Lighter-than-air craft docking system using unmanned flight vehicle
View Patent ↗A hydrogen airship for efficiently transporting hydrogen from where it can be economically made to where it is most needed using specially designed airships. Hydrogen can be delivered from the place where it is produced to the place where it is needed using an airship in which the hydrogen gas can also be used for generating lift, providing propulsion energy and serving ancillary needs. A unique docking system can use a remotely piloted unmanned aircraft flown from the mother craft to carry a guide line into a receiving attachment point.
1. A docking system for a lighter-than-air ship comprising a landing vehicle that carries a guide-line and is adapted to be launched from said lighter-than-air ship; a landing-site line-receiving device adapted to receive said landing vehicle and said guide-line allowing said lighter-than-air ship to be tethered to said landing-site; wherein said landing vehicle is a launched projectile and said landing-site line-receiving device attracts said projectile magnetically.
2. The docking system of claim 1 wherein said landing vehicle is a remotely piloted drone flight vehicle.
3. The docking system of claim 2 wherein said guide-line includes a fiber optic cable, and said landing vehicle is remotely piloted via communication over said fiber optic cable.
4. The docking system of claim 2 wherein said lighter-than-air ship communicates with said landing vehicle wirelessly.
5. The docking system of claim 2 wherein said lighter than-air ship communicates with said landing vehicle by radio.
6. The docking system of claim 2 wherein said guide-line includes an electrical cable, and said landing vehicle is remotely piloted via communication over said electrical cable.