# Sky Chonker **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [May 21, 2025, 2:40pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443 "2025-05-21T14:40:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/eldraeverse.discourse.group/avatar/32/2_2.png) [@avatar](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/avatar)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 2:40pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/1 "2025-05-21T14:40:36Z")
The largest passenger-carrying aeronef of the pre-superwing era - and the second-largest aeronef of any type, exceeded only by the same manufacturer's _Teliríän's Talon_-class lifting-body cargo hauler - was unquestionably the _Simurgh_-class skyliner. The brainchild of fêted designer Amélys Skybreaker of Cisspatiale Aerospace, _Simurgh_ was intended to be the ultimate subsonic skyliner, combining Imperial standards of luxury with an increase in passenger capacity sufficient to ease the increasing demand on the Empire's primary air routes. To this end, the _Simurgh_ was designed as a double-hulled catamaran design, using two fuselages (each similar to the hull designed for the earlier Cisspatiale _Skywhale_) linked by a central "fatwing", large enough to allow passage between the two in flight, and mid-tailplane. Each fuselage contains two primary passenger decks, above a divided cargo deck (loaded independently via forward and rear ramps), topped with a forward-mounted dome; these passenger decks can each hold 120 passenger seats, giving the _Simurgh_ a hitherto unmatched capacity of 480 passengers. On the ground, the combined fuselages rest atop six-wheel main landing gear bogies distributed in three pairs four to aft, a total of 36 main wheels, along with paired steerable four-wheel nosewheel bogies. The _Simurgh_ is powered by six Electrodyne™ _Tempestuous_ magnetoaerodynamic vortex-jet engines, tapping a pair of Stellergy, ICC accumulator power-pods. (An option exists to replace these with Empire Nucleonics, ICC modular reactors, at some limitation to range, maximum speed, and service ceiling.) These six vortex-jets are distributed evenly across the wings on pylons, with two centrally attached beneath the fatwing, and the remaining four on the outer wings. The power pods are encapsulated in the roots of the fatwing. A great many technical breakthroughs were involved in the design of the _Simurgh_, including most notably the advances in high-strength composite materials making it possible to construct an aircraft of its extraordinary wingspan at an acceptable weight. (Although even with these, the wingspan of the _Simurgh_ is less than optimal for an aircraft of its maximum takeoff weight, requiring a longer chord and more powerful engines.) The use of advanced simulations in designing an optimal configuration of winglets, vortex generators, surface texturing, and other aerodynamic features is also worth noting when considering the _Simurgh_'s overall performance and relative lack of wake turbulence. The airframe, indeed, is composed almost entirely of composite materials, and laser microwelding and polishing techniques are used to eliminate almost all joint-related "roughness" present on the exterior hull. The _Simurgh_'s avionics use the standard [WeaveControl](https://eldraeverse.com/tag/weavecontrol/)™ networked architecture, fully wired with wireless backup, and with a full glass cockpit, as had become the practice on previous Cisspatiale designs. Since the _Simurgh_ has an offset flight deck, however, its design incorporates advanced head-up display technology permitting the pilots to make use of views taken from camera inputs mounted on the fatwing, or other points around the aircraft, to maintain greater situational awareness in flight. The _Simurgh_ also incorporates an advanced in-flight network for passenger information and entertainment, which can be considered the forerunner of the Shipboard Information Service found on every starship. Finally, the _Simurgh_ was also the first aircraft to fully eliminate the use of hydraulic actuators: the fly-by-wire computers move the aircraft's control surfaces directly using electrical linear actuators based on early myosynth gel prototypes, reducing both mass and complexity. ### Specifications **Flight deck crew:** Four (captain, first officer, flight engineer, purser) **Seating:** 480 seats **Overall length:** 240' (73.15 m) **Wingspan:** 336' (102.41 m) including 48' (14.63 m) fatwing **Overall height:** 120' (36.58 m) including 40' (12.1m) skydome **Operating empty weight:** 712 t (1,570,000 lb) **Takeoff weight (max):** 1,438 t (3,170,000 lb) **Engines:** - 6 x Electrodyne™ Tempestuous 72-IVb magnetoaerodynamic vortex-jets; - powered by 2 x Stellergy, ICC accumulator pods **Thrust (total):** 780,000 lbf (3,470 kN) **Cruise speed:** 580 kt **Range:** 8,400 mi (using accumulators) **Service ceiling:** 54,000 ft ### Internal Layout Internally, the _Simurgh_ can be divided into the two fuselages, port and starboard, each of which has four decks (including the short "skydome" deck at the fore of each fuselage). The majority of this space is laid out identically on each side of the aircraft. The lowest deck is always configured as cargo space, capable of accepting intermodal freight containers. Each of the two cargo decks is in turn divided into a forward and aft cargo hold, since a small area in the middle of the aircraft is taken up by the galley - a term which obfuscates the fact that the _Simurgh_ is provided with two full restaurant-style kitchens (and wine cellars) capable of serving freshly cooked meals to the passengers aboard. The upper and lower passenger decks are configured similarly, with available passenger doors at fore and aft on each level of the aircraft on the outboard side, and two staircases (spiral at the front, continuing up to the Skydome, and straight to the rear) linking them. Each is configured with 120 seats, themselves arranged into dual pods with configurable sound damping and privacy shields, which are in turn arranged down the length of the cabin to left of, right of, and between the two wide aisles. The pods are staggered to avoid the harshness of strict rows, and interspersed with occasional features of interest. Where the fuselages are joined by the fatwing, a broad corridor extends linking the lower passenger decks in each fuselage. This corridor is located a short distance behind the leading edge of the fatwing, and the _Simurgh_'s designers took advantage of the availability of composites