Airship (Icarus Reality)

Airships are the fastest method of transportation in the Icarus Reality. They are heavily utilized in warfare.

Technologies

 * Rocketry: Used to "boost" or as weapons in military vehicels. Some civilian ships use rockets to speed up the ship for Atlantic, Pacific or Continental crossings, although it is considerably more luxurious to go slower. Typically placed on the wings.


 * Propellers: The main engines of any airship. These are typically placed on large wings which also serve as cargo bays and hangars for smaller craft and on the bottom-front.


 * Sails: All airships carry fabric to make emergancy sails in case of failure in all other engines.


 * Cells: A metal tank filled with Helium-Hydrogen. These tanks can explode if shot or hit, heavily damaging the ship. These are usually armored for this purpose. Cells are also used in ground vehicles (See History of Warfare (Icarus Reality)) to lighten them and make it possible for them to catch large air while landing survivably and without flipping.


 * Compression: Used to ensure more gas (and hence more lifting power) can fit in cells. These literally rely on Titanium-Aluminum armor to hold the tank together against the huge pressures inside the tank.


 * Radio: Used in Radar and communications. A more modern invention.

(Note that unlike in our timeline, there is no skin covering the airship. This leads to a more industrial and futuristic appearance)

Civilian Application
Airships are used as freighters and transports throughout the civilian market. Airship routes throughout the world are the backbone of commerce. In wartime, commerce is severely restricted due to enemy raiding.

Military Application
The armies of many nations use Airships of all sizes as transports, carriers and warships. The main types include:


 * Carriers: Used to harbor smaller craft, such as VTLAs and Corvettes.


 * Transports: Typically are used to haul fuel or troops to waiting ships or locations. Little differant then civilian ships.


 * Destroyers: Used as scouts and attack ships.


 * Frigates: Used as attack and defensive ships. Larger and more heavily armed.


 * Air Fortress: This classification of ship was only used in the Great War for the largest ships. These where a combination of transports and carriers which were trly a mobile fortress. They where heavily armed, typically with a PACC for anti-airship combat.


 * Verticle Takeoff and Landing Airship: Ships usually used to ferry equipment and troops directly to the battlefield. These are small ships, usually carrying a squad of soldiers and their equipment. They are capable of providing some firepower to aid ground troops and to ensure the landing zone is secure.


 * Corvettes: Ships which are used to short range scouting, ground support of anti-airship combat. In the Colonial Alliance and the African Confederation, these usually carry Fist Rockets. In other areas of the world, these are used to provide ground support.


 * Airpacks: A one-man airship, with usuall one Spingun, a long-burning rocket pack and one or two miniature gas cells. It is strapped to the pilots back, with the spingun attatche to his belly. These ships are meant to strafe enemy turrets and gas-cells as well as provide protection from other Airpacks. These vehicles are usually a smaller element of battle, as larger ships can shoot down an Airpack formation unless it is deployed with extreme wisdom.

Airships used in the military usually posses a gun carriage underneath their main body and a rocket station at their bow for weapons. Weapons contain rockets, spinguns and artillary.