How do these airships fly?

[MacBen]

Devs confirmed multiple times that we are indeed on Earth.

My hypothesis is still that the ships themselves have devices on board (the balloon and hull repair points) that are actually gravitational dampers, so the ships are actually almost neutrally buoyant. The balloons work like a fish swim bladder, and add that little extra buoyancy needed to float.

My complete hypothesis is written down here (hull device) and here (balloon device).

Simple summery: Hull device makes metal almost as light as air, which is why the ships have such massive girders and copious amounts of framework.

 
Or, it could be "Iustus viam ludum opera".

Good Point,
once the "Baloon component" is broken the ship ain't falling like a rock.
More like a ship with a baloon that is way to small for its size :p

So its probably that pipe-thingy engineers keep cursing/praying at,
that keeps the the baloon's content charged with darkdieselmagic / microwavemagnetitism.
...
...
...
Great, now I want a Techpriest at my Junker. 

[BlackenedPies]

How is a ship's falling speed with a broken balloon calculated?

[David Dire]

How is a ship's falling speed with a broken balloon calculated?

Oh no, math.

[Richard LeMoon]

Mass and drag.

[BlackenedPies]

Mass and drag.

Is that the same calculation for vertical movement? I always assumed falling was a function of vertical speed.

[Indreams]

Probably F= 1/2 P v^2 C A or something utilizing that.
Might be the simplified version of F = k v^2.


All ship's maximum vertical velocity is at around 16m/s. I don't have the data to do the math on the fly, but you could probably run some interesting drag physics.

[Pickle]

The magic of aether.

• Used within the manufacture of a steel alloy it produces fantastical increase in the strength of the material, reducing the required mass of structural components.  Likewise, cultured wood from trees grown in an aether enriched atmosphere is both stronger and lighter than normal wood.
• Intermixed with Hydrogen it reduces flammability and increases the lift.  It's also easily blended into or extracted from the lift gas by means of an aetheric pump with the correct membrane, allowing full control of rise or descent without ballast and compensating for damage to the gas cells.  It also explains the otherwise unexplainable balloon engine mechanic.

[David Dire]

The magic of aether.

• Used within the manufacture of a steel alloy it produces fantastical increase in the strength of the material, reducing the required mass of structural components.  Likewise, cultured wood from trees grown in an aether enriched atmosphere is both stronger and lighter than normal wood.
• Intermixed with Hydrogen it reduces flammability and increases the lift.  It's also easily blended into or extracted from the lift gas by means of an aetheric pump with the correct membrane, allowing full control of rise or descent without ballast and compensating for damage to the gas cells.  It also explains the otherwise unexplainable balloon engine mechanic.

Even magic can't lift these pieces of (s)crap with that small of a balloon.

[Indreams]

Kirbies. Lots of Kirbies.

I'll let your imagination do the rest.

[Richard LeMoon]

"Captain! We are losing altitude!"

"Blast! Toss more Kirbies in the boiler."

[DJ Logicalia]

"Captain! We are losing altitude!"

"Blast! Toss more Kirbies in the boiler."

[Koali]

"Captain! We are losing altitude!"

"Blast! Toss more Kirbies in the boiler."

... Ok, as long as it doesn't burn my clothes.

[The Sky Wolf]

All of the ships are made out of paper thin, hallowed out aluminum girders (even the wood, its just painted wood color/texture) and the balloons are already filled with hydrogen. Using hydrogen canisters just hyper-inflates the balloon to get an altitude boost. The following balloon damage is caused by small tears in the hyper-extended fabric which leads to you losing  altitude shortly after the boost.

The Mobula is able to prevent itself from dramatically flipping upside down by being filled only with the methane of Skywhale farts which has amazing self-stabilizing properties.

It works if you don't think about it.

[Koali]

*Zooms by on an upside-down Mobula.*

I THOUGHT ABOUT IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!

[The Sky Wolf]

*Zooms by on an upside-down Mobula.*

I THOUGHT ABOUT IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!

Look at him go!!!! I TOLD YOU NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT!1111!~~11!@