STORY
In 1983 two high school friends, Jay Godsall and Michel Rugema, attended an African diplomatic lunch for landlocked countries, hosted in Ottawa. Michel was trying to help Jay expand his lawn mowing business in the embassy community and it was supposed to be a simple intro meal. Halfway through lunch, a diplomat from Burundi named Ladislas suggested that central Africa is the harshest place in the world for transport, but that landlocked Africa could be the land of opportunity if they could only get a transport system. Jay countered that Canada is the harshest place in the world for transport, explaining that Canada invented the bush plane and has the most advanced remote area logistics entrepreneurs. He then did what entrepreneurs often do: he offered to help fix the problem.
It was a departure from mowing lawns, but Jay's dad, grandfather, and cousins were involved with bush planes and remote area businesses, so he suggested to the diplomats that he and Michel could talk to some people about creating an aircraft to solve the problem.
They didn't think it would take 30 years, but after several challenging starts, Jay founded Solar Ship Inc. in 2006 to build aircraft that fly anywhere without the need for fuel, roads or infrastructure. Since 2006, Solar Ship has recruited world leaders in aviation, energy, logistics, advanced materials, finance, and remote operations.
It was a departure from mowing lawns, but Jay's dad, grandfather, and cousins were involved with bush planes and remote area businesses, so he suggested to the diplomats that he and Michel could talk to some people about creating an aircraft to solve the problem.
They didn't think it would take 30 years, but after several challenging starts, Jay founded Solar Ship Inc. in 2006 to build aircraft that fly anywhere without the need for fuel, roads or infrastructure. Since 2006, Solar Ship has recruited world leaders in aviation, energy, logistics, advanced materials, finance, and remote operations.
Caracal Aircraft Program – Mission set by Mission Aviation and Flying Doctors of Africa
Wolverine Aircraft Program – Mission set by Manaf Freighters and Royal Canadian Air Force veterans
MOB-FOB – Mission set by Canadian peacekeeping veterans
Powerstat – Mission set by African peacekeeping veterans working on anti-poaching
Teepee Hanager – Mission set by African peacekeeping veterans working on rapid deployment FOB
Mobile Aerostat – Mission set by African peacekeeping veterans working on rapid deployment FOB
Wolverine Aircraft Program – Mission set by Manaf Freighters and Royal Canadian Air Force veterans
MOB-FOB – Mission set by Canadian peacekeeping veterans
Powerstat – Mission set by African peacekeeping veterans working on anti-poaching
Teepee Hanager – Mission set by African peacekeeping veterans working on rapid deployment FOB
Mobile Aerostat – Mission set by African peacekeeping veterans working on rapid deployment FOB
CARACAL AIRCRAFT PROGRAM
Mission: To build a short take-off and land electric bush plane. Mission set by Mission Aviation and Flying Doctors of Africa
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
- Take-off and land from a soccer field;
- Use no fossil fuels;
- Carry at least 200 kg of medical supplies;
- Fly a distance of 500 km.
In 2004, Jay Godsall approached the University of Toronto (U of T) with a challenge: design an aircraft able to load medical supplies from an international airport and fly to Burundi to help stop an infectious disease pandemic. The mission was not theoretical. The CIA security report for the year 2000 analyzing the greatest threats to the US in the next century had ranked pandemics as one of the primary threats to the US economy. Jay had helped U of T’s Dr. David Naylor write the SARS Report chapter on international interventions to prevent and manage pandemics. A mission was organized to create rapid response to disasters, particularly in the densely populated areas around the Great Lakes of Africa.
To determine the mission’s Top Level Requirements (TLRs), Jay met with the CEO of Mission Aviation Canada at the time, Mark Outerbridge, and the former CEO of AMREF International Scott Griffin with the following mission TLRs: Take-off and land from a soccer field; use no fossil fuels; carry at least 200 kg of medical supplies; with a range of 500 km. A collaboration with U of T and a community of flying doctors in Africa resulted in an initial design and the first delta-wing Mazava ship was born. It had a wingspan of 10m and was initially designed as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). In 2009, the Mazava ship took flight. It flew beautifully under control.
