Since the year 2005, some students from BTS SE worked with one of their teachers on a draft airship gas.
The original idea was to achieve an overall rigid "cheap", and the only remotely with the help of small motors and an electronic "home".
Construction began in early 2005, thanks to a grant of 800 euros for the APEL of St. Gabriel, engines, electronic components and gas are purchased by the school.
The innovation lies in the type of command, which must be highly automated.
Les premiers essais en vol ont eu lieu le 15 mars 2006 en salle de sport ( voir sur la photo1). The first test flight took place on March 15, 2006 in a sports hall (on the photo1)
We then saw that the envelope was too heavy (or too small, for that matter) payload and hence the engine power were far too low.
In late 2006 and early 2007, dc motors have been replaced by "brushless motor" more modern and efficient. The power of maneuver has been multiplied tenfold, and the scope of the remote control.
Tests were performed despite the bad weather in May: see photo2 made on the site of higher education.
For Subsequently, the work would focus on working the automatic flight assistants (aid for the remote base correction,… course correction).
However, the project is currently suspended (as is the case to say!), Because helium is very expensive and the team (still inflated) decided to devote himself instead to draft capture wind energy.