kimmoproudfoot@gmail.com

I am pretty new to this forum, so hello everyone! I am also a big DayZ fanatic and I have been playing since the mod’s early days. Some people have argued convincingly that aircraft have no place in a zombie apocalypse survival game. In some ways I agree. It always seemed a little unrealistic to have serviceable Hueys, Mi-17s, Little Birds and An-2s in the mod. Successfully flying, maintaining and fueling these complex machines requires specialist knowledge and it seemed a little far fetched that most players could manage to do it. I for one would like to see a new approach when it comes to aircraft in the stand-alone game. Instead of complex aircraft, why not focus on simpler machines that most people could learn to fly and maintain quickly? This prompted me to think about the ultralight aircraft category. These simple machines are hugely popular worldwide due to their forgiving flight characteristics, low cost of ownership and short field takeoff and landing performance. They mostly use two-stroke piston engines and are inexpensive to maintain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultralight_aviation In an apocalypse scenario where resources are depleted, I feel that anyone who needed to take to the skies would naturally be attracted towards ultralight aircraft. I can imagine they would used for things like aerial reconnaissance, transporting supplies and search / rescue. Taking off and landing would be much easier as compared to the An-2; any open field, road or beach on the map could be used. Most ultralights use either AVGAS or regular unleaded petrol, so using the wrong fuel could open up some interesting new dynamics for the game if two models and fuel types were introduced. I think that they should be a rare find in the game; perhaps two per server in remote locations. It would be cool to have one “weight-shift” type (see above) with a simple two-stroke petrol engine and one “three-axis” fixed wing type (see below) with a slightly more complex four-stroke AVGAS engine and two seats. AVGAS should only be available at airfields, ensuring that refueling is a dangerous activity. Of course, you could always use gerry cans instead, if you have enough inventory space. Maintenance should be more manageable too; I'm thinking that things like rope, rags and car parts could be used to keep the aircraft in a serviceable condition. I know that not everyone will agree with my thinking, but I can’t help but feel that this would be a really cool addition to the game. I feel the same way about having civilian helicopters in the game, but that probably deserves it’s own thread. P.S. I’d be very interested to hear more opinions on this. Cheers, Kimmo.

Staying up all night on a Swedish experimental server was worth it! A new day breaks at Svetloyarsk docks:

I was playing this song on repeat as day broke. :thumbsup: :D

Rocket kindly responded to my aircraft related question during his reddit AMA today. He confirmed plans for aircraft in the game, emphasising the importance of "helicopters and small aircraft" and that "they should be very complex to maintain". My dreams are coming true! :thumbsup: :beans: :) http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1vulr2/i_am_dean_rocket_hall_creator_of_dayz_and/cevxm5t?context=3

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-_Pho-opsujw2k7Z2OoIvWnwGnQRs10-

This ^ :-D

The two seat TL-32 Typhoon is also manufactured in the Czech Republic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TL_Ultralight_TL-32_Typhoon

Interesting stuff. I particularly like the Letov LK-2 Sluka! :thumbsup:

No worries kingrex; it's all good. Out of all the threads in the suggestions section, this one has the most replies. Hopefully someone at Bohemia will see it eventually. :thumbsup: :beans: :)

This would definitely work well in the game! It would also be pretty hilarious to strap the propeller to your back on maximum power and sprint through Elektro with no wing :D Seriously though, it should be quite easy to animate the wing lifting from the ground as you run to gain speed for take off: Perhaps a raincoat could be ripped up for rags and used for repairs if the wing gets damaged. I like the para-glider idea a lot! :thumbsup: :beans:

I wonder if first person view was mandatory when flying, whether it would help to alleviate the potential issue of making bases and vehicles too easy to spot from the air? This clip gives a good indication of what it might look and feel like:

Mine's an omelette :thumbsup: with :beans: :D

Smart idea!

Was reading through the thread again kingrex - this engine failure idea is good stuff! Many ultralights use Rotax two stroke engines, which up until quite recently had a reputation for questionable reliability. It probably wouldn't be too difficult to code an engine failure probability based on fuel contamination or component failure. For a player to constantly have a fear of engine failure while flying might add to the desperate survivalist aspect of the DayZ experience, especially if flying above water or forested areas. However, with enough practice most aspiring ultralight aviators should be able to manage a successful landing with no engine power (glide or auto-rotate).

I'm all for this idea. The development roadmap on DayZ's Steam store page used to state that "Playable user customizable vehicles" were a planned feature. Unfortunately this has changed recently to "Playable vehicles". Perhaps the code required to implement complex customisation for vehicles carries too much of a performance overhead. We can but hope. :)

I didn't realise someone had modelled the Mosquito ULH (as opposed to the autogyro) for Arma 2 / DayZ Mod already. Imagine something similar with nicer textures, sound and model (then imagine how much fun it would be). :)

This makes a lot of sense kingrex. If they implement modular road vehicles (which by all accounts seems pretty likely), then it shouldn't be too difficult to give aircraft the same treatment. It will also add to the difficulty in getting airborne, which I support 100%.

Agreed: http://forums.dayzgame.com/index.php?/topic/159900-ultralight-aircraft/

My thoughts exactly.

Very cool! Imagine something similar with high resolution textures, a detailed 3D model, proper sound files and detailed animations :-) Hope someone on the development team reads this thread and puts it in the game; it would make my day!

A guy on reddit claims to have found a down jacket. Anyone else seen this yet?

Ok, thanks! :beans:

Why are they worthless?

Couldn't find anything with search - can you link the other thread please?

Let's not forget about the world of ultralight helicopters. I offer the same argument in relation to their validity in DayZ. In an apocalypse scenario my bet is, it'll be the least complex aircraft that make it through relatively unscathed. Ultralight helicopters offer many of the same advantages as their fixed wing cousins. They are mechanically simple, fuel efficient and easier to repair and maintain than more complex models. One popular ultralight helicopter manufacturer just so happens to come from the same country as DayZ's creator - Mosquito Aviation based in Auckland, New Zealand. They manufacture a couple of single seat two-stroke piston engine models: MOSQUITO XE (with skids) MOSQUITO XE (with floats) And last but not least, the Mosquito Air: As long as they are rarely and randomly spawned, with variable states of repair like I have suggested for fixed wing ultralights, then I think they would be perfect for DayZ! Please share you thoughts. :)