16 replies to this topic

[InnerSphereNews]

Wed. Aug 8, 3049: Meteos 9 stolen on Robinson; teens’ joyride ends in tragedy as 35 ton dirigible eventually crashes into housing project.

[Adridos]

Wow, if I'm not mistaken, this is the Meteos they're speaking about (that big dirigible).

EDIT: Ok, I'm mistaken. Still, he should've stolen that Capellan Aston-Martin instead.

Here's the text for that thing if anyone's interested.

Spoiler

Built by the HidaCorp Consortium of Robinson in 2898, the first of the Meteos series
of dirigibles was, as its name suggests, designed to make and report weather
observations in an era when satellite observations and stratospheric aircraft could not be
relied upon. Compact and lightweight, the small dirigibles could easily be redeployed as
needed, either under their own (rather limited) power, or transported by larger vehicles.
It soon became apparent that the nearly silent and long-endurance Meteos could
also serve in other roles, including as a platform for police (and security service)
observation, traffic management, sports commentary, town planning, sightseeing and a
host of other possibilities. A variety of alternate configurations ensued, of which the 9-
series is the latest and most versatile.
Equipped with sophisticated imaging gear, the Meteos 9 remains at its heart a
platform for scientific instruments, though the exact mix varies from vehicle to vehicle.
Battery packs power the vessel’s instrumentation and also provide sufficient power for
hours of maneuvering; although few Meteos travel such distances, the notable
exception being versions used for sightseeing. Instead, the kilometers traveled are most
commonly in situ as part of station-keeping. Near the ground, a tether line can be used
to anchor the dirigible in place and also as a conduit for power—giving the Meteos an
effectively unlimited endurance—and instrumentation feeds. However, the maximum
practical tether length is 5000 meters (longer cables have been used, but are
dependent on weather conditions) and so the vessel commonly operates independently.
A few Meteos employed as high-altitude reconnaissance platforms or communication
relays have been equipped with solar arrays on the exterior of their helium envelopes,
drastically extending their ability to remain on-station. Most Meteos operating in such
roles are crewless, piloted remotely from a base station or else trusted to onboard
navigation computers.
With a service ceiling in excess of fifteen-thousand meters (though few reach the
3041 record of twenty-thousand meters set by the Meteos 8 design), a pressurized cabin
is essential to the 9-series and sets it apart from many other commercial dirigibles that
are designed to operate solely at low altitude. This feature also allows the deployment of
the Meteos on worlds with atmospheres toxic to humans, though the performance
characteristics of the helium envelope don’t allow the airship’s deployment in
atmospheres too divergent from Terra-standard (like gas giants).
Facilities are provided onboard for six passengers as well as the five crew, though the
single cabin of the standard Meteos is cramped and lacking any but the most basic
facilities. Sightseeing conversions (in particular those used for animal observations,
popular because of the quiet nature of the airship) trade the sophisticated and heavy
instrument package in favor of cooking and sanitation facilities. Such variants usually
carry additional passenger seating, possibly increasing capacity to upwards of a dozen.

Edited by Adridos, 08 August 2012 - 08:10 AM.

[vettie]

And I thought it was one of those Pink Floyd Pigs floating away from the stage, AGAIN...

Hate it for the kids...

[Skylarr]

3047 Meteos 9 Manned Dirigible (Sightseeing)

Does someone actually have that book. It might be a 1 man dirigible.

[Adridos]

Skylarr, on 08 August 2012 - 08:14 AM, said:

3047 Meteos 9 Manned Dirigible (Sightseeing)

Does someone actually have that book. It might be a 1 man dirigible.

It's in the Vehicle TRO pages 106 and 107 found it on the internet by mere coincidence.

[Vykenos]

From a quick search:

http://www.lski.org/...20Annex-OEF.pdf

Page 106 - 107

[Deedsie]

Seems housing projects are magnets for these kinds of things. Remember that Com Guard Mercury earlier...

[Skylarr]

Built by the HidaCorp Consortium of Robinson in 2898, the first of the Meteos series of dirigibles was, as its name suggests, designed to make and report weather observations in an era when satellite observations and stratospheric aircraft could not be relied upon. Compact and lightweight, the small dirigibles could easily be redeployed as needed, either under their own (rather limited) power, or transported by larger vehicles. It soon became apparent that the nearly silent and long-endurance Meteos could also serve in other roles, including as a platform for police (and security service) observation, traffic management, sports commentary, town planning, sightseeing and a host of other possibilities. A variety of alternate configurations ensued, of which the 9- series is the latest and most versatile.

Equipped with sophisticated imaging gear, the Meteos 9 remains at its heart a platform for scientific instruments, though the exact mix varies from vehicle to vehicle. Battery packs power the vessel’s instrumentation and also provide sufficient power for hours of maneuvering; although few Meteos travel such distances, the notable exception being versions used for sightseeing. Instead, the kilometers traveled are most commonly in situ as part of station-keeping. Near the ground, a tether line can be used to anchor the dirigible in place and also as a conduit for power—giving the Meteos an effectively unlimited endurance—and instrumentation feeds. However, the maximum practical tether length is 5000 meters (longer cables have been used, but are dependent on weather conditions) and so the vessel commonly operates independently. A few Meteos employed as high-altitude reconnaissance platforms or communication relays have been equipped with solar arrays on the exterior of their helium envelopes, drastically extending their ability to remain on-station. Most Meteos operating in such
roles are crewless, piloted remotely from a base station or else trusted to onboard navigation computers.

With a service ceiling in excess of fifteen-thousand meters (though few reach the 3041 record of twenty-thousand meters set by the Meteos 8 design), a pressurized cabin is essential to the 9-series and sets it apart from many other commercial dirigibles that are designed to operate solely at low altitude. This feature also allows the deployment of the Meteos on worlds with atmospheres toxic to humans, though the erformance characteristics of the helium envelope don’t allow the airship’s deployment in atmospheres too divergent from Terra-standard (like gas giants).

Facilities are provided onboard for six passengers as well as the five crew, though the single cabin of the standard Meteos is cramped and lacking any but the most basic facilities. Sightseeing conversions (in particular those used for animal observations, popular because of the quiet nature of the airship) trade the sophisticated and heavy instrument package in favor of cooking and sanitation facilities. Such variants usually carry additional passenger seating, possibly increasing capacity to upwards of a dozen.

[Skylarr]

Type: Meteos 9 Manned Dirigible
Chassis Type: Airship (Medium)
Mass: 35 tons
Crew: 1 officer, 4 enlisted/non-rated
Cargo
1.5 tons standard 1 Door (Rear)
Notes: Features Environmental Sealing Chassis and Controls Modification, 6 passenger seats
(.5 tons), hi-res camera (5 tons, Front), infrared imaging camera (5 tons, Front), and lookdown
radar (5 tons)

[Fingerhut]

Oh, the humanity!

[Mechafreak]

A tragedy to be certain.

[Vancer2]

The Future is funny

[akaChrisHimself]

Helium? Are you mad?!

http://www.youtube.c...h07fYNdCY?rel=0

[Weird Beard]

What's the deal with housing projects and tragic crashes... Remind me not to live in one if MWO gets housing.

[The Helepolis]

Glorious!

[Emerald Fox]

Thatll teach them to leave the keys in the ignition with Teens runing around lol

[jersey22]

That is the coolest tech book ever, BOOKMARKED!