which were strong, refractory, and transparent to equip this corridor with a wide, curved, full-height window, offering magnificent views of the sky outside. On the other side of this corridor, most operators place a number of comfortable couches for passengers to enjoy the view, and hang above them art particularly commissioned for the aircraft and its route. The differences between the fuselages become most obvious at the cabin ends. In the port fuselage, the forward end of the lower passenger deck is reserved for the flight deck, and the corresponding space on the upper deck assigned to purser's stores. To the starboard, of course, no such considerations apply, and the designers have chosen to end the upper deck a little early and fit the front of the aircraft with double-height panoramic windows, creating an airy lounge and bar. As for the remaining spaces, both the Skydomes - the spaces on the uppermost decks built beneath transparent domes such that they feel like travelling in the sky itself, open to the clouds - and the aftmost spaces of each passenger deck have been left open for each operator to use as they will. Selecting from a variety of options depending on route and passenger demographics, the _Simurgh_ has played host to piano lounges, spas, office centers, skymalls, coffee houses, quiet rooms, night-time sky tours, travelling exhibitions, public baths, and dozens more specialized configurations. Truly, in her time, the Queen of the Skies. _- Aircraft of the Pre-Space Period, Kozaryo Mei_ * * * This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at [https://eldraeverse.com/2025/05/21/sky-chonker](https://eldraeverse.com/2025/05/21/sky-chonker) ---
**Author:** ![avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/eldraeverse.discourse.group/avatar/32/2_2.png) [@avatar](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/avatar)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 2:42pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/2 "2025-05-21T14:42:39Z")
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**Author:** ![Maximilian\_Crichton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Maximilian\_Crichton](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/Maximilian_Crichton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/3 "2025-05-21T15:47:27Z")
> [@avatar](#): > > The pods are staggered to avoid the harshness of strict rows, and interspersed with occasional features of interest. Things like these remind me this is science fiction 🥲 ---
**Author:** ![Maximilian\_Crichton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Maximilian\_Crichton](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/Maximilian_Crichton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 6:02pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/4 "2025-05-21T18:02:53Z")
Also, I tried in vain to get GPT4o to come up with a halfway decent blueprint for this thing. Failed attempts included below for ~~dubious inspiration~~ entertainment value. I didn’t know the tail section of an airliner could be 120 tons in height off the ground. ![aeb30da2-472e-45cf-bf42-aa6065ecaf32](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/eldraeverse/original/1X/27bc3858f3e7aa8f86abda2816c68c5a1f0de7e2.jpeg) ![9db5eb78-e7d8-4c6c-b017-4647a092bc2e](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/eldraeverse/original/1X/818bfcca2c69c14c550aefe0bda0b16774a46d83.jpeg) ![651633a0-732b-4fd9-baa7-d8df75ea2cae](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/eldraeverse/original/1X/884cddcde58c92860aac28eaabb80334d69849ae.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/eldraeverse.discourse.group/avatar/32/2_2.png) [@avatar](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/avatar)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 7:10pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/5 "2025-05-21T19:10:23Z")
CARNAL DECK Oh, my. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Maximilian\_Crichton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Maximilian\_Crichton](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/Maximilian_Crichton)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2025, 7:57pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/6 "2025-05-21T19:57:12Z")
Other notable highlights are 4o starting off with a chonky jet-powered BV141 and desperately trying to make it a tailsitter. Also, six-speed landing gear?? ---
**Author:** ![BravoLimaPoppa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/eldraeverse.discourse.group/bravolimapoppa/32/68_2.png) [@BravoLimaPoppa](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/BravoLimaPoppa)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2025, 3:38am UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/7 "2025-05-22T03:38:32Z")
Love it. As much as I enjoy the Eldrae kicking the 7 shades of it out of their enemies, this is at least as much fun. They’ve got style and ambition. It’s fun to ponder. Thank you for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/eldraeverse.discourse.group/avatar/32/2_2.png) [@avatar](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/avatar)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/8 "2025-05-26T20:39:20Z")
Honestly, I prefer writing that sort of thing myself. ---
**Author:** ![BravoLimaPoppa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/eldraeverse.discourse.group/bravolimapoppa/32/68_2.png) [@BravoLimaPoppa](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/BravoLimaPoppa)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/9 "2025-05-26T21:42:55Z")
I suspect it’s harder than writing a fight. But I do really appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Kenny](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/eldraeverse.discourse.group/scott_kenny/32/226_2.png) [@Scott\_Kenny](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/Scott_Kenny)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2025, 1:50am UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/10 "2025-06-02T01:50:13Z")
MHD jets? Not turbines? When in the Empire is this happening? ---
**Author:** ![avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/eldraeverse.discourse.group/avatar/32/2_2.png) [@avatar](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/u/avatar)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2025, 9:35pm UTC](https://eldraeverse.discourse.group/t/sky-chonker/3443/11 "2025-06-03T21:35:24Z")
2000s or so. Right at the start of the Era of Bit and Light.