Age of the Airships (Alternate History)

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-02-12 07:10pm

We all know that the Hindenburg disaster of 1937 effectively killed interest in the use of riged airships from then on.

But I've always wanted to know how things would have been different if Germany could have gotten helium for Hindenburg instead of being forced to use the more dangerous hydrogen.

So basically, how much longer could rigid airships like zeppelins have been in use if the Hindenburg disaster never occured and airships only used helium?

Comosicus · Post by **Comosicus** » 2004-02-12 07:21pm

I think it would have lasted until the war. Or later for pleasure flights. The war forced a developpement of planes. An airship would be too much a big and slow target to use for the military, thus I think things wouldn't be very different.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-02-12 07:26pm

Hindenburg was fucked due to being covered in rocket fuel; she'd have been destroyed in 1937 regardless of what was inside the gasbags. But anyway, had she not been destroyed the air of airships wouldn't have lasted much longer. They where slow and expensive to operate and its unlikely many if any more would have been built.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-02-12 07:40pm

Airplanes render them obsolete. You might have a few wealthy people travel on them as a novelty but I doubt they would be a self-sustainable business.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-02-12 08:13pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:But I've always wanted to know how things would have been different if Germany could have gotten helium for Hindenburg instead of being forced to use the more dangerous hydrogen.

Saboteur plant a bomb inside,bomb goes boom airship deflate,all passengers talk with a funny voice.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2004-02-12 08:23pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:We all know that the Hindenburg disaster of 1937 effectively killed interest in the use of riged airships from then on.

But I've always wanted to know how things would have been different if Germany could have gotten helium for Hindenburg instead of being forced to use the more dangerous hydrogen.

So basically, how much longer could rigid airships like zeppelins have been in use if the Hindenburg disaster never occured and airships only used helium?

Its possible but not very likely. The truth of the matter is that WWII brought about the design of long range airplane with the posibility to cross the atlantic. Thge Airship was in a way a flying luxury liner. When large passenger aircraft came into service they woiuld have put both airships and ocean liners out of business.

The Aliens · Post by **The Aliens** » 2004-02-12 08:54pm

The next disaster would have been the end of the dirigible, which probably wouldn't have taken very long. By 1940, they would have been out of service after they got repeatedly shot down in the war.

Straha · Post by **Straha** » 2004-02-12 09:20pm

Air-ships go no where, except maybe as long distance travel equivilant of a cruise ship.

Now that's something I'd pay to go on, just imagine travelling over the caribean beaches in one of those things. [size=0]preferably with a pair of high powered binoculars[/size]

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2004-02-12 09:59pm

I could imagine they'd eventually become obselete with the dawn of large passenger planes, and perhaps only be used on things such as pleasure cruises, if at all.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2004-02-13 01:45am

Although a perfectly elegant form of travel, airships would not have survived the advent of trans-oceanic passenger planes and they didn't even have the First Class passenger capacity of a contemporary ocean liner. Unless whole fleets of zepplins were built, airship travel was doomed by its two chief commercial disadvantages: slower than planes and miniscule passenger capacity.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-13 08:33am

Perfect timing from the SA.com goons.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-02-13 08:52am

The above is image is beyond disgusting making fun of two terrible tragedies.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-13 09:00am

evilcat4000 wrote:The above is image is beyond disgusting making fun of two terrible tragedies.

You've never been to SA.com before then, but I still found the timing uncanny.

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2004-02-13 09:02am

evilcat4000 wrote:The above is image is beyond disgusting making fun of two terrible tragedies.

Well, thankfully we live in a place and time where people have the right to find whatever subject matter they want funny and can broadcast that fact without fear of punishment.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-13 09:11am

Lagmonster wrote:
evilcat4000 wrote:The above is image is beyond disgusting making fun of two terrible tragedies.
Well, thankfully we live in a place and time where people have the right to find whatever subject matter they want funny and can broadcast that fact without fear of punishment.

There are far better Photoshops there today, all to do with terrorism. The Big Bang and dino ones were hilarious.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-02-13 09:30am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
evilcat4000 wrote:The above is image is beyond disgusting making fun of two terrible tragedies.
You've never been to SA.com before then, but I still found the timing uncanny.

Aftering hearing about SA.com I decided never to visit that site.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-02-13 09:40am

evilcat4000 wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:
evilcat4000 wrote:The above is image is beyond disgusting making fun of two terrible tragedies.
You've never been to SA.com before then, but I still found the timing uncanny.
Aftering hearing about SA.com I decided never to visit that site.

It has hilarious shit on there, some you'll be offended by, some you won't. That's life.

muse · Post by **muse** » 2004-02-13 02:55pm

On the bright side you can't knock skyscrapers down by flying airships into them....

Airships if, if the could be made nice & safe would be a fine complement to cruise ships. Unfortunately they don't deal too well with high winds, and if one got caught in an unexpected storm it could be in big trouble. Cruise ships can survive foul weather well enough, it'll piss off the passengers and some of them might get seasick but there's no real chance of the ship sinking. I think airships might be useful for day cruises around the countryside in places with calm climates. They'd be great for sightseeing hops and taking people out the to cottage.

Isolder74 · Post by **Isolder74** » 2004-02-13 03:53pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
Lagmonster wrote:
evilcat4000 wrote:The above is image is beyond disgusting making fun of two terrible tragedies.
Well, thankfully we live in a place and time where people have the right to find whatever subject matter they want funny and can broadcast that fact without fear of punishment.
There are far better Photoshops there today, all to do with terrorism. The Big Bang and dino ones were hilarious.

wouldn'y happen a airship does not have kinetic nergy to make it through the outside of the building because of the fact that it is mostly hollow.

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Age of the Airships (Alternate History)

Age of the Airships (Alternate History)

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