Shai Hulud Prototype - Vanilla Survival Friendly Ornithopter

=== Also Checkout the Prototype Version 2! ===

Welcome to the Shai Hulud Prototype, a vanilla survival friendly ornithopter prototype, powered by a level 9 steam engine and capable of using any fuel.

This is a prototype vehicle designed as a proof of concept for a compact vanilla-only faux-ornithopter power train. The hull design is to provide an approximate weight distribution of a fully decorated vehicle if copycat blocks were used.

The "wings" support individual dual spring configurations, primarily used to enable both in-flight directional controls and a tucked parking mode. Each wing also supports individual thrust reversal.

The built in control configuration is only an example control, designed to only use vanilla create redstone links while fitting on the vehicle. If additional add-ons are used, detailed and robust controls of the wings are possible.

Feel free to experiment using this prototype, simply make sure to credit this build as the source.

The prototype is built upon the works of @Samuelto2005

=== Usage Instructions ===

Assembly

To build the Shai Hulud Prototype, first print the schematic without applying any rotation or mirroring. Then verify the following:

• The entire craft is fully encased in Honey Glue.

• The wings and their connected components are all individually encased in Slime Glue.

• The cockpit halves are both glued. They use a lot of glue segments to avoid accidental inclusion of usable space in the cockpit.

Please apply the glues is they failed to print for you. If the slime glue failed, please reach out via the comments for additional guidance on the correct glue application.

Once verified, assemble the vehicle using the provided contraption assembler.

After the assembly, you may want to verify the following but it is not strictly necessary:

• The swivel bearings assemble correctly and are all set to "Always Locked"

• The propeller bearings assemble correctly

• The speed controller inside the hull is set to 256 RPM clockwise (difficult to access, use of spectator mode and/or breaking some hull blocks may be necessary)

Engine Start Up

Before starting the engine, you must first waterlog the 3 oak stairs on the rear port side corner of the cockpit (one is under the mechanical arm and visible through the glass. The best way to access these is to break the hull blocks, then replacing them after waterlogging the stairs. There MUST be blocks under these stairs or the water will not replenish itself.

Once the water is inserted, access the starboard side Fuel Barrel by breaking the hull. Any solid fuel is accepted, but burn time will vary accordingly.

Then, engage the Wing Brakes using the external access button and fuel the portable engine under the cockpit.

If all steps have been done correctly, you should be able to hear the steam engines spin up and the system will now run indefinitely as long as there is solid fuel.

With the system running, you can access the cockpit by pressing the hatch access button.

Controls

Using the Linked Typewriter, the Shai Hulud Prototype can be controlled using the following Scheme:

• WASD for Forward, Reverse, and Roll

• RF for pitch control (trades altitude, better stablisation then using W/S)

• QE for limited yaw control (it is aggressive and can result in a rolling dive if not careful)

• Left Shift & Control for wing throttle control

• P for parking mode, tucks wings in and disables thrust.

• = for wing brakes, used for cold-starting the steam engine, allows you to disable the brakes without leaving the seat if you forgot.

The Shai Hulud Prototype is very stable and will passively stablise itself if left to simply hover (severe rolls may require manual intervention to avoid crashing before the craft is able to self-recover). The levitite blocks are necessary for flight height and are positioned to be easy to cast in survival.

Additional Remarks

This prototype is intended both as a powertrain design challenge to myself, and as a way to improve ease of access by avoiding add ons.

Additional progress will be made on the Shai Hulud and its final versions will at least require Copycat blocks.