Does anyone need airships? Let's look at patents

Among patent holders, the TOP-10 leaders were:

Flying Whales – 1.5%;
Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. – 0.9%;
Adolphe Clement Bayard – 0.9%;
The Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation – 0.9%;
Didier Costes – 0.7%;
Zeppelin Luftschiffbau – 0.7%;
Lockheed Martin Corporation – 0.7%;
Lisowski Adam – 0.5%;
Costes Didier – 0.5%;
21St Century Airship Technologies Inc. – 0.5%.

As we can see, almost all the companies and inventors are from Europe. The explanation is simple: in this region the name is accepted dirigible.

The TOP 5 patent topics within the framework of the international patent classification are as follows:

lighter-than-air aircraft B64B – 37.6%;
heavier-than-air aircraft B64C – 6.8%;
self-propelled vehicles B62D – 6.7%;
aircraft equipment; flight suits; parachutes; installation and placement of power plants and systems for transmitting energy from the engine B64D – 6.5%;
land-based or carrier-based installations specially designed for use in connection with aircraft B64F – 2.7%.

It is clear that the top topics include logical questions about aircraft and various installations applicable to aircraft.

In English-language literature, the term is accepted airship.

Google.patents returns 79,420 documents for this keyword. There is only one spike in the number of global patents in the timeline, from 2010 to 2020.

Among the patent holders in the English-speaking patent world of airships The TOP 10 leaders were made up of…completely different companies:

Beihang University (Specialized in the field of medicine) – 2.5%;
China Special Flight Qi Institute (中国特种飞行器研究所) – 2.1%;
The Institute of Optics And Electronics, The Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院光电研究院) – 1.8%;
Lockheed Martin Corporation – 1.7%;
Tianheng Changying Technology Co., Ltd (北京天恒长鹰科技股份有限公司) – 1.3%;
The Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Specialized research and development) – 1.2%;
Lta Corporation – 1.1%
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (People who are in need of help) – 1%;
The National University of Defense Technology (中国人民解放军国防科学技术大学) – 1%;
Kong Tian Technology (北京空天高科技有限公司) – 1%.

The famous American military-industrial complex company Lockheed Martin is always among the leaders. But this rating is dominated by universities and research institutes from China with a focus on military technologies. For example, the Chinese National University of Defense Technology is one of the main military research institutes in the country. It is even a little strange why it suddenly decided to patent its developments in the USA. Apparently, the Party decided so.

By topic Anglophile patents are close Francophilesbut a little differently:

lighter-than-air aircraft B64B – 47.4%;
heavier-than-air aircraft B64C – 10.2%;
aircraft equipment; flight suits; parachutes; installation and placement of power plants and systems for transmitting energy from the engine B64D – 9.8%;
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions Y02E – 7.2%;
transport-related climate mitigation technologies Y02T – 6.6%;
land-based or carrier-based installations specially designed for use in connection with aircraft B64F – 6.2%;
drones B64U – 5.6%;
control or regulation systems for non-electrical quantities G05D – 4.7%;
astronautics; spacecraft and their equipment B64G – 2.5%;
measurement of distances, horizons or azimuths; topography, navigation; gyroscopic instruments; photogrammetry or videogrammetry G01C – 2.4%.

The highlight is cosmonautics (spaceships and their equipment). Also curious are drones and scientific instruments.

And what about Russia?

The search engine “Yandex.Patent” for the term “airship” returned 1064 documents. Three peaks are visible:

small 2023-2033 3-7 units per year;
average 1989-1995 11-34 units per year;
large 1999-2020 by 27-55 units per year.

Moreover, from 1938 to 1980 there were only 1-3 patents per year.

The FIPS database lists 171 Russian patents for inventions for the “airship”, of which 40 are active.

Section “A” contains 5 active patents, including 2 for fire extinguishing, cloud dispersal and rain initiation in agricultural lands, steppe and forest areas (No. 2666070 and No. 2814299) and 3 for cloud regulation, in particular for cloud dispersal or rain stimulation: No. 2467558; No. 2544585 and No. 2599808.

In section “B” technological processes There are 29 patents for inventions. They concern the design of airships, methods of manufacturing parts and assembly, as well as application. Examples are an airship with solar batteries (No. 2404903), a radio telescope-airship (No. 2795836), an airship-crane (No. 2798252).

In section “C” there are two patents, for example, No.2661177 “A method for manufacturing an aeronautical disk vacuum airship” by Moscow inventor Yaroslav Vladimirovich Verzhbitsky.

For construction 3 patents, in particular No.2816641 “Method of constructing an airship bridge over a gorge.”

Patent No. 2816641 “Method for constructing an airship bridge over a gorge.” — Patent No.2816641 “Method of constructing an airship bridge over a gorge.”

On machines, section “F”, 3 patents. Interesting No.2539411 “A method for emptying a section of a main pipeline from gas and a device for its implementation A method for emptying a section of a main pipeline from gas and a device for its implementation” from Gazprom Transgaz Kazan LLC (they pump gas using an airship) and No.2794371 “Mobile wind power plant”.

There is only one patent in physics.2453865 “Method for determining sea ice drift and system for determining sea ice drift” (the thickness of the ice field is determined by probing using an acoustic locator installed on an airship).

Several current Russian patents for inventions belong to foreigners, for example, the Swiss company CE SA No.2747328 “The airship and the method of its manufacture.”

Patent No. 2747328 “Airship and method of its manufacture”. — Patent No.2747328 “The airship and the method of its manufacture.”

There are 16 computer programs for airships. There are 2 databases.

Conclusion

Since the time of Nicholas II, Russia has been at the forefront of enthusiasts of the practical application of airships for many years – in industry, science and military affairs. However, at the moment, invention is mainly carried out by individuals, while in China, if we believe the applications, this is the business of serious research institutes and universities, and in the West – large military-industrial corporations.

Well, the time of airships in Russia has passed, but (didn't) promise to return.

Drawing for registration of 5 trademarks.

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