| 摘要 |
Airships and/or balloons having an internal flexible and impermeable membrane, M, within their gas envelopes, E, the lifting gas being contained above the membrane M, while air may be admitted or withdrawn from below the membrane M, preferably by pump P. The variable volume of air contained below the membrane M causing it to rise or to drop as the volume of air is increased or decreased, compressing or decompressing the lifting gas above, so enabling the buoyancy and lifting capacity of an airship, or balloon, to be controlled as appropriate to the payload, operating altitude, rate of ascent or descent, loading and unloading operations and servicing at, or close to ground level. When there is no air in the gas envelope, the membrane is in contact with the lower portion of the gas envelope. The line of attachment, L, of the membrane, M, is horizontal when the airship or balloon is in level flight.
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