The REAL reason why Bretonia is weak...

[The Hate]

Haste, if these ships are made of soda cans, are you suprised no Bretonians wanted to take you on earlier?
I have my ship now, so, come get some.

Im so dead...

[Vipera Berus]

Aluminium is what aircraft are often made of. That said though there are a few of them with significant proportions of non aluminium based alloys. The Airbus A380 has about 20% composite materials in various parts of its wings and sundry bits. These include various types of reinforced plastic some carbon composites and amazingly some glass in the form of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glare_(material)

[Captain]

New commodity for disco, G.L.A.R.E Panels/ sheets!

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[OK Cat]

[Highland Laddie]

@Vipera - yes, but the reason that atmospheric-based aircraft use aluminium is because they need to maintain fairly light weight-to-engine power ratios to sustain flight.

Once you break atmosphere....gravity/weight is not a major issue in sustaining flight in space. It's a matter of having strong engines to move the mass of the ships, and having strong enough armor/shields to resist things impacts and enemy fire (of varying sources).

All this being said....all you folks who keep posting here (even bordering on necro-threading now) realize that I started this as a joking thread, right?

Why so serious?

[Cælumaresh]

Aluminium is heat resistant... pretty usefull cause the energy projectiles are pretty hot..

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This Galaxy is vast; its wonders and beauty are almost unfathomable. But the galaxy also hides dark secrets, some of which have lain dormant since the beginning of time itself. There is a danger in secrets, both in seeking and in knowing. Some things are meant to be hidden from view. Some mysteries defy understanding, and sometimes even the things we think we know are untrue. Some secrets should remain untouched.

Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum

[Vipera Berus]

@Vipera - yes, but the reason that atmospheric-based aircraft use aluminium is because they need to maintain fairly light weight-to-engine power ratios to sustain flight.

Erm Same principles still apply - after all there are Ion engines in use right now for some probes those would take a long time to accelerate a large ship. Therefore logically an ion engine still requires a lowish mass. also I was trying to point out that aluminium is not the only thing used in aircraft. Also weight is mass time the force of gravity so on earth its mass multiplied by 9.81 (strength of earths gravitational field at sea level).

Once you break atmosphere....gravity/weight is not a major issue in sustaining flight in space. It's a matter of having strong engines to move the mass of the ships, and having strong enough armor/shields to resist things impacts and enemy fire (of varying sources).

Not quite accurate - Gravity is present all the way through the solar system right up to the heliopause (edge of the solar system) and beyond. After all if there was no gravity occurring neat pluto or Neptune they would have drifted into interstellar space by now. The gravity I am referring to is of course the Suns gravitational force. to simplify there is nowhere in this solar system that is not affected by gravity - unless they are in the Lagrange points.

All this being said....all you folks who keep posting here (even bordering on necro-threading now) realize that I started this as a joking thread, right?

Why so serious?

I'm serious because I used to be a teacher and I think that people are knowing less while thinking they know more.

[Highland Laddie]

Well, I never said there was no gravity. I said the gravity would less, thus the need for lightweightness becomes less, and thus less of a factor.

This is why, in many scifi universes, this one included, large spaceships are built in space.

But you're correct. Aluminum is used in many applications, and I guess armored futuristic space battleships would be no exception.

Happy now, Professor Smarty Pants?

[Fifty.]

What the hell is an Aluminum Falcon?

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