This Spools stays inside of a compartment box inside the gondola bottom...
A servo controls the door opening...once the door is open...(by the pilot woken by the Horn)
the whole Spool drop from the gondola leaving the line tied down to 3 diferent points in the gondola and the envelope...
As the Spool drops rolling down it is realeasing the line...
As it hits the ground it continues releasing the line because the inertia...
the line released on the ground weaves thru every obstacle it encounters... thus anchoring the Blimp...
All one got to do is...get the Spool and rollup the line again unweaving thru any obstacle it weaved thru...

For blowing the Submarine Horn... I used a modified Paraglider Vario (set between 30 and 50 meters) that triggers a solenoid blowing the Stupid German Submarine Horn...
Ahrruaaa...Ahrruaaa... Dive... Dive... Ahrruaaaa...Dive... :D

The word DIVE... DIVE... DIVE..(as the horn Ahrruaaa blows) it is Sung by me and the 2 helpers just to be in the German character disciplin... :p

Bealieve me it caughts all attentions imediately... and customers love it... ;)

Simple and ingenious Huh? :cool:[/QUOTE]

[Guga]

[QUOTE=powerblimp]hi guga
how was the flights conditions in las vegas not too windy place?

could be nice to have one airship full time over there do you think it will be a good business..
too cold now in switzerland!

cheers phil

(about rope i use exacly the same system simple and very effective)

Hi Phil...
Las Vegas in the winter time for 4 days the wind was very calm... :cool:
The only bad thing for us... is that we had to land on top of a 3 store building in a parking lot... and when one of the engines died one time... we had a bad time on the final aproach to land in the elevated parking lot... :eek:

Las Vegas is the Place to be for Blimps... when the weather permits...
There are clients for all over...Indoor and Outdoor...
I flew many times Indoors there...

If you have the guts (courage) and will to start a business there... I wud go with you... and betting all our money...
Most Americans do not Like to live in the City... because it is a Sin City... and to raise family maybe is not so good...

But for us (old Bombardiers) with grown up kids and nothing to loose... it wud be a good Business with no doubts...

Santee Guga...
:rolleyes:

[Guga]

But you know...
There is one very dangerous thing in Las Vegas... :confused:
You Make Money all right... :cool:

Sont les Femes...
They take all the money you make... :eek:

[enriqueeeee]

But you know...
There is one very dangerous thing in Las Vegas... :confused:
You Make Money all right... :cool:

Sont les Femes...
They take all the money you make... :eek:

I love hooter gurls when i was in calgary when i was 16 i took a picture with them i had the biggest smile ever :D

[Kernwrech]

Thermal updrafts occur even in the coldest regions. Updrafts may also occur when a strong wind is pushing against a high slope of a hill (marvelous place to fly RC gliders ;) ). In summertime temperatures here rarely exeed 20°C (68°F), but there are thermal updrafts that have taken many free flying glider planes of mine (Never heard of them again, although I had my phone number and adress written on them). So when you consider that an updraft can take 300gram glider with limited wingspan and lift it several meters per seccond, What do you think would happen to almost zero weight blimp with huge surace area?

That's right, bon voyage blimp!

I flew my experimental foil balloon blimp outdoors last summer, and it had one very spectacular breakaway flight. Although I put more weight to it when the sun was heating the gas, an updraft caught it while riding a mast. The nose clamp (nose string tied to a pole) failed and it Almost ran away from me, but luckily was caught by a downward gust of wind which made it to collide with some bushes. The collision cracked the tail fin, which fell free down making the blimp even lighter :eek: Several following collisions made it lose some ballast and the rubber band powering it. By a share strike of luck it's ascend was caught by a tree, where it stuck. I was able to recover the battered airship with little efford. :D The frame and balloon were both in good shape, although I needed to carry out some repairs with the damaged tail fin

I got lucky this time, next time I'll have a BBgun ready for these kind of incidents :)

[powerblimp]

hi guga
wahd do you mean "when conditions permits" it can be very windy?

and is there any blimpguy on the place or even real airships?



cheers phil

(about rope i use exacly the same system simple and very effective)

Hi Phil...
Las Vegas in the winter time for 4 days the wind was very calm... :cool:
The only bad thing for us... is that we had to land on top of a 3 store building in a parking lot... and when one of the engines died one time... we had a bad time on the final aproach to land in the elevated parking lot... :eek:

Las Vegas is the Place to be for Blimps... when the weather permits...
There are clients for all over...Indoor and Outdoor...
I flew many times Indoors there...

If you have the guts (courage) and will to start a business there... I wud go with you... and betting all our money...
Most Americans do not Like to live in the City... because it is a Sin City... and to raise family maybe is not so good...

But for us (old Bombardiers) with grown up kids and nothing to loose... it wud be a good Business with no doubts...

Santee Guga...
:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

[Guga]

hi guga
wahd do you mean "when conditions permits" it can be very windy?

and is there any blimpguy on the place or even real airships?


Some times it gets windy... but 80% of the the time the wind is calm...

There are many Full Size Airships... some times four....
And 4 for a small city like Vegas is a lot... :rolleyes:

[spinbotz]

I was about to ask how a full sized airship with pilot and crew and passengers would fare in an unexpected updraft, what would one do? *even on days that have the look and feel that it's reletively *safe* to fly?

[Kernwrech]

In the past updrafts took many experimental blimps into the heights they weren't designed for. this usually caused the envelope to burst since emergency release valves couldn't keep up with the rise of pressure.

Today the situation is pretty different with better materials and knowledge. Still, there is an existing risk of too fast ascend. Blimps, you see, differ from HTA in a way that keeping them aloft is not the problem, getting them down is :D