Other commentators have demolished the airship as a space launcher, so I will address it as a cargo carrier. The pre-1935 helium airship failed for many reasons that are inherent in the technology:-- the Earth's atmosphere is too thin. Even at sea level the lift from helium, hydrogen, or even pure vacuum requires an enormous volume to lift any significant weight.
-- the air density falls off too rapidly with altitude. An airplane just flies faster in thin air to get the same lift, but the airship loses lift directly with outside pressure. The USN scouting airships had trouble crossing the continental divide in New Mexico, and were limited to about 6000' in simulated combat.
-- the air density varies too much with time. Temperature and humidity changes were not followed by the lifting gas so it was a constant struggle to maintain neutral buoyancy. When helium replaced hydrogen this problem got worse because helium was too expensive to vent. Also, the airship gets lighter in flight due to fuel consumption so you have to condense ballast water from the engine exhaust or scoop it up from the ocean.
-- the winds are too high. Wind speed is a significant fraction of cruising speed and an unexpected wind shift can run you out of fuel.
-- the air is too turbulent. As airships got bigger to enjoy economies of scale, their lengths got close to the scale of updrafts and downdrafts in storms. By the 1930s they were getting broken in half. As low-altitude aircraft, they couldn't fly very far without encountering a weather front.
These new airship proposals usually ignore most of these problems or propose cures that are worse than the problem, like blending in elements of HTA aircraft or helicopters. LTA is a technology that might work on a planet with a thicker and calmer atmosphere than Earth's.
...Quote-- the air density varies too much with time. Temperature and humidity changes were not followed by the lifting gas so it was a constant struggle to maintain neutral buoyancy. When helium replaced hydrogen this problem got worse because helium was too expensive to vent. Also, the airship gets lighter in flight due to fuel consumption so you have to condense ballast water from the engine exhaust or scoop it up from the ocean.This static-lift difference can be solved by pumping gas between highly pressurized container and the main low-pressure airbags. When the airbag is deflated and the helium is in the high-pressure tank, external air takes that volume and the ship is heavier. When the airbag is inflated the external air is pushed out.So no need to use any ballast or vent out helium.
Quote-- the winds are too high. Wind speed is a significant fraction of cruising speed and an unexpected wind shift can run you out of fuel.This can also used as advantage; Design the flight routes so that you are travelling WITH the wind, not against it.
Interesting news continues in this area. It seems Google's Co-founder Sergey Brin is building the world's largest airship at NASA's Moffett Field: http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a26670/more-details-sergey-brin-airship/. Listed uses include humanitarian relief and also doubling as a luxury air yacht. If reusable rockets really get going, I suspect we might see an airship built that could accommodate them inside as well. Brin's design got its start via help from Igor Pasternak, who NSF members may remember as the founder & designer of Aeroscraft. Thus Brin's design features variable buoyancy and even active buoyancy management.
The world's longest aircraft has collapsed to the ground less than 24 hours after a successful test flight.The Airlander 10 - a combination of a plane and an airship - was seen to "break in two" at an airfield in Bedfordshire, an eyewitness said.Owner Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd said it appeared the Airlander broke free from its mooring mast, triggering a safety system which deflates the aircraft.
From the bbcQuoteThe world's longest aircraft has collapsed to the ground less than 24 hours after a successful test flight.The Airlander 10 - a combination of a plane and an airship - was seen to "break in two" at an airfield in Bedfordshire, an eyewitness said.Owner Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd said it appeared the Airlander broke free from its mooring mast, triggering a safety system which deflates the aircraft.Hopefully it's not as bad as it looks.