Author Topic: Return of the Zeppelin  (Read 5381 times)

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Offline Stormwarden

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Return of the Zeppelin
« on: September 11, 2013, 01:01:36 am »
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2416809/Return-zeppelin-Firm-unveils-gigantic-airship-revolutionise-goods-carried-world.html

(Note: Yes, I know it's the Daily Fail, but it seems to be real)

A company is working to send new Zeppelins to the skies, as cargo and maybe passenger craft. With the craft consuming less than a third of the gas a regular plane would, and passenger tickets costing a third what a plane ticket would, it may be its time. Incidentally, they can even land in the water now if the article is to be believed.

I am okay with this. But I would like to see more modern applications of green tech. Maybe using solar and wind to power some of the lesser systems. That, and I really hope they have safeguards for air traffic.

Incidentally, could someone get me another source that isn't the Daily Mail? I want to be sure this is more than a tabloid moment.


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Offline Askold

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2013, 01:08:01 am »
Hey, Zeppelins are awesome and have a lot of good applications.

In fact there already are companies that use them for cargo transportation and as heavy duty cranes. Because sometimes you need a crane in some place where setting it up is impossible. In those cases you have two options, the huge soviet era helicopter-crane which takes up insane amounts of fuel or Zeppelin-crane. And the Zeppelin-crane is much better and cheaper option.

Same thing with cargo transportation, for now Zeppelins have only had a small portion because they lose to planes in speed. But I think there are cargoes where speed is not as important as the cost of transportation, this combined with the depleting oil deposits unless alternative fuel source comes along quick enough, Zeppelins are going to experience renessaince.
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Offline Cerim Treascair

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2013, 10:40:55 am »
shit, if they could rival or beat out trains for speed, I'd be taking a zeppelin instead of a plane, no sweat!
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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2013, 10:46:57 am »
Goddamnit Daily Mail, those are not zeppelins. The balloon is supported by its own air pressure rather than a rigid framework. Hence, not zeppelins.

I hate mainstream media. In the rare instances when they report on something other than celebrity bullshit, they always fuck up even the most basic facts.

Offline Katsuro

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2013, 11:26:07 am »
This keeps being brought up every couple of years by different companies and organisations but never seemes to end up going anywhere.  Hoping this time is different.

Offline mellenORL

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2013, 11:31:56 am »
http://www.businessinsider.com/aeroscraft-airship-could-change-avatiation-2013-9?op=1
Here. Was embedded within the daily fail article.
Very many big pictures, and it looks like Business Insider's writer was the one who originated the "zeppelin" derp.
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Offline Askold

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2013, 11:43:04 am »
"Not a true Zeppelin" Bah!

Who cares about your elitism and arbitrary definitions. These ships/vessels/whatever are cool and functional.
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

Art Vandelay

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2013, 11:50:37 am »
If what this guy says is true, it would seem that these blimps aren't going to be nearly as affordable as they seem in the very near future.
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Offline mellenORL

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2013, 11:54:58 am »
I would have gone one further than Pasternak; the United States is the lucky "owner" of the vast majority of the world's accessible Helium supply....and it is running out quickly, because it already has many, many uses in industry. Every one cries, "But but but the Hindenburg Disaster!", if you mention the more sensible, vastly more available, and more efficient lifting gas, Hydrogen.

The Hindenburg was painted with a powdered aluminum enamel. Powdered aluminum is one of the basic components of solid rocket fuel, and professional fire works, BTW. When lightning struck the Hindy, that aluminum powder paint accelerated and supported the fire. If the Hindy had not had that paint, which might as well have been gun powder, for all it's efficacy, it would not have blown up like that, Hydrogen or not.

I guess if Art and I would be willing to stretch the definition of a Zeppelin - a rigid airship - a weeee bit, we could allow this airship to be called a Zeppelin. Um, cause it has slightly stiff rope rigging embedded within the outer skin? Nah.  ::)
« Last Edit: September 11, 2013, 12:01:35 pm by mellenORL »
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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2013, 12:04:39 pm »
"Not a true Zeppelin" Bah!

Who cares about your elitism and arbitrary definitions. These ships/vessels/whatever are cool and functional.
Who said anything about elitism? Not being a zeppelin doesn't make these blimps any less functional than they already are. Just that they're not zeppelins. Much like how they're also not trains, buckets, goat cheese or anything else that, well, they are not.

Offline Askold

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2013, 12:47:17 pm »
"Not a true Zeppelin" Bah!

Who cares about your elitism and arbitrary definitions. These ships/vessels/whatever are cool and functional.
Who said anything about elitism? Not being a zeppelin doesn't make these blimps any less functional than they already are. Just that they're not zeppelins. Much like how they're also not trains, buckets, goat cheese or anything else that, well, they are not.

If that thing wants to be a train, then who are you to judge it?
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

Art Vandelay

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2013, 12:50:22 pm »
"Not a true Zeppelin" Bah!

Who cares about your elitism and arbitrary definitions. These ships/vessels/whatever are cool and functional.
Who said anything about elitism? Not being a zeppelin doesn't make these blimps any less functional than they already are. Just that they're not zeppelins. Much like how they're also not trains, buckets, goat cheese or anything else that, well, they are not.

If that thing wants to be a train, then who are you to judge it?

I suppose this is the part where I check my privilege, then.

Offline MadCatTLX

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2013, 01:26:54 pm »
Goddamnit Daily Mail, those are not zeppelins. The balloon is supported by its own air pressure rather than a rigid framework. Hence, not zeppelins.

I hate mainstream media. In the rare instances when they report on something other than celebrity bullshit, they always fuck up even the most basic facts.

That's almost as bad as the media's ability to identify guns.



And often when they correctly ID an AK as an AK-47... It's probably actually a 74.
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Offline Katsuro

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2013, 02:26:36 pm »
The BBC once had a report about a bloke who'd made himself a rocket pack, but they kept calling it a jet pack.  Some of you might think that's not really important, but you'd soon change your mind about that if you put rocket fuel in your jet engine.  Plus, it'd be nice if professioanl journalists could get the actual, basic facts of the strory right.

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Re: Return of the Zeppelin
« Reply #14 on: September 11, 2013, 05:40:10 pm »
I really hope it is real. That said, I hope it doesn't go down like a lead zeppelin.
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