Civilian Airships
From Nova
Civilian Airship stats for: Clipper (600m), Tradewind (450m), Liberty (300m), Erika (1000m), Genisis Class (560m)
Contents |
Clipper Class
Introduction
The standard airship in use by Alfegos and Prevania at least, the Clipper Class airship is the workhorse of the international shipping lanes, carrying cargo weights similar to those on conventional ships at up to 4 times the speed. It was originally introduced in the late 1960s, and since then has provided a reliable intercontinental transport system that is still only minorly surpassed by modern airships. In total, Alfegos has registered 280 of these airships.
Structure
The clipper class airship is a C - type semi-rigid airship, 600 metres long and 100 metres wide. Internally, the ship is divided into 64m^2 cells, with fire curtains of 10mm Kevlar dividing the ship into seven sections down its length. The cells are comprised of 2mm plastic film, and the exterior is made from 5mm kevlar. The underside of the airship is re-enforced to suspend the massive cargo gondola on the underside.
The cargo gondola is mounted underneath in the centre of the ship: it is 320m ,ong, 40 metres wide and 12 metres high, made from re-enforced duralumin/composites. It opens at the rear end, and is inaccessable to the crew during flight, allowing the safe transport of expensive goods.
Behind the crago hold is the engine gondola: this carries the engines and steering equipment for the airship.
Finally, at the front of the airship can be found the small command gondola: 15 metres long, 10 metres wide and 6 metres high, it is pressurised and carries the supplies and the ancillaries needed for the crew of 6 men.
Propulsion
The airship's rear gondola carries 4 turbofans generating each 3000kN of thrust, propelling the airship at a maximum speed of 64 km/h, with a good tailwind. To steer, the airship manually changes the angle of the engines, up to 40 degrees in either direction.
The entire airship is held up by the mixture of hydrogen and helium gases in the cells: a ratio of 3:2 H to He, that is inflammable, cheaper and has greater lift than helium alone. Height is changed by the compression of gas within the airship into cylinders carried in the engine gondola.
The engines are powered by hydrogen carried in cykinders onboard the airship. The total amount of fuel carried is enough to keep the entire airship moving at 40 km/h for a week without any wind, so allows the airship to cover vast distances in short spaces of time.
Stat Blocks
- Length: 600m
- Width: 100m
- Height: 112m
- Volume:
- Gasbag: 4 450 500 m^2
- Cargo Gondola: 153 600 m^2
- Total Lifting power: 5340 tonnes
- Average Fuel Weight: 70 tonnes
- Maximum Cargo weight: 4000 tonnes
- Powerplant: 4x AAE H2'98+ Hydrogen Turbofans
- Fuel: Hydrogen
- Range: 6500 km
- Operational Ceiling: 2400 metres
- Cruising Speed: 40 km/h
- Maximum Speed: 64 km/h
- Crew: 6 (Captain, Co-pilot, Two engineers, Communications officer, Navigation officer)
- Maximum Passengers: 4
Tradewind Class
Introduction
The much more mass-produced commercial airship for quick transport within nations of goods, the Tradewind class was introduced in Alfegos in 1981, with a total of 401 registered airships in Alfegos.
Structure
The Tradewind is also a C-type semi-rigid airship, with a gasbag 450 metres long and 50 metres in diameter. The gas bag is divided internally into 6 sections by a 20mm kevlar firewall, and has a skin of 20mm kevlar. The interior is divided into 125m^2 cells, each with a skin of 1mm plastic film.
Underneath is slung a large cargo gondola, that is 3 metres high, 220 metres long and 30 metres wide. This is made from re-enforced steel, and is mounted centrally.
Propulsion
Stat Blocks
Liberty Class
Introduction
An old concept, the Liberty Class airship has a modular design. This makes it cheap and easy to build, making it the first true mass-produced and fully customiseable airship in history.