With these encouraging results, the Mazava ship was converted to a piloted aircraft which took flight in March, 2010. It flew bravely, but flew badly. Back to the drawing board. A new cockpit, new motors, new propellers, new control systems. The innovative and hard working team built and tried to fly several designs to overcome the instability problems faced by the delta-wing Mazava ship. By 2011, a new team was recruited to build a new airship wing out of more advanced materials with what was deemed an improved design. They tested in all conditions, from heat waves in summer to the depths of Canadian winter. Then Jay reached out to Matt Heintz, CEO of Zenair, a manufacturer of light kit aircraft, to seek investment and technical support. Zenair agreed to join the mission and provide a new fuselage along with technical support. In June 2012, South African pioneers in electrical engineering and aviation, John Hutchinson and Mark Marshall joined the team. In September, 2012, an 11m wingspan “Zenship” was launched. By October, 2012 Brantford, Ontario pilot Mark Taylor was doing regular circuits with the new aircraft. With these results, Solar Ship found new investors and secured a Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) grant from the government of Canada to build a new aircraft to meet the mission’s TLRs.
In 2013, Solar Ship built the Caracal, a 20m wingspan delta wing built from advanced lightweight fabrics, with new electric motors and custom-designed high-efficiency solar panels. It started its Test & Evaluation (T&E) in autumn 2013 and continued into the cold, dark days of Canadian winter. Pilot Mark Taylor brilliantly learned to master the nuances of flying a delta wing, often landing in powder snow off runway and bundled for warmth without a combustion engine’s heat nearby. Finally, the good weather of May 2014 arrived and the Caracal Aircraft Program increased the pace and frequency of its flights. By July 2014, the Caracal completed its test to take-off and land from a soccer field – a 1.8 tonne loaded aircraft took off and landed from a 100m long soccer field powered by just 2 x 30 kW electric motors. It was a stunning accomplishment. Next on the T&E program was to fly the Caracal from Brantford, Ontario to Ottawa to meet the bosses at SDTC and demonstrate the capabilities of the aircraft. The date was set for September 23, 2014. In late August, the Caracal crashed injuring both Mark Taylor and Mark Marshall. Both pilots had learned to master the buoyant delta wing over more than a hundred test flights. What went wrong? One of the world experts in designing and building airships was invited in to organize an analysis. He conducted a thorough search of all the possibilities, involving experts from various domains. As part of the analysis, a team of retired test pilots from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) were invited to join the team. The conclusion of the team’s findings: while the delta wing provided dramatic capabilities for short take-off and landing, it was inherently unstable.
To determine the mission’s Top Level Requirements (TLRs), Jay met with the CEO of Mission Aviation Canada at the time, Mark Outerbridge, and the former CEO of AMREF International Scott Griffin with the following mission TLRs: Take-off and land from a soccer field; use no fossil fuels; carry at least 200 kg of medical supplies; with a range of 500 km. A collaboration with U of T and a community of flying doctors in Africa resulted in an initial design and the first delta-wing Mazava ship was born. It had a wingspan of 10m and was initially designed as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). In 2009, the Mazava ship took flight. It flew beautifully under control.
With these encouraging results, the Mazava ship was converted to a piloted aircraft which took flight in March, 2010. It flew bravely, but flew badly. Back to the drawing board. A new cockpit, new motors, new propellers, new control systems. The innovative and hard working team built and tried to fly several designs to overcome the instability problems faced by the delta-wing Mazava ship. By 2011, a new team was recruited to build a new airship wing out of more advanced materials with what was deemed an improved design. They tested in all conditions, from heat waves in summer to the depths of Canadian winter. Then Jay reached out to Matt Heintz, CEO of Zenair, a manufacturer of light kit aircraft, to seek investment and technical support. Zenair agreed to join the mission and provide a new fuselage along with technical support. In June 2012, South African pioneers in electrical engineering and aviation, John Hutchinson and Mark Marshall joined the team. In September, 2012, an 11m wingspan “Zenship” was launched. By October, 2012 Brantford, Ontario pilot Mark Taylor was doing regular circuits with the new aircraft. With these results, Solar Ship found new investors and secured a Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) grant from the government of Canada to build a new aircraft to meet the mission’s TLRs.
