Ornithopter Wings, Different Sizes

[Hirnsausen]

Dear NQ, a number of players I spoke to (here and on Faebook) wishes for ornithoper wings. Rapidly vibrating, solid or transluscent wings that give a good amount of lift (more than a fixed wing) but are also, on the downside, extremely fragile. When they beat, they do that so fast that we see them only as a blur. Purely atmospheric, of course. If you look at my image, you will se some dragonfly-alike speedboats. And many other players have insect-alike boats, too. So, it would be nice for the game universe to have them. Real science fiction!

Edited January 11, 2022 by Hirnsausen

[Taelessael]

Animal/insect like wings are cool, and having them provide atmospheric propulsion without regular engines would make sense, but "fragile" doesn't really work as a drawback, as out of the 14 already existing wing-type elements only one has sufficient durability to survive even a single hit from the game's lowest damage per shot weapon.

 

In the case of the suggested dragon-fly wings, I might suggest some manner of "low lift/speed" relative to their size.

 

We should probably also work out their fuel-usage, though in that area it may be most practical to simply scale their usage to their output relative to a comparable wing-thruster combination.

[Hirnsausen]

Good points in regards to fragility. I was not aware of the fragility of regular wings.

In this case, I would go for a higher fuel consumption, as these wings are both - lift and speed producers. Since they move actively, they naturally produce more lift than a regular wing. But we could think about  (only if it really has to be) a not so high maximum speed. Unless the players combines the ornithopter ship with some regular engines, too.

I wonder if inactive wings are folded back (like as seen with sme helicopters), or hanging a little bit downwards (as seen with resting dragonflies).

Should those wings be translucent, or be made from a solid material? The peak of visual delite would be, if we could add our own textures to their surfaces. Wow!!!

Edited January 11, 2022 by Hirnsausen