I guess the advantages of dirigibles are, that a helium or hydrogen
balloon can be smaller then a hot air balloon, which means less balloon
and less air resistance. How different gravities and air densities change
the relative advantages and disadvantages i don't know.
An other point i forgot in my earlier mail:
It might be that some Airship components might be available because they
are (relativly) low tech components of high tech devices. Like propably
the first airship was MacGyvered from a starships droptank. that way you
can propably import many relevant components of the airship that are
difficult to produce locally, even if no one else has airships.
Johannes
On Mon, 22 Jun 2015, Travis Watkins wrote:
For a small LTA vehicle, what would be the advantage of a dirigible type
over a hot-air balloon with a propeller for directional movement?
Seems like the balloon would be easier to stow(fold it up and toss the
envelope in the basket) and fuel(anything that burns well) as well as
pretty easy to make and repair(it is just funny-shaped tight-weave cloth
after all).
A balloon might not work well for covering a lot of ground, but if you just
need to move up and down, or get up high enough to do a quick survey of
extensive ranch land, it seems like it should work quite well without all
that dirigible infrastructure.
On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 4:06 AM, Johannes Trimmel <
[email protected]> wrote:
Traveller canonically has worlds, where air density is higher and/or
gravity is lower then on earth (mentioned among other somewhere in
connection with Droyne flight abilities) which also should somewhat reduce
the design requirements for airships.
I would assume that if they apeare, it will be a system world with a fair
amount of inhabitants, because if it's just a handfull of inhabitants, the
cost and the amount of work, to keep the knowledge about the technology
alive and available might beat any advantages over not having to import
grav vehicles and grav vehicle repair crews.
You can geo-babble up pretty much any landscape to get advantages for
airships. I am just not sure what type of landscape would favour them.
Mountains with steep cliffs, because it requires moving up and down a lot
but you don't need much horizontal movement?
Soft ground (snow, mud ect) might not only make runways difficult to
maintain, but also make emergancy landings for air ships more viable?
Most of the ground somewhat sloped?
Am i correct that with air ships it's easier to deliver or pick up cargo
or (competent) passangers without landing?
If you have something like ranchers who need to look after their lifestock
in vast hard to access pastures (some march-dinosaur-cattle or something)
they might be better of with airships. And if they are the backbone of the
local ecconomy, anyone else might use the technology that is already there.
Johannes
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