Scientist Begins Building Blimp For Northern Cargo

Scientist Begins Building Blimp For Northern Cargo

Monday, August 29, 2011 at 15:14

If one Manitoba scientist has his way – giant blimps will soon be dotting the northern skies.

Barry Prentice of the University of Manitoba says he has begun constructing his own airship, which he hopes one day will transport cargo to remote northern communities.

The gondola is already built and his company is preparing to weld thirteen pieces of metal canvas into place.

Prentice says the craft is quite small at eighty feet in length.

However he says it will still be able to haul two hundred pounds of material and it could get the ball rolling on bigger airships down the line.

“If you have a community of two hundred or five hundred people you can’t bring in a 50-tonne lift airship they don’t need that much material.  They need something more like a five-tonne lift.”

Prentice says the first flight is planned for September.