In 2013, Solar Ship built the Caracal, a 20m wingspan delta wing built from advanced lightweight fabrics, with new electric motors and custom-designed high-efficiency solar panels. It started its Test & Evaluation (T&E) in autumn 2013 and continued into the cold, dark days of Canadian winter. Pilot Mark Taylor brilliantly learned to master the nuances of flying a delta wing, often landing in powder snow off runway and bundled for warmth without a combustion engine’s heat nearby. Finally, the good weather of May 2014 arrived and the Caracal Aircraft Program increased the pace and frequency of its flights. By July 2014, the Caracal completed its test to take-off and land from a soccer field – a 1.8 tonne loaded aircraft took off and landed from a 100m long soccer field powered by just 2 x 30 kW electric motors. It was a stunning accomplishment. Next on the T&E program was to fly the Caracal from Brantford, Ontario to Ottawa to meet the bosses at SDTC and demonstrate the capabilities of the aircraft. The date was set for September 23, 2014. In late August, the Caracal crashed injuring both Mark Taylor and Mark Marshall. Both pilots had learned to master the buoyant delta wing over more than a hundred test flights. What went wrong? One of the world experts in designing and building airships was invited in to organize an analysis. He conducted a thorough search of all the possibilities, involving experts from various domains. As part of the analysis, a team of retired test pilots from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) were invited to join the team. The conclusion of the team’s findings: while the delta wing provided dramatic capabilities for short take-off and landing, it was inherently unstable.
WOLVERINE AIRCRAFT PROGRAM
Mission: To build an electric heavy-lift aircraft to supply remote areas. Mission set by Manaf Freighters and Royal Canadian Air Force veterans.
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
- Take-off and land from unprepared ground or water;
- Use no fossil fuels;
- Carry at least 5000 kg with the ability to carry an ISO 20 foot shipping container;
- Fly a distance of 600 km;
- Fly to an altitude of 3000m
By May 2015, the Wolverine Aircraft Program was launched to develop a cargo plane able to connect cut-off remote areas with global ports. Solar Ship proposed to develop a new air trucking system with a focus on unlocking the Great Lakes region of Africa as the first priority.
Several Canadian bush plane operators were consulted and an agreement with Manaf Freighters operating in Burundi, Kenya and DRC was reached with the following Mission TLRs: Take-off and land from an unprepared field or from water; use no fossil fuels; carry a 20 foot ISO shipping container; fly a distance of 600 km; and climb to an altitude of 3000m. Manaf owns two Douglas DC-3s and the TLRs were aimed at providing an aircraft able to complement the DC-3 and the Basler BT-67.
Solar Ship set to work designing a large Wolverine aircraft. From the outset, the engineering was advancing in collaboration with the veteran RCAF Test & Evaluation team. All engineering assumptions were being tested and evaluated against the mission TLRs. The engineering team built two independent Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) models and ran flight simulations. The T&E team built small prototypes equipped with Data Acquisition Systems (DAQs) and began flight testing. The key to the program was to prove the aircraft was stable prior to scaling it up to carry large loads. Hybrid airships need to balance their Centre of Gravity, Centre of Aerodynamic Lift and Centre of Buoyancy – the latter not being something most aircraft have to consider. Similarly, traditional cigar-shaped airships do not have to manage as much aerodynamic lift as an airplane. To design a true hybrid airship, there are no text books to teach about the ideal balance of forces. T&E using CFD and small prototypes produced a clear pattern showing the original delta wing was not able to overcome stability issues, but a longer, reshaped aircraft could be made stable. The improvements to make the aircraft inherently stable had the added benefit of improving efficiency, allowing the aircraft to consume less energy in flight. The newly shaped aircraft would carry very large loads at very low cost, and it could land amphibiously on both unprepared ground or water, safely and stably.
With a stable, highly controllable aircraft, the Wolverine Program shifted to further maximize operational efficiency. It was clear from the Caracal Program that electric propulsion was far more efficient than combustion and that batteries and solar power were getting better every year. The team knew how to build and operate electric aircraft. The challenge was range – how to get more range from electric aircraft systems.
The problem in remote areas is that importing fossil fuels over great distances to burn in aircraft engines doesn’t makes economic sense.
