Air Transport

The vastness of the sky… An incredibly beautiful place! Centuries ago, humanity mastered the art of building various flying machines and conquered the heavens. Thanks to this achievement, we now have the opportunity to travel around the globe and reach our desired destinations in just a few hours. There’s a certain magic in flying: you find yourself high above the ground, gazing down at the cities, fields, and tiny houses below. The Earth feels so immense yet simultaneously so small!

But while it’s amazing to view everything from inside an airplane, how thrilling would it be to see it from outside? You might not fully grasp what I mean. If you take a closer look, airplanes are essentially large, elongated, gray tubes filled with passengers. Where’s the color? The variety? The design elements and all that jazz?

Fortunately, in Minecraft, there are no limits to creativity, and builders craft everything their imagination can conceive. Take a look at this— a flying ship shaped like a fish, or check out the hot air balloon and the bee-plane. Now, thanks to Mr. Nova, we have plump dirigibles designed in a steampunk style! The color gray is nearly absent. This creation features an orange-rust hue made from terracotta, combined with a neon green crafted from lime glass and concrete.

Take a closer look, and you will notice features that are absent in conventional aircraft; this is likely due to the lack of mundane concerns like safety and aerodynamics. However, Mr. Nova’s vessel has no time for such trivialities, as the traffic light and several large propellers are far more significant and intriguing. In fact, these aren’t just windmills but propellers that keep the aircraft airborne during flight, similar to those found on helicopters. We don’t yet know the purpose of the traffic light, but it doesn’t seem to be crucial.

Before he began his project, he spent a considerable amount of time searching for inspiration. Eventually, he discovered an image of a steampunk airship with a traffic light protruding from it. In June 2018, Nova started constructing the model by hand, using the found image as a reference. Fast forward nine months to March 2019, and he finally completed his build. “I was quite occupied with other projects,” he admits, “as well as my studies and personal matters, which caused the construction process to take so long.”

He also notes that he encountered numerous intricate details that impacted the construction timeline. These included screws, turbines, but most importantly—the main engine, which was the starting point for building the entire ship.

While the airship looks impressive, it seems that Nova isn’t particularly enamored with the inorganic assemblies of Minecraft Bedrock. “I enjoy creating gigantic animals or fantastical beings,” he says. “I also love blending these fantastic creatures with nature.”

Two out of his three favorite creations are designed in a natural style. The first is a being that is half wolf and half tree. The second is a shimmering white structure he refers to as the “Dream of Paradise.” As you might have guessed, his third favorite is an airship. However, after Novo finished it, he mentioned that he plans to take a break from mechanical and technical builds. So, what can we expect next? A citadel!