h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is basically an entry about how to not stay on the ground.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A595929

I expect to get butchered about all the places I got it wron in the translation from hebrew, so show no mercy.

I'm also not sure about the last part, the "Why take off". Only the first line is relevant - we take off in order to fly!
the rest is more like "Why fly?".

Yours,

Dancer

Beautiful.

I just see the line between 'Take off' and 'flying' is a little fuzzy in this entry. I can take off (by jumping) but I can't fly. But hey ho. Then on the very last part it reminded me of the 'vintage-hgtg' 'How to fly' section...

What about bats? You forgot bats?

Anyways. People also want things to fly: Arrows, Darts.

What about parachutes? I know it's not a classical take off, but there are these thingeys being pulled by cars or boats. You know what I mean?

And the dandelion seeds? Do they take off?

Oh my... Please ignore me. Beautiful entry. Really. Loved the style!

HELL

I like the concept of this article, and for the most part it's well written and explained. I have a few criticisms, but don't let them discourage you because the article's in pretty good shape already.

1. Title - I would suggest a change because "Takeoff Causes" doesn't take in the whole scope of the article. My suggestions are "Taking Off", or "Takeoff Methods".

2. Paragraphing - only a minor niggle, but I was put off by too many line breaks where I felt they were unnecessary. I would like to see longer paragraphs.

3. The description of the working of the wings doesn't really need the equations. You lost me here, and I think the explanation could be simplified to the classic explanation of difference in the air speed above and below the wing. Perhaps after this basic description you could then put in the equations for advanced readers, but I feel the average reader would not be interested in the maths.

A little more polishing and the guide could have a worthy addition!

Hi Hell and TF, thanks for your suggestion,

I added a "projectile" section to deal with jumping, arrows, darts and even dandelion seeds
Added a bat section too with a verry interesting off site link.

"What about parachutes?" well, they com in the gliding section. I added a bit to clarify that section and to include them.

I changed the title to a simple "Takeoff", deleted as many breaks as I could, if you have any perticular breaks that offend you, tell me and they'll be removed. and though i didn't want to remove the formulas, added a footnote that they may be ignored.

What do you think about adding something about the future of takeoff, with some antigravity/gravity shielding info in it. Is it too much?

waiting for your input,

Thanks,

Dancer

Hi Dancer, really cool you've included the bits I've suggested.

Beautiful entry.

I wouldn't extend this entry to future takeoff methods... But that's just me.

Later,

HELL

I like this entry a lot. I particularly like the description of how fixed wings work, difficult with out the aid of diagrams.

IMHO, I think it would be better to say airship rather than Zeppelin.

There are quite a few typo's I shall try to point some out:

"If the air above goes faster, *than* the Pd above is higher "
should be:
"If the air above goes faster, *then* the Pd above is higher"

"In turn, this means that Ps below the wing is now *height* relatively
to above the wing, which pushes the wings up"
should be:
"In turn, this means that Ps below the wing is now *high* relatively to above the wing, which pushes the wings up."

The following bit in brackets (this is called lift force) I think would be better as (this force is called 'Lift') just my opinion.

In the helicopter section, as you've mentioned the collective, you might want to mention that the other control is the cyclic.

Parachutes and paragliders do not use the principles of hot air balloons. Square rig parachutes and paragliders both use forward movement to generate aerodynamic lift, like fixed wings. A round parachute basically just uses 'drag' to slow down the decent.

Please don't let any of this put you off because I do think this is a good entry. I never knew that elephants were the only animal that can't jump. (I've just thought, what about snails?)8)

and jellyfish?

AND:

"Art and Skill:

Flight for the sake of flight is not uncommon."


You're absolutely right. Even in nature. It's common to see artistic flying combinations performed by male birds just to demonstrate his flying-prowess to impress female birds. Or you also have the synchronous flying of males and females in complicated maneuvers during mating and courtship.

