Cameron Skystar

Skystar (DP series)
Role	Hot-air airship
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Cameron Balloons
First flight	1986

The Cameron Skystar or DP series is a family of hot-air airships designed and built in the United Kingdom by Cameron Balloons for recreational and advertising use.^[1] The first DP series airship flew in 1986.^[1] In the 1990 World Hot-air airships the DP series won 1st, 2nd and 3rd places.^[1]

Design and development

The airship has an aluminium gondola with room for a pilot and a passenger,^[1] except the smaller DP-50 which only has room for a pilot.^[2] The four variants (DP60, DP70, DP80 and DP90) have envelope sizes from 1700m³ to 2548m³.^[1] The DP-50, DP-60 and DP-70 use a 570cc Konig Model SD engine, with a Konig 3-bladed propeller in a shroud as standard.^[2] The DP80 and DP90 use a Rotax 582UL piston engine with a three-bladed pusher propeller in a shroud. The Konig can also be used on the larger airships and the Rotax on the DP-60 and DP-70 as an option.^[1] Each airship is also fitted with two propane tanks for the buoyancy burners.^[1]

Variants

Cameron DP-50: The DP-50 has a 50000 cu ft envelope.^[2]
Cameron DP-60: The DP-60 has a 60000 cu ft envelope^[2] and is 30.48m (100ft) long.^[1]
Cameron DP-70: The DP-70 has a 70000 cu ft envelope^[2] and is 32.31m (106ft) long.^[1]
Cameron DP-80: The DP-80 has an 80000 cu ft envelope^[2] and is 33.838m (111ft) long.^[1]
Cameron DP-90: The DP-90 has a 90000 cu ft envelope^[2] and is 35.05m (115ft) long.^[1]

Specification (DP-90)

Data from ^[1]^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 1 pilot
Capacity: 1 passengers
Length: 35.05 m (115 ft 0 in)
Diameter: 12.80 m (42 ft 0 in)
Height: 15.54 m (51 ft 0 in)
Volume: 2,500 m³ (90,000 cu ft)
Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 582UL piston engine with hush kit
Propellers: 3-bladed GSC 3 blade Model Tech II pusher in shroud, 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed: 27 km/h (17 mph, 15 kn)

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Taylor 1996, p. 546
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Civil Aviation Authority Type Certificate Data Sheet No. BAS 3, Issue 3 dated August 2001" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.

Bibliography

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1996). Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory. London, England: Brassey's. ISBN 978-1-85753-198-5.

[Taylor-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Taylor 1996, p. 546

[Type-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Civil Aviation Authority Type Certificate Data Sheet No. BAS 3, Issue 3 dated August 2001" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2012.

[1]

[2]