Old Airlift Vehicle Concept Made New

starexplorer writes "LiveScience is reporting on an early conceptual design of The Walrus the DOD's new planned 'very large airlift vehicle'." Could the concept of a 'war-balloon' really be gaining favor again?

At Last!!!

[ackthpt]

An airship that will look like the budget that funds it!

I've been a huge fan of airships after reading up on them, but this thing will positively scream "TARGET" (not the chain store) to every radical nut with a shoulder launch missile. It will also move rather slowly.

Perhaps a good choice for moving materiel between safe locations, but not something you'd fly over the Middle East any time soon.

Haha I'll be Rich!!

[OneByteOff]

By Selling them my girlfriend, some off-green paint and helium tanks!!!!

Re:At Last!!!

[PunkOfLinux]

Anyone seen cid? I think he's probably looking for his vehicle...

Re:At Last!!!

[brohan]

Also, this airship isn't built for hardiness at all. From what I can get from the article it will have many points of faliure. I don't see how a well placed photon torpedoes down a shaft can bring the whole death star^W^W Walrus down.

Re:Protection Methods???

[Verteiron]

Put a giant teddy bear costume on it. No one would shoot a cute teddy bear!

Re:Protection Methods???

[Anonymous Coward]

Gee whiz, we didn't think about that. Project cancelled.

Sincerely,

DARPA

CC Lockheed Martin, Aeros Aeronautical Systems

Re:Protection Methods???

[banuk]

ever see that simpsons?

"Bogey's airspeed not sufficient for intercept. Suggest we get out and walk."

Thunderbirds are go!

[centinall]

Looks just like Thunderbird 2.

Re:seems sort of risky

[Elwood P Dowd]

it seems sort of weird to field a giant cargo ship you can bring down with a .22

I don't think they'd build it out of party balloons.

RA2...

[MiKM]

Kirov reporting.

Re:Interesting, but i wonder...

[hurfy]

Hmm, good idea.

Paint the bullseye, just make sure there is a safe spot behind it for the bullets to land ;)

Hehe, it would be hard to shoot at it and NOT instinctively aim for the bullseye.

Re:You said it yourself......

[ScrewMaster]

Yes, and if it needs to move really fast, they can just point that bigass gun out the back and pull the trigger.

Re:At Last!!!

[kfg]

. . .every radical nut with a shoulder launch missile.

Around here we just call them "arrows."

KFG

Wouldn't it be...

[Cervantes]

Stuff like this makes me wonder... wouldn't it be fuckin' awesome to work for DARPA and be able to bring life to the crazy shit you dreamt up when you were 9?

Re:Heavy lift aircraft don't usually do combat dro

[Anonymous Coward]

500 tons worth of battlemechs!

Watch terrorists fuck with 5 pod mounted Atlas mechs guarding the thing.

Re:Haha I'll be Rich!!

[fourtyfive]

C'mon now, this is slashdot, we _all_ know you dont have a girlfriend. Really...

Death from above

[Anonymous Coward]

Please allow me share my vision of the future ... Fill these suckers up with Oil for long haul transport. Christen the first one AirValdez and wait for turbulence. Then watch in amazement as it rains petrochemical death from above on people instead of seals and birds.