Immersive Aircraft: Realistic Takeoff

Make every takeoff feel earned

Realistic Takeoff is a complete takeoff-physics overhaul for Immersive Aircraft. It replaces instant acceleration and sharp liftoff with a longer runway roll, progressive rotation, smoother separation from the ground, and a controlled initial climb.

The controller adapts to each aircraft's engine, acceleration, lift, mass, pitch speed, passengers, and cargo. Once the initial climb is complete, every restriction is removed and the aircraft returns to its original in-flight handling.

Required: This is an add-on, not a standalone mod. Immersive Aircraft must also be installed.

Why it feels better

• A genuine runway roll — fast aircraft can no longer skip directly into the air.
• Progressive rotation — pitch authority builds with speed instead of snapping the nose upward.
• Smoother liftoff — lift and thrust direction blend naturally as the aircraft leaves the runway.
• Aircraft-specific behavior — takeoff speed and timing adapt to the aircraft, passengers, and cargo.
• Stable runway control — directional assistance helps keep the aircraft aligned at high speed.
• Original flight preserved — the add-on steps back completely after the initial climb.

One complete takeoff sequence

• Ready — normal taxi handling before takeoff power is applied.
• Runway Roll — acceleration and lift are controlled while speed builds.
• Rotate — pitch authority, thrust direction, and lift progressively become available.
• Liftoff — the aircraft transitions smoothly away from the runway.
• Initial Climb — control authority returns gradually while low-speed stall assistance remains active.
• Flight — every restriction is removed and the aircraft's original handling is restored.

Adaptive takeoff physics

• A true minimum runway roll that fast aircraft cannot bypass
• Reduced low-speed acceleration at takeoff power
• Progressive pitch authority instead of instant nose-up rotation
• Smooth lift and thrust-vector blending through liftoff
• Runway yaw stability for improved high-speed directional control
• Initial-climb stall assistance when pitching too aggressively at low speed
• Optional payload effects for passengers and aircraft inventory
• Slow-aircraft fallback so weaker airplanes can still take off
• Normal low-throttle taxi behavior remains intact
• Works with compatible Immersive Aircraft add-on planes
• No new aircraft, items, blocks, or recipes

Default takeoff timing

The default Realistic preset uses a genuine 100-tick—approximately five-second—minimum runway roll. Rotation then blends in over approximately 34 ticks, liftoff smoothing lasts 32 ticks, and the complete initial-climb envelope lasts 110 airborne ticks.

Heavy, slow, or loaded aircraft may require additional runway. Fast aircraft may reach rotation speed early, but they cannot bypass the selected runway minimum.

Takeoff HUD and presets

The compact takeoff display can show the current stage, aircraft speed, calculated rotation speed, and stage progress. Its default middle-left position avoids the usual minimap area and works alongside the Realistic Landing HUD.

Choose one of three presets:

• Balanced — accessible takeoff behavior with shorter transitions
• Realistic — a deliberate runway roll, rotation, liftoff, and initial climb
• Cinematic — extended, smoother transitions for dramatic takeoff sequences

Advanced settings are generated in config/realistic-takeoff.properties. You can tune runway-roll duration, liftoff duration, initial-climb duration, acceleration, rotation speed, pitch smoothing, runway stability, stall assistance, payload effects, HUD visibility, anchor, and offsets.

Compatibility

• Minecraft: 1.20.1, 1.21.1, and 1.21.11
• 1.20.1 loaders: Fabric and Forge
• 1.21.x loaders: Fabric and NeoForge
• Java: Java 17 for 1.20.1; Java 21 or newer for 1.21.x
• Fabric: Fabric API is required
• Multiplayer: install the add-on on both the client and server

Download the file matching your Minecraft version and mod loader. Realistic Takeoff is designed for compatible Immersive Aircraft releases made for the same Minecraft version. Because it uses the shared Immersive Aircraft airplane system, compatible aircraft from other add-ons also receive adaptive takeoff behavior.

Complete your flight experience

Modpacks and servers

You may include Realistic Takeoff in public or private modpacks and servers with credit.

Feedback and bug reports

Aircraft-specific tuning reports are welcome. Please include your Minecraft version, mod loader, Immersive Aircraft version, tested aircraft, selected preset, payload, runway length, and any relevant configuration changes.

Discord: crabban1337

Credits

Created by Crabb4n. Special thanks to the Immersive Aircraft team for the original mod.

View all Crabb4n projects