'In Atmosphere' Vessels

[Theats]

A recent thread discussing ground Units prompted many to share images of drop ships and planetary scaled entities.

My question is this: Have players crafted aircraft that lack the capability of space flight (can't escape gravity), but would otherwise fly around in the atmosphere of a planet, or is the graphical and processing cost of planets still too taxing, combined with collision and pathfinding of the AI to make this feasible or worthwhile?

Ideally, these could be only large enough to hold the systems to propel it within the atmosphere, but lacking the thrust to get into space, thus keeping them protecting a home planet/base.

It would be cool to have an airfield on the plate of a planet (if they will always stay as they are, plated, rather than spherical) with a 'scramble' air defense when enemies approach.

 

[Reilly Reese]

Apart from being utterly pointless the atmosphere of planets is too small to have aircraft anyhow.

 

[Calhoun]

As we don't have lift mechanics of any kind, any craft capable of flying in atmo is capable of escaping.

 

[FlyingDebris]

Good idea, bad timing.

Atmospheric stuff is cool, but there isn't enough, well, atmosphere to use it in.

 

[StarWars1981]

Technically it could be possible to make something only capable of atmospheric flight.
Not only is that pointless, it's also ugly.
It's pointless because we probably won't be able to find that balance where it's not just an underpowered spacecraft, unfortunately.
It's ugly because, to stay in the atmosphere, you WILL run into the planet - and you WILL bounce. Or just stick in the core, the game engine's not too picky bout which way that ends up .
However I do love the idea, it's just infeasible due to the lack of atmosphere to fly around in. I've built mech suits that can't escape gravity. They can manage slopes if done right, but they can't get into space. Or off the ground. The difference, honestly, is slim. It may take some finicking, and spinning into plates to gain velocity, but the difference is negligible.
Sorry. Yes, it would be cool, though. Make one and post some pictures, even if they are just spacecraft anyways, it'll be fun.