Hey! Ever follow the "Retief" series by Kieth Laumer? That SO looks like his "Self Navigating Aerial Flying Unit" or SNAFU.

No... I won't be tempted to make any cracks about "Having a Cabin in the Sky."

as it just so happens, laumer was one of the first sf authors i discouvered back in the very early 70s or even late 60s, when i was in the air force. looking over at my shelf there is reward for retief sitting right there. i don't remember the names of all the retief stories i've read. ambassador at arms and that one, with the big bear people where the cdt were competing with the groacci, as they almost always seem to be in retief/cdt stories. i recently read one with an inflatable cloud as camo, and people who ate other people who lived in trees. the diversity of his imagination helps stretch people to begin to see how beyond vast beyond expectation, diversity is likely to be. much of my way of looking at things comes from this.