>>25841135Depends on what the primary usage of the blimps is. For every 1 kilo of weight, you would need at least 0.88 cubic meters of hydrogen. You also need to consider the industrial capability of the Retro Reich. Full-dirigible airships are most likely out of the equation. And there's also propulsion(and the weight of the fuel). Although Chuubanite can probably replace the carbon-based fuel used by irl airships.
If a "battle blimp" is just kind of a mobile command and control center for the onobots, then it is definitely feasible. But if you want line battleships Guns of Icarus style then I don't think it'd work. Cannons are heavy, a cast-iron 10-pounder parrot rifle weighs around 900 pounds. And that's not counting the powder charges and shells. Armor is also hard to justify. A 1x1 m wrought iron plate of 1cm thickness weights around 77.5 kilos. Note that the Hindenburg carries around 140000 cubic meters of hydrogen. Let's say you have 5 guns, and partial armoring of the carriage of around 25m x 2.5m x 5 m large. To armor a surface area of around 200 square meters with 0.5 cm wrought iron the plating would weigh 7750 kilos. To lift 9800 kilos you need 8624 cubic meters of hydrogen, that's not counting the crew, the carriage itself and the ballon. There's also the structural integrity of the ship you need to consider, the first hydraulic recoil mechanism wasn't used in field guns until the French 75. If they are meant more for bombardments then you also have to consider the accuracy. WW2 bombers are famously inaccurate.