Bye,

HELL

I guess snails sometimes jump off leaves ??? and that jellyfish, being marine, don't count *phew, got out of this one*
Actually, I'm an elephant lover, so I read it in some of the elephant lovers web pages, so the info is only *so* reliable.

I'mm running to make all the changens now.

Thanks,

Dancer

sp I guess.

Good changes. It's come on nicely!

Made the fixes, changed the parachute part,
added the paer about birds showin off, a nice poetic end for entry
and added SK and Hell to the researcher list .

Waiting for more Typos, Grammer issues, accuracy issues and ideas.

Thanks,

Dancer

Hi Dancer, nice article

Density is not relative mass but mass per unit volume. An important distinction I think

The name Zepplin is not really used any more I would say - I think this only ever was usd for the German ones anyway.
The standard English term is Arirship. The british one's are built and kept in Cardington near my hometown

Lunching to outer space? Sounds like my kind of lunchbreak

What is UAV - it's always nice to explain TLAs to people who aren't familiar with them

All animals can jump except elephants - what about sloths? Also what about fish - I haven't seen a flatfish jumping before.
Maybe make this statement slightly less general?

You've spelt wind as winf in the prjectiles pragraph.

With regard to bees. I'm not sure if this is urban legend but as far as I'm aware, a bunch of physicists once proved that bumble bees are unable to fly
This might be an amusing addition to the article

Bats paragraph: Too many r's in very.

'Either in the sake of turism' For the sake of tourism maybe

Military Paragraph - higher, not heigher. Similarly in the next paragraph.


Anyway - apart from that it's a great article. And thanks for the link to the helicopter article, that was great too

Hmmm - Airship - not Arirship

SPhelling Ocurs!

What about replacing 'animal' by 'mammal' in the Elaphant-non-jumping part?

So long,

HELL

Done,

Zeppelin - added the referance to Airship, but I belive in using the term that was used by the inventor, in this case a german scientist used his own name, and that's what I want to use even after all the friction between us jews and the germans .

Sublimited the elephant part, I just really wanted it to be true

About the Bumble Bee thing... thought about it... wrote it... removed it ... wrote it again... removed it again... and decided to leave it out

removed all the extra syllables and vouls I know of.

Yet again I thank you.

Peace,

Dancer

Hey Dancer, Zeppelin, Airship, Dirigible, blimp - whatever you want to call them - there's an excellent entry on them you might want to link to http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A320257

'FRICTION' between us Jews and Germans? The friction that came up was quite unilateral, I think.

Anyways... Why not settle for the formulation 'Airship (the huge cigar formerly known as: Zeppelin)' or 'Zeppelin (better known as: Airship)' OR 'Airship (aka: Zeppelin)' BTW: Graf von Zeppelin (German Noblesse, and High-Rank officer of the Prussian Army) did not invent the Airship principle, he only was lucky enough to have the money needed to buid a huge one. The Airship was invented and succesfully utested in 1784 by Frenchman Jean Baptiste Meusnier, it was propelled with a muscle driven propeller. (OK it was more of an 'Airboat' rather than 'Ship' ... But hey, it's only the size)

As we're speaking of German Flyers: Why not mention Lilienthal, one of the fathers of modern aviation.

First Wing-Type Glider Flying Machine: 1804 by Sir George Clayley (England)

750BC The Daedalus and Ikarus Legend (Greece)

Anyways,

As usual,

HELL

OK, Hell, you convinced me, I'll go for Airship and supress Zepellin to the footnote. If it wasn't his invention, it's not that important to me.

I'll also add the first glider, but "750BC The Daedalus and Ikarus Legend (Greece)" got me confused ???

Did all the others though.

Yours,

Dancer

oh and about mentioning too many people that did great thing in aviation, i don't want to make this an entry about aviation and when what was done by who, i want a simple and easy to read entry about why things sometimes detache themselves from the fround.

waiting for more, and having fun with lowercase,
yours,

dancer