[culturestate]

This isn't strictly related but in the section on tensile structures the author mentioned the Goodyear Inflatoplane[1], which is one of the craziest things I'd never heard of.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodyear_Inflatoplane

[twic]

Pah! If you're going to get crazy with inflatables, why not ride one all the way to low earth orbit:

http://www.jpaerospace.com/ATO/ATO.html

[dhosek]

One of the sections of the wikipedia article is titled, "Survivors," which made me think there had been some horrible disaster.

It's about surviving examples of the plane.