Dirigible Airships in Rifts?

[Hotrod]

In old-school airships like the Hindenburg, hydrogen gas filled a large volume, displacing higher-mass air and creating lift. This eventually was abandoned because hydrogen likes to light up like a Roman candle. Modern blimps tend to use helium, which is chemically safer, and they require more volume per lifted mass.

Imagine, though, if you had a very light, rigid skin containing a vacuum inside. Instead of displacing air with pressure from a lighter gas, now you're just displacing the air. Given the kinds of super-strength materials we've seen in Rifts, it doesn't seem impossible to make an MDC bubble and suck all the air out. In fact, using magic, you could make such a barrier actually weightless!

How much lift could you get? The density of air is 1.225 kilograms per cubic meter. A light dude with weapons and light armor might have a mass of 100 kg, which would require a cube about 4.4 meters per side to get neutral atmospheric buoyancy at sea level. That comes out to about 14 feet per side, or a sphere about 16 feet wide. This isn't actually all that different from what the old hydrogen airships could do, since hydrogen is so light, but now the vessel isn't an airborne firebomb. A vacuum pump could adjust the amount of air inside to control the altitude, and a modest propeller and rudder system could steer.

The downside, of course, is that vacuum ships wouldn't be very fast and could be big, sitting ducks, and a big enough hole could spell big trouble. Here again, I wave the super-materials or magic wand and make the vacuum ship's skin transparent. At high altitudes, it'd be almost impossible to see from the ground, plus it would be nearly silent. Stealth Dirigible! It's like the flying carrier in Avengers, but marginally more plausible(and significantly less sexy). Your enemies will never see you coming until you HALO jump right into their camp!

Rifter article rejection pile, here I come!

[Bill]

I was surprised to learn that vacuum airships are a real idea that somebody tried to work out in the late 19th century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_airship

[eliakon]

A Tecnho-WIzard might be able to pull this off since they have magic and can whip up something to deal with that whole 'makes a nice, slow, giant target' thing with out having to have all sorts of steath technology, and cloaking devices, and all the other super science stuff that begs the question of "if you have all this....why use a zeppelin?"
Because otherwise you are going to be missile fodder.

[taalismn]

One's already appeared in an early Rifter if I recall; it was part of a CS global positioning system and aerial recon for their artillery. It used aerostats that were vacuum-airships.

[kaid]

Honestly blimps would be not a terrible way to get around. biggest issue is they are a big slow target although blimps actually can take a fair amount of damage and still land safely. With some magic to prevent fire hydrogen would not be a problem.

[taalismn]

Drone aerostats. So it doesn't matter if you lose a few dozen a week. If you're already churning out hundreds of skelebots a month, roboblimps shouldn't be any hassle.
And if you're already conjuring up the materials for thousands of megadamage machines, you can handwavium enough decontaminated helium gas as a waste byproduct of your municipal and industrial fusion powerplants.

[kaid]

If you want to see something really weird that could actually be useful in rifts is blimp logging rigs and blimp/helicopter combo rigs for lifting big trees out without having to clear everything around. Weird if interesting ways to pull specific trees out of a thick forrest where you don't have or can't put a road.

[FatherMorpheus]

Honestly blimps would be not a terrible way to get around. biggest issue is they are a big slow target although blimps actually can take a fair amount of damage and still land safely. With some magic to prevent fire hydrogen would not be a problem.

There is a series of books call The Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia. They talk about this type of idea using people they call Sparks or Torches to control any flame issues on Hydrogen based blimps. So beyond using the very cool idea of a vacuum, one could take a Burster along to control any possible fire problems.

Wow, I love this whole idea so much. This screams Helicarrier!

[Hotrod]

Honestly blimps would be not a terrible way to get around. biggest issue is they are a big slow target although blimps actually can take a fair amount of damage and still land safely. With some magic to prevent fire hydrogen would not be a problem.

True, their size would be an issue. As for speed, modern-day zepplins can cruise at 80 mph, while the Hindenburg could do 85 mph. Compare that with a Wilk's Jet Pack that flies at 120 mph, and it's not too bad.

