Achieving Supersonic Travel

Psst‼ Hey you... Yeah, you. FICSIT's been lying to you.

You can exceed the speed of sound safely.

What We've Been Told

FICSIT Incorporated! advertises that their Hyper Tube equipment handles safe speeds exceeding 500 km/h taking you to and from your destination even faster than their own Locomotives!

A silent few have likely survived speeds greater than 700 km/h. They hoard their blueprints and discoveries with hopes of gaining the upper hand when FICSIT finally allows engineers to participate in galactic trade.

Most engineers only live to see endless fog. Those of us that push the boundaries of science are blown through the troposphere, quantum tunneling through all that we encounter.

What if I told you we didn't have to?

What if I told you FICSIT's been lying to us clone-born?

• FICSIT tells us 17 Hyper Tube Entrances are required for a launch across our planet
  
  What if I told you that's enough to circle the world twice over in the right hands?
  
  
• Master engineers tell us we should be content with what we have
  
  What if I told you we can have more?
  
  
• They all tell us that any meaningful attempt to surpass sound is futile
  
  What if I told you that sound literally eats my...

You know what... Let me just show you.
This guide is broken up into two main extensive sections. Each of the two main sections cover relatively different topics though the first does introduce some basic concepts used in the second.

• A new cannon blueprint that it worth playing around with
  
• Blueprints for achieving supersonic speeds with a perfectly safe breaking system

This guide is completely spoiler free unless sharing construction blueprints are spoilers

EDIT: I should make clear that supersonic speeds are the selling point of this guide. I cover a new way to condense cannon and Hyper Tube builds, observations on momentum and most importantly a transit system for Hyper Tubes. All of which can be applied outside of supersonic speeds.

Let's get started!

Blast Off

I honestly had no plans of testing cannons when I first started experimenting with Hyper Tubes. My goal was initially reaching orbital speeds but I can't complain about what I found. This blueprint is intended to give new and old players a reliable and safe cannon that can get you anywhere even with just a Parachute. While this cannon is faster and smaller than the Hyper Cannon[satisfactory.gamepedia.com]presented on the wiki there is a lot of room to improve it. So please, feel free to experiment much more with this and ask questions.

The Akycha Cannon

Construction

1. Build a 1 x 6 tile row of Foundations.
   
2. Place 14 Hyper Tube Supports every other meter.
   
3. Place another Hyper Tube Support 9 meters after the 14ᵗʰ. Click once to confirm the location then tilt it with the mouse wheel to an upward 45° angle then click again to finalize.
   
4. Place one more Hyper Tube Support 2 meters after the 15ᵗʰ. Click once to confirm the location then tilt it with the mouse wheel to an upward 45° angle and raise it to the third height level (of four) then click again to finalize.
   
5. Place Hyper Tube Entrances on Supports 1 through 14 then one on the 16ᵗʰ Support.
   do not place one on the 15ᵗʰ support
   

   As mentioned on the Hyper Tube Entrance[satisfactory.gamepedia.com] page they should be facing the direction of your launch, i.e., if you're standing at the south end of your cannon and it launches north all Indicator Lights should be on the right side. With advanced techniques this will matter more.

6. From the 16ᵗʰ Entrance build a Hyper Tube one meter in front. Click once to confirm the location then tilt it with the mouse wheel to an upward 45° angle and raise it to the fourth height level (of four). Yes, for those who don't know, it did just let you build a Hyper Tube that we can't see till step 10.
   
7. From the 14ᵗʰ Entrance build a Hyper Tube to the 15ᵗʰ Support that was skipped in step 5. Yes it curves into the foundation but won't cause problems. The curve does more work than a linear barrel.
   
8. From the 13ᵗʰ Entrance build a Hyper Tube on the meter in front of it. Yup! Tiny tube time!
   
9. Repeat this for Entrances 12 through 1.
   

   This is only allowed when you start at the end of the cannon and work backwards to the launch point. More specifically, you have to make sure the Hyper Tube has no other option in the linear direction you want to build it. In this case we've blocked the 2 meter distance because a Tube can't attach to the entrance side of the Hyper Tube Entrance.

