The Age of the Airship Returns?

Popular in Victorian and Steampunk fantasies, airships and zeppelins evoke a certain elegance that most modern travelers don't associate with the airplane. Some companies are capitalizing on that idea, and a need to move cargo by air in an era of ever-increasing fuel costs, to re-re-introduce commercial zeppelins. Popular Mechanics notes four notable airship designs, all with specific design purposes. One craft in particular, the Aeroscraft ML866, is being funded by the US government's DARPA group. It looks to combine the best elements of the helicopter and the zeppelin. "The Aeroscraft ML866's potentially revolutionary Control of Static Heaviness system compresses and decompresses helium in the 210-ft.-long envelope, changing this proposed sky yacht's buoyancy during takeoff and landings, Aeros says. It hopes to end the program with a test flight demonstrating the system. "

Anti-gravity tech

[Anonymous Coward]

So does this mean that the DoD isn't developing anti-gravity technology in Area 51? Or does it just mean that DARPA isn't privy to that knowledge?

Sky Captain calling

[Travoltus]

he wants his world of tomorrow back.

Re:Anti-gravity tech

[ScrewMaster]

No, the Stargate program has control of that. Go talk to Captain Carter and see if she can give you a few pointers.

Idea full of hot air

[Tablizer]

(sorry, had to be said)

Re:Oh great

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, we are now falling long love with airships.

best elements of the helicopter and the zeppelin

[charlesbakerharris]

So, whirling rotary blades combined with When The Levee Breaks?

Cool.

Re:Anti-gravity tech

[MisterLawyer]

Just get the Floater Stone [wikia.com]!!!
It's in the ice cave just west of Crescent Lake. (But first, you'll need the Canoe from Lukahn.)
*ducks*

But seriously, wasn't it almost exactly 100 years ago that humanity learned an important lesson about mixing helium and airships? [nytimes.com]

Doesn't helium have the unfortunate property of being, oh I don't know... extremely flammable?

Re:best elements of the helicopter and the zeppeli

[Tablizer]

= Hindendicer: explodes and chops all in one step

Re:Oh great

[Fallingcow]

But since love is irrational, then only a float is going to be at all useful.

Re:Hydrogen--Big Cube of Vacuum

[Nom du Keyboard]

it's certainly much easier to get hydrogen than helium.

And it lifts better too!

Of course vacuum would provide the best lift of all in the atmosphere. So why is it that my beautiful 21" crt monitor, which is little more than a big cube of vacuum, is so damn heavy?

Re:obligatory python reference

[Brett Buck]

That means it's not too long 'till the Golden Age of Colonic Irrigation!

          Brett

Re:Sky Captain calling

[i_liek_turtles]

He can have his World of Tomorrow, and I can have Gwyneth Paltrow!

Propper modding technique

[EGenius007]

Shouldn't all comments referring to the Hindenburg be modded "Flaimbait"?

Re:Hydrogen--Big Cube of Vacuum

[Faylone]

Think how crushingly heavy it would be if you broke the vacuum!

Re:Anti-gravity tech

[Colin Smith]

you are thinking of hydrogen.

thinking?
 

Re:Anti-gravity tech

[Hognoxious]

You can make it from hydrogen. It's a bit tricky, though.

Re:Blimps compete with trucks and trains - badly

[scourfish]

Blimps don't need to make economic sense because they are fun. Also, if we don't have zeppelins, then how am I supposed to fulfill my dream of throwing somebody off of one and then saying "No ticket"?

Re:Oh great

[BlockedThreads]

If only love were rational then a float would be useful. But love, being irrational, is greater than all things - even long doubles.

Re:Hydrogen

[Anonymous Coward]

I wonder if the Hydrogen can be mixed with some other chemical to minimize it's flammability in airship application.

It sure can, mixing it with oxygen to creates Dihydrogen monoxide, which is much less flammable than pure hydrogen.

hth,

r0k

Re:Helium please :)

[sentientbrendan]

>>The Hindenburg disaster wasn't that bad. It only killed a few dozen people.
>Was the second sentence meant to support the first? Because I don't really think it does.

I think he's saying that the Hindenburg disaster didn't lead to a scarcity in the supply of people. The person supply being as plentiful as it is, we shouldn't be so afraid of spending it once in a while.

Re:Hydrogen--Big Cube of Vacuum

[vtcodger]

***So why is it that my beautiful 21" crt monitor, which is little more than a big cube of vacuum, is so damn heavy?***

Because it is too small to have much lift. Depending on how it was built, you might need weights to keep a 21 meter monitor from drifting off.

Re:Anti-gravity tech

[Silver Gryphon]

I hear the sun's been doing it for years. Maybe we should ask it for advice.

Re:Anti-gravity tech

[Robber Baron]

But seriously, wasn't it almost exactly 100 years ago that humanity learned an important lesson about mixing helium and airships?

Doesn't helium have the unfortunate property of being, oh I don't know... extremely flammable?

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the American public-school education.

I noticed his handle is "MisterLawyer", which ought to explain the ignorance. He's probably been hitting his head on the ass end of too many ambulances.

Re:Anti-gravity tech

[BrentH]

I think we need to forgive MisterLawyer. He is after all not trained to think, but to see possible opening for a liability case.

Re:Anti-gravity tech

[Anonymous Coward]

Doesn't helium have the unfortunate property of being, oh I don't know... extremely stable and boring?

There fixed it for ya.

Re:Anti-gravity tech

[ScrewMaster]

Christ, you people are as bad as the average Trekkie.

Besides I was just watching some Stargate reruns and got a little confused.