Electric aircraft can save billions of dollars in operating costs, but the range needed to improve. Since 2010, Solar Ship had been building range extenders (REX) to mitigate electric range concerns, but none had proven to be the answer. Then the team started with a fresh approach to a hydrogen REX. The system was put through more T&E, now with rich databases of all of the operating parameters of the new aircraft. Finally, a breakthrough! An electric aircraft with a hydrogen REX able to outperform any other known aircraft system in terms of cost. The system uses no fossil fuel, as fossil fuel is not available in many remote areas and where available, it is extremely expensive. The new power system finally delivered a low cost, highly efficient, safe stable and controllable aircraft.
With the aircraft design confirmed through test and evaluation, a large scale aircraft could now be built. This would require logistics support and a big hangar.
Several Canadian bush plane operators were consulted and an agreement with Manaf Freighters operating in Burundi, Kenya and DRC was reached with the following Mission TLRs: Take-off and land from an unprepared field or from water; use no fossil fuels; carry a 20 foot ISO shipping container; fly a distance of 600 km; and climb to an altitude of 3000m. Manaf owns two Douglas DC-3s and the TLRs were aimed at providing an aircraft able to complement the DC-3 and the Basler BT-67.
Solar Ship set to work designing a large Wolverine aircraft. From the outset, the engineering was advancing in collaboration with the veteran RCAF Test & Evaluation team. All engineering assumptions were being tested and evaluated against the mission TLRs. The engineering team built two independent Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) models and ran flight simulations. The T&E team built small prototypes equipped with Data Acquisition Systems (DAQs) and began flight testing. The key to the program was to prove the aircraft was stable prior to scaling it up to carry large loads. Hybrid airships need to balance their Centre of Gravity, Centre of Aerodynamic Lift and Centre of Buoyancy – the latter not being something most aircraft have to consider. Similarly, traditional cigar-shaped airships do not have to manage as much aerodynamic lift as an airplane. To design a true hybrid airship, there are no text books to teach about the ideal balance of forces. T&E using CFD and small prototypes produced a clear pattern showing the original delta wing was not able to overcome stability issues, but a longer, reshaped aircraft could be made stable. The improvements to make the aircraft inherently stable had the added benefit of improving efficiency, allowing the aircraft to consume less energy in flight. The newly shaped aircraft would carry very large loads at very low cost, and it could land amphibiously on both unprepared ground or water, safely and stably.
With a stable, highly controllable aircraft, the Wolverine Program shifted to further maximize operational efficiency. It was clear from the Caracal Program that electric propulsion was far more efficient than combustion and that batteries and solar power were getting better every year. The team knew how to build and operate electric aircraft. The challenge was range – how to get more range from electric aircraft systems.
The problem in remote areas is that importing fossil fuels over great distances to burn in aircraft engines doesn’t makes economic sense.
Electric aircraft can save billions of dollars in operating costs, but the range needed to improve. Since 2010, Solar Ship had been building range extenders (REX) to mitigate electric range concerns, but none had proven to be the answer. Then the team started with a fresh approach to a hydrogen REX. The system was put through more T&E, now with rich databases of all of the operating parameters of the new aircraft. Finally, a breakthrough! An electric aircraft with a hydrogen REX able to outperform any other known aircraft system in terms of cost. The system uses no fossil fuel, as fossil fuel is not available in many remote areas and where available, it is extremely expensive. The new power system finally delivered a low cost, highly efficient, safe stable and controllable aircraft.
With the aircraft design confirmed through test and evaluation, a large scale aircraft could now be built. This would require logistics support and a big hangar.
OPERATING BASES (MOB-FOB)
Mission: To build infrastructure needed to connect remote areas to the global economy. Mission set by Canadian peacekeeping veterans.