[Blue_Lion]

Well TW could make it immune to fire.
You can do something simular with the TW float system from SOT. Vehicle only needs PPE to take off.

(This made me think of a web comic I read. http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.p ... r7CZVnrrIU )

[kaid]

One odd advantage to blimps depending on construction is a lot of them are pretty hard to see on radar so while optically very visible they actually are somewhat stealthy to other forms of sensing.

[glitterboy2098]

actually because of their size and lack of stealth shaping, Blimps show up fine on radar. there have been rumors for the last several decades of some sort of 'stealth blimp' black project, but its no more plausible such a program could exist without leaks than the "the government salvaged an alien ship' claims.

(there is an actual low observable military blimp project now, but it doesn't match any of the stories.. and it isn't a secret project.)

they do tend to show up on radar as being different than other aircraft though. mostly because the fabric of their gas bags reflect radar differently than metal does. this generally is lost when you bring in rigid frame airship/zepplins though.

the main place blimps and zepplins excel is in auditory stealth. they require much smaller engines for a given speed, and can go without engines and still loiter. they are very quiet. and if made using electric drive motors, are quieter still.

[Blue_Lion]

actually because of their size and lack of stealth shaping, Blimps show up fine on radar. there have been rumors for the last several decades of some sort of 'stealth blimp' black project, but its no more plausible such a program could exist without leaks than the "the government salvaged an alien ship' claims.

(there is an actual low observable military blimp project now, but it doesn't match any of the stories.. and it isn't a secret project.)

they do tend to show up on radar as being different than other aircraft though. mostly because the fabric of their gas bags reflect radar differently than metal does. this generally is lost when you bring in rigid frame airship/zepplins though.

the main place blimps and zepplins excel is in auditory stealth. they require much smaller engines for a given speed, and can go without engines and still loiter. they are very quiet. and if made using electric drive motors, are quieter still.

Smaller than what? Typically most air craft have a higher speed than zeppelins so is there a source that says that blimps are quite do to the engine size (because that statement seams to be flawed). Old style propellers make noise just by spinning it would require some sort of sound canceling affect on the blimps props to remove the noise. Even a wind turbine that has no motor makes some noise and they have a fairly low RPM.

A Harley Davidson motor bike has a smaller engine than a ford pick up but bike is allot louder. Masking noise from an internal combustion engine is fairly easy to do compared to the other sources of noise. There are cars with engines that you can be in and barley hear the motor that is right in front of you. Factors not in engine can also make a big impact on the amount of sound. Such as prop speed and exhaust.

What determines a the engine size to reach a speed, is it not engine efficiency, the amount of mass and drag? In that case an another type of craft might need a smaller engine than a blimp to reach the same speed if they where the same mass. The blimp has a much larger surface area that would create drag.

A TW sail boat with a floater device like found in SOT would be far quieter than your blimp and never need a engine.

[Shark_Force]

basically, the gains are pretty danged minimal. and if you have strong enough materials to hold a vacuum, you have strong enough materials to resist the explosion caused by hydrogen, so tbh i'd expect people to just keep using hydrogen in MDC fabric separated into various chambers.

honestly, i suspect it would also hold up far better in the face of punctures, too. vacuum will create a much larger pressure difference, which means any puncture is going to result in a jet of air rushing in through the puncture.

and as noted, preventing fires from being a problem is a lot easier in rifts than it is in real life, what with all the magic and psionics in the game.

[taalismn]

If you want to see something really weird that could actually be useful in rifts is blimp logging rigs and blimp/helicopter combo rigs for lifting big trees out without having to clear everything around. Weird if interesting ways to pull specific trees out of a thick forrest where you don't have or can't put a road.

I've been trying for years to re-find an old magazine I saw decades ago...may have been related to NOAA...that featured both a cover and a full-length article related to giant airships...even had a diagram of a massive triangular rigid airship(akin to the 'flying deltoid pumpkin seed') that was large enough to serve as a mothership for earth survey, dropping small boats and buoys, and even launching weather balloons and small sounding rockets. Looking back at what I remembered, it had to be one of the coolest things I'd seen. Impractical in Rifts Earth unless you had MAJOR defenses, but still seriously cool.

