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The Valiant - keys to the patent office have been stolen

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    The Valiant - keys to the patent office have been stolen

    Having just returned from seeing The Avengers, it seems that The Master's plans for the carrier Valiant have been stolen by SHIELD. Though they loused up the engines... the Master had the sense to use multiple fan units.

    So, has anyone done the maths for feasability? The Master's design seemed larger than a standard aircraft carrier, so heading north of 70,000 tonnes. As a "for example", the rotors on a V22 (tilt-rotor aircraft) can lift around 12 tonnes each (if my maths is right)...

    #2
    It's actually the other way round. The idea of a flying aircraft carrier was stolen by the Doctor Who team, who stole the idea from Marvel Comics, who stole the idea from Captain Scarlet.

    No such thing as original ideas anymore...
    Teselecta: "Silence will fall when the question is asked."

    Doctor: "And what is the question?"

    Teselecta: "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

    Doctor: " *Brainfart* ".

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      #3
      Haven't seen (The) Avengers (Assemble) yet, though I'm looking forward to it, and I have to agree with Billz that the Valiant copied the Helicarrier. A few minutes on Google suggests the first appearance of the SHIELD Helicarrier was in 1965, whereas Captain Scarlet cropped up in 1967, but I don't claim to be an expert.

      The Valiant is freaking enormous - large enough for half a dozen airliners to land on it in one of the shots we see of it - so probably a mile or more in length. I don't think it would be possible to hold something like that aloft with jet engines alone.

      Personally, I think the jet engines merely give it directional thrust, and the hovering is handled by something decidedly more sci-fi - maybe they didn't just take the weapons from the Jaatha Sunglider but some kind of antigravity system or something.
      And now it's time for one last bow, like all your other selves. Eleven's hour is over now... the clock is striking Twelve's.
      sigpic
      Stargate Ragnarok | FF.net | AO3 | Lakeside | My Fallout 3 Mods | Poppy Appeal | Help For Heroes | Combat Stress

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        #4
        I thought Cap. Scarlet made use of flying aircraft carriers before Marvel did.

        Then again, I wasn't born until 1986, so don't expect me to always be right.
        But yeah, the Valiant wasn't an original idea in the least.
        Teselecta: "Silence will fall when the question is asked."

        Doctor: "And what is the question?"

        Teselecta: "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

        Doctor: " *Brainfart* ".

        Comment


          #5
          Hey, I'm only five years older than you and I'm very rarely right!

          Well in general terms the whole Airborne Aircraft Carrier concept has been around a while - they even tried it in real life several times, first with dirigibles launching biplanes, then with bombers carrying their own 'parasite' fighter escorts, and later there was a concept for a 747-400 discharging stealth fighters or F-22s as a kind of rapid response unit.

          The huge flying island style AAC would be unlikely in real life though - prohibitive cost tied up in a single unit, aerodynamic issues, lift issues, safety problems and construction problems. But it makes for a very cool idea, if nothing else.
          And now it's time for one last bow, like all your other selves. Eleven's hour is over now... the clock is striking Twelve's.
          sigpic
          Stargate Ragnarok | FF.net | AO3 | Lakeside | My Fallout 3 Mods | Poppy Appeal | Help For Heroes | Combat Stress

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