Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-27-2009, 12:46 PM   #31
nerdvana
 
nerdvana's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Default Re: Planetary requirements for Dragons to fly?

If you want to have dragons in a science fiction setting you might want to consider an environment like Larry Nevin's Smoke Ring.
nerdvana is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2009, 05:08 AM   #32
malloyd
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Default Re: Planetary requirements for Dragons to fly?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post

LTA flight is really a niche technology and I don't think it hybridizes at all. You use LTA when nothing else will work.
It works better if you are very small (better volume to surface area ratio) or have very little thrust (e.g. unpowered), both of which are more likely for animals, but yeah, not a great choice for dragons, let alone vehicles.

Not that you need it particularly, just run up the atmospheric pressure. The much denser atmosphere of Venus will give you over 50 times the lift from either wings or gasbags, flying in seawater is good for about 800 times. Dragons are easy as long as you don't insist they fly in air humans can breathe.
__________________
--
MA Lloyd
malloyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-28-2009, 07:02 AM   #33
Agemegos
 
Agemegos's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oz
Default Re: Planetary requirements for Dragons to fly?

Quote:
Originally Posted by malloyd View Post
It works better if you are very small (better volume to surface area ratio) or have very little thrust (e.g. unpowered), both of which are more likely for animals, but yeah, not a great choice for dragons, let alone vehicles.
For a gasbag, the weight of the envelope scales with surface area, which makes a large ratio of volume to surface area (i.e. large scale) good.
__________________

Decay is inherent in all composite things.
Nod head. Get treat.
Agemegos is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
dragons, space

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:01 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.