How could an airship be repaired midflight?
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In the scene of one of my stories, an airship gets hit by a violent storm. Apart from exploding (which isn't helpful to the main character), what other things could go wrong that would be fixable?
Most of the examples I can find online of airship problems almost always resulted in total disaster. Some thoughts I have are: fixing a rudder, hull damage that could be patched, or some other result of high turbulence or lightning. Perhaps a fire? This is an American airship, so it's using helium and isn't subject to igniting like the hydrogen airships.
airships steampunk
edited 10 hours ago
Peter Mortensen
23316
asked yesterday
AustinAustin
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show 12 more comments
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In the scene of one of my stories, an airship gets hit by a violent storm. Apart from exploding (which isn't helpful to the main character), what other things could go wrong that would be fixable?
Most of the examples I can find online of airship problems almost always resulted in total disaster. Some thoughts I have are: fixing a rudder, hull damage that could be patched, or some other result of high turbulence or lightning. Perhaps a fire? This is an American airship, so it's using helium and isn't subject to igniting like the hydrogen airships.
airships steampunk
edited 10 hours ago
Peter Mortensen
23316
asked yesterday
AustinAustin
824
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Austin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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21
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Duct tape is the answer. It's always the answer.
$endgroup$
– farmersteve
yesterday
6
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Welcome to Worldbuilding! - Just a note that your title asks, "How can an airship be repaired mid-flight..." but the body of the question appears to be, "What might go wrong midflight?" This may give rise to different types of answer. Maybe a title like, "What airship disasters can realistically be repaired mid-flight?" might be more accurate. (?)
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– chasly from UK
yesterday
6
$begingroup$
@SteveS. Duct tape is for everyday. What the OP needs is gaffer's tape. Now that fixes everything.
$endgroup$
– Cyn
yesterday
10
$begingroup$
Go to airships.net and read. Airships were designed to be repaired in flight. They are ships, after all; travel times were on the order of days (typically two and a half days to cross the Atlantic, five days from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro), not hours.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
yesterday
8
$begingroup$
Airships dont really explode. Even the Hindenburg when it was fully aflame just fell down while flames engulfed it, and it did this so slowly (as it was already landing) that most of the occupants could get out. And while storms are dangerous, Airships are actually extremely resilient to storms and most accidents were human made rather than environmental, such as being so confident in their airship's capabilities that they braved storms too tough to handle and get destroyed from being blown against a Mountain rather than things breaking. Rule of thumb: max speed (100 to 130km) is maximum storm
$endgroup$
– Demigan
yesterday
|
show 12 more comments
$begingroup$
In the scene of one of my stories, an airship gets hit by a violent storm. Apart from exploding (which isn't helpful to the main character), what other things could go wrong that would be fixable?
Most of the examples I can find online of airship problems almost always resulted in total disaster. Some thoughts I have are: fixing a rudder, hull damage that could be patched, or some other result of high turbulence or lightning. Perhaps a fire? This is an American airship, so it's using helium and isn't subject to igniting like the hydrogen airships.
airships steampunk
edited 10 hours ago
Peter Mortensen
23316
asked yesterday
AustinAustin
824
New contributor
Austin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
$endgroup$
In the scene of one of my stories, an airship gets hit by a violent storm. Apart from exploding (which isn't helpful to the main character), what other things could go wrong that would be fixable?
Most of the examples I can find online of airship problems almost always resulted in total disaster. Some thoughts I have are: fixing a rudder, hull damage that could be patched, or some other result of high turbulence or lightning. Perhaps a fire? This is an American airship, so it's using helium and isn't subject to igniting like the hydrogen airships.
airships steampunk
airships steampunk
edited 10 hours ago
Peter Mortensen
23316
asked yesterday
AustinAustin
824
New contributor
Austin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 10 hours ago
Peter Mortensen
23316
asked yesterday
AustinAustin
824
New contributor
Austin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 10 hours ago
Peter Mortensen
23316
edited 10 hours ago
Peter Mortensen
23316
edited 10 hours ago
Peter Mortensen
23316
23316
asked yesterday
AustinAustin
824
New contributor
Austin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
AustinAustin
824
asked yesterday
AustinAustin
824
824
New contributor
Austin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Austin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Austin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
21
$begingroup$
Duct tape is the answer. It's always the answer.
$endgroup$
– farmersteve
yesterday
6
$begingroup$
Welcome to Worldbuilding! - Just a note that your title asks, "How can an airship be repaired mid-flight..." but the body of the question appears to be, "What might go wrong midflight?" This may give rise to different types of answer. Maybe a title like, "What airship disasters can realistically be repaired mid-flight?" might be more accurate. (?)