[wyrmraker]

I do adore the idea of a TW zeppelin; I had planned for one of my characters to go this route.

Just one historical point. The Hindenburg was only filled with hydrogen because they couldn't get the helium; the post-war treaties actually prohibited Germany from getting helium from the United States after the first World War. They were actually forced to use hydrogen to get it off the ground.

[Riftmaker]

Paging all Techno wizards we have a group project for you.

[Blue_Lion]

Paging all Techno wizards we have a group project for you.

Are you saying you want me to stat up a TW blimp for you?

[Riftmaker]

Paging all Techno wizards we have a group project for you.

Are you saying you want me to stat up a TW blimp for you?

Yep

[taalismn]

I do adore the idea of a TW zeppelin; I had planned for one of my characters to go this route.

Just one historical point. The Hindenburg was only filled with hydrogen because they couldn't get the helium; the post-war treaties actually prohibited Germany from getting helium from the United States after the first World War. They were actually forced to use hydrogen to get it off the ground.

Fill it with a Lyn Syrial(sp?) mystic cloud to disguise its real levitation means?
(Me, I like the idea of artist Robert McCall's floating platforms, inspired by the sight of clouds drifting over the American West).

[Mech-Viper Prime]

i have to say this is a very neat idea, depending on the size and who running it.
Coalition could use it as a moblie base for exploring and mapping.
Vampire hunters could use it as a moblie rain cloud with the right TW installed.

Only problems if the enemies has flyers.

[Hotrod]

One other thing to consider is that very few weapons in Rifts have the range to hit fliers at high altitudes, and the longest-range rail guns have to account for significant amounts of drop that can be tricky to compensate for. Only the pricier varieties of missiles will be able to hit you from the ground if you go over 10,000 feet up in your airship, and most fliers in Rifts are low-altitude craft.

Maybe I should turn this into a Rifter submission once I finish my next map project.

[glitterboy2098]

**whistles non-nonchalantly**

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=87782

sure it requires a fair degree of non-canon material to exist, but frankly any airship would given the current setting.

also there are these. by a member of the forums who rarely posts anymore.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=64653

[Hotrod]

Oh well, I guess I'll have to search elsewhere for inspiration. So hard to come up with something original on a board with an archive this deep (8 and 10 years back for those references, nice!), with as many creative minds as we've had here.

[abtex]

Oh well, I guess I'll have to search elsewhere for inspiration. So hard to come up with something original on a board with an archive this deep (8 and 10 years back for those references, nice!), with as many creative minds as we've had here.

If you are still around, Hotrod what are you looking for?

You may looked here, but does have some up to date articles
http://www.gizmag.com/search/?q=airship&sa=Search
That is just one term searched for.
I have always liked the "Aeroscraft airship" design.
Images to start ideas flowing on http://www.deviantart.com/.
Steampunk and airships. air battleship.

http://www.popsci.com/find/airship has a nice mix.

======================================
Thoughts:

Questions to ask are --
What, How, Where, Why

like 1) What or How does it fly?

2) Who designed it or helped in it's design?
How large of a craft is it? Is it a SubCraft of a Main vehicle?

3) Where is it being used?
What is it's Purpose? Transport, Combat, Full Military, left overs from 21sin century.

[Blastaar]

in one of the rifters.. 42 I believe they talk about using vacuum like ships for communications...

[Stattick]

Yeah, Hoover built a prototype vacuum airship. They scraped the project though, because the airship sucked.

[abtex]

Hotrod, need some ideas for different Airships
take a look here, yes some are not flyers. The ones that are not could, be secondary craft or ground support vehicles.

Does an Airship need a large Balloon? Maybe not
Could "Symbols" cause lift? Then add some tech for movement.

[taalismn]

Yeah, Hoover built a prototype vacuum airship. They scraped the project though, because the airship sucked.

