Airship docking station

摘要

An airship docking station includes one or more sources of relatively high speed airflow to facilitate landing an airship in turbulent or gusting air conditions. The sources of airflow are arranged to produce an envelope of airflow over the surface of the airship to stabilize the airship as it lands and is moved into a docked position where it can be secured. The docking station allows an airship to land with reduced or eliminated risk of damage to the airship, payload or ground personnel injury compared to current methods in use. The docking station and method thus ensure more consistent wind conditions adjacent the docking station. Protection from buffeting by gusting winds also facilitates automated or semi-automated airship landing with fewer or no ground personnel.

主权项

1. A docking station for an airship, comprising: a docking apparatus for securing a leading portion of the airship; and
one or more sources of airflow arranged adjacent the docking apparatus to provide airflow that bounds a volume sized to receive a portion of the airship; where the docking apparatus includes a frame that is pivotable about a generally vertical axis, and the sources of airflow are connected to the frame for pivotable movement with the frame.