Quote:
Originally Posted by maximara
Even in the 1930s an airship wasn't cheaper then a train; it required a large crew in both the ship and on the ground for operation. Then there was the special mooring mast and hanger. Finally the cargo capacity was minuscule compared to a train.
|
To emphasize this, a particularly massive modern heavy-lift airship might be able to lift as much as one to two train cars worth of cargo (Though few make it to even one), which ranges from less than to slight more than a modern heavy-lift cargo plane. Airships are super-low throughput, which eliminates them from the bulk-transport market. That leaves express delivery, a niche that cargo planes already fill far better.