Mallory Alexander International Logistics prides itself on the ability to handle shipments of all sizes and natures. When builders of the world’s largest non rigid airship (as determined by cubic volume) needed some specialized handling, they called Mallory.

“I knew Mallory had a history of successfully handling custom cargoes, so when we started to explore who could best handle our project, we contacted them”, explained John Youngbeck, Vice President of E Green Technologies of Alexander City, AL, designer/builders of the airships.

Large enough to fill most of a conventional football stadium when inflated, the “Bullet 580 Airship” is 230 feet long and 65 feet tall and wide (diameter), according to E Green. “Finding a place big enough to handle us is challenging”, stated Youngbeck, who said they ultimately located an enclosed coliseum in Montgomery, Alabama, that could accommodate it.

The airship when shipped fits upon a specialized “loading frame” and travels by flatbed truck to its launch and recovery locations. The Montgomery Coliseum exercise was designed to inflate the airship with air to “fit check” its custom mountings and structures, according to the Company. “The next step is actual flight testing”, said Youngbeck, who indicated that the Company is in final negotiations with Kennedy Space Center in Florida to conduct flight operations in near proximity to where the Space Shuttle program, which is coming to an end this year, takes place.

According to E Green, the Bullet 580 will fly up to 48 hours at 20,000 feet, some 4 times higher and longer in duration than any conventional airship is flown. Missions initially will be designed for government and military customers to perform such duties and hurricane track forecasting, geophysical research, and disaster relief --- “We are a high flying cell tower with cameras and sensors capable of doing multiple things at one time,” added Youngbeck. To stay up that long, Youngbeck says, the Bullet will need to carry 5,000 lbs of fuel, who added that the Airship will weight 11 tons when it takes off. “It takes 330,000 cubic feet, or $100,000 worth of helium, to lift all of that, “ he said.

“We look forward to continuing our transport and logistics partnership with Mallory for handling this very specialized cargo, “ concluded Youngbeck.