Flying aircraft Carrier!

[DMMike]

...as thanks to Grey Elf for posting that cool list of pdf magazines:

http://news.usni.org/2015/08/19/explori ... 572613c872

This article discusses the find of the wreck of the USS Macon off the east coast. The US Navy created 3 dirigible airships that were built to land and launch biplanes as essentially a flying aircraft carrier. Unfortunately they were flimsy and prone to crash when caught in a storm, but surely your Mad Scientist(TM) in AA or Victorious could fix that problem!

GM Mike

[Lurker]

...as thanks to Grey Elf for posting that cool list of pdf magazines:

http://news.usni.org/2015/08/19/explori ... 572613c872

This article discusses the find of the wreck of the USS Macon off the east coast. The US Navy created 3 dirigible airships that were built to land and launch biplanes as essentially a flying aircraft carrier. Unfortunately they were flimsy and prone to crash when caught in a storm, but surely your Mad Scientist(TM) in AA or Victorious could fix that problem!

GM Mike

Coool

Hmmmmm, how would you land a bi plane on a LTA ship ....

[DMMike]

AFAIK, the planes (biplanes of course) had a steel ring mounted over the upper wing about 2 feet into the air. The airship had large steel hooks coming out from the gondola and the plane would match airspeed with the dirigible and 'hook' themselves to the zeppelin and turn off the plane's engine. Then an accordion style rope bridge would be extended out of the gondola to the plane and the pilot would get out and follow the ropes to the airship proper.

Granted, you had to have big ones to be a pilot and do that while several thousand feet in the air; but they did it!

GM Michael

[Lurker]

...the plane would match airspeed with the dirigible and 'hook' themselves to the zeppelin and turn off the plane's engine. ...

Granted, you had to have big ones to be a pilot and do that while several thousand feet in the air; but they did it!

GM Michael

Rgr on having to have big ones for that! I'm not a pilot, but as a free fall guy I have experience with linking up with things in the air. When you do it right it looks easy ... almost like you aren't even 'thinking' about it. It just flows. however, when someone messes up .... it goes bad quick ... like a swarm of bees buzzing around every which way or sky bowling with bodies flipping and tumbling all through the sky.

That is bad enough when guys are falling through the sky but all have a parachute and a back up to save their life. When you are flying little more than a lawnmower with wings next to a huge balloon and trying to grab a little brass ring ... big ones are an understatement!