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Azumanga FTW.
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Does anyone know what that spider is? It isn't quite as horrifying as an Australian Clock Spider, but it's pretty close.
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Did you know the USSMacon was a aircraft carryer dirigible?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Macon_%28ZRS-5%29
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alvarhillo, thanks for the info, updated
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When I was younger, I was fascinated by the airships and zeppelins of the early part of the 20th Century. In fact, I have a book called "Zeppelin: The German Airship Story", which touched on their rise and fall. I am struck by the fact that they could never seem to get the design of these monsters right, and the majority of them crashed to Earth or burned up. If you can find a copy of this book, snag it. It's very fascinating.
Great article! Looks like they finally got it right!
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There are still airship hangars at Cardington in the UK. Check out the pictures on their web-site: http://www.controltowers.co.uk/C/Cardington.htm
You cannot believe the immensity of them unless you've been there, as I have. The pictures just don't do them justice
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These are the Cardington hangars on Google Earth: http://tinyurl.com/3dc4k3
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Yes, Zeppelins certainly will become a familiar site in the skies over San Francisco! BTW, we're Airship Ventures, not Airship Adventures as you credit us on a couple of the images.
www.airshipventures.com
airshipventures.blogspot.com
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one of the tallest buildings in Europe is an aqua spa in the hangar of a bankrupt modern zeppelin construction factory: http://www.tropical-islands.de/de/presse/pressefotos.html
and the central market in Riga is one of the biggest dayly markets in Europe and is in the old zeppelin hangars from the early 20th century
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Thank you for the link; what a great collection of images!
The mooring mast on top of the Empire State Building seems to have been a
publicity gimmick more than anything else. Certainly, it wasn't very well thought out: it was far too windy up there to be viable. Still, I did like seeing it in use in
Sky Captain.
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We still have new, ACTIVE airships here in Elizabeth City, NC. Production and maintenance is on the old Weeksville Naval LTA Base. http://elizcity.com/weeksnas/
http://www.newbegun.com/tour/Airship_Hanger.php
http://www.newbegun.com/tour/Bicycling_02.php
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thank you all... wonderful info
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The real Problem with Airships is, that Helium is extremely rare. As a tecnician at the Zeppelin Yard in Friedrichshafen explained to me, there is only about enough helium to fill two of the once proposed "Cargolifter" Airships. Until we synthesize a light gas we probably wont see alot of these Dreams come true.
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Airships are still wonderful ships and could be on the way back. See my 2006 post that covers much of what's on here: http://www.creationrobot.com/2006/03/airships-they-are-coming-slowly-from-many-different-companies-and-countries/
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yes the gas is a problem but not the rare is the point ,but the priece.
the cost of one fill for the cargolifter is more expensive than the rest of the zeppelin.
sry for my bad english. ^.^
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Thank you, Creation Robot - great
link!
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Hey there great article just blogged about it at Airshipworld. Here ist the Link:
Dark Roasted AirshipsRegards
Andreas
--
Editor of Airshipworld
--------------------------------------------------------
Visit the Airshipworld Blog at
http://airshipworld.blogspot.com--------------------------------------------------------
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Thank you Andreas, we'll keep a close look on your site.
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The problem with airships of the past was that they were ahead of their time. The problem was materials and the flotation gas.
The outer materials used to "protect" the skins of these beasts turned out to be the same formulation used for solid rockets today.
The gas normally was helium, but Germany chose to use Hydrogen because the only source of helium was the USA.
The structure of these beasts were typically made out of Aluminum, a fairly new metal not quite mastered. A lot of structural failures occurred because engineers assumed Aluminum was lightweight iron, which it wasn't. Aluminum, while strong, has different characteristics, which require different engineering considerations. Hence the designs were always flawed.
Today we have carbon fiber based composites, super adhesives, light-weight fabrics and polymers, and a far superior knowledge of metals.
There is one problem, however, there is a finite supply of helium, and once it's gone, it's gone. It's so light, it just leaves our atmosphere.
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Hi Avi,
I'm looking for a higher resolution copy of your image titled "USS Macon over New York, in 1931."
ussmacon3.jpg
I'd like to make a print to put up in my living room.
