I'm thinking of a temperature-resistant thread, woven loosely into sheets that is then flashed with a thin layer of something very thermally conductive, like aluminium or copper.
These sheets are then fitted inside and between hydrogen gas bags, to do something to ameliorate the "dropping out of the sky in flames" effect, which people seem to find so off-putting.-- not_morrison_rm, May 01 2013 I think it would be interesting (if somewhat morbid) to find the stats for deaths per passenger&crew-mile.
The WP article on "airship accidents" shows a dozen or so in since 1900 of the caught-fire/ hit-by-lightning/ hit-power-lines - and exploded - variety.
//aluminum// err, ever wonder what made the Hindenburg's skin shiny ? Aluminium is a fuel.-- FlyingToaster, May 01 2013 ok, copper or uranium then.
Anyway, I though it was the dope on the Hindenburg that was so inflammable.
And, just noticed one of the ground-crew on that landing was a Bobby Rutan. Strangely familiar surname.-- not_morrison_rm, May 01 2013 //I though it was the dope on the Hindenburg that was so inflammable//
According to the ever reliable Wikipedia, this is a major theory for the cause of its demise. The section is missing citations, but there are enough for me to believe that it's a popular theory.
The Gladiator (also with canvas and dope, though Hindenburg had an aluminium structure) was famously described by Roald Dahl as follows:
'They have taut canvas wings, covered with magnificently inflammable dope, and underneath are hundreds of small thin sticks, the kind you put under logs for kindling, only these are dryer and thinner. If a clever man said, 'I am going to build a big thing that will burn better and quicker than anything else in the world,' and if he applied himself diligently to his task, he would probably finish up building something very much like a Gladiator.'
A little off topic, but I couldn't only mention the part about the dope.
[+] for the idea, I wonder what the weight penalty would be though.-- TomP, May 01 2013 [TomP], thanks for that Gladiator comment.-- baconbrain, May 02 2013 random, halfbakery