"Yep...ground crew just zip! and disappeared like ground squirrels up a giant gopher-vac. Couldn't get anybody near the thing after that if it had the motors running..."

"...it was claimed that the Hoovership was quietly scrapped after that, though some rumors are that it was secretly transferred to Area Fifty-One under the codename DUSTBUSTER. I don't know of anybody ever seeing it there, but then again, I've also had some friends who were staking the area out disappear suddenly, so I suspect something's up..."
---'Anonymous'

[abtex]

Find a different Airship picture:
http://70sscifiart.tumblr.com/post/140018496086/mark-harrison
Which Palladium group or race would build something like this?
Are larger?

[taalismn]

Find a different Airship picture:
http://70sscifiart.tumblr.com/post/140018496086/mark-harrison
Which Palladium group or race would build something like this?
Are larger?

That's either a TW ornithopter based on a tropic ceiling fan,
or it's a biotech airship lifepod/seedpod auto-rotating towards the ground.

[abtex]

Find a different Airship picture:

That's either a TW ornithopter based on a tropic ceiling fan,
or it's a biotech airship lifepod/seedpod auto-rotating towards the ground.

..TW ornithopter of some kind, The Spinning Rockets above the basket and glow above the blades.

[Zer0 Kay]

I'm going to make one and armor it... I'll call it an Iron Maiden. I'll sell it to the military and make millions. It'll be my stairway to heaven

[abtex]

Does your "Iron Maiden" have small rooms with lots of sharp edges and pointie surfaces?

At least you are not making a "Lead Zeppelin" like on "Adventures of Brisco County, Jr".

[Zer0 Kay]

Does your "Iron Maiden" have small rooms with lots of sharp edges and pointie surfaces?

At least you are not making a "Lead Zeppelin" like on "Adventures of Brisco County, Jr".

Yeah that would have been Plagiarism. It was enough to remind someone of it. But it does make the follow on stairway to heaven MUCH funnier. Loved that Brisco County Jr.. Have any of Bruce Campbell's TV series (him as lead) gone past a year?

[Daniel Stoker]

Well Ash vs the Evil Dead will as it got a second season.


Daniel Stoker

[say652]

I love dirigible aircraft

[taalismn]

I love dirigible aircraft

Who doesn't?
It's just that the big ones had such horrible safety records, on account of all that gas envelope area being so vulnerable....high winds, envelope damage, gas cell leaks.....the really SAFE gases(like helium) being hard to come by, the need for big hangars to accommodate them on the ground....And those airships (like Barnes Wallis's R.100) that actually showed promise of being good workable designs, getting tainted by the catastrophes...

That having been said, the U.S. Navy had VERY good success with smaller airships in WW2, maintaining a surprisingly large fleet of anti-submarine blimps and airships.

[say652]

Also with jetpacks and parachutes the silent aircraft is a great battle platform.

[abtex]

And you get to talk funny if the gas bag leaks

[taalismn]

And as I've mentioned earlier, helium is a byproduct of fusion processes....so supposedly, if you got enough large-scale fusion powerplants going, and an economical means of filtering and decontaminating the wasteproducts, you could potentially market helium from your fusion powerplants.
Of course, you could also just handwave that the Rifts channeled in new reservoirs of natural gas, and get your industrial quantities of helium that way.

[glitterboy2098]

with rifts materials you could make hydrogen work though.

the problem with hydrogen designs like the Hindenburg wasn't the hydrogen itself. it was the fact that hydrogen was contained in gasbags of Latex infused cloth, within a framework of aluminum girders, and covered by a skin of cotton covered in aluminum and iron powder suspended in a oily medium.

basically, a flammable material, wrapped in a flammable material, inside flammable metal, inside a flammable skin coated with stuff that was only a few steps away from a rocket fuel.

where as in rifts you can use fireproof and gas tight cloth for the gas cells, non-flammable metals for the structure, and a non-flammable outer skin, all without sacrificing any of the weight savings. and i can say this because we can already do pretty much all of that with real world modern tech. when you add in the demonstrated advanced in rifts in the areas of metal alloys, armored cloth, etc..