Could you help me out or direct me to the source?
cheers,
Kosta
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Try this link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Uss-akron-manhattan.jpg
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Thank for such thematic stuff. And you could get any info about aeronautic direction from the Aerocrat blog in LJ - http://aerocrat.livejournal.com
The Russian original of the one you could translate via google's translating service.
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There are several reasons Zeppelins will never make a come back despite the efforts of those uninformed of the reasons for its prior demise, and every failed technology has the same followers who say - we can fix that now...except the magic bullet invariably helps whatever alternate technology exists more.
First of all, the majority of rigid airships were lost due to weather, not the (vastly overrated) inflammability of the filling gas so changing the gas won't help.
Structural engineering wasn't a problem either.
The primary problem is that because it is lighter than air, it has vastly more surface area than mass, and tends to get pushed around by gusts of air.
Updrafts and downdrafts easily exceed the ability compensate. Stronger winds still (but still of little concern for any airplane of the past 50+ years) can cause stresses on the structure beyond its capability to absorb, while building it to handle those stresses would result in it being too heavy to be useful.
Unlike an airplane, it cannot apply sufficient power to overcome strong wind gusts because the power would add weight both in engines and in associated structure and so again runs into a weight wall.
It is reliant on two control systems. The first is aerodynamic, which works poorly at the speeds typical of an airship.
The second is buoyancy control, either shifting buoyancy fore and aft or on controlling the overall buoyancy, but this cannot be controlled quickly enough to deal with changes in air pressure in even the smallest storm, even if losing lifting gas isn't a problem.
Hydrogen and helium leak out of whatever you put them in. You can't stop that unless you want an airship that's too heavy to fly. That means they have to be topped up - a considerable ongoing expense that would seriously reduce their utility in the few markets available since large quantities would need to be made and/or shipped.
When the airship was at its peak, it was faster than heavier-than-air aircraft but lost that advantage during the course of WW1 and never got it back. Into the 1930's it could offer range, and without stopping it remained competitive speed-wise but that disappeared with faster and longer legged aircraft, along with the flying boat (which had similar weaknesses). A small market potential remains, but not for passenger airships, and definitely not for large ones. No doubt others think differently (otherwise Zeppelin AG and others wouldn't still be finding investors) but the only markets are on the fringe, and yet they would still be in danger from inclement weather. Modern weather forecasting is a huge improvement and many weather systems can be avoided - but not all and it would still be in danger sitting on the ground waiting for a storm to pass. Composites mean the structure can be stronger than before but will never be strong and light enough, and computer control will help with some of the difficulties in handing and newer materials will reduce the loss of gas but none of it will ever really be enough. Helicopters can lift heavier and heavier loads, and if you want a scenic tour, there is always the train or a light plane.
I do believe that it is good to review previous technological failures since not all are insoluble and lessons can be learned - alas few lessons ever are.
The majesty of a flying vehicle (either being in it or watching it) nearly a thousand feet long remains as the technology's sole prerogative, and the engine that drove the whole enterprise from 1914 onwards. If it wasn't so ridiculously huge it would never have had so many adherents, yet it served no purpose once it was passed by in the very dawn of aviation. Kudos to Zeppelin though, for keeping the dream alive as long as he did.
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Very insightful comment, thank you. Contact me by email, maybe we can write on similar subjects on DRB.
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The crowbar/headcrab image is a reference to the game Half-Life.
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Wüstenrot, Germany
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@gordon freeman: This is in Vienna, Austria. Wüstenrot is a company :)
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the last is made by Genevieve Gauckler :
http://www.g2works.com/
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The colourful moon image is by Neil Carboni http://ncarboni.home.att.net/Astrophotography.html
(I saw it the other day on the venerable APOD, here: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060907.html)
I hadn't really thought, until now, about how odd it is that the moon seems to be a completely monochrome world. What the picture shows is, in fact, the slight variations in colour exaggerated.
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The forked Volkswagen is a part of the Royal Deluxe (google it) performance in Iceland.
My photo of the same car:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2082/2104794414_bc0be46924.jpg
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The location is Madrid and the group is strange fruit. An australian street theater group. The performance is called "on the field" I see it and I liked a lot
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great info, thanks - updated the page.
