WesWorld

30 April

The Royal Siamese Air Force hereby submits a Request for Proposals to the aviation companies of the world, for the construction of an Air Ship. This is expected to be a rigid dirigible of medium size, equipped for training and reconnasiance duties, and equipped to carry two (2) heavier-than-air craft.

Tenders are requested to be sumitted on or before 30 June.

The Australians enter a smaller version of the above. The above is a stretched version of the R100 with Mercedes Benz engines like the ones on Hindenburg. She has an American style aircraft hangar for 5 AC. The Siamese version would use the shorter original hull with only three engines and a 2 plane hangar.

Edit: Pic of Siamese version added.

Should the Kingdom of Siam be amicable to delays pending the construction and testing of our prototype, The ShinRa Munitions Company of Halifax can explore modififying the Berliner-ShinRa hybrid type to include some manner of aircraft capacity. The inclusion of an American style hangar may be impossible, however, and aircraft capacity may be limited to non-retractable trapeeze facilitties

Does anyone have any idea why Photobucket is screwing up my picture? ^_^

What's wrong with your picture?

For some reason it was really blurry but now it seems to be alright. Crazy computers!

Perhaps you spoke ill of its mother?

Goodyear-Zeppelin will be submitting a proposal based on a "shrunken" Akron which is intended as a training airship to replace Los Angeles. It is 670 feet long, 112 feet in diameter, and has a volume of approximately 4.95 million cubic feet. The design includes internal engines, since it is intended for use with helium. The design can be modified for hydrogen use with external engines and removal of the exhaust water recovery condensers. (The US may not be too keen on allowing anyone else to get their hands on its helium, since we are already supplying Germany and Atlantis, and have plans of our own for it. Canada though has recently found deposits and is working to exploit them so if you ask nicely...)

Atlantis can offer a copy of its Atlantes class airships, themselves American based designs. They can carry 3 aircraft.

Image by D Briedis

Italy, well not actually the Italian government, offers the Norge or airship N1 for sale. A small, highly succesful semi-rigid design which was used to fly to the North Pole in OTL. Hydrogen for lift gives better performance than Helium, and is more readily replenishable - especially in SEA. Provision for HTA craft - not hard to set up some docking points on the keel.

# Length: 106 m
# Diameter: 26 m
# Gas capacity: 19,000 m³
# Performance: 115 km/h
# Payload: 9,500 kg
# Engines: 3 Maybach total power of 780 Hp/582 kW

The US Army already has a similar design, a semi-rigid designed by Nobile of Italy and capable of carrying two fighters on keel mounts, but with no hanger. It was built at Wingfoot Lake in Akron, then shipped to Scott Field in Illinois for assembly. It is intended as a training ship for eventual larger rigid airships, since the Army is still banned from using rigids until the Navy "perfects the design". (I still need to add an Army airship section to my encyclopedia, something I should have done a while ago but keep forgetting to. I guess thats in keeping with the poor state of the Army at the time! )


To scale with the above drawings

Thanks Canis. I'm guessing that CS-1 is similar to Nobile's design N5, which called for a ship 3 with 3 times the capacity as Norge?

Minor FUBAR on the above post, I accidentally posted the "scale" drawing of RS-2 instead of CS-1.
The big drawing of CS-1 is twice the normal scale of my airship drawings. I actually hadn't heard of the NS design.

CS-1

RS-2 (Norge/Italia copy)

RS-1

Roma (Destroyed 1922, leading to the switch to helium)

The United Kingdom is pleased to be able to offer a derivative of the R100 design, fitted with Napier-produced Junkers Jumo two-stroke diesel engines. As compared to the R100 herself, the ship is to be rather reduced in size, with four diesel engines and the crew compartment located more externally than on the R100 herself, as per the proposal for an extended passenger gondola. This is felt more appropriate for a military airship as crew will be more able to assist in observation than if enclosed within the ship, and if enemy action should make it necessary to abandon the ship, escape is felt to be more readily possible from a semi-external gondola.

It is not proposed to fit a hangar for heavier-than-air craft; two may instead be carried on trapeze mounts below the ship, this reducing the complexity of the vessel and permitting a greater lifting capacity for the same hull volume.

Siam thanks all those who submitted designs, and has carefully considered all of the proposals.

The Canadian proposal was rejected at an early stage, because although it is...technologically innovative...it is not particulary suited to the requirement, for a vessel to familiarise Siamese crews with the operation of lighter-than-air craft. However, the Siamese government would be very interested in negiotiations with Canada for the supply of helium...

Norge was considered to be sutible with regards to size or performance, however the lack of a proper interior hangar was a black mark, and there were concerns voiced over the possible fatigue implications of her earlier exploratory voyages.

The U.S. semi-rigid design was also removed from consideration due to hangerage concerns, and also the stated preferance for a "proper" rigid design.

The United Kingdom proposal was given high marks on merit and experience, and the reduced flammability of its diesel motors vis-a-vis gasoline was a major strong point. However the Royal Siamese Air Force has a strong stated preference for an interior hangar, which will most likely be featured on future, larger designs, to ensure the most complete training for its pilots. The UK is heartily encouraged to submit a design when the next RfP is issued in a few years, however.

This left the Australian, Goodyear-Zeppelin and Atlantean submissions on the short-list, and arguments were held long and loud on the merits and dismerits of the three designs. However in the end, a selection was made, and the Royal Siamese Air Force would like to issue a contract to the Atlantian government for the construction of one (1) zeppelin, to be named Bangkok.

Type Z7-1
Rigid-Derigible
Improved Version
Range Imporvements
Hydrogen Filled

Eastern Kingdom
Enter Service: 1898

Dimensions:
699 ft long
91 ft diameter
Volume: 40,353 m3

Shell weight: 31,008 lbs
Total airframe weight: 31,804 lbs
Misc weight: 4,500 lbs
User weight: 500 lbs

Power plant:
X8
J-01 Engine
70 HP
12 ft prop
800 Bypass ratio
Thrust: 625 lbs
Weight: 671 lbs
All x8 weight: 5,368 lbs

Flight characteristics:
Operational ceiling: 3,000 ft
Maximum ceiling: 10,000 ft
Maximum speed: 50 kts
Cruise Speed: 35 kts

Range @ 35 kts and 3,000 ft: 10,000 NM
Payload at that range, altitude and speed: 20, 543 lbs

Turn Rate @ 50 kts: 3.6 deg/sec
Turn radius: 2,727 ft.

Armament:
X5 0.50 Gattling-MG in ball turrets
Total Turret weights: 3,404 lbs
Ammunition weight: 500 lbs

Payload armament:
X25 14"/745 lb torpedoes
Or
X95 200 lb bombs
Or
X19 1,000 lb bombs

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I made it! So it gets the made by Gabi trademark. yay. This is my design I posted on Navalism. if someone wants to use it thats cool with me. Or if someone wants me to make one to their specifications that cool too. Just PM me.