Recently though, logistics and manufacturing experts in Canada have started to speculate that dirigibles might be able to help them out in the peculiar strictures of far northern Canada. Lockheed Martin's P-791 Airship on its first flight. Only 20 percent as fast as a jet at best, not perceptibly swifter than well-established, high-capacity train, ship, or truck services, and burdened by low maneuverability in weather conditions, airships have never been able to find an ideal economic niche. But these past sales pitches always fell short, because much as it may pain airship advocates to admit, dirigibles were slated to fail on the transit market. Since the mid-1900s, every few years someone comes forward to talk about the historic fuel efficiency provided by the crafts’ buoyancy, the cargo capacity of massive gondolas, or the sturdiness of new aerodynamic designs (filled with non-reactive helium rather than the Hindenburg’s explosive hydrogen).
It’s worth acknowledging that this isn’t the first time folks have tried to revive airships. And it seems like this phoenix-like rebirth of everyone’s favorite forgotten tech might just begin in the Canadian north. This resurgence will be fueled not by impractical nostalgia or fandom, but by incredible advances in airship technology that have made these craft both immeasurably safer than their predecessors, and perfect vessels for certain niche conditions. Yet despite decades of relegation to roles as tourist attractions or advertising gimmicks, airships may be on the verge of a comeback.
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