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I had posted a similar question about this not too long ago, only it was just asking about aircraft. It got closed for whatever reason. I am asking a similar question, because I realized that air-travel is pretty much the superior form of getting around, and hence would effect the 3 main types of crafts, not just aircraft.

Basically, how would the ability to fly decently, good or great inherently change what types of vehicles are made and how they are used by a civilization.

Here are the 3 point that need answering:

  1. Effects on creation and usage of aircraft(airplanes, helicopter, etc.)
  2. Effects on creation and usage of landcraft(buses, bikes, cars, etc.)
  3. Effects on creation and usage of watercraft(boats, ships, etc.)

Now, I understand that not all things fly the same or as long. Some fliers can hover and others cannot, some go for a mile or so at most, some hundreds of miles at a time. I also understand that environment is also everything as well.

For the sake of this question, let us assume that these fliers are roughly mansized, can hover and can fly at 40-60 MPH for several hours a day. They also should be able to fly with upto like 1/4-1/2 of their bodyweight. Their world is Earth/Earthesque.

So how would mass transit vehicles like buses, jets, and ships fare? Would folks use than as often as our world does? How would things like fishing or going to work or school play out? How about shopping?

If need-be, I can give more details.

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    $\begingroup$ This question is likely to be closed too for failing the "book test" and having insufficient details - a book can be written just on the development of a single type of vehicle, let alone a class of vehicles. As far as details go - in order for a mansized creature to be able to fly as described their metabolism must be supercharged, which means they need massive amounts of food - but how much? You are asking us to design their settlements and then design ALL transport infrastructure and vehicles - too much! $\endgroup$
    – KerrAvon2055
    Commented Apr 1, 2023 at 0:58
  • $\begingroup$ 1. Ok, I will give you that one as I am being kind of vague, to be fair though, this only because I want this to be a general guide, not a species specific thing. 2. Creatures as big or bigger than a man have flew, they are called pterosaurs. 3. I just want to now how their relationship with vehicles, not how their whole iv is like, you are just making it more hard than it has to be. @KerrAvon2055 $\endgroup$
    – Conan Highwoods
    Commented Apr 1, 2023 at 1:58
  • $\begingroup$ Creatures as big as a man have flown, but you specified that they can "hover" - that takes an extraordinary amount of energy and I do not believe it has ever been suggested that pterosaurs were capable of it. Take out the ability to hover and specify a single location (eg "area with climate and geography identical to New York state") and a single year-equivalent technology level and it might be specific enough to be answerable. Answering across all of history and all of a planet, from deserts to rainforests, from tropics to poles, is far, far too broad. (continued) $\endgroup$
    – KerrAvon2055
    Commented Apr 1, 2023 at 3:13
  • $\begingroup$ We also need to know if the physiology of the creatures will impact vehicle design - how much can they fold up their wings? Can they fly with wet wings or is the ability to move around when it is raining a good reason to use vehicles? Some information on reproduction and maturation is needed too - if there are clutches of six offspring who cannot fly until they are in their teens then the need for vehicles is much greater than if infants can fly when they are one or two days old. $\endgroup$
    – KerrAvon2055
    Commented Apr 1, 2023 at 3:16
  • $\begingroup$ They only hover for like 10-30 seconds max and they start to fly around the same time humans first learn to walk. They are humanoid.@KerrAvon2055 $\endgroup$
    – Conan Highwoods
    Commented Apr 1, 2023 at 3:39

1 Answer 1

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Creatures Are Too Tired

Since they have not much need for the vehicles, they may just use them when they are tired (or lazy)

What About the Unfortunate?

Like how some people need motorized scooters, they developed vehicles just so those creatures who are disabled/handicapped

Who Will I Move My Junk and Stuff?

In the end, vehicles could be developed just for carrying cargo and shipments that may be too much just for one species.

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  • $\begingroup$ To add to point number one, I know plenty of humans who will drive anywhere that takes more than 5-10 minutes to walk to, even if it's perfectly within their comfortable walking distance. $\endgroup$
    – Nosajimiki
    Commented Apr 5, 2023 at 15:58

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