posted
Boats are watercraft Planes are aircraft Spaceships are spacecraft
Do all three have bridges?
Is "bridge" interchangable with "flight deck" on both planes and spaceships? (Obviously, you don't have flight deck on a boat--unless it's an aircraft carrier.)
If you moor and/or dock a boat, do you also moor and/or dock air- and spacecraft? Or do you park any or all of them?
Does the element where the parking or mooring is being done determine the word used? Do you moor in water and/or on a tarmac and always with some type of tether? Do you park only on the ground or in a hangar as freestanding craft? Does docking always presuppose, as I imagine, something to be docked onto/into?
If boats have captains and first-mates, and planes have pilots and co-pilots, do spaceships have captains and pilots and first-mates and co-pilots as well? If there is such a thing as a pilot boat, does it, indeed, have a pilot? Or do even pilot boats have captains?
Are any of these terms specific to only one type of craft--water, air, or space?
I have seen these terms used interchangably so my last question is: Can anyone help?
[This message has been edited by Kolona (edited July 13, 2002).]
posted
Boats have a bridge. Planes have a cockpit. Spaceships can have either.
The bridge is where the boat is managed from. The flight deck is where the planes take off from.
A boat is docked next too a pier. A plane is parked on the tarmac or the flight deck. Spaceships are either parked in orbit or docked in a space station.
Most of the authors I read choose the space-based war making armed services to be an extension of the navy instead of the air force. Presumably because they usually have an aircraft carrier analog, where the air force( to the best of my knowledge) does not have the concept of a larger craft carrying many smaller craft. As a result, the nomenclature is an extension of navel terminology. The US space program, on the other hand, uses aircraft based terminology. I do not believe there is a hard and fast rule. You get to choose whatever you like.
posted
Yup - that's right. Space is often treated metaphorically as like the vast landless oceans of ancient times. Note that naval terminology is strictly naval military - apparently there are differences with use of designations within the merchant navy.
Also note, that for extra realism it may be advised to realise that there is a distinct nomenclature for naval ranks. For example, the rank of "Major", so far as I'm told, does not exist within the US navy. And, of course, do not expect to find an "Admiral" with standard land infantry. Also note the difference between Lieutenant and Leftenant.
However, as no fixed system exists in space in real life, there are no rules on the general issue - simply traditions.
As a general tradition, smaller vessels that can be controlled by just 1, 2 or 3 persons will have airforce designations. These tend to be called spacecraft. Vessels which are larger and more complex, requiring a crew of at least a half dozen or so will generally use naval designations, and be called spaceships.
These numbers are approximates, of course, and simply intended to be illustrative.
I had a look on Google - maybe these links can provide some useful info:
P.S. "Flight deck" still throws me. I'm quite sure I've heard the term used describing a bridge and/or a cockpit. Is that perhaps a common misusage which, because it's common, makes it OK? (I promise I'll stop.)
Flight deck is where they steer the space shuttle or a 747 from.
Let's say if there're one or two pilots, it's a "cockpit." If there's a small crew, it's a "flight deck." If there are a Captain, helmsmen, and half the cast of STAR TREK, it's a "Bridge."
posted
Your list omitted something relevant: "stand up" aviation. That is dirigibles, including both Zepplins (rigid), and blimps (non-rigid aka pressure airships).
Generally, the person steering an airplane must sit in a cockpit, which is a small chamber like the inside of a car. The person steering a ship must stand on a bridge, which is more like a room. A bridge has walking space and furniture.
Dirigibles had/have neither cockpits not bridges, although the officers may stand up and walk around during flight.
Back when the U.S. Navy operated these, they referred to the "control car" from which officers commanded the airship. Civillian zepplins and blimps could have "control stations" (a useful word for spacecraft). Dirigibles had/have "engine cars" or "engine pods."
I could easily see the room inside a dirigible's control car referred to as the "flight deck," though I don't know if it has ever been done.
The words "gondola" and "pod" could refer to any of these protrusions attached outside the main hull (for Zepplins) or bag (for blimps).
FYI an American nuclear submarine has a "control room" and a "maneuvering room." Attack submarines also have a "bridge" while (I think) nuclear missile submarines do not. I believe that the bridge is only used when an attack submarine is on the surface (i.e. not often).
[This message has been edited by Doc Brown (edited July 20, 2002).]
posted
I think that you're referring to the "sail" or "conning tower" (which is usually located on/in the "sail").
Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999
|
posted
Survivor, the sail or conning tower is different. If the submarine has a sail, it is a physical structure, not a room. They don't call it a conning tower anymore, I presume because there may not be any conning going on there.
The maneuvering room and control room are both in the cigar-shaped main hull. The maneuvering room is generally in the rear half of the submarine while the control room is generally in the front half. In Attack Submarines, the "bridge" in inside the sail near the top.
posted
Ah, quite right. The "attack bridge" located inside the sail. It is used for making surface attacks, though the boat doesn't need to be on the surface, just at periscope depth.
Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999
|
Printer-friendly view of this topic
