AH Challenge: War Dirigibles!

This has been a common topic on this board, one I have often contributed to, and may again if there is more interest from several of our other zeppelinophiles. But basically, it all boils down to creating a TL in which the development of heavier than air flight is retarded in comparison to rigid airships. For example, if one could delay the invention of airplanes until rigid airships reached a basic late 1920's level (USS Los Angeles, Graf Zeppelin, R-100, etc), and, better yet, after helium became widely available, airships would have already successfully filled the major niches (fleet scout, bomber, long range transport, etc) which in our TL were areas of competition between the airship and airplane from the beginning. Also, countries and businesses would have invested much in the infrastructure (fabrication sheds, gas plants, hangars) and operational know-how to create viable airship-related industries. Airplanes, when they were finally invented would be seen only as dangerous playthings for the rich.
 
This has been a common topic on this board, one I have often contributed to, and may again if there is more interest from several of our other zeppelinophiles. But basically, it all boils down to creating a TL in which the development of heavier than air flight is retarded in comparison to rigid airships. For example, if one could delay the invention of airplanes until rigid airships reached a basic late 1920's level (USS Los Angeles, Graf Zeppelin, R-100, etc), and, better yet, after helium became widely available, airships would have already successfully filled the major niches (fleet scout, bomber, long range transport, etc) which in our TL were areas of competition between the airship and airplane from the beginning. Also, countries and businesses would have invested much in the infrastructure (fabrication sheds, gas plants, hangars) and operational know-how to create viable airship-related industries. Airplanes, when they were finally invented would be seen only as dangerous playthings for the rich.

This lasts until someone comes up with a suitable surface to air missle and zeppelins are doomed.
 
This has been a common topic on this board, one I have often contributed to, and may again if there is more interest from several of our other zeppelinophiles. But basically, it all boils down to creating a TL in which the development of heavier than air flight is retarded in comparison to rigid airships. For example, if one could delay the invention of airplanes until rigid airships reached a basic late 1920's level (USS Los Angeles, Graf Zeppelin, R-100, etc), and, better yet, after helium became widely available, airships would have already successfully filled the major niches (fleet scout, bomber, long range transport, etc) which in our TL were areas of competition between the airship and airplane from the beginning. Also, countries and businesses would have invested much in the infrastructure (fabrication sheds, gas plants, hangars) and operational know-how to create viable airship-related industries. Airplanes, when they were finally invented would be seen only as dangerous playthings for the rich.


One method of retarding HTA flight would be for the Wright Brothers to suffer a serious accident during one of their early glider tests. Either a death of one of the brothers or simply a major financial loss could delay the development of the airplane for a few years.
 
One method of retarding HTA flight would be for the Wright Brothers to suffer a serious accident during one of their early glider tests. Either a death of one of the brothers or simply a major financial loss could delay the development of the airplane for a few years.

The Wright Brothers were not the only ones experimenting with HTA - there were hundreds of inventors around the world. They were simply the first.
 
The Wright Brothers were not the only ones experimenting with HTA - there were hundreds of inventors around the world. They were simply the first.

Not the first to succeed but the first to have true control method. One flaw in many of the early attempts at HTA was the inability to maneuver. Many succeeded in straight line flights but few ever had a means to turn, climb or dive without crashing. The Wright Brothers' true gift to aviation was not being the first to fly but the first to be able to control that flight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Brothers

Now if you cause a delay of the Wrights' success, combined with the OTL delays in developing alternate methods of control HTA, then airships, both Zeppelins & Blimps get a firmer foothold and make them at least in the short run, the primary means of flight, both military & commercial.

This could temporarily drain off funds for HTA development, keeping it solely in the province of inventors & dreamers until the Great War & the demand for new weapons/tactics comes about.

While HTA would eventually overtake LTA, do to the dead end nature of LTA technology, minor delays in HTA development would allow LTA a slightly longer period of dominance with the possibility of experiments as desired in the challenge.
 
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