Main Operating Base (MOB) Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
Forward Operating Base (FOB) Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
Main Operating Base (MOB) Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
- MOB able to accommodate permanent operations for living and working
- Operate with connections to electricity, fiber optic cable, international airport
- Workshop with tools to provide MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) to transport and logistics technologies
Forward Operating Base (FOB) Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
- Operate with without fossil fuel or electrical grid
- Self-reliant internet connection to MOB using aerostats or other wireless technologies
- Hangar able to accommodate buoyant technologies
- Hangar door able to accommodate Wolverine aircraft and Chui aerostat
- Self-reliant power: solar, wind, hydro, hydrogen
- Workshop with tools to provide basic maintenance and repair for transport and logistics technologies
- Accommodations for temporary living – dorms, food services and for hosting visitors
- Workspace for mission team
In 2016, Solar Ship brought senior RCAF veterans to Africa to develop the operations strategy for unlocking the Great Lakes region of Africa. This is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with mountainous terrain and frequent armed conflicts. The RCAF designs systems for the Arctic and for peacekeeping missions into some of the most challenging environments in the world, and these veterans were asked to design a logistics system to support the Wolverine aircraft.
It starts with a Main Operating Base (MOB) located in an area connected with the global economy and with permanent infrastructure providing with global services including electricity, internet and an airport capable of receiving large cargo deliveries such as from a C-130 transport or jumbo jet. The MOB needs to have a hangar large enough to house a Wolverine aircraft: a building 70m long, with a door 50m wide by 20m tall. For remote Africa, the MOB would need sufficient power to enable operations in the case of a blackout.
The Wop May Hangar, named for a Canadian pioneer in bush aviation, was designed and built in Canada in 2016 with 50 kW of solar power. Solar Ship launched a subsidiary called PowerCamps to develop a new breed of large scale buildings able to provide a MOB in remote areas.
Forward Operating Bases (FOB) are needed to create a logistics network able to service more remote areas such as Great Lakes Africa. The FOB provides a low cost, low maintenance operating base able to provide a link between the MOB connected to the global economy, and the remote economy disconnected from the rest of the world. If a ship has a range of 600 km, the FOB can be located 600 km from the MOB; the FOB then can service points of need 300 km away and return to the FOB.
A MOB-FOB network is needed to service an area with no reliable infrastructure. The Wolverine aircraft provides the transport, the MOB-FOB network provides the logistics. Logistics includes shelter, electricity and communications.
With the technology to create a MOB complete, the Solar Ship team started working more closely with South African partners to determine how to create a low cost, rapid deployment FOB. This was seen as the key to unlocking remote Africa and connecting Africa’s interior with its ports, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to South Africa. South African partners pointed out that the movement toward Smart Cities was becoming well understood, but most of Africa is villages, not cities – if one could design a Smart Village as the FOB, this could unlock great potential. Critical to making the MOB-FOB network “Smart” was to deliver low cost, broadband connectivity.
It starts with a Main Operating Base (MOB) located in an area connected with the global economy and with permanent infrastructure providing with global services including electricity, internet and an airport capable of receiving large cargo deliveries such as from a C-130 transport or jumbo jet. The MOB needs to have a hangar large enough to house a Wolverine aircraft: a building 70m long, with a door 50m wide by 20m tall. For remote Africa, the MOB would need sufficient power to enable operations in the case of a blackout.
The Wop May Hangar, named for a Canadian pioneer in bush aviation, was designed and built in Canada in 2016 with 50 kW of solar power. Solar Ship launched a subsidiary called PowerCamps to develop a new breed of large scale buildings able to provide a MOB in remote areas.
Forward Operating Bases (FOB) are needed to create a logistics network able to service more remote areas such as Great Lakes Africa. The FOB provides a low cost, low maintenance operating base able to provide a link between the MOB connected to the global economy, and the remote economy disconnected from the rest of the world. If a ship has a range of 600 km, the FOB can be located 600 km from the MOB; the FOB then can service points of need 300 km away and return to the FOB.
A MOB-FOB network is needed to service an area with no reliable infrastructure. The Wolverine aircraft provides the transport, the MOB-FOB network provides the logistics. Logistics includes shelter, electricity and communications.
With the technology to create a MOB complete, the Solar Ship team started working more closely with South African partners to determine how to create a low cost, rapid deployment FOB. This was seen as the key to unlocking remote Africa and connecting Africa’s interior with its ports, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to South Africa. South African partners pointed out that the movement toward Smart Cities was becoming well understood, but most of Africa is villages, not cities – if one could design a Smart Village as the FOB, this could unlock great potential. Critical to making the MOB-FOB network “Smart” was to deliver low cost, broadband connectivity.
