Could Airships Revolutionize Affordable Housing Delivery?

[MrCosmic]

Airships seem to be making a comeback.
I can't be the only one thinking of this idea.
Minimalist modern houses built in factories and airlifted to location using airships. Lego assembled buildings too. Developing countries with no roads would benefit the most.

 

[russ_watters]

Airships seem to be making a comeback.
I can't be the only one thinking of this idea.
Minimalist modern houses built in factories and airlifted to location using airships. Lego assembled buildings too. Developing countries with no roads would benefit the most.

There would have to be a benefit vs a helicopter.

 

[MrCosmic]

Thanks Russ, wouldn't those type of hybrid airships far exceed any type of heavy lift helicopter. Seems like they can carry dozens of main battle tanks.
Hydropower to convert water to hydrogen for lifting gas, and to charge batteries for ducted motor fans. Treehuggers will love it.

 

[russ_watters]

View attachment 252699

Thanks Russ, wouldn't those type of hybrid airships far exceed any type of heavy lift helicopter. Seems like they can carry dozens of main battle tanks.
Hydropower to convert water to hydrogen for lifting gas, and to charge batteries for ducted motor fans. Treehuggers will love it.

A Super Stallion has a lifting capacity of 36,000 lb. How big of a house do you want to lift?

 

[Mark44]

Hydropower to convert water to hydrogen for lifting gas,

After the Hindenburg disaster in 1937, they stopped using hydrogen for the lifting gas.

 

[BWV]

easy target for a handheld SAM
And main battle tanks appear to be a dying technology,
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5332247/The-4million-German-tank-embarrassed-Syria.html

 

[BWV]

Hydropower to convert water to hydrogen for lifting gas, and to charge batteries for ducted motor fans. Treehuggers will love it.

Is there some other form of hydropower other than this?

 

[MrCosmic]

A Super Stallion has a lifting capacity of 36,000 lb. How big of a house do you want to lift?

Not a single house.
Seems the airships part has taken up the discussion. The idea is a factory is cranking out houses daily(assembly line).

A house like that seems simple enough for standardized assembly line production. My idea was more of house price reduction. Location is probably the biggest factor in housing, though.

 

[MrCosmic]

Mark44, I'm not familiar with hydrogen storage technology. I assumed storage of hydrogen has advanced since 1937.
BWV, main battle tanks are heavy. Nothing to do with warfare.

 

[berkeman]

A Super Stallion has a lifting capacity of 36,000 lb. How big of a house do you want to lift?

Thanks Russ, wouldn't those type of hybrid airships far exceed any type of heavy lift helicopter. Seems like they can carry dozens of main battle tanks.

I did a quick search to see what the payload capacity of the Hindenburg was, and it wasn't bad at about 21,000 pounds. But reading the article below, I noticed something fundamental that will keep airships from being able to deliver heavy payloads inexpensively. Can you spot the problem?

https://www.airships.net/helium-hydrogen-airships/

 

[Mark44]

Mark44, I'm not familiar with hydrogen storage technology. I assumed storage of hydrogen has advanced since 1937.

My comment had little to do with hydrogen storage technology, but rather, the fact that it is flammable, unlike Helium. You can't get helium by water hydrolysis.

 

[MrCosmic]

Thanks everyone. I guess a helicopter will do. My city's homeless problem seems to be increasing(California).
"Las Vegas making it illegal to sleep in street"
https://globalnews.ca/news/6141769/las-vegas-homeless-sleeping-downtown-illegal/I wonder if it will cause homeless migration increase to cali.


Cities should start doing stuff like this but on a larger scale. Start with houses for homeless veterans, see how it goes first.

 

[berkeman]

My city's homeless problem seems to be increasing(California).
"Las Vegas making it illegal to sleep in street"

(technically, Las Vegas is in Nevada, but that's okay)

Yes, it's a difficult social issue, and good to try to think of some partial solutions to it. I work part-time in EMS, so I encounter some of the issues that lead to homelessness first-hand.

One interesting approach is to work on building small homes as transition housing to help folks and families get back on their feet. Projects like these...

https://www.curbed.com/maps/tiny-houses-for-the-homeless-villages

 

[MrCosmic]

(technically, Las Vegas is in Nevada, but that's okay)

Yes, it's a difficult social issue, and good to try to think of some partial solutions to it. I work part-time in EMS, so I encounter some of the issues that lead to homelessness first-hand.

