Airship of Fate

Many superb movies came of the 1960’s.  Two of the best had to be “Those Magnificent Men & Their Flying Machines” and “The Great Race”.  Both done essentially by the same group of people.

I watched “The Great Race” for what had to be the millionth time.  It is such a fun movie!  Next to Diana Rigg, Natalie Wood has to be a favorite.  Must be something in my psyche to do with dark haired, dark eyed women.  No idea, mother was a blue eyed blonde – sorry Freud.

Anyways, if you remember this movie, do you remember Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) and his side kick (Peter Falk) both pedaling like mad in a bicycle powered blimp?  I often have thought about that blimp and what fun it would be to have one.  You know, for parades and the like.

So, I went into research mode and spent three days doing the design and computations on what it would take to do this for real.  In the end, I had to admit defeat.  A 30’ airbag would be hard to maneuver over something as small as a village street.  Another good idea crashes and burns.  Heavens, visions of the Hindenburg!

However, I saw in the news that someone has actually built one now.  Leave it to a Frenchman to now try and ride this to England!  Obviously, never let the experiences of the German air fleet from WWI and WWII damper French enthusiasm.  Just hope he remembers a life preserver…