Wind-powered Airship to Cross the Mediterranean Waters?

A hundred years ago, a common problem for the layman was to get from place A to B, whichever way possible. Those times are long gone of course. What matters now, especially in these times, is how you get from one place to the next. Clean travel is of timely importance now, and often there are token attempts by various individuals to demonstrate the viability of various renewable sources of energy to power the transport sector.

Wind is renewable and has been in contention as a likely alternative for fossil fuel in the future.

Stéphane Rousson…

Loves to fly! A Frenchman by birth and an adventurer by nature, he first attempted to cross the English Channel in an airship that he called WINDREAM ONE.

This airship has been subjected to some serious modifications and was recently unveiled and re-christened as Zeppy 3!

The goal of Zeppy 3…

Is to embark on a 150 mile journey from southern France to Corsica! As a sail balloon the Zeppy 3 hopes to make this journey across the Mediterranean waters with only the help of the wind.

A sailing ship in the air?

The Zeppy 3 is 65.6 feet long and 16.4 feet wide and is filled with 200 cubic meter of helium. There is a cable that connects the balloon with a curved carbon foil that skims the surface of the water.

This carbon foil is a special device and it’s referred to as the ‘Chien de Mer’, a concept developed by an engineer called Didier Costes. With the aid of this technology the Zeppy 3 hopes to make the journey in about 10-15 hours, travelling at twice the speed of the wind.
Hoping to take off from Toulon in the south of France sometime in September or October, the Zeppy 3 is truly a sailing ship of the air as it combines the excitement of piloting a flying machine and the skill of navigating a sailing ship!

Via: Gizmag