POWERSTAT
Mission: To build a robust, affordable, solar-powered aerostat platform. Mission set by African peacekeeping veterans working on anti-poaching.
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
- Operate without fossil fuel or electrical grid
- Altitude AGL – 2000m
- Altitude AMSL – 4200m
- Operational wind speeds – 70 km/h
- Maximum wind speeds – 130 km/h
- Payload – 500 kg
- ISR range – 50 km
- Wifi range – 60 km
As the Solar Ship team and RCAF veterans were returning from South Africa in 2016, Jay received a phone call from one of the most experienced production managers for balloons, airships and aerostats, Angela Lewis. Angela had an aerostat contract and she had heard from her close friend that Solar Ship in Canada had an excellent reputation for building advanced solar powered aircraft – could they build an aerostat?
Angela was in her mid 60s, having joined the airship & balloon industry in 1982. She had worked on some of Richard Branson’s audacious balloon projects to cross the oceans and fly around the world. She had worked on all forms of airships, balloons and aerostats. She had been in an accident and separated her shoulder and had been in prolonged recovery, not working, when she received a call from an old friend in need of 5 aerostats. The old friend had assumed Angela was still managing the Lindstrand USA factory in Virginia, but Angela had moved on from that job and was concentrating on physiotherapy, not large aerospace projects. Instead of saying “no,” she decided to see what the Canadians could do at Solar Ship.
When she called, Jay assumed she wanted a solar powered version of an aerostat to lower the price of the build and operations. But Angela had not been asked for solar power, just 5 traditional aerostats. She explained to Jay that once Solar Ship entered the aerostat market and had happy customers, they would become repeat customers – she had been working in the industry since 1982 and these customers come to be part your business family, she explained. “Do the 5 aerostats, and watch what happens.”
Solar Ship’s team worked hard into the nights designing and preparing the quote to bid on the 5 aerostats. Every time the bid came in, it seemed the customer wanted to change something. The more the Solar Ship team worked on aerostats, the more they saw the economic weaknesses in traditional aerostats. The team started to look at how to apply aerostats to peacekeeping missions in Africa and for anti-poaching. The demand was there, but there is no way the number of aerostats required could be made at the extremely high costs associated with building and operating traditional cigar-shaped aerostats. Solar Ship decided to start working on a low cost, extremely robust, self-reliant design capable of connecting vast areas with no infrastructure.
Instead of a cigar-shaped aerostat which needs constant pressure to maintain its shape, the shape was changed to a sphere – this would need to go through T&E to prove it was capable of the performance needed. African peacekeeping veterans provided the TLRs: able to operate in the mountainous areas of eastern DRC and Burundi; able to provide Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance from a FOB into a point of need; able to operate without fossil fuels or electrical grid.
The combination of Angela, the RCAF veterans who had plenty of experience with aerostats in Afghanistan, and the African veterans proved to be ideal. The solar powered aerostat, Powerstat, completed Test & Evaluation in 2017.
Angela was in her mid 60s, having joined the airship & balloon industry in 1982. She had worked on some of Richard Branson’s audacious balloon projects to cross the oceans and fly around the world. She had worked on all forms of airships, balloons and aerostats. She had been in an accident and separated her shoulder and had been in prolonged recovery, not working, when she received a call from an old friend in need of 5 aerostats. The old friend had assumed Angela was still managing the Lindstrand USA factory in Virginia, but Angela had moved on from that job and was concentrating on physiotherapy, not large aerospace projects. Instead of saying “no,” she decided to see what the Canadians could do at Solar Ship.
When she called, Jay assumed she wanted a solar powered version of an aerostat to lower the price of the build and operations. But Angela had not been asked for solar power, just 5 traditional aerostats. She explained to Jay that once Solar Ship entered the aerostat market and had happy customers, they would become repeat customers – she had been working in the industry since 1982 and these customers come to be part your business family, she explained. “Do the 5 aerostats, and watch what happens.”
