Aircraft

Aircraft on Terra Nova

Air travel is infrequent, even in the polar regions, and quite rare in the Badlands. There are few major airports and only four commercial airlines. Long-range aircraft are virtually unknown on Terra Nova, simply because the weather is too unpredictable and dangerous. Short flights between cities in close proximity are common, but long voyages, especially across the Badlands, pit aircraft against strong, heat-generated convection winds, not to mention the occasional tempest.

In general, ground travel is safer and much more efficient. One notable exception to this rule is the widespread use of floaters, lighter-than-air craft. Because they do not rely on their fuel supply to remain aloft, floaters can afford to take long detours to avoid storm fronts and other atmospheric disturbances. Furthermore, their low overhead (compared to other aircraft) make them cost-effective for hauling cargo between the scattered communities of the Badlands.

Still, the military forces of the planet cannot ignore the advantages of aircraft, and consequently field several types. Grunts on the ground usually only see support and transport aircraft, though a few choppers and hoppers (vectored thrust aerodynes) are used for close support and anti-vehicular duties. Rarest of all are the fast and agile air superiority fighters.

Terranovan Aerial Warfare

Planes of the 62nd century are lighter, more powerful and reliable, but they are still built along the same general lines as a 21st century vehicle. Airframes are sculpted with computer-aided techniques for better aerodynamics. Composites are used for most of the structure, while the engines are made out of ceramic components. The wings and/or rotors are able to slightly modify their shape to respond to outside conditions. All controls are routed through a “fly-by-wire” system, and planes can practically fly themselves.

Most if not all military fliers are designed with stealth characteristics from the outset. Given the power and accuracy of modern sensors and weapons, aircraft and aerodynes are very vulnerable — once acquired, their chances of survival drop considerably. An aircraft’s stealth characteristics go a long way to ensuring its survival. The equipment generally varies from simple radar-elusive shapes and exhaust baffling to a complex and expensive “absorbing skin” that literally “drinks” the radar waves striking it.

Laser turrets are used to defend permanent installations such as fortresses or city-states. Their (almost) line-of-sight range, combined with their extreme accuracy, make them perfect anti-aircraft and anti-missile platforms. Laser armament requires a great deal of power, often making it impractical as a front-line vehicle’s main weapon, but are more viable in a purely defensive role since they can be connected to a large, stationary power grid.