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Worldbuilding

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  • $\begingroup$ Yes, I remember watching that. A bullet sized hole won't let much gas through, and compared to the total volume is not significant in a short time scale. However, planes were using machine guns firing bullets. Would cannon balls and blunderbus rounds create large gaping holes? $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 10, 2015 at 8:20
  • $\begingroup$ @jdlugosz, a cannon ball would create a cannon-ball-sized hole, which, on the scale of an airship, is still tiny. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 10, 2015 at 9:22
  • $\begingroup$ Make a purpose-specific weapon based on the blunderbus filled with lengths of chain: two balls with a strong wire between them, or a 3-armed bolis if that's more stable. The idea is to make a long slash, not a neat hole. If a few of those intersect then the envelope will fall apart in tatters. Each slash will leak far more than a neat hole, on its own. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 10, 2015 at 22:40
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    $\begingroup$ @jdlugosz, sounds like a variation on chain shot/bolo shot. That might be a threat, if it's got enough range to hit an airship in flight. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 10, 2015 at 22:44
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    $\begingroup$ @Mark, there is: self-sealing membranes are heavy and are only good against small holes, not long tears. Since small holes aren't a threat, it's not worth the weight penalty. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 12, 2015 at 5:12