AIUI the problem is the economics are pretty unfavorable for smaller-scale prototypes due to square-cube issues (drag and thus fuel costs is proportional to cross-sectional area, lift and thus cargo capacity is proportional to volume). You'd need a very big airship to get a competitive economic niche between sea and traditional air freight, where you're faster and more flexible than sea transport and cheaper than traditional air freight.
I'd be down for a future of awesome looking ships and giant zeppelins gracing the sky.
I'd love to fly in a Zeppelin, too, but the problem is they are very vulnerable to the weather.
AIUI the problem is the economics are pretty unfavorable for smaller-scale prototypes due to square-cube issues (drag and thus fuel costs is proportional to cross-sectional area, lift and thus cargo capacity is proportional to volume). You'd need a very big airship to get a competitive economic niche between sea and traditional air freight, where you're faster and more flexible than sea transport and cheaper than traditional air freight.
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To date, they've achieved a very high level of advancement in making a new airship that looks like a butt. Sir Mixalot would be proud.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=airship+t...
Soon we’ll need to provide proof-of-age just to look up at the sky.
I feel like I've seen that same thing for 20, 30 years now, lol
A very recent xkcd touched on this:
https://xkcd.com/3298/