Solar Ship’s team worked hard into the nights designing and preparing the quote to bid on the 5 aerostats. Every time the bid came in, it seemed the customer wanted to change something. The more the Solar Ship team worked on aerostats, the more they saw the economic weaknesses in traditional aerostats. The team started to look at how to apply aerostats to peacekeeping missions in Africa and for anti-poaching. The demand was there, but there is no way the number of aerostats required could be made at the extremely high costs associated with building and operating traditional cigar-shaped aerostats. Solar Ship decided to start working on a low cost, extremely robust, self-reliant design capable of connecting vast areas with no infrastructure.
Instead of a cigar-shaped aerostat which needs constant pressure to maintain its shape, the shape was changed to a sphere – this would need to go through T&E to prove it was capable of the performance needed. African peacekeeping veterans provided the TLRs: able to operate in the mountainous areas of eastern DRC and Burundi; able to provide Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance from a FOB into a point of need; able to operate without fossil fuels or electrical grid.
The combination of Angela, the RCAF veterans who had plenty of experience with aerostats in Afghanistan, and the African veterans proved to be ideal. The solar powered aerostat, Powerstat, completed Test & Evaluation in 2017.
TEEPEE HANGER
Mission: To build a large FOB that can be erected in 24 hours. Mission set by African peacekeeping veterans working on rapid deployment FOB.
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
- Operate without fossil fuel or electrical grid
- Altitude AGL – 2000m
- Altitude AMSL – 4200m
- Operational wind speeds – 70 km/h
- Maximum wind speeds – 130 km/h
- Able to accommodate a Wolverine Aircraft
- Rapid deployment – within 24 hours
With the Powerstat T&E successfully completed in 2017, the strategy to provide low cost, broadband internet connectivity in remote zones was ready to move from T&E to deployment, but the cost of a FOB remained high. Could one use a Powerstat to provide not just a communications platform, but also the main building for a FOB?
Solar Ship invented a method to erect a large tent using a Powerstat, providing the main building for a rapid deployment FOB. The FOB provides the Wolverine aircraft with shelter and a port for loading and offloading people and cargo. The Wolverine can carry all the pieces needed to create the FOB, including a series of buildings made from 20 foot shipping containers. The Teepee comes equipped with solar power providing the FOB’s initial power needs. The entire system can be deployed in one day. A network of FOBs can be deployed in a matter of days, providing a connection from a remote area to a globally connected MOB.
Rapid.
Low cost.
Self-reliant power, communications, shelter.
Consensus started to grow that the system needed to connect remote with global was not only designed, but had completed T&E and was ready for deployment.
There was one problem – there always seems to be one problem with remote logistics, and it takes a team of persistent problem-solvers to keep overcoming. It’s the nature of challenging, remote environments. The one problem was how to rapidly deploy a FOB in an emergency? Could the Wolverine do it? Or would it be more efficient to make the FOB itself fly? So we introduced the Mobile Aerostat.
Solar Ship invented a method to erect a large tent using a Powerstat, providing the main building for a rapid deployment FOB. The FOB provides the Wolverine aircraft with shelter and a port for loading and offloading people and cargo. The Wolverine can carry all the pieces needed to create the FOB, including a series of buildings made from 20 foot shipping containers. The Teepee comes equipped with solar power providing the FOB’s initial power needs. The entire system can be deployed in one day. A network of FOBs can be deployed in a matter of days, providing a connection from a remote area to a globally connected MOB.
Rapid.
Low cost.
Self-reliant power, communications, shelter.
Consensus started to grow that the system needed to connect remote with global was not only designed, but had completed T&E and was ready for deployment.
There was one problem – there always seems to be one problem with remote logistics, and it takes a team of persistent problem-solvers to keep overcoming. It’s the nature of challenging, remote environments. The one problem was how to rapidly deploy a FOB in an emergency? Could the Wolverine do it? Or would it be more efficient to make the FOB itself fly? So we introduced the Mobile Aerostat.
MOBILE AEROSTAT
Mission: To build a transforming aerostat platform that can fly itself to the site of the operation. Mission set by African peacekeeping veterans working on rapid deployment FOB.
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
Top Level Requirements (TLRs):
- Fly the aerostat from MOB or FOB to specific FOB site and transform from flying machine to FOB
- Operate without fossil fuel or electrical grid
- Altitude AGL – 200m
- Operational speeds – 25 km/h
- Maximum wind speeds – 18 km/h
- Payload – 10 tonnes
- Range – 100 km per day
Converting a Powerstat into a flying machine required a great deal of experience building solar powered flying machines. Fortunately the Solar Ship team has years of experience doing this, and the first prototype Mobile Aerostat was built within weeks.