10. Carefully delete all the Hyper Tube Supports created in steps 6 through 9.
    
11. Delete the Hyper Tube Support under the 1ˢᵗ Entrance and place a Stackable Conveyor Pole there.
    
12. Build an MK.5 Vent with the Stackable Conveyor Pole you placed.

I don't include steps to build what I call the Vent of the cannon because there aren't tricky steps.
Just make sure you follow the measurement in the blueprint. The lower belt being 10 meters and the upper 8 meters.


Important Details

• Without edits this cannon should be placed southwest in the Grass Fields and should launch northeast to the Dune Desert. After launching you can even let go of all keys and enjoy your coffee.
  
• It can also be placed near true south in the Grass Fields launching toward true north. Even with a Parachute you can get anywhere. If you have the Jetpack you're now master of the skies!
  
• With this configuration there are more things affecting how much momentum is gained than you might think which can lead to a lot of user failures. That being said, I've tested this blueprint more than I'd like and balanced it for consistent and easy use.
  
• If you are going to build this as a two way cannon (one at Grass Fields and one at Dune Desert) make sure you bring extra materials for 2 more Hyper Tube Entrances. In all of my tests, traveling southwest to northeast takes less Entrances (or velocity if you adjust other sources) than the return trip. I have no clue why but definitely leave a comment below if you have any ideas.
  
• If you're already in a late game state with several factory chains you may need less Hyper Tube Entrances. Performance seems to affect how well the game can calculate momentum and physics.

Operation

Using this cannon configuration can vary greatly depending on what you do which I will be breaking down in the next section when I talk about momentum. This step-by-step demonstrates an easy way to achieve consistent results.

When attempting maximum velocity gain always wear your Blade Runners

1. Jump on the 2 meter holding point of the MK.5 Vent, I'll be calling this the Vent Field, it will hold you in place for preparations.
   
2. Adjust your view to look strait down your Vent (at the upper MK Belt).
   
3. With your left hand hold 'shift' to sprint and then 'w' to run forward. You will still be held by the Vent.
   
4. With your right hand tap 'c' to crouch. "Tap" is a generous word here, the faster you press and release it the better this works which is why I recommend the second hand for best results. You also won't need your hand on the mouse.
   
5. Make sure you hold 'shift' and 'w' until you're out of the cannon and in the air.
   
6. Stop holding all inputs and pull out your coffee cup for a sip or two.
   
7. 30 to 35 seconds later might be a good idea to switch those Blade Runners to a Parachute or Jetpack.
   
8. After a 5 second braking period welcome to the Dune Desert!

Wait... Did I just say 40 seconds?
Yup, Measuring at 5.67 kilometers with an average speed of 40 seconds that gets us 510.30 km/h.
Keep in mind this isn't even the fastest configuration.
Yes this works in multiplayer games.

Originally posted by everyone:

Sure this is faster, smaller and probably more consistent than the Hyper Tube I have but this isn't what was promised! I WaNT tO GO faSTeR!

Good! I want to as well!
Below are a few final notes on the Akycha Cannon but if you are eager for the good stuff you can skip to the next section. I've covered the basics we'll need for that.

Going Up

For those who want to test an upward Akycha Cannon here's a start.
It should get you just below the first layer of fog without utilizing Blade Runners. Without directional influence after launching it should only move you 2 to 3 foundations backward or forward from the final Hyper Tube Support by the time you reach maximum height.

Tier 4 Configuration

For those who want to start playing around with the Akycha Cannon but are still at tier 4.
This will get you to the Dune Desert at the same speed. All you need is the tier 4 technology for Hyper Tubes and Logistics then Parachutes from the M.A.M.
Note: the Vent used here is 2 meters shorter and there are 30 Hyper Tube Entrances

Two-Way Street

This is how I handle my two-way system. The 3 Biomass Burners each have 3 Power Shards. I have the two extra Hyper Tube Entrances that I mentioned before and it's unplugged. When launching back I place 3 Solid Biofuel in each burner and turn them on. When I'm prepared to launch all I do is plug it in and go letting them burn out. This prevents having the 170 MW drain on a main power supply early game.

