Patent attributes
An airship includes a substantially rigid keel with a balloon suspended from a fore of the keel and a balloon suspended from the aft of the keel. Motor booms extend laterally from the keel between the fore and the aft. Motors with propellers thereon are coupled to the end of each motor boom. The balloons are preferably coupled to the keel through cradles which support portions of the balloon above the keel and restrain the balloons to pivoting motion in a fore and aft pitching direction. A deployment system is disclosed including filing of the balloons within balloon deployment bags on the ground, and then opening the bags at time of launch. The keel and other structural elements can be in the form of a truss, rigid hollow cylindrical tubes, or air beams and stressed skin sheets, or combinations thereof. The airship achieves high altitude controlled flight above the stratosphere.
