Cameron D-38

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
D-38
Role Hot air airship
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Cameron Balloons
First flight 25 September 1980 (powered airship)
Number built 4 by early 1984

The Cameron D-38 is a single seat hot air filled airship, designed and built in the United Kingdom in 1980. The D-50 has a larger volume envelope for thinner or hotter atmospheres. Together, their sales reached double figures.

Design and development

Having gained thermal airship (hot air airship) experience with their D-96, the first of its kind and a two to three seater, Cameron next produced the single seat D-38. Its prototype began life and was flown as a hot air kite balloon, which was to have been marketed as the C-38, the -38 stating the envelope volume in thousands of cubic feet. Instead, an engine was added and the D-38 flew for the first time at Ashton Park, Bristol on 25 September 1980.[1]

The D-38 is a

ventral extension. There are three strongly swept stabilizing fins at the rear of the envelope, two horizontal and one vertical. These are inflated with air from the propeller, collected by a projecting scoop and passing along a fabric ventral tunnel.[1]

Tests of the D-38 showed it was not large enough to cope with hot and high environments, so a version with an envelope linearly enlarged by 9.4% and a volume of 50,000 cu ft (1,416 m³) was produced, designated the D-50. As well as being larger, the D-50 had a revised tail, with four almost rectangular, low

aspect ratio surfaces, two vertical and two horizontal. The D-50 first flew on 2 September 1981.[1]

Operational history

Three D-38s appeared on the UK civil aircraft register, all de-registered by 2012.[2] One D-38 remained on the Spanish civil aircraft register in 2010.[3] One D-38 has appeared on the FAA (U.S.A) register.[4]

On 27 August 1982 Ron Taafe in

dirigibles in a D-38: altitude, 10,364 ft (3,159 m); distance, 23.03 mi (37.07 km) and duration, 86 mim 52 s.[1]

Eleven D-50s had been built by the start of 1984.[1] In 2010 there were two on the Spanish register and one on each of the French and German registers; the French example was previously on the UK register.[3] Five have appeared on the UK register, though all are now de-registered.[5] Three have appeared on the FAA register.[6]

Variants

D-38
Original 38,000 cu ft airship, triple, swept tail.
D-50
Larger, 50,000 cu ft version with cruciform tail.

Specifications (D-38)

Data from Jane's All the world's Aircraft 1984-85[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Length: 22.86 m (75 ft 0 in)
  • Diameter: 9.96 m (32 ft 8 in) maximum
  • Height: 15.24 m (50 ft 0 in) including gondola
  • Volume: 1,076 m3 (38,000 cu ft)
  • Empty weight: 180 kg (397 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 345 kg (760 lb) [7]
  • Fuel capacity: 23.6 kg (52 lb) propane in two cylinders
  • Powerplant: 1 × Fuji Robin 250 cc single cylinder
    two stroke
    with V-belt reduction
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Hiway Hang Gliders Ltd 610 mm (24 in) pitch[7], 1.32 m (4 ft 4 in) diameter pusher configuration

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 22 km/h (14 mph, 12 kn)

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0710608012
    .
  2. ^ "D-38 on CAA register". Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-85130-425-0
    .
  4. ^ "D-38 on FAA register". Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  5. ^ "D-50 on CAA register". Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  6. ^ "D-50 on FAA register". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  7. ^ a b "CAA technical data sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-23. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
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