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Absolutely amazing images. The punch hole cloud knocked me back. Never seen that before.
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Thnks!
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I've live in Macau for almost 14 years now and I can assure you that the Grand Lisboa is an architectural eye-sore.
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The problem being with Faberge jewel art is that a lot of it got destroyed in the Bolshevik uprising, as did a lot of great russian designs...
Smirnoff.
O.k, not much but still one great thing was nearly permanently destroyed.
But thats the price you pay with the scar of Communism.
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Will, yea they destroyed Smirnoff but kept the vodka... of pretty ugly variety.
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Well what’s some peasant’s life worth anyway, spend it all on jewelry and let the people starve
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I completely agree with you
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Har! Yes, the life of the peasant was ever so much better under Communism.
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I ended up doing a school project on these eggs-at first, I thought I'm simply be discussing pretty jewely egg things made by some guy in Russia. But there's a lot more history involved. It amazes me how the royal family could spend so much money on a couple eggs every easter and still let Russia's desolate people waste away.
I mean, wow. Had they used the money for materials and whatnot to make them to feed and provide other kinds of care to their people, they might have saved a lot of lives.
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The sad fact about Communism is that it replaced one rigid class system with another. The history of Communism was every bit as bad as Feudalism, and in many cases worse. The common people did not reap any benefits despite all the rhetoric handed down from on high. The ruling elite had a disproportionate amount of wealth as compared to the proletariat. As such, it was far from a classless society. Did the Romanov's have an obscenely lavish lifestyle compared to the peasants? Yes, but so did every Soviet leader except for maybe Lenin. Some may argue that the Soviet Union was never really a pure communist state as per the writings of Marx. That may be true, but Marx was too much of an idealist and failed to properly deal with human nature, and the desire of the individual to differentiate from the crowd. So, the theory works on paper, but can never work in reality.
As for the eggs, they are a beautiful example of the ingenuity and creativity of the Russian people.
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Jim-Bob:
Good insight, which I believe to be entirely correct. It's hard to summarize the whole chapter of history or ideology, but you did it remarkably well. Cheers!
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18 MILLON FOR AN EGG ARE YOU SERIOUS THATS A SHAME SHE BUILT THOSE EGGS FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE NOT FOR A HOLE IN YOUR WALLET SHE WOULD NOT BE HAPPY :(
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They didnt buy these eggs. The eggs were given to the Tsar and his family as a gift every year.
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The Tsar paid for the eggs, they were not a gift. I just finished the book "Fabrege Eggs" by Toby Faber and they were not gifts.
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Regardless of whether they purchased them or not they did employ countless workers to produce them and left a beautiful legacy of artwork that is enjoyed throughout the world. There's something to be said for that too. People love to find fault with everything.
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It's brought up in the linked page, but the Chinese beach pictures are in Busan, Korea. I was there in August.
http://www.daehanmindecline.com/digital/20070826b.html
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that "car" chase was priceless. godzilla and mothra vs. king gidorah, and are they building a gundam?
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the abbey road shot looks heavily shopped, just look at the white line where ringo should be, are you sure it's not from the b3ta abbey road kit?
http://www.b3takit.co.uk/page1.htm
the psd version has a layer with the beatles removed
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vmos - the abbey road photo is actually from the original shoot - link provided there :)
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The Car stunt can be in Oman (from the 'hats' of these guys).
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Real-world Cat Weasel. Cool!
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Where is the turning torso?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turning_Torso
At least worth mentioning IMO.
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The Globe too:
http://www.arkema-inc.com/index.cfm?pag=723
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What about the "Marilyn" tower in Mississauga?
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2006/03/29/tor-condo-tower060329.html
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also avaz twist tower in sarajevo/bosnia / herzegovina
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/9485/attrg6.jpg
http://www.sa-c.info/updateImg/avaz_twist_tower_wSZICim.jpg
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These buildings are pretentious, hideous and inhuman.
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I forgot to add: fascist. I am reminded of the Hitler/Speer's 'visionary' plans for Berlin.
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Len, you might like the "hobbit" houses then better - see
here
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Ecological tower in Siberia, Khanty Mansiysk - is crazy project! All population of city is 65 000 persons. Around - a wild taiga.