Supersonic Speeds

Finally! With the initial blueprints we'll be using out of the way we can get to the really exciting stuff.

SAFE SUPERSONIC FLIGHT

There are two problems to solve...

• Preventing quantum tunneling
  
• A consistent and safe brake

Surprisingly, we've partially solved the first with the Akycha Cannon. The only other thing we need is at least 1 Foundation of strait Tube after the last Entrance. Now the "big problem", how do we stop?

Even more surprising, with this.


I call this piece the Wadding, not perfectly analogous with cannon anatomy as a brake but you will see why in the next section.

Important Details

• The three meter gap here can actually be anything greater than one meter assuming you have anything to hit when exiting. I recommend three meters for other reasons.
  
• The only thing you actually need is an exiting Hyper Tube Entrance at the end. It doesn't even need to be plugged in.
  
• This works with turns. I've even tested impractical angles which can be seen later in the guide. That being said I really haven't worked out all the limitations.
  
• At high speeds it will pop you out about 3 meters right or left of the Hyper Tube.
  
• At low speeds it will stop you just in front of the Hyper Tube Support.

From here I will be referring to the amount of Hyper Tube Entrances used as the Chamber. I run through some hardware performance figures in just a moment but I cannot stress enough that if you really want to play with this stuff test the Chamber incrementally. I don't recommend a Chamber of 20 if you experience intense frame drops when you aren't trying to break the game. I don't recommend a Chamber more than 25 unless you have the computer hardware to handle it. Regardless, almost everyone should be able to exceed 1,235 km/h which is approximately the speed of sound traveling through air.

Now that we can avoid quantum tunneling and safely arrive at our destination, I have the pleasure of introducing...

The X-1

Some Numbers

This configuration has a Chamber of 33 and an 8 meter long MK.5 Vent.
To prepare for travel it has a standard 2 meter Vent Field at the end.
Even though I use cannon terminology when describing pieces of the X-1 it's not a cannon. It's a Hyper Tube network for supersonic speeds and you'll see why.

Though this is close to the Akycha Cannon configuration I have a blueprint down below because there's still more we can do that's worth showing. Even if your computer can't handle the maximum speed shown below, all of my additional Hyper Tube methods can be applied at any speed.

The Measurements

Location	Coordinates	Distance
(A) Vent Field	-97184/265865	(A) ► (B) ≈ 5.41 kilometers
(B) 90º turn	-211327/-47806	(B) ► (C) ≈ 3.34 kilometers
(C) Destination	297094/-232835	(A) ► (C) ≈ 8.75 kilometers

I clock an average of 6.5 seconds for the distance...
Yes... That would be 4,846.15 km/h or 1.346 km/s
I've managed to go slightly faster clocking just under 5,000 km/h

Hardware Performance
The X-1 I run most tests with sits at high altitudes. You can run it down at ground level but performance may become an issue. I haven't crashed the game this way in solo yet when used properly. No game errors or crashes, no quantum tunneling, no death. Here's my in-game performance.

Do this at your own risk. I've only tested this on two relatively good computers. Add to the Chamber incrementally (deleting the Vent and adding to the back end of the X-1) to test your hardware limitations. Adjusting your in-game settings even just while using the X-1 can help.

• Standing/walking I mostly sit above 110 fps.
  
• Objects/land coming into view distance drops me between 60 to 90 fps.
  
• When around a few full factories I range from 60 to 100 fps.
  
• In the X-1 I range from 25 to 60 fps depending on the biome and player structures below.
  
• In the X-1 staring at the ground drops me to 25 fps or lower.
  
• An X-1 at ground level with turns drops me to a range of 15 to 55 fps.
  
• The game stabilizes fps almost immediately when reaching my destination.
  
• I have not crashed the game once from using it properly in a solo session.
  