One interesting approach is to work on building small homes as transition housing to help folks and families get back on their feet. Projects like these...

https://www.curbed.com/maps/tiny-houses-for-the-homeless-villages

That's interesting. I'll look more into it.
My worry was they'll come to California in mass when Vegas and Nevada start passing laws like that.

What do you think of the factory built minimalist house idea? Not just for developed nations, but underdeveloped.

 

[berkeman]

What do you think of the factory built minimalist house idea? Not just for developed nations, but underdeveloped.

I like the minimalist housing because it provides basic shelter with a fair bit of dignity. Tent cities provide some shelter (but not much heat insulation), but there's not much dignity housing your family in a tent for a few months while you get back on your feet.

One of the bigger problems is acquiring the land to put the structures on, but more municipalities seem to be trying to figure out ways to find/donate the land. Another very big problem is that mental illness is very much intertwined with homelessness (hence my involvement through EMS), and these small unit housing developments don't help that unless there is an integrated plan for mental healthcare interventions.

I have several very good friends that volunteer many days a year to build low-income housing, usually in Mexico or South America with their church groups. I admire that level of charitable giving very much.

And then there is this guy, building housing for low-income families despite his advanced age and injuries...

 

[BWV]

don’t need airships for prefab houses, just semis- have you never seen a mobile home in transport on a freeway?

 

[MrCosmic]

don’t need airships for prefab houses, just semis- have you never seen a mobile home in transport on a freeway?

Semi won't get very far with roads like this.

 

[BillTre]

This is what they make for the homeless in Eugene.
They are relatively cheap and easy to make.
They are in places like church parking lots.

 

[russ_watters]

don’t need airships for prefab houses, just semis- have you never seen a mobile home in transport on a freeway?

Semi won't get very far with roads like this.

While that's true, most homeless live in or near cities, so there is no need to transport them on roads like that. And the type of house you would provide to the homeless would be pretty small and easy to transport.

Airships might be cool, but I don't think there's going to be a market for them any time soon.

 

[MrCosmic]

While that's true, most homeless live in or near cities, so there is no need to transport them on roads like that. And the type of house you would provide to the homeless would be pretty small and easy to transport.

Airships might be cool, but I don't think there's going to be a market for them any time soon.

Henry Ford revolutionized the world with the assembly line produced cars.
I think a house in the automobile price range will do the same. Specially for underdeveloped countries. A 40k-60k house like this will revolutionized society.

http://cdn.trendir.com/wp-content/u...lian-home-architecture-minimalist-house-2.jpg

 

[BWV]

Henry Ford revolutionized the world with the assembly line produced cars.
I think a house in the automobile price range will do the same. Specially for underdeveloped countries. A 40k-60k house like this will revolutionized society.

http://cdn.trendir.com/wp-content/u...lian-home-architecture-minimalist-house-2.jpg

What about this?
https://factorydirecttexas.com/

 

[MrCosmic]

What about this?
https://factorydirecttexas.com/

Wow, that's what I was looking for. I'll browse their site a little more, and call them up for some questions(won't have to hound you guys with my silly idea).
Thanks BWV, and everyone else in the thread.

 

[BWV]

Not a silly idea, just that the market is way ahead of you

Also don't forget the cost of land and local development restrictions which is the real factor in housing affordability in markets like SF or LA.

The structure itself here is probably worth what, $50K?

https://www.mansionglobal.com/artic...s-up-silicon-valley-s-housing-shortage-109765

 

[hutchphd]

The Helistat: an idea whose time may never come...27 tons potential lift.

 

[russ_watters]

Henry Ford revolutionized the world with the assembly line produced cars.
I think a house in the automobile price range will do the same. Specially for underdeveloped countries. A 40k-60k house like this will revolutionized society.

http://cdn.trendir.com/wp-content/u...lian-home-architecture-minimalist-house-2.jpg

You've got several disconnects there:
-That's not a $50k home.
-People in 3rd world don't have that much money.
-Still don't need an airship to transport a $50k home.

 

[MrCosmic]

You've got several disconnects there:
-That's not a $50k home.
-People in 3rd world don't have that much money.
-Still don't need an airship to transport a $50k home.

1. The minimal simplistic concrete slab design leads me to believe assembly line production could make it affordable.
2. I know. I'm from a 3rd world country. A Stalinist type gov program to modernize a 3rd world nation is what I was thinking(DON'T PANIC lol).
3. I guess helicopters and semi's you brought up can do the job.

 

[BWV]

Adult dormitories are the new thing in expensive cities

https://www.common.com/why-common/