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they are some kickass buildings
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>also avaz twist tower in sarajevo/bosnia / herzegovina
It is just a skyscraper, and while it may be big news in Bosnia and a marvelous nationalism piece for you, we have many in developed countries.
Also, this is about MOST ELEGANT PROPOSED SKYSCRAPERS
The Avas does not fit the category of "proposed"
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"QUANTUM SHOT" #383
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20 Comments:
About that Texas police car: those are not arrows! (so weird I had to Google it ;)
More pics here: http://www.lonestarstangs.com/forum/schertz-police-car-v-ak-47-a-12658.html
That so called London Met Police Lamborghini, is a Photoshop.
One, because the Met do not have a Lambo.
Two, because its very obviously shopped.
And three, because the license plate reads "Yevil" which is the show plates given to a number of vehicles.
It dont think the Segways with the big red sign "Paramedic" are police...
I was a member of the forum this picture http://lh5.google.ca/abramsv/R8-tHHH54kI/AAAAAAAAKwo/TJJxpbHdwXo/2096443269_f8fd5ddb56_o.jpg?imgmax=512
was originally posted to. Neither guy is a (goofing off) police officer. It's the result of an amusing and talented amateur photographer and willing friends.
The 2nd pic with the clown, the cops are justified in their recoil and apparent fear. People have been known to put liquids other than water into water guns, such as diluted acid, pepper spray-like liquids, bleach, ammonia etc. People are messed up.
Nice collection of pics, BTW.
Actually, the cop leading the pig might not be dumb (or posed); Pigs have an excellent sense of smell (ask anyone who gathers truffles for a living) and, as I understand it, are just as good as dogs when it comes to sniffing out e.g. drugs. Also, a cop dragging (or being dragged by, as the case may be) a pig is probably less intimidating than some enormous, saliva-dripping German Shepherd.
Regards & all,
Thomas
What on earth are they holding in the foreground of the 2nd picture of the Iranian Police? Whatever it is looks like it's absurdly high calibre - a flare gun, or something like an M79 maybe?
Reply to 256:
The guns in the 2nd Iranian Police pic are competition-type target pistols. The big tube is a recoil-compensator, not a barrel: the actual barrel is above it, and may be only .22 in calibre.
This pic is presumably the Police sport-shooting team (or a staged publicitiy shot, of course). HWS
Oops - re my last comment, the big tube isn't a recoil compensator, it's an air-reservoir: the guns are competition air-pistols........
HWS.
Indeed they are air pistols.
Steyr LP's I beleive.
QUOTE: Russian militia has to carry a CANNON around to adequately counter Russian mafia firepower: UNQUOTE...
this not for fight the crime mans it is for shoot the snows on montain to make the slide. avalanche you call slide snow? not goode gun for mans fight. is goode for snow slideing for make the safe. My english not so good but i am snow slide works mans. thanks you.
Successful website
very nice made me lol
only thing is... i dont think the segways are police, they say paramedic on the side...:S
excellent snaps !!
really liked it... can spend days just watching them...
keep it up !!
Akshay
Web site Designing and Development Co Mumbai
www.HugeH.com
Captain Matt: The Met Lambo isn't photoshopped, they had it at the MPH motorshow at Earls Court, London, last year. It's just one they hired for a few weeks and stuck the stickers on for publicity (I had a chat with one of the cops at the stand). So it's not really theirs, but it definately isn't photoshopped :)
i want uniforms like those in the cosplay.the fear factor would be great especially if it was all bullet proof
the picture with the clown is actually of a member of the clown army (The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army), protesting. They protest against the WTO, G8, etc.. The certainly do not carry anything more lethal/harmful than water. The shock on the policeman's face was probably more due to seeing another pesky cameraman.
Um doesn't that say Paramedic on the side of the Segway? I think there is a HUGE difference.
The picture captioned "Russian Military Police" is neither of Russians or Police. It is of the "White Helmets" motorcycle display team who are members of the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. Hope that helps.
Some of those police cars are ridiculous. I mean like who needs a 200k police car? Talk about tax waste. Sigh.
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