Contestants are encouraged to join PortSP discord server and apply for the challenge role. I will be giving tips there, and you can exchange ideas with others. Link at the bottom of description.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to an airship challenge. Should you decide to test your skill here, your task will be to make a reasonably realistic lighter than air vehicle. To make your lives easier, and your choice of build more difficult, we have Categories!

Category one: Realistic

In this category, you must build a realistic airship for carrying passengers, or an airship bomber. Think R101 or Hindenburg. Or many Zeppelins of the First World War. Or scouts, like USS Akron and USS Macon. Doesn't have to be a replica.

Category two: Fantasy

All you can dream of, as long as it's lighter than air and has a propeller. Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Cyberpunk, gunships or delivery blimps, anything goes. Big or small, vintage and futuristic, sky is the limit.

Rules:

Same rules apply for both categories.
- Entry must be a lighter-than-air vehicle with its own propulsion.
- Every entry must be a successor to the challenge post. If successor system fails, ask a moderator to fix it.
- You must use Airship tag.
- Maximum part count is 2500 parts. Builds that go beyond that part count will not be rated due to technical reasons.
- Minimum part count is 500 parts, as I don't believe a decent airship can be made with fewer. I may admit builds with fewer parts on request, if I judge they are worth testing.
- Entries with no description may not receive a rating. If you can't be bothered to present it, I might not bother to judge it.
- Provide ingame instructions. If I miss features or fail to operate the build due to the lack of instructions, I will ignore said features or rate the build as unusable.
- Entry must fly like an airship. If it flies like a heavier-than-air aircraft, it will be disqualified. If your build has features that enable thrust vectoring, it is fine to use them.
- I maintain the right to disqualify every build that otherwise fits the criteria, but I don't consider it adequate for the challenge.

Rating criteria

Builds will be rated based on the following qualities:
Looks: 15pts
Flight performance: 15pts
Part efficiency: 10pts
Realism/creativity: 10pts
Features and their usability: 10pts
Quality of construction: 10pts*
Personal impression: 10pts
Description: 10pts
VR compatibility: 10pts*

• Quality points will be taken away for poor nudging, z-fighting, parts falling off, and such.
• VR compatibility will be rated based on how well I can operate the build using a mouse, since I don't use VR headset.

Rewards

• 1st place: five upvotes and two spotlights, including one on the entry.
• 2nd place: three upvotes and a spotlight on the entry.
• 3rd place: two upvotes and a spotlight on the entry.
• Every entry accepted into the challenge gets an upvote.

This challenge is hosted on the PortSP Discord Server

Server will create a hidden channel to accommodate challenge-related discussions. If you want to view that channel, ask a moderator to grant you the Airship challenge role.

Deadline is 2nd of July, two months from the beginning of the challenge.

If you are unfamiliar with airships on SP, there are two example buoyancy thrusters on the back of the post, along with brief instructions. You can use those or make your own. If you have a different technique for simulating buoyancy, feel free to use it.