• Take a few steps after arriving before you save/reload. I have crashed three times reloading while traveling or immediately when I arrive.
  
• Having a friend test a Chamber of 33 while I hosted wasn't successful. Not sure if it was their hardware or the difference of the multiplayer session.
  
• They did successfully use a Chamber of 25 with several turns.
  
• My processor: Intel Core i7-7700K CPU @ 4.20GHz with 16 GB of RAM
  
• My graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080
  
  My Video Settings
  

  Texture Quality	Shadow Quality	Anti Aliasing	VFX Quality	Foliage Quality	View Distance
  High	Medium	High	Medium	Low	Medium

  
  

  Vsync	Motion Blur	LOD Dithering	Contact Shadows
  off	off	off	off

About Momentum

As I've said at least twice somewhere in this guide that I would discuss momentum I suppose I should. Don't worry I'll keep it brief because when you start reaching supersonic speeds a lot of the technical stuff gets obliterated by the MK.5 Vent or adding more to the Chamber. Most of this really only affects the Akycha Cannon.

Observations

• The faster you manage to press and release the crouch key the better. This is relying on something similar to a bunny-hop but in reverse. Combined with high speed conveyors and the Vent forcing your character into a smaller space this does something special for your velocity.
  
• When using the Vent: standing still / walking / running / no Blade Runners / Blade Runners all affect the speed of the Akycha Cannon from slower to faster respectively.
  
• Additionally if you hold crouch for the entire vent or even some you lose maximum speed and distance.
  
• Because the Hyper Tube from each entrance fills the one meter gap there is effectively no empty space. This allows the Chamber to pull you to maximum speeds.
  
• Holding down 'w' and 'shift' until you are out of the Chamber increases your speed. Letting go at different points down the Chamber seems to change your speed based on when you let go.
  
• In all of my tests traveling from the southwest corner to the northeast corner takes less momentum sources than the other way around (player movement/Chamber/Vent/Blade Runners).
  
• If you build a Hyper Tube west to east that has to use Hyper Tube Supports the return trip will be slower. Even if you delete those supports and make a Tube-to-Tube connection each connection point where the Tube was built west to east will shave off some velocity when you pass through it the opposite direction.

Relative Success

Now that we've defeated quantum tunneling and have successfully traveled at supersonic speeds, what more to life is there?

What if I told you there was more...?

The Greatest Offender

FICSIT tells us that no Tube junction or crossing is possible

What if I told you that it is?

Basic Merging

From all my testing Tube crossings seem improbable and even if I managed to get them working you would have to use directional influence at a very slow movement speed. I've seen this done with a 4-way crossing someone presented on reddit a long time ago however the speed that can be handled with the system presented below outclasses it. Props to someone else sticking it to FICSIT though!

While what I've made is technically a junction it has no way of being changed while in motion like a railroad switch. Luckily the system is fast enough that mid-flight changes wouldn't matter much. Let's dig into the basics of simple merging then I'll show you how to use it properly.


Some Details
I colored the pipes with color blindness in mind but if someone has an issue distinguishing between Tube lines please let me know as it wouldn't be hard for me to change.
This blueprint shows the basics of building a network that can safely contain and merge several lines at supersonic speeds. For a default state you want all main line Hyper Tube Entrances powered.
In this default state merging will happen like this with (0) being the destination.
(4) —————————————————————————→-↑
(3) —————————————————————————→-↑
(2) —————————————————————————→-↑
(1) ————————————————————————→←-↨
You can also return to (1) from (0) in this state effectively allowing a full network.

Creating a System

Being able to merge was a very welcome discovery but unfortunately it's far from practical and really doesn't stick it to FICSIT's claim... So let's take these merging fundamentals and turn them into a legitimate junction!

Here's how you can set up a 4-Line Transit System or junction.


This 4-Line System works with the full Chamber of 33 Entrances shown with the X-1. All four lines can also handle the full Chamber on return. If you travel through line 1 all three other lines can still return safely to the junction and then travel through the other lines. Each line's destination can be an entirely new junction allowing for as many destinations as you can keep track of.