$endgroup$
– chasly from UK
yesterday
6
$begingroup$
@SteveS. Duct tape is for everyday. What the OP needs is gaffer's tape. Now that fixes everything.
$endgroup$
– Cyn
yesterday
10
$begingroup$
Go to airships.net and read. Airships were designed to be repaired in flight. They are ships, after all; travel times were on the order of days (typically two and a half days to cross the Atlantic, five days from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro), not hours.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
yesterday
8
$begingroup$
Airships dont really explode. Even the Hindenburg when it was fully aflame just fell down while flames engulfed it, and it did this so slowly (as it was already landing) that most of the occupants could get out. And while storms are dangerous, Airships are actually extremely resilient to storms and most accidents were human made rather than environmental, such as being so confident in their airship's capabilities that they braved storms too tough to handle and get destroyed from being blown against a Mountain rather than things breaking. Rule of thumb: max speed (100 to 130km) is maximum storm
$endgroup$
– Demigan
yesterday
|
show 12 more comments
21
$begingroup$
Duct tape is the answer. It's always the answer.
$endgroup$
– farmersteve
yesterday
6
$begingroup$
Welcome to Worldbuilding! - Just a note that your title asks, "How can an airship be repaired mid-flight..." but the body of the question appears to be, "What might go wrong midflight?" This may give rise to different types of answer. Maybe a title like, "What airship disasters can realistically be repaired mid-flight?" might be more accurate. (?)
$endgroup$
– chasly from UK
yesterday
6
$begingroup$
@SteveS. Duct tape is for everyday. What the OP needs is gaffer's tape. Now that fixes everything.
$endgroup$
– Cyn
yesterday
10
$begingroup$
Go to airships.net and read. Airships were designed to be repaired in flight. They are ships, after all; travel times were on the order of days (typically two and a half days to cross the Atlantic, five days from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro), not hours.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
yesterday
8
$begingroup$
Airships dont really explode. Even the Hindenburg when it was fully aflame just fell down while flames engulfed it, and it did this so slowly (as it was already landing) that most of the occupants could get out. And while storms are dangerous, Airships are actually extremely resilient to storms and most accidents were human made rather than environmental, such as being so confident in their airship's capabilities that they braved storms too tough to handle and get destroyed from being blown against a Mountain rather than things breaking. Rule of thumb: max speed (100 to 130km) is maximum storm
$endgroup$
– Demigan
yesterday
21
21
$begingroup$
Duct tape is the answer. It's always the answer.
$endgroup$
– farmersteve
yesterday
$begingroup$
Duct tape is the answer. It's always the answer.
$endgroup$
– farmersteve
yesterday
6
6
$begingroup$
Welcome to Worldbuilding! - Just a note that your title asks, "How can an airship be repaired mid-flight..." but the body of the question appears to be, "What might go wrong midflight?" This may give rise to different types of answer. Maybe a title like, "What airship disasters can realistically be repaired mid-flight?" might be more accurate. (?)
$endgroup$
– chasly from UK
yesterday
$begingroup$
Welcome to Worldbuilding! - Just a note that your title asks, "How can an airship be repaired mid-flight..." but the body of the question appears to be, "What might go wrong midflight?" This may give rise to different types of answer. Maybe a title like, "What airship disasters can realistically be repaired mid-flight?" might be more accurate. (?)
$endgroup$
– chasly from UK
yesterday
6
6
$begingroup$
@SteveS. Duct tape is for everyday. What the OP needs is gaffer's tape. Now that fixes everything.
$endgroup$
– Cyn
yesterday
$begingroup$
@SteveS. Duct tape is for everyday. What the OP needs is gaffer's tape. Now that fixes everything.
$endgroup$
– Cyn
yesterday
10
10
$begingroup$
Go to airships.net and read. Airships were designed to be repaired in flight. They are ships, after all; travel times were on the order of days (typically two and a half days to cross the Atlantic, five days from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro), not hours.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
yesterday
$begingroup$
Go to airships.net and read. Airships were designed to be repaired in flight. They are ships, after all; travel times were on the order of days (typically two and a half days to cross the Atlantic, five days from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro), not hours.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
yesterday
8
8
$begingroup$
Airships dont really explode. Even the Hindenburg when it was fully aflame just fell down while flames engulfed it, and it did this so slowly (as it was already landing) that most of the occupants could get out. And while storms are dangerous, Airships are actually extremely resilient to storms and most accidents were human made rather than environmental, such as being so confident in their airship's capabilities that they braved storms too tough to handle and get destroyed from being blown against a Mountain rather than things breaking. Rule of thumb: max speed (100 to 130km) is maximum storm
$endgroup$
– Demigan
yesterday
$begingroup$
Airships dont really explode. Even the Hindenburg when it was fully aflame just fell down while flames engulfed it, and it did this so slowly (as it was already landing) that most of the occupants could get out. And while storms are dangerous, Airships are actually extremely resilient to storms and most accidents were human made rather than environmental, such as being so confident in their airship's capabilities that they braved storms too tough to handle and get destroyed from being blown against a Mountain rather than things breaking. Rule of thumb: max speed (100 to 130km) is maximum storm
$endgroup$
– Demigan
yesterday
|
show 12 more comments
8 Answers
8
active
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- The outer skin of a zeppelin could start to rip. Someone would have to go on top to sew it up and stop the rip.
- Internally, bracing struts might snap and need to be replaced.
- Many airships had engine pods which were designed for in-flight maintenance.
- Malfunctions might make it necessary to go to the ballast tanks and manually release them. (First image on this page).
answered yesterday
o.m.o.m.
62k789202
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
A failure that's quite likely in a violent storm is damage to fins, rudders, or elevators. Presuming these are built similarly to what they were on the Zeppelins of the 1900-1940 era, turbulence could snap rudder cable, tear off guy attachments, fracture and buckle ribs or spars, even tear fabric covering.
None of these present a great danger of an immediate crash, just extra drama trying to control pitch by shifting fuel and water ballast, or steer with differential thrust (throttle up starboard engines, idle port side, to turn slowly to port). Even better, all are repairable without landing, at least to the extend of jury rigging something to restore limited control until the ship can land in a safe place.
answered yesterday
Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon
1,643114
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add a comment |
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Photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt: Repairing the Hull of the Graf Zeppelin During the Flight over the Atlantic, 1934
answered yesterday
RogerRoger
3,263419
$endgroup$
3
$begingroup$
:-) Yes, this is proof-of-concept, but a bit more detail (including a list of the types of things that could be fixed this way) would improve this answer substantially.
$endgroup$
– JBH
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The engine could break down. If your engine is a steam engine this could be anything from the fire going out to the boiler rupturing/exploding.
Also if the propellers are driven by chains (or similar) they might break. That might require someone to go outside to affix a new chain.
answered yesterday
mwarrenmwarren
1492
$endgroup$
1
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There's an answer here that talks about the USS Macon having landed safely after experiencing structural damage. How? Because the entire drivetrain still worked. Dead in the water is one thing. Dead in the air, is dead. +1
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– Mazura
yesterday
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Is this based on any actual airships, or are you just giving us a word salad of random retro tech?
$endgroup$
– Harper
13 hours ago
add a comment |
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First, read: Airship R505
Here are some of the things that can go wrong:
- Damaged engines
- Damaged propellers
- Leaking fuel
- Damaged fuel lines
- Leaking gas
- Low gas and low ballast from maneuvers during the storm
- Ripped gas bags
- Damaged skin of the airship
- Damaged control surfaces of the airship
- Damaged cables going to said control surfaces
- Damaged structural members (beams, supports)
- Loss of the gondola
answered yesterday
ShadoCatShadoCat
15.3k2052
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add a comment |
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Loss of structural integrity in the inner truss system:
The USS Macon, a rigid airship of the US Navy, was badly damaged while transiting through mountains of Arizona. Among other failures, mechanical failures of the rigid truss structure were repaired in flight:
Following a severe drop, a diagonal girder in ring 17.5, which supported the forward fin attachment points, failed. Rapid damage control by Chief Boatswain's Mate Robert Davis repaired the girders before further failures could occur. The Macon completed the journey safely but the buckled ring and all four tailfins were judged to be in need of strengthening. (Wikipedia)
The failure of the Navy to heed advice and have design flaws mitigated lead to the crash of the airship Macon on February 12, 1935.
answered yesterday
JimJim
1915
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I don't know what other complications there might have been, but they both crashed due to bad weather.
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Air Balloons
A zeppellin made of multiple tiny air balloons (with a bigger protection on top) might be more resistant to any event (bullets for instance, or a lightning/hailstorm in your case), because only a few ones will pop.
However, after an accident, the crew will have to repair/use new ones, and inflate them, then replace them.
answered yesterday
AsoubAsoub
367312
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
A zeppelin's gas bags aren't pressurized (and they're rather large). Putting a bullet-sized hole in one will cause a slow leak that will need to be repaired sometime in the next few months. Putting an entire fighter airplane's-worth of machine-gun bullet holes in one will still only be a minor nuisance, as the British found out when they tried to shoot down German zeppelin bombers during World War I.
$endgroup$
– Mark
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Crew is incapacitated or dead.
New technology was installed in the control cabin. It was not appreciated that this new tech effectively bypassed the built-in lightning protection on the airship, allowing a channel for lightning to traverse the airship that took the charge right through the control cabin.
After the strike, the airship is fine but many crew members who were in the control cabin are dead from side splash charge and others badly hurt. The new tech is beyond repair but the airship is otherwise ok. Your protagonist can save one or two crew members s(he) finds in the control cabin, and then must pilot the ship.
answered 11 mins ago
WillkWillk
113k27211472
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add a comment |
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8 Answers
8
active
oldest
votes
8 Answers
8
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
- The outer skin of a zeppelin could start to rip. Someone would have to go on top to sew it up and stop the rip.
- Internally, bracing struts might snap and need to be replaced.
- Many airships had engine pods which were designed for in-flight maintenance.
- Malfunctions might make it necessary to go to the ballast tanks and manually release them. (First image on this page).
answered yesterday
o.m.o.m.
62k789202
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
- The outer skin of a zeppelin could start to rip. Someone would have to go on top to sew it up and stop the rip.
- Internally, bracing struts might snap and need to be replaced.
- Many airships had engine pods which were designed for in-flight maintenance.
- Malfunctions might make it necessary to go to the ballast tanks and manually release them. (First image on this page).
answered yesterday
o.m.o.m.
62k789202
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
- The outer skin of a zeppelin could start to rip. Someone would have to go on top to sew it up and stop the rip.
- Internally, bracing struts might snap and need to be replaced.
- Many airships had engine pods which were designed for in-flight maintenance.
- Malfunctions might make it necessary to go to the ballast tanks and manually release them. (First image on this page).
answered yesterday
o.m.o.m.
62k789202
$endgroup$
- The outer skin of a zeppelin could start to rip. Someone would have to go on top to sew it up and stop the rip.
- Internally, bracing struts might snap and need to be replaced.
- Many airships had engine pods which were designed for in-flight maintenance.
- Malfunctions might make it necessary to go to the ballast tanks and manually release them. (First image on this page).
answered yesterday
o.m.o.m.
62k789202
answered yesterday
o.m.o.m.
62k789202
answered yesterday
o.m.o.m.
62k789202
answered yesterday
o.m.o.m.
62k789202
62k789202
add a comment |
add a comment |
$begingroup$
A failure that's quite likely in a violent storm is damage to fins, rudders, or elevators. Presuming these are built similarly to what they were on the Zeppelins of the 1900-1940 era, turbulence could snap rudder cable, tear off guy attachments, fracture and buckle ribs or spars, even tear fabric covering.
None of these present a great danger of an immediate crash, just extra drama trying to control pitch by shifting fuel and water ballast, or steer with differential thrust (throttle up starboard engines, idle port side, to turn slowly to port). Even better, all are repairable without landing, at least to the extend of jury rigging something to restore limited control until the ship can land in a safe place.
answered yesterday
Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon
1,643114
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
A failure that's quite likely in a violent storm is damage to fins, rudders, or elevators. Presuming these are built similarly to what they were on the Zeppelins of the 1900-1940 era, turbulence could snap rudder cable, tear off guy attachments, fracture and buckle ribs or spars, even tear fabric covering.
None of these present a great danger of an immediate crash, just extra drama trying to control pitch by shifting fuel and water ballast, or steer with differential thrust (throttle up starboard engines, idle port side, to turn slowly to port). Even better, all are repairable without landing, at least to the extend of jury rigging something to restore limited control until the ship can land in a safe place.
answered yesterday
Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon
1,643114
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
A failure that's quite likely in a violent storm is damage to fins, rudders, or elevators. Presuming these are built similarly to what they were on the Zeppelins of the 1900-1940 era, turbulence could snap rudder cable, tear off guy attachments, fracture and buckle ribs or spars, even tear fabric covering.
None of these present a great danger of an immediate crash, just extra drama trying to control pitch by shifting fuel and water ballast, or steer with differential thrust (throttle up starboard engines, idle port side, to turn slowly to port). Even better, all are repairable without landing, at least to the extend of jury rigging something to restore limited control until the ship can land in a safe place.
answered yesterday
Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon
1,643114
$endgroup$
A failure that's quite likely in a violent storm is damage to fins, rudders, or elevators. Presuming these are built similarly to what they were on the Zeppelins of the 1900-1940 era, turbulence could snap rudder cable, tear off guy attachments, fracture and buckle ribs or spars, even tear fabric covering.
None of these present a great danger of an immediate crash, just extra drama trying to control pitch by shifting fuel and water ballast, or steer with differential thrust (throttle up starboard engines, idle port side, to turn slowly to port). Even better, all are repairable without landing, at least to the extend of jury rigging something to restore limited control until the ship can land in a safe place.
answered yesterday
Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon
1,643114
answered yesterday
Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon
1,643114
answered yesterday
Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon
1,643114
answered yesterday
Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon
1,643114
1,643114
add a comment |
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt: Repairing the Hull of the Graf Zeppelin During the Flight over the Atlantic, 1934
answered yesterday
RogerRoger
3,263419
$endgroup$
3
$begingroup$
:-) Yes, this is proof-of-concept, but a bit more detail (including a list of the types of things that could be fixed this way) would improve this answer substantially.
$endgroup$
– JBH
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt: Repairing the Hull of the Graf Zeppelin During the Flight over the Atlantic, 1934
answered yesterday
RogerRoger
3,263419
$endgroup$
3
$begingroup$
:-) Yes, this is proof-of-concept, but a bit more detail (including a list of the types of things that could be fixed this way) would improve this answer substantially.
$endgroup$
– JBH
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt: Repairing the Hull of the Graf Zeppelin During the Flight over the Atlantic, 1934
answered yesterday
RogerRoger
3,263419
$endgroup$
Photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt: Repairing the Hull of the Graf Zeppelin During the Flight over the Atlantic, 1934
answered yesterday
RogerRoger
3,263419
answered yesterday
RogerRoger
3,263419
answered yesterday
RogerRoger
3,263419
answered yesterday
RogerRoger
3,263419
3,263419
3
$begingroup$
:-) Yes, this is proof-of-concept, but a bit more detail (including a list of the types of things that could be fixed this way) would improve this answer substantially.
$endgroup$
– JBH
yesterday
add a comment |
3
$begingroup$
:-) Yes, this is proof-of-concept, but a bit more detail (including a list of the types of things that could be fixed this way) would improve this answer substantially.
$endgroup$
– JBH
yesterday
3
3
$begingroup$
:-) Yes, this is proof-of-concept, but a bit more detail (including a list of the types of things that could be fixed this way) would improve this answer substantially.
$endgroup$
– JBH
yesterday
$begingroup$
:-) Yes, this is proof-of-concept, but a bit more detail (including a list of the types of things that could be fixed this way) would improve this answer substantially.
$endgroup$
– JBH
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The engine could break down. If your engine is a steam engine this could be anything from the fire going out to the boiler rupturing/exploding.
Also if the propellers are driven by chains (or similar) they might break. That might require someone to go outside to affix a new chain.
answered yesterday
mwarrenmwarren
1492
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
There's an answer here that talks about the USS Macon having landed safely after experiencing structural damage. How? Because the entire drivetrain still worked. Dead in the water is one thing. Dead in the air, is dead. +1
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
$begingroup$
Is this based on any actual airships, or are you just giving us a word salad of random retro tech?
$endgroup$
– Harper
13 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The engine could break down. If your engine is a steam engine this could be anything from the fire going out to the boiler rupturing/exploding.
Also if the propellers are driven by chains (or similar) they might break. That might require someone to go outside to affix a new chain.
answered yesterday
mwarrenmwarren
1492
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
There's an answer here that talks about the USS Macon having landed safely after experiencing structural damage. How? Because the entire drivetrain still worked. Dead in the water is one thing. Dead in the air, is dead. +1
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
$begingroup$
Is this based on any actual airships, or are you just giving us a word salad of random retro tech?
$endgroup$
– Harper
13 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
The engine could break down. If your engine is a steam engine this could be anything from the fire going out to the boiler rupturing/exploding.
Also if the propellers are driven by chains (or similar) they might break. That might require someone to go outside to affix a new chain.
answered yesterday
mwarrenmwarren
1492
$endgroup$
The engine could break down. If your engine is a steam engine this could be anything from the fire going out to the boiler rupturing/exploding.
Also if the propellers are driven by chains (or similar) they might break. That might require someone to go outside to affix a new chain.
answered yesterday
mwarrenmwarren
1492
answered yesterday
mwarrenmwarren
1492
answered yesterday
mwarrenmwarren
1492
answered yesterday
mwarrenmwarren
1492
1492
1
$begingroup$
There's an answer here that talks about the USS Macon having landed safely after experiencing structural damage. How? Because the entire drivetrain still worked. Dead in the water is one thing. Dead in the air, is dead. +1
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
$begingroup$
Is this based on any actual airships, or are you just giving us a word salad of random retro tech?
$endgroup$
– Harper
13 hours ago
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
There's an answer here that talks about the USS Macon having landed safely after experiencing structural damage. How? Because the entire drivetrain still worked. Dead in the water is one thing. Dead in the air, is dead. +1
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
$begingroup$
Is this based on any actual airships, or are you just giving us a word salad of random retro tech?
$endgroup$
– Harper
13 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
There's an answer here that talks about the USS Macon having landed safely after experiencing structural damage. How? Because the entire drivetrain still worked. Dead in the water is one thing. Dead in the air, is dead. +1
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
$begingroup$
There's an answer here that talks about the USS Macon having landed safely after experiencing structural damage. How? Because the entire drivetrain still worked. Dead in the water is one thing. Dead in the air, is dead. +1
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
$begingroup$
Is this based on any actual airships, or are you just giving us a word salad of random retro tech?
$endgroup$
– Harper
13 hours ago
$begingroup$
Is this based on any actual airships, or are you just giving us a word salad of random retro tech?
$endgroup$
– Harper
13 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
First, read: Airship R505
Here are some of the things that can go wrong:
- Damaged engines
- Damaged propellers
- Leaking fuel
- Damaged fuel lines
- Leaking gas
- Low gas and low ballast from maneuvers during the storm
- Ripped gas bags
- Damaged skin of the airship
- Damaged control surfaces of the airship
- Damaged cables going to said control surfaces
- Damaged structural members (beams, supports)
- Loss of the gondola
answered yesterday
ShadoCatShadoCat
15.3k2052
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
First, read: Airship R505
Here are some of the things that can go wrong:
- Damaged engines
- Damaged propellers
- Leaking fuel
- Damaged fuel lines
- Leaking gas
- Low gas and low ballast from maneuvers during the storm
- Ripped gas bags
- Damaged skin of the airship
- Damaged control surfaces of the airship
- Damaged cables going to said control surfaces
- Damaged structural members (beams, supports)
- Loss of the gondola
answered yesterday
ShadoCatShadoCat
15.3k2052
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
First, read: Airship R505
Here are some of the things that can go wrong:
- Damaged engines
- Damaged propellers
- Leaking fuel
- Damaged fuel lines
- Leaking gas
- Low gas and low ballast from maneuvers during the storm
- Ripped gas bags
- Damaged skin of the airship
- Damaged control surfaces of the airship
- Damaged cables going to said control surfaces
- Damaged structural members (beams, supports)
- Loss of the gondola
answered yesterday
ShadoCatShadoCat
15.3k2052
$endgroup$
First, read: Airship R505
Here are some of the things that can go wrong:
- Damaged engines
- Damaged propellers
- Leaking fuel
- Damaged fuel lines
- Leaking gas
- Low gas and low ballast from maneuvers during the storm
- Ripped gas bags
- Damaged skin of the airship
- Damaged control surfaces of the airship
- Damaged cables going to said control surfaces
- Damaged structural members (beams, supports)
- Loss of the gondola
answered yesterday
ShadoCatShadoCat
15.3k2052
answered yesterday
ShadoCatShadoCat
15.3k2052
answered yesterday
ShadoCatShadoCat
15.3k2052
answered yesterday
ShadoCatShadoCat
15.3k2052
15.3k2052
add a comment |
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Loss of structural integrity in the inner truss system:
The USS Macon, a rigid airship of the US Navy, was badly damaged while transiting through mountains of Arizona. Among other failures, mechanical failures of the rigid truss structure were repaired in flight:
Following a severe drop, a diagonal girder in ring 17.5, which supported the forward fin attachment points, failed. Rapid damage control by Chief Boatswain's Mate Robert Davis repaired the girders before further failures could occur. The Macon completed the journey safely but the buckled ring and all four tailfins were judged to be in need of strengthening. (Wikipedia)
The failure of the Navy to heed advice and have design flaws mitigated lead to the crash of the airship Macon on February 12, 1935.
answered yesterday
JimJim
1915
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I don't know what other complications there might have been, but they both crashed due to bad weather.
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Loss of structural integrity in the inner truss system:
The USS Macon, a rigid airship of the US Navy, was badly damaged while transiting through mountains of Arizona. Among other failures, mechanical failures of the rigid truss structure were repaired in flight:
Following a severe drop, a diagonal girder in ring 17.5, which supported the forward fin attachment points, failed. Rapid damage control by Chief Boatswain's Mate Robert Davis repaired the girders before further failures could occur. The Macon completed the journey safely but the buckled ring and all four tailfins were judged to be in need of strengthening. (Wikipedia)
The failure of the Navy to heed advice and have design flaws mitigated lead to the crash of the airship Macon on February 12, 1935.
answered yesterday
JimJim
1915
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I don't know what other complications there might have been, but they both crashed due to bad weather.
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Loss of structural integrity in the inner truss system:
The USS Macon, a rigid airship of the US Navy, was badly damaged while transiting through mountains of Arizona. Among other failures, mechanical failures of the rigid truss structure were repaired in flight:
Following a severe drop, a diagonal girder in ring 17.5, which supported the forward fin attachment points, failed. Rapid damage control by Chief Boatswain's Mate Robert Davis repaired the girders before further failures could occur. The Macon completed the journey safely but the buckled ring and all four tailfins were judged to be in need of strengthening. (Wikipedia)
The failure of the Navy to heed advice and have design flaws mitigated lead to the crash of the airship Macon on February 12, 1935.
answered yesterday
JimJim
1915
$endgroup$
Loss of structural integrity in the inner truss system:
The USS Macon, a rigid airship of the US Navy, was badly damaged while transiting through mountains of Arizona. Among other failures, mechanical failures of the rigid truss structure were repaired in flight:
Following a severe drop, a diagonal girder in ring 17.5, which supported the forward fin attachment points, failed. Rapid damage control by Chief Boatswain's Mate Robert Davis repaired the girders before further failures could occur. The Macon completed the journey safely but the buckled ring and all four tailfins were judged to be in need of strengthening. (Wikipedia)
The failure of the Navy to heed advice and have design flaws mitigated lead to the crash of the airship Macon on February 12, 1935.
answered yesterday
JimJim
1915
answered yesterday
JimJim
1915
answered yesterday
JimJim
1915
answered yesterday
JimJim
1915
1915
$begingroup$
I don't know what other complications there might have been, but they both crashed due to bad weather.
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I don't know what other complications there might have been, but they both crashed due to bad weather.
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
$begingroup$
I don't know what other complications there might have been, but they both crashed due to bad weather.
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
$begingroup$
I don't know what other complications there might have been, but they both crashed due to bad weather.
$endgroup$
– Mazura
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Air Balloons
A zeppellin made of multiple tiny air balloons (with a bigger protection on top) might be more resistant to any event (bullets for instance, or a lightning/hailstorm in your case), because only a few ones will pop.
However, after an accident, the crew will have to repair/use new ones, and inflate them, then replace them.
answered yesterday
AsoubAsoub
367312
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
A zeppelin's gas bags aren't pressurized (and they're rather large). Putting a bullet-sized hole in one will cause a slow leak that will need to be repaired sometime in the next few months. Putting an entire fighter airplane's-worth of machine-gun bullet holes in one will still only be a minor nuisance, as the British found out when they tried to shoot down German zeppelin bombers during World War I.
$endgroup$
– Mark
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Air Balloons
A zeppellin made of multiple tiny air balloons (with a bigger protection on top) might be more resistant to any event (bullets for instance, or a lightning/hailstorm in your case), because only a few ones will pop.
However, after an accident, the crew will have to repair/use new ones, and inflate them, then replace them.
answered yesterday
AsoubAsoub
367312
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
A zeppelin's gas bags aren't pressurized (and they're rather large). Putting a bullet-sized hole in one will cause a slow leak that will need to be repaired sometime in the next few months. Putting an entire fighter airplane's-worth of machine-gun bullet holes in one will still only be a minor nuisance, as the British found out when they tried to shoot down German zeppelin bombers during World War I.
$endgroup$
– Mark
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Air Balloons
A zeppellin made of multiple tiny air balloons (with a bigger protection on top) might be more resistant to any event (bullets for instance, or a lightning/hailstorm in your case), because only a few ones will pop.
However, after an accident, the crew will have to repair/use new ones, and inflate them, then replace them.
answered yesterday
AsoubAsoub
367312
$endgroup$
Air Balloons
A zeppellin made of multiple tiny air balloons (with a bigger protection on top) might be more resistant to any event (bullets for instance, or a lightning/hailstorm in your case), because only a few ones will pop.
However, after an accident, the crew will have to repair/use new ones, and inflate them, then replace them.
answered yesterday
AsoubAsoub
367312
answered yesterday
AsoubAsoub
367312
answered yesterday
AsoubAsoub
367312
answered yesterday
AsoubAsoub
367312
367312
1
$begingroup$
A zeppelin's gas bags aren't pressurized (and they're rather large). Putting a bullet-sized hole in one will cause a slow leak that will need to be repaired sometime in the next few months. Putting an entire fighter airplane's-worth of machine-gun bullet holes in one will still only be a minor nuisance, as the British found out when they tried to shoot down German zeppelin bombers during World War I.
$endgroup$
– Mark
yesterday
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
A zeppelin's gas bags aren't pressurized (and they're rather large). Putting a bullet-sized hole in one will cause a slow leak that will need to be repaired sometime in the next few months. Putting an entire fighter airplane's-worth of machine-gun bullet holes in one will still only be a minor nuisance, as the British found out when they tried to shoot down German zeppelin bombers during World War I.
$endgroup$
– Mark
yesterday
1
1
$begingroup$
A zeppelin's gas bags aren't pressurized (and they're rather large). Putting a bullet-sized hole in one will cause a slow leak that will need to be repaired sometime in the next few months. Putting an entire fighter airplane's-worth of machine-gun bullet holes in one will still only be a minor nuisance, as the British found out when they tried to shoot down German zeppelin bombers during World War I.
$endgroup$
– Mark
yesterday
$begingroup$
A zeppelin's gas bags aren't pressurized (and they're rather large). Putting a bullet-sized hole in one will cause a slow leak that will need to be repaired sometime in the next few months. Putting an entire fighter airplane's-worth of machine-gun bullet holes in one will still only be a minor nuisance, as the British found out when they tried to shoot down German zeppelin bombers during World War I.
$endgroup$
– Mark
yesterday
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Crew is incapacitated or dead.
New technology was installed in the control cabin. It was not appreciated that this new tech effectively bypassed the built-in lightning protection on the airship, allowing a channel for lightning to traverse the airship that took the charge right through the control cabin.
After the strike, the airship is fine but many crew members who were in the control cabin are dead from side splash charge and others badly hurt. The new tech is beyond repair but the airship is otherwise ok. Your protagonist can save one or two crew members s(he) finds in the control cabin, and then must pilot the ship.
answered 11 mins ago
WillkWillk
113k27211472
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Crew is incapacitated or dead.
New technology was installed in the control cabin. It was not appreciated that this new tech effectively bypassed the built-in lightning protection on the airship, allowing a channel for lightning to traverse the airship that took the charge right through the control cabin.
After the strike, the airship is fine but many crew members who were in the control cabin are dead from side splash charge and others badly hurt. The new tech is beyond repair but the airship is otherwise ok. Your protagonist can save one or two crew members s(he) finds in the control cabin, and then must pilot the ship.
answered 11 mins ago
WillkWillk
113k27211472
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Crew is incapacitated or dead.
New technology was installed in the control cabin. It was not appreciated that this new tech effectively bypassed the built-in lightning protection on the airship, allowing a channel for lightning to traverse the airship that took the charge right through the control cabin.
After the strike, the airship is fine but many crew members who were in the control cabin are dead from side splash charge and others badly hurt. The new tech is beyond repair but the airship is otherwise ok. Your protagonist can save one or two crew members s(he) finds in the control cabin, and then must pilot the ship.
answered 11 mins ago
WillkWillk
113k27211472
$endgroup$
Crew is incapacitated or dead.
New technology was installed in the control cabin. It was not appreciated that this new tech effectively bypassed the built-in lightning protection on the airship, allowing a channel for lightning to traverse the airship that took the charge right through the control cabin.
After the strike, the airship is fine but many crew members who were in the control cabin are dead from side splash charge and others badly hurt. The new tech is beyond repair but the airship is otherwise ok. Your protagonist can save one or two crew members s(he) finds in the control cabin, and then must pilot the ship.
answered 11 mins ago
WillkWillk
113k27211472
answered 11 mins ago
WillkWillk
113k27211472
answered 11 mins ago
WillkWillk
113k27211472
answered 11 mins ago
WillkWillk
113k27211472
113k27211472
add a comment |
add a comment |
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21
$begingroup$
Duct tape is the answer. It's always the answer.
$endgroup$
– farmersteve
yesterday
6
$begingroup$
Welcome to Worldbuilding! - Just a note that your title asks, "How can an airship be repaired mid-flight..." but the body of the question appears to be, "What might go wrong midflight?" This may give rise to different types of answer. Maybe a title like, "What airship disasters can realistically be repaired mid-flight?" might be more accurate. (?)
$endgroup$
– chasly from UK
yesterday
6
$begingroup$
@SteveS. Duct tape is for everyday. What the OP needs is gaffer's tape. Now that fixes everything.
$endgroup$
– Cyn
yesterday
10
$begingroup$
Go to airships.net and read. Airships were designed to be repaired in flight. They are ships, after all; travel times were on the order of days (typically two and a half days to cross the Atlantic, five days from Berlin to Rio de Janeiro), not hours.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
yesterday
8
$begingroup$
Airships dont really explode. Even the Hindenburg when it was fully aflame just fell down while flames engulfed it, and it did this so slowly (as it was already landing) that most of the occupants could get out. And while storms are dangerous, Airships are actually extremely resilient to storms and most accidents were human made rather than environmental, such as being so confident in their airship's capabilities that they braved storms too tough to handle and get destroyed from being blown against a Mountain rather than things breaking. Rule of thumb: max speed (100 to 130km) is maximum storm
$endgroup$
– Demigan
yesterday