Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: cosine on December 06, 2007, 06:00:31 PM

Title: Hybrid airship
Post by: cosine on December 06, 2007, 06:00:31 PM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJMxxgd9UI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-791
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: Polishrifleman on December 06, 2007, 07:16:15 PM: I like the "Looks like a flying butt" comment. Man that's one ugly thing!
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: Bogie on December 06, 2007, 09:10:57 PM: This is cooler...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38TFetQAe2o&feature=related

Who is the older fellow on Top Gear anyway? He seems a LOT more fun than the young chappie...
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: Iain on December 06, 2007, 10:36:36 PM: That's from Fifth Gear, the presenter is Tiff Needell.
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: AJ Dual on December 07, 2007, 04:15:59 PM: Quote from: cosine on December 06, 2007, 05:00:31 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJMxxgd9UI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-791

I dunno, I think it needs to be black. Have more antennas and navigation lights on it. And a big LED billboard on the side extolling the virtues of relocating to the "Outworld Colonies"...
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: Scout26 on December 07, 2007, 06:12:07 PM: On the plus side, enemy anti-aircraft gunners will be laughing too hard to properly aim.........
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: jefnvk on December 08, 2007, 04:24:31 AM: Why? What market is ther for that?

And how the heck does it achieve aerodynamic lift?
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: Fly320s on December 08, 2007, 06:42:40 AM: The market is the heavy-lift industry, I'd guess.

Although, I don't see how it can lift anything if it needs a runway. Maybe it has an open interior that can carry large or heavy pieces.
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: AJ Dual on December 08, 2007, 07:28:20 AM: Quote from: scout26 on December 07, 2007, 05:12:07 PM
On the plus side, enemy anti-aircraft gunners will be laughing too hard to properly aim.........

Well, being just a collection of gasbags, AA might sail right through it, leaving some small leaks, and the immediate results may well be way less catastrophic than a hit on a C-130 or C-5A Galaxy...
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: CAnnoneer on December 08, 2007, 08:37:46 AM: If economy is the name of the game, then blimps would be the way to go for civilian applications. Looks got nothing to do with it. The real limitation would be the low speed.
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: MechAg94 on December 08, 2007, 07:02:48 PM: Where would you park it?
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: CAnnoneer on December 09, 2007, 06:18:06 AM: Quote from: MechAg94 on December 08, 2007, 06:02:48 PM
Where would you park it?

If it has slightly positive buoyancy unpowered, just anchor it to a concrete plate in your backyard.

I am serious - blimps are way cool. Especially nowadays, with better materials, access to helium, and most importantly, powered flight, blimps are the way to go for economic personal transportation.
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: 280plus on December 09, 2007, 10:15:15 AM: Why do the Japanes call Led Zeppelin "Red Dilligabaroo"?

Because it's easier to say than "brimp"...

Badum bum...
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: MillCreek on December 09, 2007, 01:45:58 PM: Just this week, I read an article in the WSJ about how we are rapidly running out of helium. Especially affordable helium. This has had a major impact on some areas of scientific research that uses it. Industrial processes using helium are able to recycle much of it; not so most of the science labs.
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: CAnnoneer on December 09, 2007, 08:31:38 PM: Quote from: MillCreek on December 09, 2007, 12:45:58 PM
we are rapidly running out of helium. Especially affordable helium.

True. All the more reason to get that fusion power going!
Title: Re: Hybrid airship
Post by: zahc on December 10, 2007, 06:56:17 AM: I'm one of those scientists that has felt the helium crunch. There's government controls on it and sometimes it's just not available.