From the January 17th, 2006 Los Angeles Times
Small Company Aims to Soar Above Lockheed to Win Blimp
Contract
The firm is confident the Pentagon will pick its design
for a craft to move troops and cargo.
By Peter Pae, Times Staff Writer
It's the blimp industry's version of David and Goliath.
An obscure Tarzana firm run by Russian emigres is locked
in competition with Lockheed Martin Corp., the world's
largest defense contractor, to win a Pentagon contract to
build 900-foot- long, blimp-like aircraft to move cargo
and troops into combat zones.
Worldwide Aeros, which makes blimps used for flying
billboards, generated plenty of buzz in aerospace circles
last summer when it and Lockheed each landed $3-million
contracts from the Pentagon to do preliminary design work.
The Pentagon's advanced research arm expects to pick the
winning design in September and award a $100-million
contract for a prototype airship. The winner then has a
chance to bid on a blimp production contract potentially
worth $11 billion over 30 years.
"In reality we don't feel Lockheed is our technical
competitor," said Igor Pasternak, 41, Worldwide Aeros'
founder. "There is only one solution, and we have that one
solution," the Russian-trained scientist insisted.
Pasternak's company "wrote a proposal that seemed
outstanding," said Norman J. Mayer, a veteran airship
designer for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and the Navy, who
helped the Pentagon evaluate the blimp proposals. "They
were very serious about what they were trying to do. Time
will tell how well they do it."
Winning will not be easy.
Lockheed farmed out the blimp job to its Skunkworks unit,
the legendary aircraft design house in Palmdale that has
developed many of the nation's most advanced aircraft,
including the SR-71 and U-2 spy planes.
MILITARY MIGHT: An illustration by Worldwide Aeros of its
blimp-like craft that would transport U.S. troops to
combat zones.
(Aeros Aeronautical)
By contrast, Worldwide Aeros, with 40 employees, expects $10 million in revenue this year from selling blimps for advertising, including promoting MasterCard and Spalding sporting goods.
HIGH HOPES: Worldwide Aeros founder Igor Pasternak with a
shape model of the blimp-like craft he is seeking to build
for the Pentagon. The blimp U.S. contract could be worth
$11 billion over 30 years.
(Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times)
DESIGN STAGE: Worldwide Aeros� Raymond Murillo works on a blimp
fuel system at the company�s Tarzana location. The 40-employee
firm makes blimps for flying billboards.
(Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times)
And of course, like EVERYTHING, there's a BLIMPINFO website devoted to the topic!