Aircraft

Aircraft are vehicles that travel through the air. They are split into two primary groups: Helicopters and Planes, based on their method of maintaining lift (with one aircraft model, the Osprey, straddling the line).

Aircraft are powerful transportation and/or attack units. They have a good view of the battlefield from above, and can mostly stay out of contact with the enemy altogether until they are ready to act. On the other hand, their altitude and/or speed prevents them from having a finely detailed picture of what is happening on the ground, and must stay in contact with ground forces to get a better understanding. While aircraft are powerful assets, they are almost completely incapable of fulfilling objectives on their own, instead providing support to ground units.

Aircraft are highly-independent, with pilots having plenty of leeway in deciding their vehicle's actions. They can operate without orders if necessary, such as when ground forces are too busy or unable to provide accurate information. Nevertheless, some aircraft operate in groups to increase their overall effect, and must always stay in contact with the ground to know what needs to be done.

Aircraft are split into two primary groups:
 * Helicopters (Rotary-Wing Aircraft) use a set of rotating horizontal blades to provide both lift and thrust. They are capable of hovering in place and turning on a dime, and can land in any area that is at least as large as the helicopter itself (and flat enough to prevent problems). Helicopters are often used to ferry troops and cargo into and out of combat, or attack enemy forces around or ahead of the ground troops.
 * Planes (Fixed-Wing Aircraft) use a pair of fixed flat wings at the sides of the main body to generate lift, with one or more separate engines to provide thrust. They move very fast, typically far above the ground, and are very difficult to hit. Though some planes are used to drop equipment and troops on the battlefield (or pick them up, given a long airfield to take off from), most planes in ShackTac are high-speed, jet-powered attack vehicles.

Due to the extreme differences between these two types of Aircraft, further details are discussed separately in the articles on Helicopters and Planes.