There are plenty of ways to move cargo around the planet, but none is perfect.
Planes require long quality runways and a lot of ground infrastructure to support their use. Ships are slow and can't travel far inland. Trucks are small.
Now a company from Southern California believes it has a new way of moving cargo that will revolutionize the industry, and change aviation forever.
They're using a zeppelin.
The Aeroscraft is the product of Worldwide Aeros Corp., founded by Igor Pasternak, a Ukrainian who moved to the United States in the 1990s. According to the company, Pasternak found an easy way to control zeppelins in flight, making them a practical way to transport huge loads through the air.
If their plan works, the Aeroscraft will not only change how we move commercial goods, it will make humanitarian relief and military missions easier and more practical. It uses only one third as much fuel as a traditional cargo plane, and doesn't require building airports or roads.
With a 2005 grant of $3 million from the Pentagon's DARPA, Aeros developed the technology, and built a working prototype.
Now they're getting ready for an imminent maiden test flight.
At the Paris Air Show in June, we sat down for an interview with the Aeros Team, including Vice President Shenny Yao and Director of Strategic Finance William C. Feeley.
They explained to us why this is a technology that could change the shipping industry, and how they plan to bring it to the market.
The Aeroscraft will come in two sizes: 66-ton capacity and 250-ton capacity. Its big advantage over a plane is that it takes off and lands vertically.
The key breakthrough came from Igor Pasternak. He devised a method to compress helium, making the ship heavier or lighter when necessary. That way, it doesn't float away as soon as its cargo is unloaded.
Aeros says its ships will be used to transport heavy machinery, like wind turbine blades.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider