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posted by
janrinok
on Monday November 20 2017, @12:09AM
from the destruction-is-a-safety-feature dept.
from the destruction-is-a-safety-feature dept.
"The world's longest aircraft dubbed the 'Flying Bum' was seriously damaged on Saturday after it slipped its moorings and crashed into a field....
'The aircraft has a safety system which operates automatically in circumstances of the aircraft breaking free of its mast, and is designed to rip open the hull and deflate the aircraft.'"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5095481/
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Airlander 10 Comes Unmoored and the Safety Features Work as Planned
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It's raisins that make Post Raisin Bran so raisiny ...
(Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Monday November 20 2017, @01:31AM (13 children)
Helicopter?
Its a gas bag, How do you get to the cockpit which is under-slung, and un-approachable with a helicopter? Have you never seen any pictures? Too lazy to click the link?
So, NO, deflation is not the last thing you's want. It was the FIRST thing they wanted so that it would slowly descend and land. It comes down slow enough that you can get the hell out of the way. The complete craft is salvageable.
Why would you presume to come here and say the First failsafe they designed in from the start would be the last thing they would want? Where do you get such credentials ?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 20 2017, @03:58AM (11 children)
Fly the helicopter well above, high enough that rotor downwash isn't a problem. Lower a person. Have the person hook a safety harness onto a rope that wraps around the aircraft. (the helicopter leaves) Have the person descend on the rope as a mountain climber would, then enter the cockpit.
Deflation needn't be a built-in feature. If that is desired, it can be performed by most military aircraft. Holes from 20 mm shells are fixable.
If you can't get into the aircraft and take control, the next best option is probably to shoot it down over farmland. Random descent is more of a hazard.
(Score: 5, Touché) by edIII on Monday November 20 2017, @04:26AM (7 children)
Ok, I have to admit this is exciting. We've progressed from a boring deflation where it may not move that far away from the moorings anyways, to an exciting series of death-defying activities!
Who can wait for #7? I predict orbital bombardment. Only way to be sure, and the safety that is gained is worth it.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2, Funny) by khallow on Monday November 20 2017, @04:33AM (4 children)
Yea! Fuck these flimsy half-measures! Destroy this civilization to the last man and they'll never have an airship mishap again.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Mykl on Monday November 20 2017, @04:58AM (1 child)
The problem here is that this thing is filled with Helium. To make it truly safe, use Hydrogen instead. Then if it slips the moorings, have a mechanism ignite the Hydrogen. Hopefully the whole thing burns up before it has a chance to plummet to the ground as an incandescent death-trap.
As a bonus, it will be easy to find if this happens at night!
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday November 20 2017, @06:05PM
> have a mechanism ignite the Hydrogen
Mr Kim made me a good offer on a Tritium-Deuterium device that should do the trick.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 20 2017, @08:21AM (1 child)
"Destroy this civilization to the last man"
Don't forget the women. At least one of those wenches is hiding a pregnancy!! And, all the little boys and girls who might create more pregnancies when we aren't looking!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 20 2017, @09:59PM
Of course we're not looking: it's illegal to look!
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 20 2017, @08:26AM
I like the antiaircraft bit. AC thinks those little 20mm (or 30mm, or whatever they might be - they do come in various sizes) just make a puncture, and then what - stop? He doesn't have a clue that they are incindiary and explosive, with proximity fuses. That's why those warlords in Africa liked them so much. Sweep an AA gun across a village, and the village is history, along with any inhabitants still inside.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Monday November 20 2017, @10:43AM
7. keep pilot aboard on watch all time, have helium leak into the cabin, watches as he gives SOS with chipmunk voice. This will not avert disaster but at least some good memes will come out of it.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Monday November 20 2017, @04:59AM (2 children)
Truly, the stupid is strong in this AC. Even a full frojack is not enough to make him envisage the errors of his thinking. Just lower a rope, over the side of the blimp, so that someone could hang there and look longingly at a cockpit. Pervert.
(Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 20 2017, @08:39AM (1 child)
The rope goes around the aircraft. There could be an attachment point every 10 feet. The rope runs from the top of the aircraft down to the cockpit.
Remote control is fine too. It definitely beats automatic deflation.
Of course the real answer is to not fuck up like this. They designed in an automatic deflation system because they knew they were cutting corners on the restraint system.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday November 20 2017, @06:10PM
Building the system that never fails is immensely expensive. And when it fails, you still need a plan B.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Monday November 20 2017, @04:17AM
As near as I can tell, probably Chuck E' Cheese's, or any of your fine novelty shops that sell muff diver t-shirts and Area 51 security cards. I think right next to the 25c machines where you can get wash-off tats.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.