Quote:
Originally Posted by freeztar
Cool topic! 
I like the idea of airships. Modified blimps with simple motors. It would obviously take a lot longer to reach a destination, but it could be CO 2-free and very cost effective. What about a floating buckeyball made out of photovoltaic material?  |
Ahhh the dreams...
That's why I included airships, but alas it does not look promising. Geodesic sphere maybe
; stability of so massive a bag as required is a major hurdle with current designs. Some kinda gyro stabalization like Segue I suspect? Then there is the nasty fact Helium is a finite resource and Hydrogen is flammable.
If we cut out the jets, then there go the contrails (do piston engine planes leave contrails?
), and by all accounts the contrails are dampening the rate of global temperature rise.
Overall, I think we don't have a good reason to fly 60% or more of the time. Goll durn waste is all it is and efficient waste is still waste.
In my day....
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