#4 Flying boats
MBR-2 M17 By WaFtAk
User Friendliness:
The MBR-2 M17 is overall a rather easy aircraft to operate, but it's not without flaws. Starting up and taking off is rather easy for a flying boat. Maneuverability is acceptable, but landing it can be difficult due to the plane flipping and sinking if a wingtip becomes submerged. The instrument dash features all required indicators, dials and gauges, but some odd design decisions were made, like fuel being shown in %, or placing the compass ball on the floor.. The current roll gauge is also inverted, with the bar moving opposite of the direction of the roll. Biggest issue with the aircraft during normal operation is the propeller being very keen on killing you, if ever approached while it's spinning, either mid flight or after landing / taxiing. Very little equipment is present in the vehicle, some of it hidden in awkward spots that you wouldn't know about if you didn't read the WS page description, somewhat hindering its use.
6/10
Performance:
Top speed is rather good, at 227 Kph, with a respectable range of 390 Km at that speed. Maneuvering can be sluggish, especially when using the rudder, but considering the role of the aircraft, it's not a huge issue. There is however no ground handling on the aircraft whatsoever, only possible at higher speeds with the normal control surfaces, leading to some workbenches like Taijin airstrip dock being unable to host the aircraft operations without external ground handling help.
7/10
Effectiveness:
The designated role of the aircraft is reconnisance and light bomber. Both of these roles are executed rather poorly, with no assist in executing either role present. All you have available is your own eyes and 4 bombs on a trigger, not even binoculars to help with reconnisance, or a bomb sight to accurately deliver ordinance. The turrets are admittedly easy to use, but rather ineffective, considering they're single MG mounts. This leaves the aircraft without a niche it fills, failing to live up to the reconnisnace and bombing roles, except for the most basic forms, which is somewhat countered by the fact that the vehicle is a replica of a 1930's aircraft, but still leaves it with little to do in the game.
5/10
Design:
The looks of the vehicle are really well done, with a good looking shape and camouflage appropriate for the 1930's soviet aircraft, and good looking soviet stars. There is a few things holding it back, like z-fighting XML edited blocks on the starboard side of the cockpit, and on the engine cowlings, or odd cut-off 9 on the starboard side of the nose, and disconnected aft right landing float connectors, but overall giving the MBR-2 M17 a very solid, soviet look.
8/10
Overall: 6.5/10
PB Goose by Kestrel
User friendliness:
The Goose is decently user friendly and has all the needed readouts and buttons which are labelled correctly if not a bit confusing sometimes. An example is the GS (kph) readout, It isn't obvious what it does unless you already know aircraft terms, more of these over abbreviated labels are: LG toggle (landing gear toggle), Ralt (radar altimeter), Balt (barometric altimeter), S (sonar overlay), and some of the numbers on the screen aren't labelled in any way like the waypoint heading. The only way to find out what some of these mean is either reading the manual or experimenting. There is a manual so it isn't the end of the world but it makes getting used to the plane more difficult. The cockpit layout is also rather confusing and despite it being colour coded we still have some trouble finding the right buttons. The aircrafts large size also makes it a bit annoying to get out of the hangar sometimes because of the floats hitting the sides and the ground steering not being that effective unless using the props reverse which usually overcorrects. It is also an odd choice to completely take away control of the elevator when altitude hold is engaged making manoeuvring quite weird. Other than that the aircraft generally does what you want it to do.
6.5/10
Performance:
The Goose isn't a speed demon reaching a max speed of 220 km/h or 250 km/h with max power override enabled. Turning is smooth for the most part but roll is slow. Stall speed is around 60km/h but controls lose effectiveness at 70 km/h. There are no engine cooling problems. The range is also great being able to take its users to the arctic and back 3 times with ease with a maximum range of 640km or 655km running a more lean mixture.
7/10
Effectiveness:
Once in the air the goose can carry out a lot of tasks without needing other vehicles to support it. It carries out anti-submarine/ship tasks quite well with 4 very accurate torpedoes and sonar locator buoys which can be picked up again and reused with some effort. Personnel transport is no issue either as long as there is a suitable landing/ takeoff spot which can be in the water and on land if it is smooth enough. SAR operations can also be carried out making use of the medical beds and on-board beacon locator. The only task it struggles with is transporting cargo as there is no good way of making crates not fly around the cabin and unloading cargo can be a bit of a hassle.
