Walrus HULA
Encyclopedia
The Walrus HULA was a proposed Hybrid Ultra Large Aircraft. The goal was to create an airship
capable of traveling up to 12,000 nautical mile
s (about 22,000 km) in range, while carrying 500-1000 ton
s of cargo
. In distinct contrast to earlier generation airships, the Walrus HULA would be a heavier-than-air vehicle and would generate lift through a combination of aerodynamics
, thrust vectoring
, and gas buoyancy
generation and management. As of April 2006, the project was in danger of termination. The 2007 Budget request from DARPA called for the termination of work on WALRUS after completion of the current Phase I contracts.
DARPA said advances in envelope and hull materials, buoyancy and lift control, drag reduction and propulsion combined to make this concept feasible. Technologies to be investigated in the initial study phase included vacuum/air buoyancy compensator tanks, which provide buoyancy control without ballast, and electrostatic atmospheric ion propulsion
.
The WALRUS could potentially expand and speed the strategic airlift capability of the United States
substantially while simultaneously reducing costs. However, while such a project has not been seriously attempted before, costs are still uncertain. A smaller scale demonstration was scheduled for 2008, when a small scale version of the WALRUS designed to carry only the capacity of a C-130 Hercules
(i.e., 18,000 kg or about 40,000 lbs) was expected to fly.
The project was cancelled in 2010.
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
capable of traveling up to 12,000 nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (about 22,000 km) in range, while carrying 500-1000 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s of cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
. In distinct contrast to earlier generation airships, the Walrus HULA would be a heavier-than-air vehicle and would generate lift through a combination of aerodynamics
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...
, thrust vectoring
Thrust vectoring
Thrust vectoring, also thrust vector control or TVC, is the ability of an aircraft, rocket or other vehicle to manipulate the direction of the thrust from its engine or motor in order to control the attitude or angular velocity of the vehicle....
, and gas buoyancy
Buoyancy
In physics, buoyancy is a force exerted by a fluid that opposes an object's weight. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus a column of fluid, or an object submerged in the fluid, experiences greater pressure at the bottom of the...
generation and management. As of April 2006, the project was in danger of termination. The 2007 Budget request from DARPA called for the termination of work on WALRUS after completion of the current Phase I contracts.
DARPA said advances in envelope and hull materials, buoyancy and lift control, drag reduction and propulsion combined to make this concept feasible. Technologies to be investigated in the initial study phase included vacuum/air buoyancy compensator tanks, which provide buoyancy control without ballast, and electrostatic atmospheric ion propulsion
Ionocraft
An ionocraft or ion-propelled aircraft, commonly known as a lifter or hexalifter, is an electrohydrodynamic device to produce thrust in the air, without requiring any combustion or moving parts. The term "Ionocraft" dates back to the 1960s, an era in which EHD experiments were at their peak...
.
The WALRUS could potentially expand and speed the strategic airlift capability of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
substantially while simultaneously reducing costs. However, while such a project has not been seriously attempted before, costs are still uncertain. A smaller scale demonstration was scheduled for 2008, when a small scale version of the WALRUS designed to carry only the capacity of a C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
(i.e., 18,000 kg or about 40,000 lbs) was expected to fly.
The project was cancelled in 2010.
Sources
- Defense Industry Daily (Oct 21/05) - US Congressional Budget Office Gives OK to HULA Airships for Airlift. Offers comparisons of the WALRUS HULA with other air and seaborne transport options.
- Defense Industry Daily (Oct 21/05) - WALRUS Heavy-Lift Blimp Getting Off the Ground. DID's focus article offers in-depth and updated coverage of the WALRUS project.
- Defense Industry Daily (July 6/05) - USAF Looking at Near-Space Blimps. A 90-day USAF study has concluded that there is "military utility" in this technology.