Ok, last post of the day. I've got to do some design work and then I'm watching Survivor All Stars. Yeah, I'm totally looking forward to it… I've been a drone in front of that show since day one. Anyway, I got an odd message submitted to me at the encyclopedia address:
Subject: doug malloy
Hi! HELP! HELP! HELP! I'm still waiting for your bio, etc., as well as a list of what you plan to do in the show. FLASH! FLASH! Zirbel just got a 9 month booking in Branson so we had to replace him with illusionist Jason Alexander. Unfortunately, I don't have his rundown here with me at the library but will call you with it ASAP.
That's odd. I thought maybe they were trying to contact The Lizardman since he writes for the encyclopedia so I wrote back asking them who they were trying to reach and about what. Their reply was rather odd:
Subject: bad direction for my Email - Sorry!
I was trying to contact DOug Malloy. I'm sorry the message went to the wrong address! Thanks!
Dude, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Doug Malloy passed away quite some time ago, and unless someone has stolen his name, he wasn't a sideshow performer. Along similar lines, I just got this mail the evening (last name changed):
Subject: Nostrial Piercing
Ted, Need a new nostrial piercing… maybe tomorrrow or this week.
Weather permitting . Chris Hadberg Take Care! Chris
It's really weird. I get these sorts of messages every couple of days. I suspect that all magazines must though, especially online since I think people operate under some strange notions about how email works… some sort of always-finds-its-destination magic routing.
So I've been doing more thinking on the airship idea, trying to overcome many of the shortcomings of current designs (and there are some neat ones out there, including one transport behemoth cabable of carring 160 tons of cargo). One of the problems is bad weather and landing.
I figured why not solve those two problems at once, and make something that when on the ground provides its own hanger. My original idea (top right) just kept the upper shell and collapsed the deck into the body for landing. Not only would this be a technical issue and a dirty solution, but it would require nice flat ground to land on.
In my second version of this design I've moved the flight deck up to the top, and added a collapsable observation deck below. This coupled with the dome rather than pseudo-sphere shape will come with stability problems (it's going to want to flip upside down), so much of the shell may literally be that — just an aerodynamic cover over an otherwise traditional blimp.
Oh, and the base is surrounded by a 10' high or so “donut” of flexible material. The purpose of this is to both allow the airship the ability to land on water and on uneven land (not too uneven). On land it can be pointed into the prevailing wind, and then be staked down like a circus tent to survive storms. In water, while I wouldn't WANT to weather a storm, the rubber rim could be partially filled with water to increase the ship's weight and increase its draft, essentially making it as storm proof as an immense barge.
Controls for the flight deck would be mirrored on the observation deck as well. Living quarters are central and underneath (not pictured), lit through the condensation chamber and with additional observation windows below. The main fan ducts are now internal, with puffer ducts in the tail for directional control.
PS. Yes, the previous designs three or four entries down look much prettier. This is more of a compilation of potential solutions to some of the technical challenge than an aesthetic exercise.
