During the course of the Southern California Aviation Council study on lighter than air it was determined that some form of economic base must be developed for estimation of costs of the airship. The tables are presented

Neumann, R. D.

English

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,;. N 76- 15 0 2 1
_ SOME ECONOMIC TABLES
_ FOR AIRSHIPS
_ Richard D. Neumann*
: ABSTRACT: During the course of the Southern California
_ Aviation Council study on Lighter Than Air it was de-
termined that some form of economic base must be developed
_ for estimatlon of costs of the airship. The tables are
_._ part of this paper.
_ During the course of the first study on lighter Than Air by the
Southern California Aviation Council, Inc. it was determined rather
quickly that little material was available to make a proper economic
: determination of the airship. What doe3 exist is fragmentary, cr
ancient and not applicable.
Application of construction techniques and manpower, materials, power-
plants and personnel if considered in current technology, would leave
the airship as only an anachronism. It was, therefore, essential to
determine some of the characteristics of the airship as it will be in
the immediate future and its method of manufacture, opezation, and
administration.
*Chairman, Lighter Than Air Committee, Southern California Aviation
Council, Inc., Lighter Than Air Technical Task Force, Pasadena,
California, U.S.A.
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: t The following tables were developed and used as guides to the overall
study of the airship's economics We have not provided the entire
study since it is weighted by many conclusions of the SCACI group that
others may not agree with. In determining manufacturing costs the use
3" of cubic displacement was applied rather than cost per pound and ton
of airframe. The latter may also be acceptable and use of both could
_ provide an excellent cross check of the manufacturing economics
Crew costs were not included because SCACI operations and flight
/ people have very definite ideas of what would comprise a crew and what
I would not and these estimates would certainly not agree with what has
been past practice or suggested by airship proponents of late. GSA
and general operational practices are considered closer to seagoing
operations than to air transport, but this too may not agree with pre- '_
_ conceived ideas, and was not included.
. We hope that these tables will act as a guideline and permit further
...._ efforts to go forward to truly pr3vide a reasonable economic basis
upon which the airship can be viewed objectively. One need only
remember that air transportation and global access in hours has only
existed for the 16 years since the jet transport.
_ We have a long way to go in aviation and it may be fitting that the
airship will be among those future advances. Future passenger
_ exposure to the airship will certainly have a bearing on its future,
as profoundly as the ability of the jet to eliminate vibration and
_ give the feeling of living-room comfort at 450 mile per hour speeds.
It has been man's dream and also his major necessity to develop
_ transportation and communications as vital to his well being and sur-
vival. The airship appears to offer massive gains if it can be
_ adequately managed to reduce transportation costs measurably and at
:' the same time provide greater operating fr6edoms and access to cargo
or passengers than any other form we use today, airplanes, truck,
ships, helicopters and barges.
Arguements over _he questions of the handling, mooring survivability
and applications of the airship belie that innate ability that lies
,,ithin the aerospace industry worldwide to solve problems of immense
magnitude and achieve great advances which have led to space, the moon
and now the galaxies. If the economics are correc_ or within reason
then it is necessary to get on with the job and prove It by an
operating product on which further refinements can be made and
determined.
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Some economic tables for airships

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