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Comments on Blimp Swims Through Air Like A Fish
Yet another use for electroactive polymers, helping non-rigid airships swim like fish. (Read
the complete story)
"They could design them to resemble whales. Imagine looking out the window and seeing a pod of whales swimming overhead. :)"
(Chelymorpha 3/24/2007 9:55:25 PM) |
"Try John Varley's "Titan" where the big living blimps move through the atmosphere of Gaia. He doesn't specifically describe how they move, yet he does say they "Swim through the atmosphere...". "
(Ray Bailey 3/25/2007 10:36:16 AM) |
"Here's the artist's concept of Varley's idea:

(Book jacket from Titan by John Varley)
"
(Bill Christensen 3/25/2007 11:18:29 AM) |
"Also, I enjoyed the animated flying whales from Fantasia 2000:

(CGI Flying Whales from Fantasia 2000)
"
(Bill Christensen 3/27/2007 8:15:02 AM) |
"In Heinlein's _Job: a Comedy of Justice_ the protagonist comes from a world/dimension where air travel was accomplished by silent, highly efficient blimps."
(Zarchne 3/27/2007 8:47:07 AM) |
"I haven't seen Fantasia 2000 yet. *adds to Netflix queue*"
(Chelymorpha 3/27/2007 7:43:58 PM) |
"This is fine for unmanned, but I wouldn't want to be a passenger in an airship constantly wriggling side-to-side, or up-and-down, for that matter.
Then again, you could have TWO flukes, and they could react against each other, instead of the main body of the airship."
(Xenophile 1/11/2011 8:16:30 AM) |
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