xkcd #3298: Aerospace Flowchart
Title text:
Someday, we will find the problem that goes with this solution.
Transcript:
Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com
Source: https://xkcd.com/3298/
this post was submitted on 14 Sep 2026
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Building a worse airship is still building an airship.
And name them Akron and Macon.
i was going to name them after match companies but i like your idea
Oh you must be European, if you're concerned about fires aboard airships. American airships don't burn; we've never been stupid enough to use hydrogen as a lifting gas. USS Akron and USS Macon both crashed, much of the crew of one froze to death and the other proved surprisingly survivable. Compare that to the Hindenberg or R-101.
No we use good old fashioned methane yes sir patented blimp gas here
I have spent the last year trying to find copies online of a musical some friends wrote while I was in college. It's called Hindenburg: Oh the Humanity!
I've heard of methane used to inflate gas bags to lift sunken boats but I haven't seen it used as an aviation lifting gas.