New Airship… Here we go again…

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Darned if I know how anybody can fly one though. It was so slow reacting that when turning, for example, the pilot would make the control demand for the right amount of time and pretty much have the controls back to the normal straight ahead position before it started to turn.

All floaty things are the same. Ships are like that, you soon get used to it and the timing becomes second nature, even if the steering wheel is on the front bit you soon learn.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Try a narrowboat

Neil

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Or a ford consul.

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

On Sky Channel 5 news this evening. Still with the , US ARMY Logo on the side, so stock pictures again.

Whilst in Germany I would see them quite often , one with illuminated messages on the sides and seemed to be able to cope with quite strong winds.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, just to add my tuppence worth regarding the Cardington hangers, I first saw them when I was just a 14 year old. My younger brother and myself had a weeks holiday with our uncle and aunt in Ampthill, it was our first long distance traveling experience without our parents and I was responsible for both of us. We first had to get the train from our home town and get to Cambridge, where upon we then had to get a bus to Bedford. We then had to wait for our uncle and aunt to collect us and our much older cousin and his wife came along to greet us also, and then they took us to what we regarded as a posh place for midday lunch with prices we had never seen before. After lunch we where taken by car to Ampthill and passed right by the hangers, I think it was just one of the little treats for us, as I don't think it was on a direct road from Bedford to Ampthill, but it was an awesome sight sight how big they are up close. Our uncle run a sweat shop in Ampthill and that was even up a hill.

Regards Nick.

[TrevorGParticipant @trevorg]

I love the idea of describing the second most abundant element in the universe as being in short supply. The best place to manufacture helium is in a fusion reactor unfortunately the nearest one capable of producing useful quantities is 93 million miles away. Transportation costs are a tad highso we will need to wait for something a bit closer to go into operation.

On my only visit to the hangers at Cardington a film crew there with the airship from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was there. Which sort of dates me! The group I was with were there to pick our ballon which had been in for repair. One of our fitters was blowing the the dust out of the top of hydrogen cylinder. Unfortunately it was an 18ft long cylinder lying on its side and there was dust on the floor. The sound of the resulting explosion echoed around the hanger for a good two minutes. Unfortunately there was two much static for anyone to take a ballon outside. So we just watched someone with a traditional spherical ballon give rides up to the ceiling of the hanger.

Trevor

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

One of the lasting memories from 35 years in Auntie Betty's Flying Club was the stores voucher system … 3 types – Demand for issues, Exchange for, er umm … exchanges!! and Return for … well, guess.

The long standing jokey story was the wide boy who managed to use an Exchange voucher to exchange hangEr coat for hangAr aircraft!! Mind you, that was in the days when it was caled Stores – nowadays it is Supply, so maybe they do use bits of bent wire and plastic to protect aircraft from the elements!

rgds

Bill

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I think the Goodyear Blimp has shrouded propellers, and I can't remember if the whole engines are turned, or just the shrouds to steer the aircraft.

Ian S C Correction: the latest (2014) one uses 3 Lycoming IO-360 engines, 2 for thrust, 1 for steering, they have reverse thrust available with the variable pitch props, Max speed 75mph.

Edited By Ian S C on 22/03/2016 10:19:21

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