Lockheed Martin joins race to make long-haul airships (Modern Blimp)

Lockheed Martin Corp. in Palmdale is looking to deliver a heavy cargo freighter. Skunk Works in Palmdale created the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane and the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. Now the hangars has a 120-foot-long, 21-foot-tall dirigible that resembles a cloud with three puffs. This is a prototype of a much larger hybrid airship that Lockheed Martin Corp. has said may deliver heavy cargo and personnel to remote locations. It is called the LMH-1 will be a 21 metric ton, 300-foot-long and 78-foot-tall airship that is intended to carry truck-size loads to areas that are inaccessible to more traditional modes of transportation. It maybe more fantasy than reality though as they have no customers for the craft according to an LA Times report. This modern heavy lifting plane could be used for oil, and gas or other mining needs, humanitarian relief. The cost of the unit will cost $40 million, so likely only a government can afford such a craft. The skunk works units remains a high tech facility with a future vision in mind. This works for the growth of high paying jobs with higher educated people in need for housing and appealing surroundings.