The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived - io9 Comments

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

aarchiba — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:02:15 PST

Is widespread use of zeppelins really feasible?

For one thing, how do they deal with rough weather? I just took a plane flight in snow and high winds, at both airports and in the middle; could a zeppelin have flown?

For another, where are we supposed to get the helium? (Or, how do we make hydrogen safe enough to use?) Almost all the helium on earth is produced by the radioactive decay of uranium; there's plenty for current use because it builds up in natural gas reservoirs, but if demand increases drastically, particularly as we run short of natural gas, the price will skyrocket...

aarchiba

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:49:39 PST

@aspiringexpatriate: I *said* Space-Age Fabrics!

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

aspiringexpatriate — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:17:15 PST

Well then bring them on. Just keep the BB-Guns away from the terrorists.

aspiringexpatriate

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

tetracycloide — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:16:13 PST

@aspiringexpatriate: i'm not so sure. the majority of the costs revolving around airplane flights is that you have to pay for everything you put on board with absurdly expensive jet fuel. considering a zeppelin is lighter than air and does not need to maintain high speeds to stay aloft i'm betting that the engines on a zeppelin get better millage than conventional jets.

tetracycloide

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

aspiringexpatriate — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:10:30 PST

@technodestructo: really depends on how much cabin space you have. Cause 36 hours in a tiny airplane seat without a lounge? fuck that. Get a lounge, a bar, a dining car. Basically make the entire thing like BA's Emerald Class, you're in business. Except only in the rich bitch business. I could see Kanye having a few of these though.

aspiringexpatriate

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:37:16 PST

@nmcglynn: *still giggling quietly to self over this comment*

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

TechnoDestructo — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:59:53 PST

Getting closer. I'd take a 36 hour flight on an airship/blimp over a 12 hour flight on a plane any day.

It'd be nice if we had commercial fusion to go along with developments in lighter-than-air travel, though. That way the helium won't run out.

TechnoDestructo

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

tetracycloide — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:49:26 PST

@nmcglynn: complete with sunchronized hand motions!

tetracycloide

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

nmcglynn — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:27:13 PST

It's about time Zeppelins are back!
I wonder what the flight attendants safety speech will be like... "in case of a slow bump into a building, please stay seated as we bounce off and float in the other direction"

nmcglynn

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

jswilson64 — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:14:30 PST

Thank goodness Aeros doesn't specialize in heavier-than-air blimps.

jswilson64

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:05:33 PST

@tetracycloide: If it's their career choice, and they're responsible professionals, sure!

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

tetracycloide — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:00:38 PST

@jennaw: even male prostitutes?

tetracycloide

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

msAnthrope — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:52:23 PST

love how one of the deZeen scenarios for this thing includes participation in some middle eastern war. talk about thinking for the future!

msAnthrope

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:52:16 PST

@tetracycloide:
F'n Cyperpunks... cool clothes, though. Oh, all right! ALL punks welcome in this beautiful future.

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:51:11 PST

@ltcmurray: Right, 'cause they're going to make it out of paper? Space-age fabrics, people! SPACE-AGE FABRICS! It's almost like finally getting my HOVER CAR!

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

Mary Anne Mohanraj — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:48:00 PST

If you love zeppelins, you have to check out the recently published All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories, edited by David Moles and Jay Lake. Highly entertaining stories -- my favorite is Ben Rosenbaum's "Biographical Notes", although it's pretty meta-zeppelin-ish, so you should definitely read all the others first.

Mary Anne Mohanraj

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

ExtensionOfBob — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:43:49 PST

@soleil-moon-pie: Agreed.

But damn does that look awesome.

ExtensionOfBob

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

ltcmurray — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:42:41 PST

bb gun = bad day

ltcmurray

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

aspiringexpatriate — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:41:52 PST

Steampunk with cyberpunk tangents is fine by me. Just hold on the body modifications. Cause. Ew.

aspiringexpatriate

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

titania1285 — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:40:50 PST

i have been WAITING for this day!

titania1285

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

tetracycloide — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:38:13 PST

@jennaw: doesn't everybody? well maybe not the cyberpunkers. i personally like it both ways.

tetracycloide

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

dr.helium — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:35:57 PST

Couple of Comments- Airships are not easy to shootdown. Yes they are big targets but bullets do nothing but punch holes in the fabric. The interior pressure is only about 1-3 inches of water or less than 0.01 PSI. I know of a aerostat that was shot 21 times by a hunter which produced 84 holes (42 in the outer hull and 42 in the ballonet). The flight crew didn't even notice for three weeks and then only because the helium purity was declining.

Two- Worldwide Aeros does not have the best reputation within the industry. Lockheed's P-791 is a more commercially viable hybrid airship.

dr.helium

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:35:50 PST

Yes! I want to live in a Steampunk world!

JennaW, Internet Tough Girl

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

foofer — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:30:44 PST

Do they come with a cool little monkey like in the Golden Compass?

foofer

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

Annalee Newitz — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:21:20 PST

I only want to ride in a zep if it actually has those big giant sparkles on it like in the picture.

Annalee Newitz

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

strider_mt2k — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:18:37 PST

Oh my, get out of the way please!

strider_mt2k

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

tetracycloide — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:16:40 PST

I can't wait. Riding in a zep is so much more fun than a plane, almost no noise at all and a much better view.

Wouldn't elimiate the need for airports though, would elimiate the need for runways but not the port itself.

tetracycloide

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

SoleilMoonPie — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:16:20 PST

Not for me. They're too easy to shoot down.

SoleilMoonPie

The Age of Zeppelins Has Arrived

NefariousNewt — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:15:47 PST

I really want to see one of these things when it is fully built. Zeppelins were such an imaginative and luxurious form of travel back in the 1930's and all Nazi-fication aside, the sight of the Graf Zeppelin or Hindenberg majestically gliding through the sky must have been astounding. I think these things could be very cool for the traveler who wants to get someplace but is not in a hurry, a counter to the airport culture we have now.

NefariousNewt