[Mouser13]

http://www.raytheon.com/news/feature/10 ... jlens.html



Though you may want to know.

[taalismn]

http://www.raytheon.com/news/feature/10-things-about-jlens.html



Though you may want to know.

Fan-freakin'-tastic....

[glitterboy2098]

i used to live in a town in NM where such a system was in place, was a bit dizzying sometimes to look up and see it over head. (and when it wasn't overhead, you worried because that meant really bad weather might be on the way)

[taalismn]

i used to live in a town in NM where such a system was in place, was a bit dizzying sometimes to look up and see it over head. (and when it wasn't overhead, you worried because that meant really bad weather might be on the way)

And sometimes they make a break for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzglgwpfoEU

[abtex]

Found this one, should be a Spaceship But no reason the concept could not be an Armored Airship. Has all of the parts needed are there.

[say652]

Let's stat some Rifts Earth Dirigibles.

[FatherMorpheus]

I was inspired by this entire thread, and worked up something last night, but it is super rough at this point.

An artist I am not, and I dislike stealing other people's art. So please take the drawing (in link below) with a grain of salt, it is just for reference on the placement of various parts.

If there is an artist that would like to draw up something with me, that would be awesome.


TW Iron Sky

The Story of the creation of the TW Iron Sky is a long and convoluted as any story about the creation of an amazing Techno-Wizardry creation. The chief engineer and designer is named Olivia Sherpa. She is a driven woman who took most of her initial ideas after a long trip she took from Lazlo to the Colorado Baronies. She was fascinated by the TW Ironhorse trains and wanted to improve upon them.

Olivia assembled a team of several TW Masters, a small group of Elemental Warlocks and even a few Ley Line walkers. All in all, the group numbered over 50 masters craftsmen. What they accomplished was an tribue Rifts Earth innovation… Mostly.

Based upon loosely upon the dridglebles of the past, Oliva and team built a two air chamber craft with a single exterior skin. The skin was a composite MDC material, spun from group of Spinne who were hired for not only their Architecture skills, but for their ability to spin their version spider silk in large quantities. They also know amazingly amount about MDC force fields.

With the combination of the Spinne, magic and MDC construction techniques they were able to build an amazing craft for taking to the skies along both on and off of Ley Lines. This craft was large, light, well armored with MDC material, utilized MDC shielding, Magic Shielding and other magical enhancements.

While the overall the design is that of a dirigible of old, with modern considerations and Techno-Wizardry enhancements, one aspect which was important to Olivia was that the craft use Helium for it’s lighter than air system and that there be multiple bladders which allow for safer control and maintenance of the lifting body.

Model Type: Iron Sky 01a
Class: Techno-Wizard Dirigible
Crew: 75 Total; 1 Captain, 1 Executive Officer, 3 Watch Officers, 9 additional Officers, 9 Riggers, one Chief Engineer, 3 assistant Engineers, another 10 crew members (Included Air Warlocks and Techno-Wizards) , 3 weapons officers and 10 weapons specialists. 25 additional staff to serve the passengers.
Passengers: 150 +/-

M.D.C. by Location:

Tail Fins (8): 100 each
Ducted Fan Engines (3): 150 each
Passenger Room Windows (20): 50 each
Landing/Search Lights (16): 25 each
Dining Room Windows (4): 105 each
Bridge: 350
Weapon Pods (3): 150 each
Mini-Missile Systems (2): 150 each
Anti-Missile Systems (4): 125 each
Access Chamber: 200
Main Body (Top): 275 *
Main Body (Centerline): 325 *
Main Body (Bottom): 375 *
Air Bladders (30): 30 each **
Spinne Enhanced Force Field (Top Facing): 150 ***
Spinne Enhanced Force Field (Centerline): 175 ***
Spinne Enhanced Force Field (Bottom Facing): 200 ***
Techno-Wizardry Force Field (Whole Ship): 300 (Requires 200 PPE to activate/reactivate.) ****

* A breach of any of these Main Body regions, will expose the Air Bladder systems.
** Each Air Bladder will reduce the overall operational altitude by 1000 ft. Once 20 are ruptured the craft will no longer be able to maintain any altitude above 1000 ft.
*** If completely depleted, requires 12 hours of non-use to recharge. Otherwise the system is in continual use while the TW Iron Sky is underway.
**** This system is attached to the TW Sensor and Communications Package, as well as can be manually activated and reactivated. To bring it back online after being fully depleted takes an entire round of resetting TW Components, half this time if the system is manned by a Techno-Wizard of 5th level or higher. This system can not be activated while the Spinne Enhanced Force Fields are in operation.

