Helikite
Encyclopedia
The names Helikite and Helikites, are Allsopp's Registered Trade Marks relating to a new type of kite-style aerostat
designed and patented by Sandy Allsopp in England.
The name Helikite relates to a combination of a helium
balloon
and a kite
to form a single, aerodynamically
sound tethered aircraft
, that exploits both wind and helium for its lift. The balloon is generally oblate-spheroid in shape although this is not essential.
Helikites are probably the most popular all-weather, high-altitude, aerostat design in the world. Thousands are operated worldwide, flown over both land and sea.
In all comparative military and civilian trials, Helikites, out-performed all other designs of aerostats for stability in wind, altitude and payload. As a result, Helikites are in use with numerous civilian, research and military organisations worldwide.
Helikites can fly in far higher winds than round balloons, sausage shaped balloons, blimps and most normal kites. Helikites are lighter than air and so also fly without wind. They fly far higher and in far worse weather than normal tethered aerostats and seldom require a ballonet
. They are used for aerial photography
, lifting antennas, radio-relay, advertising, agricultural bird-control, position marking, and meteorology
. The military also use Helikites as jungle marker balloons, for lifting radio-relays, and raising surveillance equipment. A standard military Helikite surveillance system of 34 cu metre volume, will lift twice the payload, to three times the height, in far worse weather than normal blimp-shaped military aerostats of 60 cu metres. Helikites are the only small, practical aerostat system that can lift surveillance equipment above the range of the small arms fire - effectively making Helikites unassailable to most threats.
Size for size, Helikites are by far the most stable tethered aerostat design. This is because the problems of pitch and yaw endemic to other small aerostats are virtually eliminated with Helikites. This pitch and yaw of standard small aerostats is a terrible nuisance for video-surveillance, because the picture is constantly moving and this makes it hard to zoom in. So expensive gyro-stabilised cameras are required for normal small aerostats. Helikites are the only small aerostat capable of successfully lifting non-gyrostabilised cameras as well as gyro-stabilised cameras.
Helikites are lighter than air, however, they also utilise aerodynamic lift in a stable manner when wind is available. Due to their rounder shape, Helikites have a better surface-area-to-volume ratio than blimps so have greater aerostatic lift in no wind. This round shape also eliminates the need for a ballonet in any weather or for altitudes up to 7000ft. Helikites have a spine made of carbon-fibre, so they are a semi-rigid design. In wind, the main aerodynamic lift and also the aerostatic lift on a Helikite is at the front. The spar weight and keel is at the stern, therefore the Helikite of the same size remains stable in far higher winds than comparable blimps. Although they can be made larger if required, the ability of Helikites of any size to cope with high winds also enables them to be very small yet still be very reliable, all-weather platforms. The lack of pitch and yaw movement in high winds makes Helikites very popular with photographers and cameramen.
The solid spars on a Helikite also facilitate the steady attachment of equipment such as cameras, radios, sensors etc.
Helikites have made possible the concept of "personal aerostats" that are small enough for one person to easily operate and yet will fly far higher, and in worse weather, than most huge blimp-shaped aerostats.
Although they are lighter-than-air, Helikites are classified by customs authorities as a type of kite because of their considerable positive aerodynamic uplift in wind. In most winds the aerodynamic uplift is greater than the helium uplift.
Aerostat
An aerostat is a craft that remains aloft primarily through the use of buoyant lighter than air gases, which impart lift to a vehicle with nearly the same overall density as air. Aerostats include free balloons, airships, and moored balloons...
designed and patented by Sandy Allsopp in England.
The name Helikite relates to a combination of a helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
balloon
Balloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
and a kite
Kite
A kite is a tethered aircraft. The necessary lift that makes the kite wing fly is generated when air flows over and under the kite's wing, producing low pressure above the wing and high pressure below it. This deflection also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind...
to form a single, aerodynamically
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
sound tethered aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, that exploits both wind and helium for its lift. The balloon is generally oblate-spheroid in shape although this is not essential.
Helikites are probably the most popular all-weather, high-altitude, aerostat design in the world. Thousands are operated worldwide, flown over both land and sea.
In all comparative military and civilian trials, Helikites, out-performed all other designs of aerostats for stability in wind, altitude and payload. As a result, Helikites are in use with numerous civilian, research and military organisations worldwide.
Helikites can fly in far higher winds than round balloons, sausage shaped balloons, blimps and most normal kites. Helikites are lighter than air and so also fly without wind. They fly far higher and in far worse weather than normal tethered aerostats and seldom require a ballonet
Ballonet
A Ballonet is a air-filled flexible container that is located inside the envelope of a non-rigid or semi-rigid airship. Such an airship can have one or more ballonets, commonly one fore and one aft...
. They are used for aerial photography
Aerial photography
Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...
, lifting antennas, radio-relay, advertising, agricultural bird-control, position marking, and meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
. The military also use Helikites as jungle marker balloons, for lifting radio-relays, and raising surveillance equipment. A standard military Helikite surveillance system of 34 cu metre volume, will lift twice the payload, to three times the height, in far worse weather than normal blimp-shaped military aerostats of 60 cu metres. Helikites are the only small, practical aerostat system that can lift surveillance equipment above the range of the small arms fire - effectively making Helikites unassailable to most threats.
Size for size, Helikites are by far the most stable tethered aerostat design. This is because the problems of pitch and yaw endemic to other small aerostats are virtually eliminated with Helikites. This pitch and yaw of standard small aerostats is a terrible nuisance for video-surveillance, because the picture is constantly moving and this makes it hard to zoom in. So expensive gyro-stabilised cameras are required for normal small aerostats. Helikites are the only small aerostat capable of successfully lifting non-gyrostabilised cameras as well as gyro-stabilised cameras.
Helikites are lighter than air, however, they also utilise aerodynamic lift in a stable manner when wind is available. Due to their rounder shape, Helikites have a better surface-area-to-volume ratio than blimps so have greater aerostatic lift in no wind. This round shape also eliminates the need for a ballonet in any weather or for altitudes up to 7000ft. Helikites have a spine made of carbon-fibre, so they are a semi-rigid design. In wind, the main aerodynamic lift and also the aerostatic lift on a Helikite is at the front. The spar weight and keel is at the stern, therefore the Helikite of the same size remains stable in far higher winds than comparable blimps. Although they can be made larger if required, the ability of Helikites of any size to cope with high winds also enables them to be very small yet still be very reliable, all-weather platforms. The lack of pitch and yaw movement in high winds makes Helikites very popular with photographers and cameramen.
The solid spars on a Helikite also facilitate the steady attachment of equipment such as cameras, radios, sensors etc.
Helikites have made possible the concept of "personal aerostats" that are small enough for one person to easily operate and yet will fly far higher, and in worse weather, than most huge blimp-shaped aerostats.
Although they are lighter-than-air, Helikites are classified by customs authorities as a type of kite because of their considerable positive aerodynamic uplift in wind. In most winds the aerodynamic uplift is greater than the helium uplift.
External links
- Helikites.com
- Allsopp helikites limited - Manufacturer of aerostats