The Really Bad Idea GB

[martinbayer]

I had always a soft spot for the US Navy idea of a ramjet powered inflatable Mach 3 high altitude reconnaissance vehicle that would have required a one mile diameter balloon to lift it to its initial altitude (makes one wonder what kind of ship designs the Air Force would come up with if only anybody let them ): http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2978.0/all.html

But with that as a point of departure, how about supersonic or hypersonic airships?

Or a nuclear powered hot air airship where a pebble bed reactor also directly heats the internal gas volume (and of course with heat resistant cover materials and some heavy metal cladding all around for radiation protection), a.k.a. an atomic lead zeppelin . Mind you, the Mythbusters have after all shown the feasibility of lead balloons...

Martin

[McColm]

Back in the 1980's there was an oil crisis ,the RAF boffins came up with a steam powered Tornado GR1. Unfortunately this never made it into production but what a Whiff to build !!

[scooter]

Steam...Powered...Tornado... 

[Weaver]

According to DK Brown, when the oil crisis was on, there was a cartoon going around the RN Ship Dept at Greenwich of a coal-fired Type 42 destroyer with four thin, smoke-belching funnels and a ram bow....

[McColm]

I was based down at Norrhwood at the time, working with the Navy. Those guys have a dark sense of humor .

[Rheged]

I was based down at Norrhwood at the time, working with the Navy. Those guys have a dark sense of humor .

The Dark (Blue) Force would say that wasn't humour, it was contingency planning!

[lenny100]

I was based down at Norrhwood at the time, working with the Navy. Those guys have a dark sense of humor .

The Dark (Blue) Force would say that wasn't humour, it was contingency planning!

no just taking things at face value because the politicians will change their minds at least six times before the first of the ship type is in operational service

[scooter]

GAU-8 powered cars?

An idea from XKCD's What If blog Machine Gun Jetpack

[martinbayer]

GAU-8 powered cars?

First thing that came to mind when seeing the cartoon was the Dillon Aero SUV:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/4221601

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nug5FZgxuk

Martin

[Old Wombat]

There aren't enough holes in the police car!

Dillon Aero SUV = Wicked!



Guy

[dadlamassu]

When I saw it I thought of:

[Old Wombat]

Ah! Brosnan, Pierce Brosnan!



guy

[tigercat]

Given that Ian Fleming wrote both I 've always thought that there was some whiff crossover potential between chitty chitty bang bang and  some of James bonds car s

[PR19_Kit]

I want one of those with a detection system that automatically takes out every BMW within range.............. 

[McColm]

Didn't the Jaguar belong to the baddie ?