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Era Banner, September, 1999
Newmarket balloonist is on top of the world
By Dawn Liersch - Staff Writer
Hokan Colting is on top of the world after creating the first amphibious airship.
Resembling a large globe, his unique airship can be steered at any speed and can land and lift off from water or land.
"No one has done this before, so there was no one to learn from." Colting said, while unveiling his demonstration airship in an open field off Bales Road in Newmarket last week.
"Compared to the (hot air) balloon, you can fly so much more with this."
Colting's airship - which is round instead of the traditional cigar shape - carries passengers inside the balloon instead of in a gondola underneath.
There are seats inside and clear panels across the bottom of the outer envelope so passengers can view the scenery outside.
Other airships have fins at the back to steer with and, when you slow down to land, you lose the ability to steer, Colting explained.
Some require about 20 people working on the ground to help them lift off or land.
"One of the major setbacks was that you needed so many people on the ground to lift off, which makes it very expensive." he said.
His airship is steered through the engine using variable thrust and deflected thrust to move up and down from side to side.
It can land and take off with only two people on the ground.
"It is simpler technology and it is less expensive." he said.
"I studied traditional airships and found out what was bad and what was good."
"For instance, early airships were filled with hydrogen, which can burn or explode." he explained.
His airship is made of an airtight and water-tight outer envelope, 56 feet in diameter, with electric airblowers incorporated into the design to keep it filled with fresh air.
A propellor is attached to either side. Each is 13 feet in diameter, more than double the size of a normal airplane propellor.
Enclosed inside is the engine, seats and a sealed inner bag filled with helium to create lift.
Running on diesel fuel, it can fly for 10 hours at a time. If the engine fails, it will become a free balloon and will float to the ground, Colting said.
Crew can let out some of the helium and throw out water ballasts to control where the ship lands.
Colting came up with the winning design after making numerous prototypes over the last 10 years.
One prototype that resembled a giant baseball was once displayed at the baseball World Series in Atlanta.
His final product is called Ball of Dreams. "It is my dream and it is ball-shaped," Colting explained.
The demonstration airship took one year to build and cost about $1.5 million. Other airships can run as high as $3 million.
Colting produced it out of his Newmarket shop on Pony Drive, 21st Century Airships Inc.
He will produce more airships according to customer demand and will lease them out on long-term contracts.
His airship has already been featured in magazines and on a website for technical and aviation machines.
"Already, we have customers lined up from all corners of the world." he said, noting that companies in Europe, Australia, the U.S. and Brazil have already shown interest in using the airship for advertising.
His airships offer a lot more flexibility than hot air balloons because they are not directed by the wind and can be illuminated to travel at night.
Colting's demonstration airship holds four people, but he has another one in the works that can hold 10 people.
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