xkcd #3298: Aerospace Flowchart
Title text:
Someday, we will find the problem that goes with this solution.
Transcript:
Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com
Source: https://xkcd.com/3298/
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I feel like you’re ignoring how cool massive airships are
Can confirm, I went on a Zeppelin flight earlier this summer, can absolutely confirm that it was damn cool.
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But how do we convince investors to fund huge airship hangars in low density regions? They need adventure pools too, you know?
We should do it anyway, just to be sure.
Last month I went on a Zeppelin ride, there are some tasks that airships do well. Tourism tours, long term temporary monitoring, some specific geo surveys and advertising.
High altitude airostat balloons have also been considered as a superior alternative to satellites for some applications due to lower ping and greater resistance to solar activity. Unfortunately it turns out its also harder to make a long lasting high altitude balloon with consistent positioning than it is to launch something into space.
Whoa. Good for you.
And for radio relays. Although that’s more of a balloon job.
Here are some pics:
Wow, I’m envious!
I find it hard to believe that there are problems you can’t solve with giant airships.
you’re right. i bet my cat would be less gassy if we lived at altitude, too
i’m not sure i would change that tho, she seems to enjoy farting on people.
As the Total War 3 mod which basically turns the Empire into a ww1-ww2 era power has taught me, if you can’t solve a problem with zeplins you aren’t using enough of them. Now if you’ll excuse me the Karl Franz zeplin armada has some French to purge.
If we made them extremely luxurious and everyone agreed that only the “best” people could use them for travel, I could see them solving a few problems.
I studied aerospace engineering. Can confirm
Could we put an airship in Venus’s atmosphere? It seems like it’d be more useful than sending something to the surface, but I know nothing about the engineering involved.
For a short time, maybe. Until it is shred to pieces or dissolved by the atmosphere I would guess. But I’m not an aerospace engineer. :)
No, it’s actually kind of an idea that people have thought about. The upper atmosphere on Venus is a kind of OK environment and because of the thick atmosphere, it’s even easier to float there than on earth. The trouble really starts when the acid clouds begin.
Good to know.
The trouble really starts when the acid clouds begin.
Yes, it’s always the same with acid clouds.
I find it odd that the answer is ALWAYS no. Surely at least one problem has been solved by building giant airships.
Mass transport (of rich people and military) before the invention of the jet engine.
Airships are the most expensive, worst and most dangerous solution to any problem.
i disagree. you could build catamaran-style airships.
that sounds far more expensive and more dangerous.
not worse though, that sounds way cooler.
Building a worse airship is still building an airship.
And name them Akron and Macon.
i was going to name them after match companies but i like your idea
Oh you must be European, if you’re concerned about fires aboard airships. American airships don’t burn; we’ve never been stupid enough to use hydrogen as a lifting gas. USS Akron and USS Macon both crashed, much of the crew of one froze to death and the other proved surprisingly survivable. Compare that to the Hindenberg or R-101.
I noticed the lack of a ‘Yes’ flow.
What about huge underwater submersibles ?Won’t someone think of the captains obsessed with the cleanliness of sheets?
There is hope though:
- America has it’s own no joke airship to orbit program
- Airlander will hopefully soon start to fly short haul flights in Spain (and like 20 of them)🤞🏻
China: “Hold my blimp.”
sadly there is no yes line in first triangle of flowchart.
pretty please?
