Thermoplan

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The Thermoplan is a given name of the prototype of Russian lenticular-shaped hybrid airship.The key feature of Thermoplan is its combined structure with primary section having a torus of revolution shape (one variant was to construct this section hermetic and fill with helium instead of the shell helium section). This section supports the shell which has two sections one filled with helium and second with air that can be heated by the airship engines exhaust gas or cooled naturally.This design, based on the concept of a “rozière”, greatly improves the manoeuvrability compared to an all-helium type. The disc shape is also intended to improve manoeuvrability and to help resist winds up to 20 m/s. With a help of then MAI rector Yuri Ryzhov they obtained in second half of 1980s support from Gazprom for the start-up Design Bureau “Thermpolan” and first scaled prototype ALA-40 was constructed at the Ulyanovsk Aviation Production Complex and rolled-out in 1992. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoplan