Yeah, not a fuel at all, so therefore, totally safe. And I guess that whole Hindenburg ruckus was like one of those "NASA puts man on the moon" hoaxes, right?

Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but that completely puts my mind at ease.

* smiles and nods *

* backs away cautiously *

[Wikipedia article on the LZ 129 Hindenburg]

Use of Hydrogen instead of Helium


Helium was initially selected for the lifting gas as it was the safest to use in airships (absolutely nonflammable). At the time it was extremely expensive, available only from one or two mines in the United States under military control. Hydrogen by comparison could be cheaply produced by anyone and had considerably more lift. The American rigid airships using helium were forced to conserve the gas at all costs and this hampered their operation. While a hydrogen-filled ship could routinely valve gas as necessary, a helium-filled ship had to resort to dynamic force if it was too light to descend, a measure which took a toll on its structure. Initially the United States was willing to sell helium to the Germans, but soon a military embargo against Germany forced the re-engineering of the Hindenburg to use hydrogen for lift. Although the danger of using hydrogen (which unlike helium is flammable) was obvious, there were no alternative gases that could be produced in sufficient quantities that would provide sufficient lift. One beneficial side effect of employing hydrogen was that more passenger cabins could be added. The Germans' long history of flying hydrogen-filled passenger airships without a single injury or fatality engendered a widely-held belief that they had mastered the safe use of hydrogen. While the decision to fly with hydrogen may appear incredibly dangerous today it can be seen as quite reasonable at the time. The Hindenburg's stunning first season performance appeared to demonstrate this conclusively."

[www.plugpower.com]

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Yes. Sad, but true.

"And last I checked, a gas tank explosion isn't much fun either."

Tell that to Michael Bay.

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Almost funny? Almost??? I worked hard on that bit of paranoic drivel and I'm almost funny? Damn. Everybody's a critic.

Besides, who else is saying I'm paranoid, huh? Yeah, who else? You? Maybe you? All of you??? I knew it...

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BOSSKEV: Doing His Part to Wake Up Dead Threads Everywhere

And my job here is indeed done...

;^)

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