Lighter-than-air craft

Claim 2

A lighter-than-air craft comprising: A. a discus-shaped hull including upper and lower hull portions; B. means for containing internally of said hull a volume of a lighter-than-air gas to provide lift to said craft; C. propulsion means mounted to said hull for moving said craft in flight; D. means for controlling said propulsion means; and E. stabilizing means comprising a plurality of ailerons distributed about the periphery of said upper hull portion and a plurality of ailerons distributed about the periphery of said lower hull portion, said ailerons being selectively movable relative to said hull portions to provide variable control surfaces for changing the orientation of said craft in flight.

Claim 3

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 1 in which said hull is substantially symmetrically shaped about a vertical axis through the center of the craft, whereby the periphery of said hull is essentially circular in shape.

Claim 4

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 2 in which the maximum thickness of said hull is no larger than about one-fifth of the overall diameter of said hull.

Claim 5

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 2 in which said stabilizing means further includes i. means for sensing a change in the orientation of said craft, and ii. means coupled to said craft orientation sensing means for automatically actuating at least one of said ailerons to compensate for the sensed change.

Claim 6

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 1 further including a passenger and crew compartment located at the top center of said hull.

Claim 7

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 1 further including a payload pod located at the bottom center of said hull.

Claim 8

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 6 in which said pod is detachable from said hull and said craft further includes means for raising and lowering said pod to the ground while said craft maintains altitude above the ground, whereby passengers and cargo can be loaded into and unloaded from said pod without bringing said craft to the ground.

Claim 9

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 1 wherein A. said propulsion means includes first and second jet engines mounted at diametrically opposite positions at the periphery of said hull, said jet engines being rotatable in a vertical plane; and B. said propulsion means includes means for rotating said jet engines in the vertical plane to vary the direction of thrust therefrom.

Claim 10

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 1 wherein: A. said propulsion means includes a plurality of air ducts communicating between an internal portion of said hull and opening at the exterior surface of said hull, and at least one fan mounted internally of said hull for moving air through said air ducts; and B. said propulsion control means includes means for varying the direction and volume of air moving through said air duct.

Claim 11

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 1 in which said lighter-than-air gas containing means comprises a plurality of discrete lighter-than-air gas containing modules distributed internally of said hull.

Claim 12

A lighter-than-air craft comprising: A. a hull including upper and lower hull portions, said hull being discus shaped with a maximum thickness at the center of the hull and a gradually decreasing thickness in a radial direction to the periphery of the hull; B. means for containing internally of said hull a volume of a lighter-than-air gas to provide lift to said craft; C. propulsion means mounted to said hull moving said craft in flight; D. means for controlling said propulsion means; E. stabilizing means comprising i. a plurality of ailerons distributed about the periphery of said upper hull portion; ii. a plurality of ailerons distributed about the periphery of said lower hull portion; iii. said ailerons being selectively movable relative to said hull portions to provide variable control surfaces for changing the orientation of said craft in flight; F. a passenger and crew compartment located at the top center of said upper hull portion; G. a payload pod located at the bottom center of said lower hull portion beneath said passenger and crew compartment; H. a passageway connecting said payload pod to said passenger and crew compartment and extending through the center of said hull; I. means for detaching said payload pod from said hull; and I. means for detaching said payload pod from said hull; and J. means for raising and lowering said payload pod to the ground while said craft maintains altitude above the ground whereby passengers and cargo can be loaded into and unloaded from said pod without bringing said craft to the ground.

Claim 13

A lighter-than-air craft comprising: A. a hull including upper and lower hull portions, said hull being discus shaped with a maximum thickness at the center of the hull and a gradually decreasing thickness in a radial direction to the periphery of the hull; B. means for containing internally of said hull a volume of a lighter-than-air gas to provide lift to said craft; C. propulsion means mounted to said hull moving said craft in flight; D. means for controlling said propulsion means; E. stabilizing means comprising i. a plurality of ailerons distributed about the periphery of said upper hull portion; ii. a plurality of ailerons distributed about the periphery of said lower hull portion; iii. said ailerons being selectively movable relative to said hull portions to provide variable control surfaces for changing the orientation of said craft in flight; F. a passenger and crew compartment located at the top center of said upper hull portion; G. a payload pod located at the bottom center of said lower hull portion beneath said passenger and crew compartment; H. a passageway connecting said payload pod to said passenger and crew compartment and extending through the center of said hull; I. means for detaching said payload pod from said hull; and I. means for detaching said payload pod from said hull; and J. means for raising and lowering said payload pod to the ground while said craft maintains altitude above the ground whereby passengers and cargo can be loaded into and unloaded from said pod without bringing said craft to the ground.

Claim 14

A lighter-than-air craft as recited in claim 11 in which said stabilizing means is automatically controllable and further includes means for sensing a change in the orientation of said craft and means coupled to said craft orientation sensing means for automatically actuating at least one of said ailerons to compensate for the sensed changed.