What the Blimp! It’s a Pedal Powered White Dwarf

This cute little conveyance is nothing new. It once set a FAI world record for it’s class of airship, flying 58 miles (93km). But that was 14 years ago. Now the White Dwarf is in the sky once more, thanks to the determination of two enthusiasts, Reed Gleason and Bill Arras. They are on a mission to develop small helium filled blimps, which use a combination of pedal power and gas engines for propulsion. They’ve had the White Dwarf cruising up 15 mph (24kph), but are hopeful of arriving at a design that will manage 25 mph (40kph) for at least two hours. Read about their adventures in getting the White Dwarf airborne again, and where they want to go from here. ::White Dwarf, via tip from Graham. (See also our previous post on the high flying hopes of bringing airships back for commercial use.)