3 ms·

So straightforward. Trade off speed for volume. Weight carrying capacity is terrible, but—-high ceilings, huge windows, low altitude (better view), minimal soun

So straightforward. Trade off speed for volume. Weight carrying capacity is terrible, but—-high ceilings, huge windows, low altitude (better view), minimal sound… that is a real luxury experience! The world’s most profitable route should be LA to Vegas. It’s that glass bottom ballroom, you know? But really, flying europe would be amazing. Next time I’m at the Bodensee in Germany, i really want to fly a zeppelin!

nradov 4y ago
Turbulence doesn't make for a "luxury" experience. Airships can't fly above the weather while carrying a useful load.
- meowkit 4y ago
  Given the software advances in drone stabilization, would it not be possible to add some sort of dynamic stabilization to this hypothetical airship?
  - nradov 4y ago
    The rotor systems typically used by small drones don't scale up well for use on larger manned airships. The weight and drag penalty would be huge, and the higher inertia doesn't allow for rapid dynamic adjustments to compensate well for turbulence.
- kragen 4y ago
  Historically, Zeppelin was a luxury form of travel in the 01930s, until the Hindenburg crash.
  - Nomentatus 4y ago
    And smoother than a Ford Triplane, I don't doubt: but still dangerous and harsh in heavy weather. Heavily subsidized by the NAZI state as well, as a prestige achievement.
    - kragen 4y ago
      Until the Hindenburg crash, the safety record of passenger airships was superb; the Hindenburg crash wasn't due to heavy weather, and passenger airship service ended the next day. On what basis do you claim that it was dangerous and harsh in heavy weather? State subsidies for the German airship industry began long before the NAZI takeover, but it's true that the NAZIS did continue them.
      - Nomentatus 4y ago
        I think the NAZIs instantiated regular passenger service, so there was no earlier safety record for that. It took a lot of direct subsidy to pay a good chunk of the fare (not just the regular zep RandD)! Of course, the Hindenburg crash wasn't due to heavy weather. Many dirigible crashes happened in heavy weather, particularly US and British versions. See R101 (rainstorm) and USS Akron (storm). Downdrafts are particularly nasty as well. Air resistance goes up by the square of velocity and these are large, relatively light objects, so this is hardly surprising.
        kragen 4y ago
        I think you're right about those things, so I wonder why passenger airship service was so much safer. The article claims that those two accidents were also caused by inadequate structural strength and flight instrument failure, so maybe the Zeppelins were just better made?
        Nomentatus 4y ago
        Certainly the Germans, as the inventors, had far more experience building dirigibles; they weren't suffering outright structural failures causing crashes, as happened to the Brits in the same era. Or course, dirigibles weren't the safest way of booking air passage across the Atlantic then, except in so far as they were the only way to book an air passage. Still the Hindenburg may have suffered a fire due to aluminum paint on the skin catching fire.
- dr_dshiv 4y ago
  Is there much turbulence between LA and Vegas at 2000 feet?
  - nradov 4y ago
    Yes it's sometimes pretty bad. Just depends on the conditions at the time. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2019/07/05/ask-captain-why-there-often-turbulence-flying-into-las-vegas/1657255001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2019/07/0...

nradov 4y ago

Turbulence doesn't make for a "luxury" experience. Airships can't fly above the weather while carrying a useful load.

meowkit 4y ago
Given the software advances in drone stabilization, would it not be possible to add some sort of dynamic stabilization to this hypothetical airship?
- nradov 4y ago
  The rotor systems typically used by small drones don't scale up well for use on larger manned airships. The weight and drag penalty would be huge, and the higher inertia doesn't allow for rapid dynamic adjustments to compensate well for turbulence.
kragen 4y ago
Historically, Zeppelin was a luxury form of travel in the 01930s, until the Hindenburg crash.
- Nomentatus 4y ago
  And smoother than a Ford Triplane, I don't doubt: but still dangerous and harsh in heavy weather. Heavily subsidized by the NAZI state as well, as a prestige achievement.
  - kragen 4y ago
    Until the Hindenburg crash, the safety record of passenger airships was superb; the Hindenburg crash wasn't due to heavy weather, and passenger airship service ended the next day. On what basis do you claim that it was dangerous and harsh in heavy weather? State subsidies for the German airship industry began long before the NAZI takeover, but it's true that the NAZIS did continue them.
    - Nomentatus 4y ago
      I think the NAZIs instantiated regular passenger service, so there was no earlier safety record for that. It took a lot of direct subsidy to pay a good chunk of the fare (not just the regular zep RandD)! Of course, the Hindenburg crash wasn't due to heavy weather. Many dirigible crashes happened in heavy weather, particularly US and British versions. See R101 (rainstorm) and USS Akron (storm). Downdrafts are particularly nasty as well. Air resistance goes up by the square of velocity and these are large, relatively light objects, so this is hardly surprising.
      - kragen 4y ago
        I think you're right about those things, so I wonder why passenger airship service was so much safer. The article claims that those two accidents were also caused by inadequate structural strength and flight instrument failure, so maybe the Zeppelins were just better made?
        Nomentatus 4y ago
        Certainly the Germans, as the inventors, had far more experience building dirigibles; they weren't suffering outright structural failures causing crashes, as happened to the Brits in the same era. Or course, dirigibles weren't the safest way of booking air passage across the Atlantic then, except in so far as they were the only way to book an air passage. Still the Hindenburg may have suffered a fire due to aluminum paint on the skin catching fire.
dr_dshiv 4y ago
Is there much turbulence between LA and Vegas at 2000 feet?
- nradov 4y ago
  Yes it's sometimes pretty bad. Just depends on the conditions at the time. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2019/07/05/ask-captain-why-there-often-turbulence-flying-into-las-vegas/1657255001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2019/07/0...