The Jeep

The Jeep. The icon of WWII. This tough little vehicle defined troop transport at the time. Designed and prototyped in just a few months, the Jeep was a masterful piece of engineering. It was made to be tough and bare-bones in a war where both were needed in order to serve the troops and be manufactured quickly.

The car was a vehicle the exceeded expectations in many areas. It carried more payload than was expected. It could get through more terrains than expected. The jeep became the vehicle of choice for officers and many soldiers because it was capable of doing almost whatever they needed it to do. Few machines ever hit that level of performance. Many designs meet the need that was requested. Few designers and engineers ever blown the need out of the water and go far above and beyond in function as the jeep did. But really, when you think about it the jeeps was just too simple to not perform well. It was a few seats with a solid engine and four wheels under it wrapped up in a well thought out package. That was all that was needed to be a high performer.

The Dirigible

The dirigible is one of the coolest aircraft that has ever been created. Think about it. With little to no effort or energy expended they can lift thousands of pounds into the air and hover, admittedly on a calm day. They are really the closest thing, that exists, to antigravity. And amazingly, Lighter-than-Air craft were the first things to ever carry man into the sky

True, dirigibles are rarely used anymore because they are just large bubbles that are subject to any number of limitations. They can be blown around in a storm. They are kind of delicate. And they have a very small payload for their size. But when one realizes that they also have many advantages, their possibilities appear again. They are relatively cheap and easy to maintain and operate as opposed to helicopters or planes. As aircraft go, they are pretty safe. And they are very comfortable to ride in, much like an aerial cruise.

The dirigible has been forgotten because of its limitations. But its abilities make it a very viable transporter for developing nations without roads or landing strips. And it could again become a cruise liner, as they were in their heyday, for those that aren't in a hurry.