7.5/10
Design:
As usual there isn't much decoration on the vehicle except for a few roundels, a decent looking paint job and a kitchen in the nose of the aircraft(with working stove ;) ), everything else serves a purpose. The fuselage is quite thick which makes sense because of how buoyancy works in stormworks but it would look better if it were a bit thinner and maybe a few blocks higher. The paint scheme is decent looking like a mid ww2 US naval plane and matches the plane's purpose quite well.
5/10
Overall 6.5/10
Dornier Do-26 by Dio
User Friendliness:
The Do-26 is complicated to use, with little to no instructions on complicated systems present in the aircraft, leading to a confusing experience. There is no proper way to get into the aircraft after it has been spawned on land, and it cannot be spawned on the water, unless with the mission editor. This leaves no-clip as the only way to get in quickly. The takeoff is incredibly unreliable due to several factors, with many takeoffs resulting in a damaged or totally destroyed aircraft plunging into the water or ground past the takeoff site. Steering is also inverted on all components helping to maneuver on the ground, including the coaster wheel undercarriage, beaching gear and water maneuvering fins. The aircraft does supply the users with a lot of equipment.
4.5/10
Performance:
High speed of the aircraft helps it traverse large distances quickly, with extremely good range at top speed (1200 Km at 490 Kph). The limiting factor of the aircraft flight time is really engine cooling, as the engines will self combust and burn the aircraft if they're allowed to run at high power for too long. The turning circle is very large, about the size of the multiplayer island, making it difficult to steer accurately. This wouldn't be that much of an issue if the center rudder didn't steer against the commanded direction, slowing the turn. Takeoff performance is where this aircraft suffers greatly, with most ground takeoffs resulting in ramming the ground because of the high stall speed and inability to align with a runway, and many water takeoffs being rather messy, though a lot less dangerous. It should also be noted that beaching gear is available, but has a tendency to collapse under the mass of the aircraft.
6/10
Effectiveness:
When you do get of the ground the aircraft can be quite effective, it can hit targets from relatively far away using its "missiles",( they act more like a bomb would irl) and can decoy a decent amount of radar guided weapons with the chaff on top of the fuselage. One of the things that makes the Do-26 less effective is its turning circle, you need to be a few kilometers away before starting an attack run to properly get the missiles on target. Another problem is the engines overheating which means you will have to land and wait for the engines to cool down and then take off again which might not be possible if the battery drains too much.
5/10
Design:
The Do-26 has a 1940's look but also has a lot of more modern or even futuristic aspects in the paint and systems which makes it a very interesting creation to look at, there is loads of detail in both the paint job and physical details. The visual details also don't hinder the function of the creation which can be difficult to achieve when focussing on looks this much. Overall, a very solid creation looks wise. The only small annoyances are how low it sits in the water, the pipes going through the decals on the tail, and some random greeble that doesn't make much sense.
8/10
Overall 5.875/10
Star Trek Inspired Exploration Flying-Ship/Submarine by Fan Jerry
User Friendliness:
The ship is rather large, but surprisingly easy to use for the size, operable by one person, but at least a crew of 3 is required to man all stations. Most of the controls are bound to the Captain seat, with several stations being completely unbound, and only other 2 seats having useful controls, one for each turret. Little to no readouts are available on the Bridge, with the main screen displaying an "inverse mirror" - a camera pointed at the bridge crew being the only thing on screen, resulting in absolutely zero situational awareness, making 3rd person mode required to operate the vehicle. There are a few quirks to controlling the vehicle, making it a weird and inconsistent experience at times.
3.5/10
Performance:
The vehicle is fast, with a top speed of around 300 Kph, and due to the inf electricity generator, has a functionally limitless range, only having to refill the sea water reserves. Unfortunately, the Warp microcontroller seems to be completely disconnected, and is inoperable. When it comes to maneuverability however, performance suffers. Turns are sluggish, L/R translational movement is almost non-existent, and Up/Down movement is very abrupt, often flinging crew into ceilings, and causing a lot of turbulence in the ship. Underwater movement seems to have no throttle control, giving only full throttle or nothing. A quirk in the control systems makes the vehicle very difficult to make it float properly, either dunking the doors into the water, or floating just out of reach of being able to jump on.
