So many points to respond to, and I just say I’ve been enjoying this conversation immensely. :)
Wind and solar power may be vast and free to all but making use of these in a way that suits your need at the time can be difficult. If I need to fly home to the east and the wind is blowing south west, a wind only craft is not going to get me home, unless I can get above that wind into a jet stream going the opposite direction, ride it further than my destination to give me time and space to get down through the opposite direction wind and land on my property. Not impossible to do but for the average person who gets thrown off with road constructions causing a detour this will be a major obstacle for a lot of people.
A lower operating ceiling is a must unless you’re going to pressurize your cabin and have oxygen available. This adds more complexity and additional systems and weight that you now need a bigger craft to lift and maintain. There are no free lunches when it comes to engineering.
I disagree about jet engines being dangerous and expensive. Okay not so much about the expensive because they are currently but so was the first automobile and tractor. Mass production could bring their cost down to a reasonable level. If it was paired with a nuclear power source instead of an overgrown cell phone battery we could indeed make some interesting modes of transport.
The need to explore and travel is indeed beaten out of the average cubicle prisoner. Most people seem satisfied with a glorified mobile chair and have some of the worst taste in vehicles I can imagine but to each their own I’m told. Many would opt for the briefcase flying car from the jetsons cartoon, while others prefer a sci-fi inspired vtol craft capable of fantastic things. There’s no one size fits all solution and it’s foolish to try to implement one. We need to have a. Road range of transport to fit every need. An electric vehicle is suicidally stupid in my neck of the woods and my pickup is a horrible pain for an apartment dwelling city driver to park. My 1977 luxury car is too big for most people in my life to want to drive and a small import shithox(hell even the small domestic ones) are too cramped for my 6’5” frame. We need options for many different people and situations, so while you could have your flying airship, for 95% of people, it wouldn’t do the job they need their transportation to do.
I must reject your proposal of space being modern mythology. Meteorites and satellite signal where no cell signal exists is enough to discredit a lack of space for me. I can look for more proof and have, but don’t feel the need to list everything here unless you’re really curious.
Getting called names means fuck all in the end, but when it serves to shut down all rational discussion it’s desired effect has been achieved. I understand the need for shutting down glowies and following the rules to keep the website online but at the same time we don’t have free speech which should be criminal.
You’re right about it being a rich small group that caused the last major uprising that was successful. Private people owned warships and cannons. Nowadays they own corporations and mercenaries. The world has changed and so must we, if we wish to be more than a serfs.
Ideally I’d love a world where you jump in your iron man suit, fly over and do your work or errand without being injured, fly home and enjoy your day doing whatever. It still wouldn’t be a perfect world but transpiration would be awesome. I’m a bit of a speed demon and a slow transatlantic flight on an airship would drive me nuts from lack of productivity during the voyage. Air travel with jets makes getting there simply a part of the process instead of a massive undertaking unto itself.
So many points to respond to, and I just say I’ve been enjoying this conversation immensely. :)
Wind and solar power may be vast and free to all but making use of these in a way that suits your need at the time can be difficult. If I need to fly home to the east and the wind is blowing south west, a wind only craft is not going to get me home, unless I can get above that wind into a jet stream going the opposite direction, ride it further than my destination to give me time and space to get down through the opposite direction wind and land on my property. Not impossible to do but for the average person who gets thrown off with road constructions causing a detour this will be a major obstacle for a lot of people.
A lower operating ceiling is a must unless you’re going to pressurize your cabin and have oxygen available. This adds more complexity and additional systems and weight that you now need a bigger craft to lift and maintain. There are no free lunches when it comes to engineering.
I disagree about jet engines being dangerous and expensive. Okay not so much about the expensive because they are currently but so was the first automobile and tractor. Mass production could bring their cost down to a reasonable level. If it was paired with a nuclear power source instead of an overgrown cell phone battery we could indeed make some interesting modes of transport.
The need to explore and travel is indeed beaten out of the average cubicle prisoner. Most people seem satisfied with a glorified mobile chair and have some of the worst taste in vehicles I can imagine but to each their own I’m told. Many would opt for the briefcase flying car from the jetsons cartoon, while others prefer a sci-fi inspired vtol craft capable of fantastic things. There’s no one size fits all solution and it’s foolish to try to implement one. We need to have a. Road range of transport to fit every need. An electric vehicle is suicidally stupid in my neck of the woods and my pickup is a horrible pain for an apartment dwelling city driver to park. My 1977 luxury car is too big for most people in my life to want to drive and a small import shithox(hell even the small domestic ones) are too cramped for my 6’5” frame. We need options for many different people and situations, so while you could have your flying airship, for 95% of people, it wouldn’t do the job they need their transportation to do.
I must reject your proposal of space being modern mythology. Meteorites and satellite signal where no cell signal exists is enough to discredit a lack of space for me. I can look for more proof and have, but don’t feel the need to list everything here unless you’re really curious.
Getting called names means fuck all in the end, but when it serves to shut down all rational discussion it’s desired effect has been achieved. I understand the need for shutting down glowies and following the rules to keep the website online but at the same time we don’t have free speech which should be criminal.
You’re right about it being a rich small group that caused the last major uprising that was successful. Private people owned warships and cannons. Nowadays they own corporations and mercenaries. The world has changed and so must we, if we wish to be more than a serfs.
Ideally I’d love a world where you jump in your iron man suit, fly over and do your work or errand without being injured, fly home and enjoy your day doing whatever. It still wouldn’t be a perfect world but transpiration would be awesome. I’m a bit of a speed demon and a slow transatlantic flight on an airship would drive me nuts from lack of productivity during the voyage. Air travel with jets makes getting there simply a part of the process instead of a massive undertaking unto itself.