Atmospheric Travelers

Old fixed-wing aircraft technology used on Lukyr Arix before Yedyr-powered suborbital craft became the standard for surface travel. Atmospheric travelers achieve flight through air-breathing engines and wing-generated lift, requiring runways for takeoff and landing. While largely obsolete, century-old examples can still be found in abandoned industrial sites.

Technical Operation

Atmospheric travelers work by:

1. Engines suck in air, increase its pressure, and shoot it out the back — creating rearward thrust
2. Acceleration provides airspeed — the craft must move fast enough for air to flow over the wings
3. Airspeed generates lift from the wings — once sufficient speed is reached, the wings provide enough lift to keep the craft airborne

This design requires long runways to reach sufficient takeoff speed. Standard models need considerable distance to accelerate before achieving flight.

Modifications

The atmospheric traveler Kynon Bancroft and Teeva Jakoby discover in the abandoned factory (SFL-TE Chapter 5) has been modified — the engines produce downward thrust in addition to rearward thrust. This allows much shorter takeoff distances by providing vertical lift before the wings generate sufficient lift naturally.

Kynon examines the modification and notes:

• It is bodged, not professionally done — someone altered the engines outside standard manufacturing
• It works by redirecting some engine output downward
• It allows the craft to take off from the short hangar runway (otherwise impossible)
• It is "potentially dangerous" and reduces his confidence in the vehicle's structural integrity

Despite calling the craft "a rusty death trap," Kynon concludes: "This might actually work."

Operational Characteristics

Based on the Chapter 6 flight:

• Speed: Approximately 100 km/h cruising speed
• Cockpit: Two-seat configuration with worn leather seats, dusty controls, mirrors and screens for maneuvering
• Controls: Lever-based; not intuitive to modern operators unfamiliar with the technology
• Instruments: Console with warning lights, altitude meter, speed indicator, structural integrity monitor
• Vibration: Significant vibration felt throughout the craft, intensifying during acceleration and turbulence
• Noise: Engine noise is overwhelming — conversation is impossible during flight
• Altitude capability: The century-old craft Kynon pilots reaches 7000 meters before structural failure, though this exceeds design limits

Obsolescence

Atmospheric travelers are described as old technology. On Lukyr Arix, they were replaced "long ago" by Yedyr-powered suborbital craft (SFL-TE Chapter 2), which offer:

• Precise controls essential for avoiding hazards
• Higher speeds for rapid planetary transit
• Vertical takeoff and landing (no runways required)
• Better handling in Arix's violent storms (though even Yedyr craft can be destroyed by century storms)

The century-old atmospheric traveler found in the abandoned factory was prepared for flight approximately 100 years ago but never used — "someone got it ready and then never got to use it" (Kynon's assessment based on metal degradation). This suggests atmospheric travelers were already falling out of use by the time the factory was abandoned.

Structural Vulnerability

Century-old atmospheric travelers suffer from:

• Metal fatigue — century-old metals cannot handle extreme forces
• Structural integrity failure — warning lights activate when the airframe begins failing under stress
• Incremental breakdowns — loud clanging sounds indicate components breaking during flight
• Engine failure — century-old engines can shut down completely, leaving only wing panels for minimal steering

The craft Kynon and Teeva attempt to fly survives takeoff, cruising flight, and ascent to 7000 meters through a supercell storm, but ultimately suffers catastrophic structural failure when hit by storm debris. This demonstrates both the remarkable durability of the original construction and the inevitable degradation over a century of abandonment.

Comparison to Other Technologies

Atmospheric travelers are slower, require infrastructure (runways), and are more vulnerable to Arix's hazards. However, they are simpler technology and do not require the precision or expense of Yedyr systems. For someone stranded on the surface without access to modern transport, a functional atmospheric traveler — even a century-old one — is better than a 7-day surface march.

Known Examples

The abandoned factory traveler (SFL-TE Chapter 5–6):

• Found in a hangar at an abandoned factory along the radiation river
• Approximately 100 years old, prepared for flight but never used
• Engines modified for downward thrust (shorter takeoff)
• Successfully takes off from short hangar runway
• Survives flight through supercell storm long enough to reach 7000 meters
• Destroyed by storm debris impact after engine failure
• Kynon Bancroft pulls ejection lever; survival status unknown

Open Questions

• Were atmospheric travelers ever common on other Lukyr planets, or were they unique to Arix?
• Why was the abandoned factory traveler prepared but never used? Did the radiation hazard force evacuation before the flight could happen?
• Are there other functional atmospheric travelers abandoned across Arix's surface?
• What is the typical lifespan of an atmospheric traveler under normal use (as opposed to a century of abandonment)?

Sources

• SFL-TE Chapter 5
• SFL-TE Chapter 6