Convertible airship

An airship convertible between generally horizontal and generally vertical configurations, comprising:

• a generally elongate outer envelope structure adapted to house a lighter-than-air gas and any enclosure means used for containing the gas;
• a gondola;
• mounting means attached to said envelope structure for mounting said gondola to said envelope structure, said gondola adapted to be mounted to said envelope structure by said mounting means, said mounting means enabling variable positioning of said gondola with respect to said envelope structure from a point generally under said envelope structure when the longitudinal axis of said envelope structure is generally horizontal to a point generally at the nose of the envelope structure when the longitudinal axis of said envelope structure is generally vertical, while said gondola maintains a generally horizontal orientation;
• means for positioning said gondola at desired locations on said mounting means;
• and
• propulsion means mounted to said envelope structure for providing thrust in a desired direction with respect to said envelope structure, such that when said envelope structure is in said generally horizontal configuration, said propulsion means can provide generally horizontally oriented propulsion for generally horizontal in-flight drive, and when said envelope structure is in said generally vertical configuration, said propulsion means can provide generally vertically oriented propulsion to urge said airship to descend.

A method for effecting vertical movement of a lighter-than-air airship which is convertible between generally horizontal and generally vertical configurations, comprising the steps of:

• substantially ceasing any generally horizontally directed propulsion;
• generally slidably moving the airship gondola from a point generally under the airship envelope structure to a point generally at the nose of the airship envelope structure for rotating the longitudinal axis of the airship envelope structure to a generally vertical orientation while maintaining the gondola in a generally horizontal orientation;
• and
• propelling said airship downwardly by propulsion means mounted to the airship envelope structure until the desired altitude is reached.

A method for effecting horizontal movement of a lighter-than-air airship which is convertible between generally horizontal and generally vertical configurations, which includes the steps of:

• substantially ceasing any generally vertically directed propulsion;
• generally slidably moving the airship gondola from a point generally at the nose of the airship envelope structure to a point generally under the airship envelope structure for rotating the longitudinal axis of the envelope to a generally horizontal orientation while maintaining the gondola in a generally horizontal orientation;
• and
• propelling said airship in a generally horizontal direction by propulsion means mounted to the airship envelope structure.

A method for anchoring an airship containing a lighter-than-air gas, which is convertible between generally horizontal and generally vertical configurations, comprising the steps of:

• ceasing generally all generally horizontally directed propulsion;
• generally slidably moving the airship gondola to a point generally at the nose of the airship envelope structure for orienting the longitudinal axis of the airship envelope structure to a generally vertical orientation while maintaining the gondola in a generally horizontal orientation;
• propelling the airship downwardly;
• positioning magnet means attached to the gondola in position for attraction to a magnetically attractive member secured to the earth;
• and
• allowing the magnet means and the magnetically attractive member to become coupled by magnetic attraction therebetween.