Re: Battle blimps

On 18-Apr-02 at 19:19, Richard and Emily Bell (rlbell@sympatico.ca)
wrote:

> There actually were a few aircraft that, if pursuing a ship into the
wind,
> would have a relative motion so low that they would drop under the
> calibrated region of the mechanical computers.  The swordfish and a
> japanese torpedoe bomber fit the bill.  As reprogramming a mechanical
> computer to accommodate a slower target speed requires switching it
off,
> adjusting the rate gearing ratios (if that was even an option), and
waiting
> for it to get back up to speed, and most engineers would know that
letting
> common sailors poke their fingers inside a high precision instrument
is a
> BAD THING (TM),

I'm going to have to disagree with you here.  Poking their fingers
inside high precision instruments is what sailors do, it's their
job.  Soldiers drag their equipment back to the depot.	Airmen
black box things and let private companies fix it as it can be
flown back from the airport.  When you are at see for six months
you fix it.  Techy type jobs are what the vast majority of
sailors do.

And no, I'm  not saying other forces can't fix things, just that
sailors can start with the machine shop on the ship (or the
electronics shop) and build what they need.  If they don't know
how to design it one of the officers who is an engineer will
design it.