Considerable interest is currently evident in the potentialities of large airships as a means of transporting freight; studies are proceeding at various levels in a number of countries, the two most serious projects in the UK being those under respective development by Cargo Airships Limited and by Airfloat Transport Limited.

Although most proposals concur in envisaging a very large helium-filled vessel cruising at 80 to 110 kt (148-185 km/h) and carrying payloads of up to 500 tons (508 000 kg) there is significant diversity of approach in the selection of fields of application for the airship, and in the establishment of the appropriate design parameters.

This paper, therefore, seeks to indicate some areas of the overall transport spectrum which might be expected to favour airship operation, and discusses some of the problems associated with different modes of operation.

Particular reference will be made to the Airfloat Transport project, which is a vessel with a gas capacity of 30 million ft3 (849 510 m3) intended for the carriage of large indivisible loads over moderate distances.