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Description

The Topeka-class rigids are the mainstay of PaxFleet’s freight arm. They are mid-sized dirigibles with a solid keel and sheaths of protective alloy over their vital components. As with most other cargo airships in their payload sector, ‘Pekas’ require minimal ground support. They may land for short periods unsecured, and – by dint of pivoting prop nacelles and a powerful undercarriage fan – a skilled crew may discharge a substantial portion of their consignment without touching the ground.

Pekas do not use mooring masts; four retractable claws located midships clamp to sixty-foot turntables embedded in the ground. These are readily available from PaxFleet, will take mere sandbags as anchor weights, and when properly greased will permit secured vessels to swing with the wind almost as easily as a mast would. Ground vehicles facilitating the loading process may drive onto the tables to avoid having to manoeuvre constantly to keep up with the ship on a blustery day.

Ancillary rigging supplements the flank propellers and the primary drive shaft in the fuel-saving airtrucker’s tradition of tapping on the wind whenever the opportunity arises. As always, the consumption of fuel aboard an aerostat is a tricky business. Any reduction in weight must be countered, for it threatens the equilibrium which allows the vessel to maintain its altitude.

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(~ I was browsing pics of those mighty diesel hood-unit locomotives of American rail. Am hoping the pseudo-Warbonnet paint scheme rings a bell.. I love it when things that can never be together ‘work out’ in a random drawing.)

Description

The Topeka-class rigids are the mainstay of PaxFleet’s freight arm. They are mid-sized dirigibles with a solid keel and sheaths of protective alloy over their vital components. As with most other cargo airships in their payload sector, ‘Pekas’ require minimal ground support. They may land for short periods unsecured, and – by dint of pivoting prop nacelles and a powerful undercarriage fan – a skilled crew may discharge a substantial portion of their consignment without touching the ground.

Pekas do not use mooring masts; four retractable claws located midships clamp to sixty-foot turntables embedded in the ground. These are readily available from PaxFleet, will take mere sandbags as anchor weights, and when properly greased will permit secured vessels to swing with the wind almost as easily as a mast would. Ground vehicles facilitating the loading process may drive onto the tables to avoid having to manoeuvre constantly to keep up with the ship on a blustery day.

Ancillary rigging supplements the flank propellers and the primary drive shaft in the fuel-saving airtrucker’s tradition of tapping on the wind whenever the opportunity arises. As always, the consumption of fuel aboard an aerostat is a tricky business. Any reduction in weight must be countered, for it threatens the equilibrium which allows the vessel to maintain its altitude.

---

(~ I was browsing pics of those mighty diesel hood-unit locomotives of American rail. Am hoping the pseudo-Warbonnet paint scheme rings a bell.. I love it when things that can never be together ‘work out’ in a random drawing.)