Dynalifter designer seeks funds

By Ed Runyan

VIENNA — The president of Ohio Airships, a company that built a prototype of a blimplike aircraft that he hopes will be a big player in the worldwide freight-moving industry, brought the idea Wednesday to the Western Reserve Port Authority.

Robert Rist of Mantua told the port authority board, which runs the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, he would need to borrow $230,000 to $300,000 and use airport runways in order to complete testing on the prototype, known as a Dynalifter. That stage would lead to 576 jobs.

If that went well, he also would begin production of the Dynalifter at the airport, which would result in the creation of 1,728 more jobs.

Ohio Airships would pay back the $230,000 to $300,000 “as soon as possible,” Rist said at the authority’s meeting.

John Masternick, authority board chairman, said later he was not aware that Rist would be asking for the $230,000 to $300,000 and said he didn’t know where the port authority would get that type of money. Rist said he assumes the board would issue bonds for it.

Rist said the prototype has been in storage since a storm 18 months ago damaged the hangar in which it was being housed in Alliance.

Rist has reached agreement with Robert Williams, owner of the former Alpha Aircraft Charter hangar at the airport to reassemble the prototype there. The 120-foot-long hangar could hold two prototype Dynalifters, Rist said.

Rist said 47 families have invested $500,000 in the idea since 1999. That money has been spent, he said.

The Dynalifter has its best chance of being a success in Third-World countries that have poor roads and airports, making trucks and airplanes less practical than in the United States, Rist said. A Dynalifter is “roadless trucking” and can land or lift off in a grassy landing strip, he said.

Countries such as South Africa, India and China, plus parts of Northern Africa are finding the Dynalifter idea interesting, Rist said, and are eagerly awaiting completion of the prototype.

“I know we would get a lot of attention worldwide,” Rist said.

A Dynalifter would cost about 16 cents per mile to operate, Rist said, putting it in competition with tractor trailers, which cost 15 cents per mile.

A Dynalifter compares favorably to a jet aircraft, such as a 747, because a jet costs 65 cents per mile. The cargo area of a Dynalifter is three times larger than a 747 cargo bay, he said.

The cost to build a 700-foot Dynalifter would be around $98 million, whereas a 747 costs around $270 million, Rist said. A Dynalifter travels about one fourth as fast as a jet.

A 500-foot Dynalifter would carry about 22 tons of freight, a 700-foot Dynalifter would carry about 100 tons, and a 1,000-foot Dynalifter would carry about 200 tons, Rist said.

The 120-foot prototype would only carry two people and no freight.

runyan@vindy.com