Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Flight on na-Barsoom

Agemegos · 08-31-2011, 07:16 PM

About the time of the First World War Mars was known to have surface gravity of 0.38 gee, but was also believed to have a thick atmosphere containing water vapour and oxygen, and with sufficient "heat-retaining power" to keep the oceans above freezing despite Mars' receiving only 39% as much insolation as Earth. That requires a pretty thick atmosphere, even with plentiful CO2, methane, and other GHGs (perhaps released by genetically-engineered areoforming organisms).

Anyway, with thicker air comes more lift for either lighter or heavier-than-air craft. And with lower gravity heavier-than-air craft require less lift. (Lighter-than-air craft receive less lift in exact proportion to their requiring less.)

So we might see more, cheaper, better aeroplanes, but not much advantage to airships, right? And bigger birds? How close do we get to parahumans with functional angel-wings?

08-31-2011, 07:16 PM	#1
Agemegos Join Date: May 2005 Location: Oz	Flight on na-Barsoom About the time of the First World War Mars was known to have surface gravity of 0.38 gee, but was also believed to have a thick atmosphere containing water vapour and oxygen, and with sufficient "heat-retaining power" to keep the oceans above freezing despite Mars' receiving only 39% as much insolation as Earth. That requires a pretty thick atmosphere, even with plentiful CO2, methane, and other GHGs (perhaps released by genetically-engineered areoforming organisms). Anyway, with thicker air comes more lift for either lighter or heavier-than-air craft. And with lower gravity heavier-than-air craft require less lift. (Lighter-than-air craft receive less lift in exact proportion to their requiring less.) So we might see more, cheaper, better aeroplanes, but not much advantage to airships, right? And bigger birds? How close do we get to parahumans with functional angel-wings? __________________ Decay is inherent in all composite things. Nod head. Get treat.