Speed: Flying: Along Ley Lines 250 mph / Under non-Ley Line Power 150 mph. Normally the craft will travel at 2/3rds top available speed.

Operation Altitude: 0 ft to 30,000 ft, usually operates between 10,000 and 12,000 in altitude.
Any altitude over 13,000 ft requires the TW Atmospheric system to be activated.

Statistical Data:

Dimensions

Diameter: 155 ft
Length: 1000 ft
Weight: 260 tons
Cargo: 17,500 lbs in addition to passengers and weapon systems.

Conventional TW Power System: A small steam plan was created housing a fire elemental, water and air elemental to create power for the conventional systems. Effectively unlimited through the use of cajoled elementals providing the required exchange to power the steam engine. Effectively a nuclear reactor providing unlimited power.

Ley Line P.P.E. System: A group of 3 magically powered ducted fan engines provide the propulsion while on a Ley Line.

P.P.E. Storage System: Holds 2000 P.P.E. which slowly regenerates at 50 P.P.E. per hour while on or near Ley Line / Ley Line Nexus.

Cost: Two Twin vessels were built, The Cirrus and The Chaotic Sky. They are priceless, perhaps valued at over 242 million credits to build. An original one-half scale test craft was also created but was lost when it went too close to one of the Xiticix Hives in Minnesota. As it had a skeleton crew, all were able to excaped, but the non-weaponed test vessels was completely destroyed.

Weapon Systems:
Multi-Weapon Gun Pods (3)

Each Multi-Weapon Gun Pod holds 3 different weapon systems, each with a specific use but all deadly. The three weapon systems can be fired individually, in pairs or all three at the same time. The weapon pods are manned 24/7 even while in port, to ensure the vehicle has a strong defensive front.
Starfire Pulse Cannon

Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 MD
Range: 2000 ft
Mounted NG-404 Heavy Rail Gun

Mega-Damage: 1D6x10+6 MD
Range: 6000 ft
Mounted Laser Cannon

Mega-Damage: 1D4x10 MD
Range: 7,000 ft
Weapon System Bonuses: Provides +3 strike to the crew firing the weapon.

Mini-Missile Systems (2)

Mega-Damage: As per missile
Range: As per missile
Volleys: 1, 2, 4, or 10
Payload: 30 per launcher

Anti-Missiles Systems (4)

This system is a system of Mini-Missiles which are all Fragmentation missiles. It is specifically setup to automatically fire if any unidentified target is approaching one of the TW Iron Sky vessels. It is specifically designed to stop incoming missiles. It fires in volleys of 2 and 4, ensuring wide dispersal to stop incoming missiles before they are able to damage the craft.

Mega-Damage: 5D6
Blast Radius: 20 ft
Range: ½ mile
Volleys: 2 and 4
Payload: 10 per launcher

Crew

The majority of the crew are armed with weapons or have access to weapons. Many (over 75%) are also mages of one sort or another. Along with the mounted weaponry and defensive measures, that many armed and well trained crew members even if it was short ranged, they could mount a strong defense.

Special Systems:
Access Chamber

Upon the belly of the TW Iron Sky class vessel is a 200 ft long section which lowers 30 ft from the skin of the craft. This is how passengers, cargo, and supplies are taken on and off the craft.
Often times, a unit of manned Power Armor is stationed here while flying through hostile territory. These suits are all flying capable units, and can drop out of small open portals thus not requiring the chamber to be lowered.
Between four and six units of flight capable power armor is standard, but while flying anywhere near Xiticix territory up to 10 will be on board. This is due to the loss of the Proto-Type craft.
Note: These units are counted against the total cargo weight. Thus on average, with weapons, the craft take up 2500 to 3000 lbs of cargo capacity, with 5000 lbs of cargo capacity being used when going into hostile territory.

