Comments on: Blimp vs. Zeppelin: What’s the Difference?

By: Fredly

Fredly — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:08:49 +0000

Your explanation is not quite correct when it refers to “a gas that’s lighter than oxygen”. It’s only necessary that the gas is lighter than *air*, which is mostly (~78%) nitrogen. Because nitrogen is about 12% lighter than oxygen (which makes up ~21% of air), air itself is about 10% lighter than oxygen. But air is completely useless for atmospheric buoyancy unless it is heated (as in a hot air balloon) to make it less dense than the surrounding cool air.

By: gus

gus — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:29:44 +0000

Zep is only original if you call reworked blues tunes original.

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:02:44 +0000

O-H-I-O is no match for L-S-U!
Geaux Tigers!

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:37:15 +0000

I-O!!!

I love my campus! I can actually see my dorm in that pic (its the pink looking square closest to the top left of the stadium). However, its not a very up to date picture (the RPAC isn’t built yet).

Go Bucks!

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:59:34 +0000

I-O! Glad I’m not the only one who recognized the Horseshoe.

recaptcha: no district

By: Rob Hogan

Rob Hogan — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:41:33 +0000

Even better, the blimp is floating high above Ohio Stadium, no doubt taking in a wonderful Ohio State Buckeyes game. O-H

By: Lelah

Lelah — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:59:40 +0000

Your article is ambiguous– it’s heavy on the explanation for a zeppelin, yet the photo is of the most famous blimp in the world, The Spirit of Akron (aka “The Goodyear Blimp).

By: Synj

Synj — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:34:52 +0000

and why was it filled with a flammable gas you ask?

well, 95% of the known world helium lies in the ground under the Texas panhandle. although the US wasn’t officially at war with Germany, they had severe trade restrictions, limiting the Germans to lighter than air gasses they could mine or make themselves.

hence, kablooie.

By: nutmeag

nutmeag — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:34:05 +0000

I’m with Jennings. These posts are awesome. :-)

By: airship

airship — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:10:25 +0000

Zeppelins are back, and they’re from the same company! The first Zeppelin NT (for ‘New Technology’) was built in Germany in 2001, and there are now a handful in existence. Unlike the original Zeppelins with their full frames, the NT is a semi-rigid with a simpler triangular truss frame. Read about it at Wikipedia.