Why doesn't anyone want to make passenger zeppelins or blimps?

Question

Yes, I know about what happened with the Hindenburg and I know that blimps and zeppelins are not the fastest things in the air, but why couldn't they make touring blimps or zeppelins so people can just enjoy the views? It might be a little cheaper than driving or flying across the country. And with technology the way it is today, a blimp or zeppelin can be made better and SAFER than Hindenburg was.

Answer 1

its just way pricy all the gas that goes into the the top part and the fuel to move it costs alot and people are still scared about the hindenburg

Answer 2

No one makes them because there is no passenger demand. Never mind the safety issue. They are simply far too slow even if they were the safest form of travel ever invented.

A blimp flies at 35-50mph. Even if we're optimistic and assume that it can do a steady 50mph, a 1,000 mile trip would require 20 hours. A commercial jet can do it in under 3 hours. It is improbable that a blimp would be cheaper given that they would have to spend nearly 7 times longer to make the trip. It is also improbable that there are enough passengers who will spend 20 hours traveling when they can do it in three. Otherwise, why are long-distance passenger trains such a failure in the US? If there were large numbers of people who want a slow, relaxing trip with great views, then Amtrak would be a huge success.

Even the 20-hour estimate assumes good weather along the entire route. Commercial jets can fly over thunderstorms. Blimps cannot.

Answer 3

Well someone does make passenger Zeppelins and the company is called Zeppelin. The airship is called Zeppelin NT has 12 passenger seats and a bathroom. Have a look at all the articles about the Zeppelin lately http://airshipworld.blogspot.com/search/... it flew July and August over London and is now doing a multiple day cruise from England through France, Belgium and the Netherlands. There is a Zeppelin regularly flying over Lake Constance in Germany and one in Japan. The new Zeppelin that flies to the Netherlands is then put on a ship and transported to the US and will be based in San Francisco. So they are there and the production of the next Zeppelin is already planned. Check out Airship Ventures the company that will operate the Zeppelin in North America http://airshipventures.blogspot.com/

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Andreas G

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Editor of Airshipworld

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Answer 4

Way to expensive maintaining hydrogen/helium levels and fuel for the engines is very expensive anyways blimps and zeppelins are too slow and people wouldn't like spending very long periods of time in something that could explode

Answer 5

Zeppelin's are making a come back. Check out this article in the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/world/...

And then there's the "Cloud" airship hotel: http://www.popsci.com/aeros/article/2006...

p.s. Are you sure you know what happened to the Hindenburg? Did you know the skin of the craft was covered in solid rocket fuel and a spark probably set it off? That's likely why it burned so rapidly (in seconds). The burning of the hydrogen was a secondary effect.

Answer 6

To slow

Answer 7

The Hindenburg crash had such a jolting effect on public attitudes that most interested parties have assumed that the public would reject any further attempts to promote lighter-than-air travel. It would be too difficult to explain safety issues to the public and the risk of losing money would be too great.

Additionally, the capacity of lighter-than-air aircraft is very limited and they travel very slowly.  There really wouldn't be any advantage over taking a ship over water for transoceanic crossings, or taking land-based transportation over land.

Answer 8

Well, when you think about. When someone ask you how are you gonna get across the country, the first thing that pops into your head is airplane, not blimps.

Personally, I wouldn't take a blimp because it's slower and there's no bathroom...lol.

[edited]

oh wait, I'm thinking of hot air balloon.....

Answer 9

Because they are at the mercy of the weather. They cannot fly during storms, even with new technology. Also they cannot take as many passengers as a jet yet they need a bigger crew that would get paid more due to its size.

And if you want to enjoy the view, take the train. It is almost as fast anyway. Amtrak across the USA will  give you all the view you ever want to enjoy.