Steampunk and environmentalism, again

[sabotabby]

This amuses me.

THE WTF PRIZE!

Build an airship capable of carrying four or more people into flight, and do it with an engine that produces less pollution than a standard internal combustion engine. And by build it, I mean that you, the entrant and pilot, must actually undertake the fabrication and construction of this device. Prefabricated parts may be used for your construction, but pre-built, purchased engines are right out. You must build your propulsion system, not just install it.

This ship must be capable of true directed flight, rather than simple wind-directed flight, so the ship must include a propulsion and navigational system in addition to basic lift.

Build it, fly it to Seattle, and land it safely at the venue location for Steamcon '09. For those already in the area, you need to prove that your airship can sustain flight for more than three hours. On landing, your engine will be inspected by a team of judges to consider the following: fuel type, fuel consumption-power ratio, and exhaust output. This means you will have to present your blueprints as well.

Winners will receive the following:
A metric fuckton of notoriety for landing an airship at a public convention.
Women swooning at your air-piratical feet.
The satisfaction of me apologizing and having to eat my words in public.
Permanent advertising for any of your endeavors via Tormented artifacts, the LXB, etc, etc... (It's not much, but it's something at least.)
if any sponsors want to step forward and offer a prize to this, I'll gladly include them.

...Hell- you built yourself a working airship- what kind of prize do you need when you've got one of those?

I want someone to do this. I want to live in the future.

Comments

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

That is way cool. I wonder if anyone will actually do it.

[sabotabby]

Apparently it's on for reals.

[livingfossil.livejournal.com]

Heh. Metric fuckton.

[sabotabby]

It is an accurate measurement of how awesome that would be.

[livingfossil.livejournal.com]

No, totally. I am gonna start dropping 'a metric fuckton' when the chance arises now. Maybe next time I am around the priggisher in-laws.

[seanmonster.livejournal.com]

I use 'metric shitload' from time to time. 'Metric fuckton' seems...oddly classier...

[livingfossil.livejournal.com]

It's the two hard C sounds so close together. I love it. It's like candy for the sounding-tongue.

[livingfossil.livejournal.com]

Problem is the energy density of petrochemical fuel though. I suppose you might be able use a veggie oil converted diesel to power a prop--that might do it. If only I were a welder and an engineer...

[anarqueso.livejournal.com]

I know some people who'll definitely be working on it. My boyfriend, for instance, plans on leaving home for a few months to work on the framing.

[sabotabby]

...seriously? Please tell me you're serious.

[anarqueso.livejournal.com]

Serious about the first sentence. We know tons of people who are knee-deep in serious steampunk, and my guy's worked on most of their projects. This one, for instance.

The second sentence, well, he plans on working on it, but there's a constant battle around here between pragmatism and art, so it remains to be seen what will actually happen.

[florence-craye.livejournal.com]

Can they expand the offer to include men swooning?

[sabotabby]

I am pretty sure that anyone cool enough to build a functional environmentally friendly airship gets to have whatever gender of being they desire swoon at their feet.

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... That does make the offer more tempting.

[purveyorofchaos.livejournal.com]

DAMN.

I'd swoon.


Also, yay flying it to Seattle!

[sabotabby]

I sometimes consider moving to Seattle on account of how much I like it and because one of my closest friends lives there. But then I remember that I like universal healthcare. It's a problem.

[purveyorofchaos.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah, I can't go to the doctor at all. And I probably won't ever have insurance.

Canada is so soft and caring from our American perspective.

[queerasmoi.livejournal.com]

There's always that Canadian city not too far from Seattle, and transportation down south is very easy... and you still get your universal healthcare plus provincial pharmacare... golly I forget the name of it :)

[gillen.livejournal.com]

Easy solution to make everyone happy: I propose we talk Canada into annexing the Puget Sound region.

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

I completely support this idea! A++!

[gillen.livejournal.com]

"On landing, your engine will be inspected by a team of judges to consider the following: fuel type, fuel consumption-power ratio, and exhaust output. This means you will have to present your blueprints as well."

I would suggest handing the blueprints over rather quickly, because the winner will likely be promptly arrested for piloting an unregistered aircraft into restricted airspace.

[seanmonster.livejournal.com]

Ha. Sad but most likely true.

A pox on you, FAA!