Dr Graham Dorrington PhD (Cambridge)
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Research
Graham Dorrington’s field of research covers the design optimisation of aerospace vehicles, in particular airships, fixed-wing aircraft, and reusable launch vehicles. He has held fellowships with ESA and with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation which permit him to pursue a relatively unusual (on-going) project concerned with the design and flight-testing of a two-seat airship over tropical rain forest.
Personal Statement
My current research is mainly associated with the development of airships (or dirigibles) to unobtrusively explore wilderness areas and tropical rain forests – in particular the canopy - one of most important biomes on Earth. The research is multifaceted, including aspects of aerodynamics, power and propulsion systems and materials technology. The pictures below are of an airship flown successfully thirty times over forest in Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo) in 1995, as well as a curious resident. If you want to assist or get involved in future developments, then please contact me.
See also: http://www.dendronautics.org
Recent publications :
“Development of an airship for tropical rain forest canopy exploration”
“Drag of Spheroid-Cone Shaped Airship”
Other current plans: I am a hoping to make a sequel to “The White Diamond” (2004).
Aside from his formal research and lectures in aerospace engineering, Graham Dorrington is also interested in the thought processes involved in design and invention. His other web pages include: http://www.antiquefarmtools.info/
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