Cloud Cloak

One of the interesting additions to the TW Iron Sky vessels is the Cloud Cloak. It is a combination of the use of the Water Warlock spell Create Fog and the Invocation spell Illusory Terrain. While underway, the combination of these spells provides the TW Iron Sky vessel with a cloud surrounding the bottom of the dirigible. Giving the appearance of a cloud formation moving through the sky. The fog creates a cloud, while the Illusory Terrain ensures that surrounding matches the vessel.

Life Boats (10)

There are ten extremely light weight folding Lifeboats stored 4 along each side of the craft, 1 in the bow and 1 in the stern.
These craft hold 30 people each, and have 55 MDC. Once launched they safely descend to the ground and open up to allow the passengers to escape.
No weapons, and only go down.

Anti-Fall System

An automated system which looks for any crew or passenger that is falling from the ship, it quickly uses a strong TW Magic Telekinetic System to grab them and return them to the vessel.

TW and Mundane Sensor and Communications Packages

Radio and Video Transmitter systems with range for 1500 miles
Note: While the system onboard has extreme range, often times those receiving have much more limited ranges.
Ley Line Transmission System

As a primary or backup, the ship is equipped with a TW Ley Line Transmission System which can be used to radio out and hold conversations with similarly equipped installations.
35 Scrambled Frequencies

5 of these Frequencies are cycled and only used for communication between Sister Ships.
Audio and Video Recording Capabilities for all cameras and communication devices.
Camera System which has 4 cameras along each longitudinal line of the craft and 4 on the bow and stern.
Medium Range Radar system, range of 100 miles, capable of tracking 50 simultaneous targets
Weather/Atmospheric Sensor system
Range: 10 miles
Universal Translator via TW Tongues System

TW Sensor Suit

This is a suit of magical detection spells all at a range of 500 ft. They are setup to an automated Mystic Alarm system which will sound an alarm if anything hostile is identified. Once triggered a Watchguard enhancement immediately triggers the TW Force Field around the craft. The settings for this can be manipulated to vary the threat conditions.
Spells used:
See the Invisible
See Aura
Detect Concealment
Sense Evil
Sense Magic
Eyes of the Wolf

TW Automated Repair Systems

For a craft the size of the TW Iron Sky, it is relatively lightly armored. It also uses Helium gas to keep the vast majority of the craft aloft. In an effort to enable the craft to last the nearly 20 years of projected usability, it has been equipped with an TW Automated Repair systems.
Using a combination of Create Wood, Iron Wood, Create Steel and Mend the Broken an enshrined (Enslaved) Tectonic Entity and Air Elemental pair roam the ship repairing any damage it encounters.
Repair Capacity: 100 MDC per hour
Restrictions: Through a bizarre ritual both the Tectonic Entity and Air Elemental will roam the ship repairing any damage they happen across. They can also be directed to specific locations. They can not repair TW Enhanced equipment or sophisticated electronics, but can repair most structural components of the ship.
Interesting Note: If nothing major is in need of repairs, the pair will repair broken dishes, broken watches, torn clothing, and other mundane items. As both are nearly invisible, this has occasionally surprised the crew and passengers. Both entities are bound with a ritual which makes the convinced that the ship is their home and they must protect it, thus they are of no danger to anyone on board the craft. They even won’t attack would be attackers of the ship, but upon seeing damage will spring into action repairing it. Any leaks in the air bladders will be repaired and then the lost helium gas will be re summoned by the Air elemental.

Link to Google Doc's Version (Preferred location for comments:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18MlNqhhN0br_GC2jGAsHQwA2fd8n3TOFMJLQWlLjOn0/edit?usp=sharing

[taalismn]

That's just late-night-number-crunching-and-caffeine-chuggingly BEAUTIFUL.