Next-generation airships
A new blimp-like airship is being constructed by Worldwide Aeros in a World War II-era blimp hanger at a former military base in Tustin. The airship will be used by the military to carry tons of cargo to remote areas around the world. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Engine mechanic Gerardo Esparza works on one of the three engines that will propel the new airship. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Craftsmen assemble the aft portion of Worldwide Aeros’ blimp-like airship under construction in a World War II-era blimp hanger in Tustin. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
The cockpit sits on the floor next to the partially assembled airship. It will be be installed beneath the craft. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Fredy Zuniga trims a piece of the airship’s aft section framework. “Because of the curves, every single piece has to be custom cut and fitted,” Zuniga says. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
Worldwide Aeros’ Aeroscraft being built in Tustin is a zeppelin with a rigid skeleton made of aluminum and carbon fiber. A new type of “hybrid” aircraft that combines airplane and airship technologies, it doesn’t need a long runway to take off or land because it has piston engines that allow it to move vertically and a new high-tech buoyancy control system. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
The Aeroscraft is being built under a contract of around $35 million from the Pentagon and NASA. That’s a tall order for Worldwide Aeros, a company of about 100 employees. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)