062Flying Machines.

posted by TheHistorian on May 21st, 2008

Caltaria for the most part seems to have technologies that are similar to those of our lands. But in the area of aerial transportation Caltaria seems to be quite different from ours when one first looks at it. When I learned that Caltaria had created flying machines I wondered if it was true. But then I learned that our own land had created similar machines in ancient times. So in the interests of the more skeptical I will give a short list of the flying machines from our own land.

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In 400 B.C. the first artificial, self-propelled flying device, propelled by a jet of what was probably steam, flew 200 meters.
In 200 B.C. the first hot air balloon the (Kongming lantern) was invented.
First manned kite flight was in 559 A.D.
First successful hang glider was created in 875 A.D
A manned seven winged rocket powered flying machine was invented in 1633.
A lighter than air airship was invented in 1709.
in 1757 a flying device created by John Childs is said to have made three successful flights in two days.
The Aerial Steam Carriage was invented in 1842.
A delta-winged jet-propelled aircraft was invented in 1865.
Ritchel Hand-powered Airship was invented in 1878.

As we can see flying machines are quite common in our ancient and recent history.

In Caltaria many of the flying machines take on the forms of our flying machines, but each flying machine is different. They come in all sizes from air lift machines (similar to the picture left) deigned to carry one or two people to enormous dirigibles that can carry sixty or more (picture at top). No two flying machines are even close to being the same. But many flying machines have similar characteristics. Some of these characteristics are as follows.

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Balloons.

The most common way to cause a flying machine to rise is with a balloon. Due to the fact that most flying machines stay on the cloud level (a very thick dense area of the sky where the clouds are gathered) the need for the enormous balloons you see in our land are not needed. A Average balloon sizes about the same size as or twice the size as the ship it is carrying. Many have pondered what exactly is put in the balloons of the flying machines. This is a question which I am not yet certain of. I know that some use hot air. A few of the more advanced machines use hydrogen and most use many other unknown substances.
Balloons are soaked for weeks in a flame resistance chemical before being used for a flying machine. This causes the balloon to be almost impossible to catch fire even from dragon flames. Most of the time a balloon has several smaller compartments so that if bullets pierce one balloon not all the gas will escape. On top of each balloon is a certain number of people known as “Patchers” who take care of the balloons on larger flying machines. There is a variety of substances that can be used to plug holes in balloons. Some procedures can stop leaks in seconds. For instance one patch that has a instant, strong glue covering one side and a thick impermeable cover on the other. This can be slapped on to bullet holes to stop the escape of gas. Due to great advances in these technologies a flying machine almost never free falls for more than a few dozen seconds at most.

Propellers.

The more preferred way to give a flying machine propulsion is with propellers. Whether that is hand cranked or with a gunpowder combustion engine propellers are said to be the best form of air locomotion. So much so that there is legend of some flying machines using propellers instead of balloons. Different ways to power a propeller is as diverse as the flying machines themselves, some use steam some operate like windmills, some use combustible substances and some operate like bicycles. Each style seems to have strengths and weaknesses. Propellers are also common in gliders. They are wound up like a music box and let lose to give the glider that important boost to get it into the air. When propellers are too expensive or cumbersome many choose to use sails instead. In the same way that a ship on the sea uses sails to travel so do some flying machines travel by this same means. But the use of these devices requires a great understanding of wind currents.

Ships:

The body of the flying machines come most of the time in the same shape. Similar to that of a sailing ship. In fact some flying machines are made from sailing ships and a few can sail on watter. Most air ships are not watter tight. The body of the ship like the balloon (if that is being used) is covered in the same flame resistant chemical. Some are soaked in the substance for days and some have it painted on depending on cost, resources, and time constraints. Air ships are similar to sailing ships in that they have cabins and cargo space that is many times almost identical to that of sea vessels.

Some of the smaller one man flying machines have a spider web like almost skeletal structure to their body. Others look like row boats with wings and or balloons. The smaller flying machines tend to use sails more due to the greater speed it can give to machines that have just a few people on it.

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Gliders:

The Glider is said to be one of the most important flying machines in the air land. They are rather cheep (by comparison.) and can be used to go short distances faster than any other flying machine. Many are equipped with propellers. Gliders are also important machines in battle due to their ability to quickly send people into the enemy ship. Some Gliders are equipped with repeating cross bows that have several magazines. Some have knives on each wing for fighting other gliders. Most have slots to put quivers of arrows. Glider captains will most of the time be armed with a bow and arrow as well as a long knife. Although the more bells and whistles that are put on a glider the slower it goes and the harder it is to operate.