1. Improved graphics

Vehicle graphics have been 4x upscaled while preserving the original aesthetic intact — zero AI slop. The upscaler distorted the wing emblems, so I manually retouched and aligned them across 250+ individual frames. It's not 100% perfect, but it looks great and I like it!

Rebalance & Changes

1. Technology & Crafting Tier (Red + Green + Military)

• Why: In the original mod, Raven required Blue (Chemical) Science, Exoskeletons, and Low Density Structures. At that stage of the game, competing flight mods (such as Helicopters) offer far superior durability and comfort, leaving Raven completely obsolete before it was even unlocked.
• New Tier: Unlocks at Red + Green + Military (Black) science packs (150 packs).
• Prerequisites:
• Automobilism (Car)
• Rocketry (Rocket Launcher & Rockets)
• Speed Module 1
• Recipe:
• 50x Steel plate
• 20x Engine unit
• 15x Advanced circuit
• 4x Speed module 1
• 1x Submachine gun
• 1x Rocket launcher

2. Dual Weapon System

• Why: The original Raven only had a rocket launcher, forcing players to waste rockets on single biters or obstacles.
• New Weapon: Added a built-in vehicle-machine-gun in addition to the rocket launcher.
• Effect: Allows using standard ammunition for light targets, while reserving rockets for heavy biter nests and worms.

3. Takeoff & Runway Mechanics

• Ground Acceleration Doubled: Ground engine efficiency (effectivity) increased 2x so the plane no longer feels sluggish during taxiing.
• Liftoff Speed Reduced to 50 km/h: Default liftoff speed is lowered from ~100+ km/h to 50 km/h (configurable in mod settings).
• Runway Distance Requirement: Added a takeoff runway check (15 tiles/meters sustained at takeoff speed) so liftoff feels like a real aircraft taking off from a strip rather than an instant teleport into the air.
• Uniform Surface Friction: Set terrain_friction_modifier = 0 for the ground chassis. The plane accelerates consistently on concrete, sand, dirt, or grass without bogging down in rough terrain.

4. Emergency Water Ditching & Skipping

• Why: In the original mod, touching water was an instant death sentence that vaporized the plane and killed the pilot. Players often didn't realize in time that landing on water was forbidden, leading to frustrating deaths even with plenty of fuel left to keep flying.
• With Fuel: If the plane touches water with fuel in the burner, it does not crash and takes 0 damage. Instead, it kicks up a violent water splash and activates a 1-second rocket boost (accelerating up to ~120 km/h), smoothly soaring back into the sky.
• Without Fuel (Engine Failure): If engines run dry over an ocean, the aircraft skips across the surface of the water like a flat stone. Each bounce deals progressive escalating damage:
• 1st bounce: ~28 HP
• 2nd bounce: ~57 HP
• 3rd bounce: ~85 HP (total: 170 damage, leaving exactly 30 HP out of 200)
• 4th bounce: Fatal breakup and sink.

5. UI & Factorio 2.0 / 2.1 Engine Updates

• Visible Fuel Alert Icon: In the original mod, the "no fuel" warning icon rendered on the ground layer underneath the plane's high-altitude sprite, making it completely invisible during flight. The alert icon is now shifted above the cockpit on the air-entity-info-icon layer.
• Factorio 2.0 / 2.1 Compatibility:
• Updated recipe definitions to modern categories syntax.
• Added mandatory 2.0 engine parameters: weight, friction_force, numeric braking_force.