[Kylon]

I was thinking, it's easier to construct a balloon, or a glider, than it is to construct an air plane.



So what if you constructed a balloon glider?

It uses a balloon system to get to the higher altitudes, then it lets out it's wings, and closes it's balloon system, and lets out it's wings.

Then you get the manueverability/speed of a glider, with the capacity for vertical takeoff of a balloon.

Also, it would be cheaper to construct than an airplane.


It might be useful in the future without many other means of air travel, while simultaneously avoiding contact with the restless angry natives.

[jboogy]

Kylon , ....oh never mind. Aren't you the guy that wanted to set off nukes underground for some strange reason? How old are you?

[basil_hayden]

Yeah but where do we attach the cancerous tumors?

LOFL

[Plantagenet]

Why not just keep the balloon inflated and attach it to the bottom of the glider so you'll bounce when your glider hits the ground?

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jboogy', 'K')ylon , ....oh never mind. Aren't you the guy that wanted to set off nukes underground for some strange reason? How old are you?

[jboogy]

Touche' although I think Kylon had something a little different in mind.

[Cloud9]

How about one of these:

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology ... eague.html

[Plantagenet]

[mekrob]

You try it out. Let us know how it goes. But for me, I'm sticking with lighting my farts to get the needed acceleration for air travel.

[Twilight]

What I have seen of manned balloons does not impress me much, definitely a "fair weather" mode of travel.

Also they can sink fast when you least want it. I have seen some come within 100 ft of an appearance on that night's TV news.

As an historical aside (don't you just love tangents?) tethered balloons saw service in both world wars for artillery spotting and performing an AA function with the aid of tensioned cables. So they are not without their uses in a reduced-tech world. Recall the Iraqi chemical weapon production trailers that weren't: just goes to show how far behind they were during the 1980s, reduced to using balloons for aerial reconnaisance of the static quagmire on their border with Iran. Going a bit further back, wire traps strung across valleys enjoyed occasional success and had excellent moral effects on aviation during the First World War. That was probably the origin of the barrage balloon concept. But those days are long gone.

Now airships on the other hand... such a wasted opportunity. Had the Hindenburg not been painted with thermite, perhaps the history of aviation would have been more energy efficient and elegant.

Anyway, Kylon's idea sucks as usual.

[jboogy]

have you ever noticed how devices meant to kill look evil , that AA gun is a perfect example. There is something very menacing about it . Almost like a half creature , half machine death cyborg terminator thingy.