@roddy_fcts: Workers burn through the chain with a cutting torch, and a ten-thousand-ton cargo ship slides into the water. You might notice workers deflating airbags under the hull right as it happens. That much weight, sitting on inflated bags — if one burst, the results could be catastrophic. So why deflate them instead of getting away fast? These are ship-launching airbags — heavy-duty rubber reinforced with synthetic cord. Inflated under the hull, they act like giant rollers, letting the ship slide toward the water. As it enters the water, buoyancy takes over. If the bags stay at full pressure through that, they can get trapped underneath — throwing off the ship's direction. So workers deflate them — but only after confirming the ship is floating on its own, and no one's nearby. Once flat, the bag gets hauled away, reused up to a hundred more times. Far cheaper, far more flexible than a traditional slipway. What strange machine should I break down next? 👇 #facts #engineering #ships

Roddy

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Wednesday 19 August 2026 17:28:09 GMT