Vuduri Starship Controls, Part 1

In the 35th century world of the Vuduri and Rome's Revolution, all Vuduri starships are designed the same way. They have two main modes of operation: atmospheric and space.

The elements of control are:
- A small rocker switch to toggle between modes.
- Dual joysticks, each 12 cm tall - their operation depends upon which mode: atmospheric or space.
- PPT controls - an outer wheel which controls the size of the tunnel and a pushbutton which controls the amount of negative energy.

Atmospheric Mode:
Any Vuduri craft which is capable of flight has a small set of wings. These are not for lift. That is provided by the Electro-Gravity pods. The wings are for control. They use flaps to roll the ship left or right, the same as an airplane. The joystick on the left is the throttle. With the right stick pulled back, pulling back on the left stick causes the ship to move forward faster. Pushing it forward halts the thrust. Pushing it all the way forward causes a braking action. Rotating clockwise or counterclockwise causes the ship to rotate about its center axis using trimjets regardless of its orientation, very handy for getting a ship upright. Rotation of right stick controls rolls the ship banks the ship and is more normal for flight control when oriented properly.

There is a button on top of the left joystick which can be used to fire the plasma thrusters, even within an atmosphere. It operates essentially as afterburners to explosively accelerate the ship. The button on the right stick is a throttle lock. Setting it would allow you to release the button on the left and continue at the desired acceleration or velocity.

The controls can also be used to hover the craft. You must leave the right stick upright. As mentioned before, rotating the left stick causes the trimjets to fire rotating the craft about its midpoint. When hovering, pulling back on the throttle causes the ship to rise up in the air. Pressing it forward causes it to descend. It sounds more complicated than it is. Rei found it very natural to control the ship within the atmosphere.

Tomorrow, we go into space.