5/10
Effectiveness:
Main mission of the vehicle is Exploration, which is aided by all-biome traversal abilities of the ship. High top speed and a moving map make navigating easier. However, little to no extra features are present to aid exploring, with no readouts for useful data available. Weapons present on the ship are exceptionally difficult to use, with the heavy AC turrets being very difficult to aim due to exceptionally high sensitivity, and the bertha cannon "photon torpedoes" having no way to be aimed, aside from turning the entire ship at the target, leaving the seat in order to use the pitch lever, placed directly behind the Captain seat. Additionally, elevating the dorsal turrets into the hull can result in an ammunition explosion, disabling both turrets. This leaves the vehicle generally under equipped for exploration, and unsuitable for combat.
4.5/10
Design:
The outside of the starship looks gorgeous, except for a few minor discrepancies. Detailing on the outside matches perfectly, creating a very uniform looking body. The simplicity of the colors also doesn't take away from the stunning looks of this huge vehicle. The inside on the other hand is unfinished, with exposed logic and lacking in detail. The Hallways mostly look the same and several times led to confusion and disorientation. A misaligned ladder does complicate moving around inside even more. Then the unlabeled hatches and doorways add even more to that problem.
6/10
Overall Rating: 4.75/10
ACC-405 Medium Naval Bomber by Ka-50
User Friendliness:
The ACC-405 is very simple to start up, and the controls are not complicated, but that doesn't make the aircraft easy to use. Controls feel floaty, leading to awkward flight characteristics, which is only amplified by the immense speed of the aircraft. The control dash is very cluttered, and while the buttons are labeled, it's still difficult to find the control you're looking for. Some buttons and lights are not connected to power. Weapons control is rather simple, but overall near impossible to get on target. The emergency exits can be useful so long as the button is not damaged. They can also be confused for a normal entryway, leading to missing pieces of the fuselage. Marking them properly could help.
4/10
Performance:
Top speed of the aircraft is amazing, at over 700 Kph, thanks to the flywheel glitch. The fuel tank of over 40,000L gives it a range of about 1150 Km, which is a functionally limitless range. Turning performance of the aircraft suffers greatly from the extra speed, with the turning circle the size of sawyer islands if using the rudder, and multiplayer island if using the elevator. No way to maneuver the aircraft in the water is available, with the only controls available is the collective, always to both props and only forward, and rudder, which is very ineffective at low speeds. This only allows for a very rough control of the position of the aircraft, with no real fine control available, but makes it quick to travel.
6/10
Effectiveness:
The ACC-405 is overall rather ineffective in combat due to several factors, the biggest one being speed and awkward controls. No weapons are included aside from 2 rotary autocannons in the nose, and 6 empty hardpoints. The workshop page mentions they are mainly meant for bombs. Traveling at 700 Kph makes it near impossible to get the munitions on target, wether coming from the autocannons, or from the hardpoints. No gunsight is available for the cannons, and the bombsight is inaccurate, with the bomb overshooting the target by a large margin, to the point where missing by a width of an island is not impossible. Center hardpoints cannot load dropping ordinance, as detaching anything that doesn't have the same speed as the aircraft means the munition will impact the propellers if faster, or the rudders if slower. Additionally, the aircraft features no chaff dispensers, meaning if it ever gets into range of a radar guided weapon and does not manage to outmaneuver it, it's likely to get hit.
2/10
Design:
The aircraft has a decent shape though it could use more rounded shapes and less hard cutoffs. The exterior and interior of the aircraft are almost entirely gray with little color variation except for unpaintable parts of the blocks and a black leading edge.There are also barely any other details except for a small ACC 405 label on the tail. The main part of the interior is split into 2 sides by a large divider with outfits on it which makes it feel very cramped, making this divider smaller while keeping its purpose of connection between the top and bottom fuel tank is quite easy and would make it more spacious and allow for more equipment or seats to be placed.
5/10
Overall 4.25/10
