XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: news{@bestley.co.uk   
      
   John F. Eldredge  wrote:   
      
   > On Tue, 11 Mar 2014 14:42:31 -0700, David Friedman wrote:   
   >   
   > > On 3/9/14, 1:00 PM, Greg Goss wrote:   
   > >> wdstarr@panix.com  (William December Starr) wrote:   
   > >>   
   > >>   
   > >>>> >>Except the drones almost certainly don't have the range to operate   
   > >>>> >>anywhere but places like Manhattan.   
   > >>> >   
   > >>> >You load the goods onto the drones and the drones onto a cheap slow   
   > >>> >cargo plane.  Get near the target area and toss 'em out.   
   > >>> >   
   > >>> >-- wds (I'm sure the Department of Homeland Security won't object.)   
   > >> For one-way deliveries (the kind DHS cares about), that would work.   
   > >> But for more normal cargo operations, you generally want the drone back   
   > >> after the delivery, and this model doesn't work so well.   
   > >   
   > > Why can't the drones be programmed to deliver then return to the cargo   
   > > plane?   
   >   
   > How long do you plan to have the plane flying in circles overhead,   
   > waiting for all of the drones to return?  Also, the package-delivery   
   > drones I have seen pictures of look like their top maximum speed would   
   > likely be lower than the minimum speed a conventional aircraft can fly.   
   > If you were to have the mothership be a helicopter, it would be able to   
   > hover in place, but its downdraft would likely be enough to prevent any   
   > small drones from being able to rejoin it.   
      
   Use one of these dirigbles   
      
      
      
   --   
   Mark   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)