Sky ships!

[Neo]

I'd suggest using large living creatures.. like the Soarwhale presented in arms and equipment.

Such creatures could have communities build upon, below or even into them if they are of such size without hindering or harming the creatures.

Those who dwell on such creatures could have learned to train and domesticate the much smaller fliers that would no doubt follow such creatures, feeding from thier left overs, cleaning them, leeching off them etc.. In such a way you could have you flying vessels with a biological slant, without the magic or technology slants.

 

[Pagan priest]

Someday I intend to runa campaing called Sky Pirates of the South Pacific. The flying ships for it will be using aetherium crystals, crystals that when stimulated with the proper frequency electrical current generate anti-gravity lift. Just to make trouble, only the Chinese know the secret of growing the crystals, but the minerals needed can no longer be found within China. The source of my inspiration for this was the movie Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miazaki.

~~~~~

As far as organic based helium generators... I don't think so, not if you what something closer to reality than magic. Magic would be a better explanation. On the other hand, having a plant type creature that can crack hydrogen from water, now that is almost within the realm of believability.

History lesson time: Even before the Hindenburg disaster, most of the world knew that hydrogen was a dangerous thing to use in the zepplins. The only reason that they did so was that the U. S. of A. had a virtual monopoly on helium. He was many times more expensive than H2, even for the US. The US Navy had experimented with he filled airships to be used as aircraft carriers. Two were built. If I can find it, I will post a link to the site where I found this info. Nifty stuff.

 

[tecnowraith]

Someday I intend to runa campaing called Sky Pirates of the South Pacific. The flying ships for it will be using aetherium crystals, crystals that when stimulated with the proper frequency electrical current generate anti-gravity lift. Just to make trouble, only the Chinese know the secret of growing the crystals, but the minerals needed can no longer be found within China. The source of my inspiration for this was the movie Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miazaki.

I am thinking about using power stones or crystals that float or anti-gavity in nature that oraginc ships digest or implanted for the engine/power source.

The ships will be in similar shape and size to the pirate ships of the 1700's to warships of 1900's. I also want to have one-manned ships for scouting and dogfighting. The riding of beasts/dragons have been alot, trying to different.

 

[Lalato]

What if the wood of the Ti'hinayr tree was used to build the ships? For some reason this special wood floats in air once uprooted.

Science has yet to understand the reason for this ability, but it certainly has figured out how to use it. Flying ships, ahoy!

Just throwing it out there...
--sam

 

[tecnowraith]

What if the wood of the Ti'hinayr tree was used to build the ships? For some reason this special wood floats in air once uprooted.

Science has yet to understand the reason for this ability, but it certainly has figured out how to use it. Flying ships, ahoy!

Just throwing it out there...
--sam

Where is this from? what is a Ti'hinayr tree?

 

[tecnowraith]

Ok sso far what for this is: Antigravity, power stones or crystals, monstrous organic helium factory, special wood, Soarwhale and other creature types (but to animalish which is not what I am looking for), vessel platform being lifted by a series of helicopter propellers (plant organism with such large leaves) or series or smaller balloon (a bulbous plant that generates its own lighter-than-air gas). These are good for the lift now for the thrust or propulsion.

The propulsion I can think of are wings, wind sails, gas from an oargainc muscle, fire engine and some kind of magnetic push or how about static or regular electricty or an orgainc ion engine. Any thoughts?

 

[Lalato]

Where is this from? what is a Ti'hinayr tree?

I just made that up... just an idea that popped into my head.

Another one along the lines of power stones/crystals... What about... a meteor fell from the sky and destroyed an area about the size of a medium country. The stones that were left in the crater and blast area began to lift up into the sky.

When more than one stone is bound together the lifting ability is increased. Due to the size of the blast there are stones in the sky that seem as large as small islands. Over the centuries these islands and stones have been pushed by the winds all over the world.

 

[Hand of Evil]

A number of years ago someone had made a packing material from seaweed, if the material was formed under pressure (3 or 4 atmospheres) it would be weightless at sea level, the greater the presure it was formed under the lighter it became.

There was a lot of talk about uses but nothing ever came of it. I always wondered what happened to it.

 

[thullgrim]

in the Death Gate cycle, the floating islands were formed from an ultralight form of coral, secreted as excrement by some kind of worm or insect. After a while the stuff built up. In addition, I believe they gave off some kind of bouyant gas which held the islands in mid-air. The creatures were used to grow buildings as I recall, and real stone was incredibly rare and valuable. As for ships, I think your best bet is a lighter than air hull material or air bladders.

I think I got that right...
Thullgrim

 

[Neo]

You could always have two worlds close together moving close enough that thier atmospheres almost touch, both gravity wells touching.. the magnetic fields of both planets pulling and pushing to create a negative space inbetween. In this way ships launched from a mountain top with a large block of secured iron in the ballast could float between the opposing magnetic poles of the planets in the atmosphere, propelled by sails or propellors they could sail the skies held aloft by magnetism.

You could further expand upon this by saying large chunks or debris or comets high in iron content have become caught between the planets gravity wells too, creating floating islands and land masses cities could be built up.

Of course move close enough to either planet and you up and down would alter respectively, requiring vessels to be designed to turn in the event of moving from one world to the other.