Friday, August 23, 2013

Undead Techno Memes Strike Northrop Grumman: Lighter Than Air Freight Shipping


Northrop Grumman is looking at the potential of “really large” unmanned airships for commercial freight transport, Tom Vice, president of the company’s Aerospace Systems segment, said in Washington Aug. 20.

Comparing the effect of such a system on air freight to the advent of the 747 freighter in its day, Vice said that while there is “a lot of work to do” on the concept, the company has looked at promising technologies, and said that the company would continue the work — if it does so — in partnership with a large air freight hauler such as FedEx or UPS.

Another company official said that Northrop Grumman would disclose more details of the concept in the coming weeks.
There are some ideas, memes, which seem to act like a bad cold.  They keep coming back again.  Airships seem on the surface like a great idea.  However, it has been tried.  over and over and over and over and over again. Its always failed.

Since its SFnal: "All of this has happened before and all of this will happen again seems damned appropriate.

If we start seeing Boeing, Lockheed and other aerospace veeps start shuffling and moaning "aiiiiirshiiiips" we'll know we're in trouble.

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