VIJAYAWADA: “India will lead the sustainable air transportation in 10 years if we start working towards developing Lighter Than Air (LTA) systems,” Rajkumar S Pant, professor of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Bombay said in his lecture at SRM University-AP on the theme ‘The Design and Development of Lighter Than Air Systems’.
Speaking at the Distinguished Lecture Series-2023 organised by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pant discussed the latest developments in the area of conceptual design, sizing, design, development and flight/field testing of LTA systems. He encouraged students to explore the dynamics of LTA systems, beginning with aerostats and then proceeding to more complex airships.
The session highlighted the disaster of Hindenburg, breaking the myth that airship transportation is dangerous and unreliable. Pant engaged the session with video presentations on the building, developing and working of airships and aerostats that have been conducted at the LTA systems laboratory of IIT Bombay. His lecture also showcased some of the projects carried out in collaboration with ISRO and DRDO.
The lecture was followed by a workshop on Sizing of Reusable Indoor Hot Air Balloon (RIHAB), which provided the students with practical knowledge and hands-on experience.