JonDLundyn Parker #2 22
June 9th 2007 08:54
Chapter 22:
Ann sat at the futuristic console of the dirigible looking at the array of electronic gear in front of her. A large copy of C-map glowed on one computer screen and beside that a real life copy of the earth below was beamed onto a second screen. A digitally enhanced colour video. It was automatically focused and could be zoomed to give perfect clarity from horizon to horizon. A radar screen interfaced with radar recognition and ARPA gave her real life activity and instant recognition of almost every vessel within its huge range. In fact she had at her fingertips a true copy of the most sophisticated weapon detection system in the free world and that probably meant the best in the world these days. Her father had seen to the building of the ship and supplying it with the best of his companies developments. Plus she had many on board aids that were not even at trialing stage for the military.
Mother Belle was a unique design and an engineering marvel. The crash and explosion of the Hindenberg had stopped airship development in its tracks, almost for good. The US navy had continued for some time with its very fast and very successful airship program but it’s own accidents and the fear of airships by the public meant that the future for this form of transport would be glum. Some enthusiasts continued designing and dreaming however.
Her father had been able to help a small corporation develop a gas that made hydrogen safe. The gas acted exactly as it was required with no change to its structure whatsoever until a spark was introduced. Then at the instance of ignition, the inert partner gas, spread with the heat of the ignition to “piggy back” on the hydrogen atoms and make them explosion proof. This had a draw back. The gas was suddenly much heavier and would cause the ship to sink. A second device needed to be operated manually to override the change in gas and so it could be changed back to hydrogen. Not the pure gas it had once been but sufficiently safe to keep the craft operating safely but at a much reduced height and speed. This however Ann had mostly overcome with her fine flying and dumping of ballast. The Dirigible could swoop down and pick up huge amounts of ballast from the ocean, much the same as super tankers did when steaming between ports with out loads.
Ann sat at the futuristic console of the dirigible looking at the array of electronic gear in front of her. A large copy of C-map glowed on one computer screen and beside that a real life copy of the earth below was beamed onto a second screen. A digitally enhanced colour video. It was automatically focused and could be zoomed to give perfect clarity from horizon to horizon. A radar screen interfaced with radar recognition and ARPA gave her real life activity and instant recognition of almost every vessel within its huge range. In fact she had at her fingertips a true copy of the most sophisticated weapon detection system in the free world and that probably meant the best in the world these days. Her father had seen to the building of the ship and supplying it with the best of his companies developments. Plus she had many on board aids that were not even at trialing stage for the military.
Mother Belle was a unique design and an engineering marvel. The crash and explosion of the Hindenberg had stopped airship development in its tracks, almost for good. The US navy had continued for some time with its very fast and very successful airship program but it’s own accidents and the fear of airships by the public meant that the future for this form of transport would be glum. Some enthusiasts continued designing and dreaming however.
Her father had been able to help a small corporation develop a gas that made hydrogen safe. The gas acted exactly as it was required with no change to its structure whatsoever until a spark was introduced. Then at the instance of ignition, the inert partner gas, spread with the heat of the ignition to “piggy back” on the hydrogen atoms and make them explosion proof. This had a draw back. The gas was suddenly much heavier and would cause the ship to sink. A second device needed to be operated manually to override the change in gas and so it could be changed back to hydrogen. Not the pure gas it had once been but sufficiently safe to keep the craft operating safely but at a much reduced height and speed. This however Ann had mostly overcome with her fine flying and dumping of ballast. The Dirigible could swoop down and pick up huge amounts of ballast from the ocean, much the same as super tankers did when steaming between ports with out loads.
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