For a server I wouldn't recommend a Chamber of 33 unless you've extensively tested it and all of your player's hardware can handle it. Half the size should still be much faster than any other mode of travel while allowing practically any computer to handle it. You use this at your own risk Engineers!
The worst that I've seen happen is the player crashing out of the game leaving a box of their inventory along the Hyper Tube line and when they reconnect they're back at the spawn.

The position of every Hyper Tube Entrance needs to be exact for this build to work properly so I made a video showing how to place everything. The only things that actually matter are the angles and positions of the Hyper Tube Entrances but I also show how I've chosen to wire it, a simple way to start building a room for the Vent or launch point and then a quick series of tests showing how the lines interact.

For those who use this please let me know how it runs for you in the comments!

Signing Off

Finally! You made it! I'll stop throwing massive sections and quote boxes at you... for now.

While I haven't achieved orbital speeds by the end of it all I also haven't deemed it impossible.
I'll be passing the torch on this endeavor and moving on to a new focus in the game.
There's a lot I didn't put in this guide so don't take any of this as the new limitation with Tubes.

What If It's Patched?
Honestly, I don't worry that it will be. This already adds quite a lot more depth to a system that most wouldn't have thought possible at this point. With what I've shown the X-1 allows dedicated servers, when they arrive, to set up a public supersonic Tube system that anyone can easily merge onto. If anything the developers should do their best to enhance this. Satisfactory may be a great game but it's a shallow one given enough time. Yes there are always mods but the base game needs more.

Why These Names?
The Akycha Cannon
I actually have no clue how to pronounce this properly but I say "Ah-kai-sha"
On the wiki you can find that the planet is called MASSAGE-2(A-B)b in the binary star system of Akycha. I thought Akycha sounded much better than the "MASSAGE-2(A-B)b Cannon".
Supposedly, Akycha is also a Solar Goddess in some Inuit belief systems though I could only find one source on that. This would make sense though as Akycha is the star system in game.

The X-1
A quick google search of the name should give the answer. Since it's been confirmed that we won't be seeing flying vehicles Hyper Tubes will have to do.

Go Have Fun Already!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! I hope it expands your horizons when playing Satisfactory! Don't forget to thumbs up, favorite and share this guide if you find it helpful.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below.
Anything I should fix or change? Let me know!
Have creations to share? Share it with us!
Was the guide awesome or helpful? Thumbs up, Favorite and give it one of those fancy awards!

Safe speeding!

[V4D4RS F1ST]

Shame that this got patched... why patch fun bugs...

[Ze-Dude]

also none of these work anymore please help

[Ze-Dude]

THEY FIXED THE HYPERTUBE DIRECT
YOU NEED HYPERTUBE CONNECTIONS
...my homemade cannon that fired me directly to my oil base no longer works

[trypto DiMiTri]

this is really cool thanks for sharing :)

[spooky]

ecky-cha

[Collisto]

Turns out framerates make a significant difference. Running at 144fps, I never reached the first fog layer. Running at 60fps, I reached it just fine. Running at 30fps, I reached the very top fog layer, the one that envelops the entire screen in fog.

[Collisto]

I'm also having trouble with a return cannon I built, because no matter how many hypertube entrances I add (with the 1m tube coming out of them) I always leave with the same velocity every time. 20 entrances should surely be more than enough, yet I'm still only going halfway across the map on the return.

[Collisto]

Your Akycha Cannon seems to still have variable distance, even when constructed correctly and following all your operation steps correctly. When I follow your steps, I make it about quarterway across the map as opposed to the full distance, and since then I've tried run-sliding into the vent, which has sent me anywhere from just reaching the other side of the map, to entering the killbox at the top of the map.

[Venom_1]

@satisfactorfiction Ahh gotcha thanks that had me stumped for a bit lol

[satisfactorfiction]

@Venom_1

That is the backside of the X-1, "the first airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound."
It is what my blueprint is named after

The lateral view is the thumbnail photo.