The first T&E flights far exceeded expectation. The aircraft was not designed to have great forward speed, it was designed for precision control through independent thrusters. The test pilots said it was the most controllable and stable aircraft they had ever flown. It could pick up a glass of lemonade from someone’s hand and deliver it to another person like a waiter at a wedding.
With these results in hand, the next prototype was built, this time with 10x the volume of lift. Its test flights produced the same results – an extremely controllable and stable aircraft, with the addition of a useful payload capacity.
The Mobile Aerostat can be scaled to carry loads of 50 tonnes or more. It can carry the cargo for a rapid deployment of a FOB into a disaster relief mission or set up a FOB for more permanent deployment. It has vertical take-off and landing capability like a helicopter, and can take-off and land from unprepared ground or from water.
The first T&E flights far exceeded expectation. The aircraft was not designed to have great forward speed, it was designed for precision control through independent thrusters. The test pilots said it was the most controllable and stable aircraft they had ever flown. It could pick up a glass of lemonade from someone’s hand and deliver it to another person like a waiter at a wedding.
With these results in hand, the next prototype was built, this time with 10x the volume of lift. Its test flights produced the same results – an extremely controllable and stable aircraft, with the addition of a useful payload capacity.
The Mobile Aerostat can be scaled to carry loads of 50 tonnes or more. It can carry the cargo for a rapid deployment of a FOB into a disaster relief mission or set up a FOB for more permanent deployment. It has vertical take-off and landing capability like a helicopter, and can take-off and land from unprepared ground or from water.
STORY CONTINUED
This completes the technical journey which started with a simple mission to connect remote with global.
From the small Mazava delta wing to a large Caracal, T&E demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of a hybrid lift aircraft combining buoyancy and aerodynamics. For taking off and landing from small spaces, the Mobile Aerostat proves to be the best vehicle. For carrying large loads over significant distances and in strong winds, the Wolverine proves to be the best vehicle.
To service a remote area rapidly, a network of Teepee FOBs can be deployed and operational in days. To provide a more permanent connection between remote and global, a MOB-FOB network can be built.
Traditional liquid fuels, such as diesel and gasoline, prove to be expensive and heavy to move into remote areas – remote areas cannot afford this approach. Research confirms that switching to electric propulsion for transport is inevitable. An electric transport and logistics system is far less expensive than traditional combustion. When supported with a MOB-FOB network providing shelter, energy and communications, remote operations can join the world of internet connected efficiencies.
What started with a seemingly simple mission resulted in hard-earned knowledge in airships, electric aircraft, remote logistics and the Internet of Things (IoT). As a business we have discovered we can use this knowledge to help businesses make the transition to electric systems using IoT. As a team, we learned we can complete difficult missions to connect Africa, the Arctic and other challenging places.
This completes the technical journey which started with a simple mission to connect remote with global.
From the small Mazava delta wing to a large Caracal, T&E demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of a hybrid lift aircraft combining buoyancy and aerodynamics. For taking off and landing from small spaces, the Mobile Aerostat proves to be the best vehicle. For carrying large loads over significant distances and in strong winds, the Wolverine proves to be the best vehicle.
To service a remote area rapidly, a network of Teepee FOBs can be deployed and operational in days. To provide a more permanent connection between remote and global, a MOB-FOB network can be built.
Traditional liquid fuels, such as diesel and gasoline, prove to be expensive and heavy to move into remote areas – remote areas cannot afford this approach. Research confirms that switching to electric propulsion for transport is inevitable. An electric transport and logistics system is far less expensive than traditional combustion. When supported with a MOB-FOB network providing shelter, energy and communications, remote operations can join the world of internet connected efficiencies.
What started with a seemingly simple mission resulted in hard-earned knowledge in airships, electric aircraft, remote logistics and the Internet of Things (IoT). As a business we have discovered we can use this knowledge to help businesses make the transition to electric systems using IoT. As a team, we learned we can complete difficult missions to connect Africa, the Arctic and other challenging places.