The Mechane's plot-variable transmission

[littlebum2002]

In 390 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0390.html), the Mechane is making a "whzzzzzzzzzz" sound. This is clearly a "we are going very fast" sound.

In 930 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0930.html), the Mechane is making a "whuppa whuppa whuppa" sound. This seems to be more of a "we need to make an ominous entrance" sound.


I guess the Mechane's transmission can change tune depending on what role it is filling.I'll bet it also has a stealth mode like the Red October.

[MikelaC1]

My car sounds different when it is going fast as opposed to when it is just pulling into a laneway

[CarpeGuitarrem]

It moves at the speed of plot!

[Rogar Demonblud]

Maybe it's my age showing, but I translated the sound effect to the rotor blades of a UH-1 Iroquois (viz We Were Soldiers).

[Bulldog Psion]

Maybe it's my age showing, but I translated the sound effect to the rotor blades of a UH-1 Iroquois (viz We Were Soldiers).

Heh -- that makes it even better. :smallamused:

[Bird]

A different airship whuppa'd before, when it was moving slowly. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0388.html)

Cool thing -- that was a relatively dramatic entrance, too, which relied on the airship casting a big shadow for its effect. :smallsmile:

[Cavenskull]

In 390 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0390.html), the Mechane is making a "whzzzzzzzzzz" sound. This is clearly a "we are going very fast" sound.

In 930 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0930.html), the Mechane is making a "whuppa whuppa whuppa" sound. This seems to be more of a "we need to make an ominous entrance" sound.
...or maybe a "We're slowing down because we've reached our destination" sound.

[Chronos]

This is Julio Scoundrel we're talking about here. Silly unsupported notions like "It sounds that way for a practical reason such as that they're slowing down to near their destination" must needs take lesser precedence than the obvious "It sounds that way because it's dramatically appropriate".

Remember, it's not whether you win or lose, it's how cool you looksound when you're doing it.

[Chronos]

And, let me be the first to congratulate the OP, who it turns out was even more right than we knew.

[Liliet]

This is Julio Scoundrel we're talking about here. Silly unsupported notions like "It sounds that way for a practical reason such as that they're slowing down to near their destination" must needs take lesser precedence than the obvious "It sounds that way because it's dramatically appropriate".

Remember, it's not whether you win or lose, it's how cool you looksound when you're doing it.
This.


And, let me be the first to congratulate the OP, who it turns out was even more right than we knew.
And let me be second.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I wonder if the Mechane adapts abilities as the plot demands them.

[Liliet]

I wonder if the Mechane adapts abilities as the plot demands them.

I'd be surprised if it did not :smallamused:

[enh]

I wonder if the Mechane adapts abilities as the plot demands them.

The Machane will turn out to be another form of the sentient aircar Gay Deceiver (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Number_of_the_Beast_%28novel%29), traveling at the speed of plot.

[Draxonicar]

It moves at the speed of drama, obviously.

[Nargrakhan]

In 390 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0390.html), the Mechane is making a "whzzzzzzzzzz" sound. This is clearly a "we are going very fast" sound.

In 930 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0930.html), the Mechane is making a "whuppa whuppa whuppa" sound. This seems to be more of a "we need to make an ominous entrance" sound.


Maybe it's my age showing, but I translated the sound effect to the rotor blades of a UH-1 Iroquois (viz We Were Soldiers).

IIRC, in real life the "whuppa whuppa whuppa" sound of a helicopter is due to the blades it has. Designs with two large blades are the ones that do it frequently. This is partly why four (or more) bladed helicopters became more common: it's quieter and doesn't make that distinctive giveaway sound. Stealth helicopters supposedly use four or more blades, with the ends slightly bent at an angle to be even more quiet and to sound "not-obviously-a-helicopter" when moving around at night.

This being a fantasy world though... I guess it doesn't matter for that airship...

[Cerussite]

IIRC, in real life the "whuppa whuppa whuppa" sound of a helicopter is due to the blades it has. Designs with two large blades are the ones that do it frequently. This is partly why four (or more) bladed helicopters became more common: it's quieter and doesn't make that distinctive giveaway sound. Stealth helicopters supposedly use four or more blades, with the ends slightly bent at an angle to be even more quiet and to sound "not-obviously-a-helicopter" when moving around at night.

This being a fantasy world though... I guess it doesn't matter for that airship...
In any fantasy world, a helicopter that made no whump-whump-whump sound, regardless its type, would be regarded as unrealistic and criticised for that.

[ORione]

I wonder if the Mechane adapts abilities as the plot demands them.

The Mechane is the MitD's father.

[Thrillhouse]

Clearly someone needs to homebrew a vehicle like this.

[Socksy]

The Mechane is the MitD's father.

^New headcanon
So does that mean it eats a lot? What do ships eat?

[factotum]

IIRC, in real life the "whuppa whuppa whuppa" sound of a helicopter is due to the blades it has.

I suspect the propellers on an airship will tend to be slower-spinning and larger than the ones on a plane or helicopter, so would make a different sound. (I know that the R101 used diesel engines with a cruising RPM of about 600--not sure how fast an aeroplane propeller turns, but I bet it's a lot faster than that). Of course, since it's been a long, long time since we had any large airships to listen to in real life, I could be entirely wrong on that!

[Zeitgeist]

I clicked on this thread assuming it had been made today. How surprised I was! Very impressive.

[Leviting]

^New headcanon
So does that mean it eats a lot? What do ships eat?

gasoline. "A Lot" of it.

[Agnostik]

^New headcanon
So does that mean it eats a lot? What do ships eat?
Stew, probably. :smallamused:

[Cerussite]

I suspect the propellers on an airship will tend to be slower-spinning and larger than the ones on a plane or helicopter, so would make a different sound. (I know that the R101 used diesel engines with a cruising RPM of about 600--not sure how fast an aeroplane propeller turns, but I bet it's a lot faster than that). Of course, since it's been a long, long time since we had any large airships to listen to in real life, I could be entirely wrong on that!

Airships typically had very small blades compared to helicopters, as far as I know.

[factotum]

Airships typically had very small blades compared to helicopters, as far as I know.

I think I misspoke slightly there, but even so, the propellers on the R101 were 16 feet diameter, which is smaller than a helicopter main rotor but definitely far larger than a typical aeroplane (and slower spinning than both, as I mentioned earlier).