Difference between revisions of "Design Document:Aircraft"

Latest revision as of 23:41, 7 May 2009

This article covers any vehicles that are in transit above the ground, be it a plane, helicopter or another device. It also describes the type of airports in which they may visit.

Airports

Airports are structures that service, load and depart aircraft. Airports are built by towns, but can be expanded by transport companies.

Runways

Runways are available in 3 sizes. Short (5 squares), Medium (10 squares) and Long (15 squares). Short runways service only small planes. Medium services small and medium planes and Long services all planes.

Runways are connected by one-way "roads" - taxiways - built by the player.

Runways are universal - for starting and landing.

   * Plane will use a runway for taking off if can reach it by a taxiway and it is long enough for this plane.
   * Plane will use a runway for landing only if there is a taxiway connected at the end (allowing to exit the runway) and the runway is long enough. 

Rules of movement on the airport:

   * Plane will land only if there is a free runway of proper length (with taxiway leading off)
   * Plane will choose a free loading bay of those it can reach by the taxiways
   * Plane will attempt to start only if there is a runway of proper length the plane can reach.
   * Plane will dynamically try to choose free runway it can reach while attempting to take-off 

Taxiways

Taxiways are one-way roads that connect various part of an airport. They are built just like roads, but follow the rule that only two ‘strips’ may be laid on a single tile. Taxiways are 15 m wide and take all tile.

Hangars

Hangars are connected to airports via taxiways. Aeroplanes are ordered (built) in hangars. Hangars also upgrade and service aeroplanes. Hangars include a helipad for helicopters.

Heliports

Heliports are pads that serve a purpose of a loading bay for helicopters. They are also "runways" for them. Helicopter will choose a free helipad of all available for it at a given airport.

Heliports can also be built within towns on a top of a commercial building (for a fee).

Terminals

Terminals are places where aeroplanes are loaded and unloaded.

Terminals consist of a few tiles of free space (for the aircraft to land) and – a building accompanying it. Overall a terminal may take several tiles – depending on size.

Terminal is defined by this properties:

   * Model – model(s) used for visuals
   * startyear – year from which this terminal is available
   * endyear – last year of availability of this terminal
   * price – cost of rising the terminal
   * type – cargo types supported (like ‘hopper’, ‘generic etc’) up to 8 types
   * cost – cost of monthly upkeep
   * raze – cost of removing the terminal
   * throughput – the maximum rate of which a cargo can be loaded/unloaded – in tons per second (Realtime).
   * load – boolean, bay for loading
   * unload – boolean, bay for unloading
   * size – planes of which size this terminal can service (small, medium, large) 

Aircraft

Aircraft are entities that make the air transport possible. They are described by such properties:

   * name - text name of the vehicle
   * startyear - Year of design
   * endyear - year of discontinuation
   * price - base price
   * time - time in seconds (real-time) it takes to deliver a ready vehicle from the manufacturer to the hangar it was ordered from
   * speed Max - Maximum possible speed
   * thrust - in kg used in speed/acceleration calculations
   * maintenance - cost of a single service at depot
   * fuel - type of fuel used
   * Capacity - what amount of goods this aircraft can carry
   * Type - type of this aircraft (hopper, platform, van, tanker, carriage)
   * vtol - does this vehicle have vertical landing/take off
   * size - specifies which runway length or terminal type this aircraft requires
   * weight - weight of the aircraft
   * model - model used for visuals
   * capacity - capacity in tonnes 

An aircraft could be in the following states:

   * idle - aircraft does nothing
   * on ground - aircraft is on a taxiway heading to takeoff
   * takeoff - aircraft is on the runway starting
   * landing - aircraft is landing
   * loop - looping sound - like propellers or somesuch.