Very Lightweight High Tenacity Fabric for High Altitude Airships

There is currently a need for long duration high altitude platforms for various surveillance applications. High Altitude Airships (HAA) can fill this need for a persistent, long-term surveillance capability but currently available materials are not strong and light enough for a practical HAA. The deployment of High Altitude Airships require the development of new materials with very high strength to weight ratios that meet the unique requirements of an airship operating in the stratospheric environment for long duration missions. The objective of this Phase II research project is to continue the development of a novel very light weight high tenacity fabric and the related manufacturing and design technology needed to produce HAA flight vehicles from the high tenacity fabric. In Phase I, feasibility of a materials system meeting most of the technical requirements of a HAA was demonstrated as was the probability of cost effective production of the fabric, of seaming the materials and other related technology for constructing a working HAA from the high tenacity fabric. Phase II research will continue to develop and improve the high tenacity fabric and firmly establish the manufacturing technology to successfully build and deploy HAA with the fully developed high tenacity fabric.