WALRUS Airship Cancelled

Darpa's MAMMOTH Airship is dead, it received no FY06 funding, Darpa says they will finish up Phase 1 and then end the program.

This is why I like Private companies, Darpa wanted to keep this going, but like nearly everything else cool in the world, congress cut its money.

But all hope on a big airship transport isn't loss, luckily the Army likes the idea. There calling it an Ultra Large Airlifter, but its official name is Mobilus. From what I've found there looking for around 75mph, with a 200 ton lift capibility.

Giant Blimp, Deflated
Mobilus Initiative


[edit on 28-3-2006 by Murcielago]

Well we know the design works. It would be nice to have them do a bit of Alpha testing first before other agencies and companies really start to work on projects of this nature. I havn't heard much of FedEX's project, nor have I heard anything from any other companies really, except concepts, concepts, and more concepts.

This technology will take off eventually.

I have a bunch of older PM magazines and like every 4 or 5 one there is a articale praising the airship idea. sure the idea maybe cool but when you go back 20 to 30 years and you see no movement or they are no flights etc you really start to think that this tech will never take off.

Originally posted by Canada_EH
sure the idea maybe cool but when you go back 20 to 30 years and you see no movement or they are no flights etc you really start to think that this tech will never take off.

I here ya there...But I'm not giving my hopes up just yet. Theres a lot of iknnovative Airship companies out there, hopefully they can be succesfull w/out government money.

Originally posted by Murcielago

Originally posted by Canada_EH
sure the idea maybe cool but when you go back 20 to 30 years and you see no movement or they are no flights etc you really start to think that this tech will never take off.

I here ya there...But I'm not giving my hopes up just yet. Theres a lot of iknnovative Airship companies out there, hopefully they can be succesfull w/out government money.

Maybe the army's own project is farther along than the other project and the congresscritters thought that it was a duplication of work and cut the funding. They do that a lot I've heard....