Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadam
Why is geodesic structure even needed? Balloons are easier to inflate if not rigorous, thinking that light-weight ball shaped geodesic dome would be hard to stand up without support. Balloon would support its shape on its own. Any faults would be negated by many layers. Repairs can be made by moving along meshes between layers. Did I miss anything?
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And by the way, using helium instead of air gives about 250% increase in lift. 600% for hydrogen  . |
The benefit of the geodesic structure is stability and strength. The structure will not be "closed" and filled with pressurized gases. It would be only air with openings above and below. Hence, I don't see any need to have an amorphous structure (such as a typical balloon).
Anyways, Hydrogen is dangerous and Helium is in short supply.
