Airships or Airboats?

[Carn]

Ok, anyone who knows basic nautical terminology, knows the difference between a ship and a boat. However, i recognize that most people here probably do not know the difference. Basically, a ship can carry a boat, but a boat cannot carry a ship, the main thing is size. Is the vessel large enough to carry a lifeboat? If so, its a ship, if not, then its a boat. I arue that what we fly on, are airboats, not airships, as these vessels do not appear to be large enough to carry another, smaller, vessel, and still retain their function. Thoughts on this?

[BlackenedPies]

Good point

[Daft Loon]

I think the weight of a person + a small engine and propeller compared to the weight of a mine would give an idea of the size of balloon needed for a small airboat with the forgiving conditions of the game world.

Most of the ships could also i think carry a small plane underslung.

On a more smartass note they could also all carry a normal lifeboat, it could even make sense for the Chaldonians, Fjordlanders and Angleans.

[Carn]

This has just been something that's been niggling the back of my mind for awhile. And I think that the Galleon could probably carry a life-airboat, but certain ships, such as the squid, could not. There's also the question of where they would be located, underneath? The back? Not on the deck, except for the mobula, because then the odds of flying into the ship's balloon are very high.

[Daft Loon]

Im thinking something like this for the smallest airboat -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_hang_glider- but replacing ultralight materials with easy lighter than air. (some early versions were even called Icarus!)

The mobula could easily store and launch one of these, possibly as a 'runner' between ships in a fleet. The others would need some kind of complicated side extending launch rig though. As far as storage the idea has occured to me that most of the ships could have significant amounts of stuff in cargo nets strapped tightly to the balloon, this probably can let most ships carry as much as they can by weight rather than space making a boat more plausible.

[Carn]

Balloon netting, that's an interesting idea. With the mobula though, there is the issue of weight distribution. Suddenly flying off of one side, well I guess it would depend on how heavy it could be. But would that be more like the air equivalent of a jet ski? Boats can carry jet skis, but they are still boats.

[Koali]

Airship...



And airboat.

[Carn]

You know what I mean Koali.

[Daft Loon]

Balloon netting, that's an interesting idea. With the mobula though, there is the issue of weight distribution. Suddenly flying off of one side, well I guess it would depend on how heavy it could be. But would that be more like the air equivalent of a jet ski? Boats can carry jet skis, but they are still boats.

That is a good point.
Parachute or jetpack ~ Life jacket
Powered glider ~ Jetski or inflatable lifeboat
Small plane or ? ~ Proper lifeboat       - how do i stop four ? from becoming ?  ?

Historically the main lines of classification were Airship, Balloon, Aerostat - Self propelled, Drifting or towed, tethered to the ground. With the addition of rigid and non rigid classifications. Even the maritime classifications have been a bit odd, submarines (some of which even carried planes) are boats and some very small yachts can carry a boat.

Lets derail the thread into talking about awesome miniature airboats though before i get too carried away with terminology.

How about a lifeboat sized craft kept inflated and tethered behind the balloon semi-rigidly, starting to wonder what for though - it would have to be capable of long distance flight to be worth more than a parachute in an emergency. I think a normal lifeboat (possibly with a parachute) is looking less like a smartass workaround and more like a useful thing to have on any airship that crosses oceans regularly.

[Carn]

Hmmm, or a life boat, with a rapidly inflatable balloon, and a small crank engine. Also all submarines are boats, simply because they can't carry a boat on them. I've toured the inside of a sub. Very little room in there for crew, let alone another vessel. Inflatable life rafts don't count, as they are rafts.

[Dementio]

Boatplanes.

[QUY]

we wouldn't need life boats, we just need parachutes.
 
So with that the case the Ship or boat definition becomes even more arbitrary then it is today or it it would never come up in the first place.

[Carn]

I didn't start this thread to petition Muse to change the terminology. Just wanted to have an esoteric debate on the subject, then let it sink into the depths of the forum.

[Chmielewski]

Never heard of "airboats". Let's use... ultralights ;P

[QUY]

yeaaaaah i like that, Ultralights, sounds sexy