Basic Plane Hierarchy
Planes are divided into five categories and nine tiers. The nine tiers basically describes what "level" your plane is. In addition to tiers, planes are divided into the Performance, Combat, Trading, Stock and Upgrade lines.
Performance planes focus on speed and maneuverability; they have low armor and cargo, high speed and high maneuver. Combat planes generally follow along the lines of "Slow and sturdy wins the fight", and are relatively slow in their tier but have high firepower and armor, and often moderately high maneuver and cargo. Trade planes have the most cargo but are usually the slowest of their tier, with moderate amounts of armor but poor maneuverability. Stock planes have very little, if any, room for upgrades; while Upgrade planes are designed to have additional components added.
The Planes
Tier 1
T1 Combat: Mastiff
- An excellent plane by any standard. Maneuvers a little stiffly, but that can't be helped. Passable trader as well.
T1 Performance: Thor
- Relatively difficult plane to fight in due to low armor. Still, will hold its own if you know how to circle and snipe.
T1 Trade: Nomad
- Another very good plane. Doesn't have speed, but with a suitable mod on the medium gun it can take on combats that might faze other T1s.
T1 overall: Avoid the Thor if you are impatient at combat. Otherwise, all the planes are decent picks.
Tier 2
T2 Combat: Valkyrie
- The plane to chose if you you want combat. However, your trading will be crimped by serious range issues.
T2 Performance: Marauder
- Avoid this plane unless you truly must fly fast. It lacks the armor and armament of the Valkyrie, and its range fall just short of a number of skylands.
T2 Trade: Kittyhawk
- With decently positioned arcs, the Kittyhawk is at least able to defend itself. However, the main reason to get this plane is for the range and cargo; it will let you reach skylands that the other T2s cannot.
T2 overall: Avoid the Marauder; pick trade or combat as per your tastes.
Tier 3
T3 Combat: Mkii
- The Mkii is a decent fighter; the arcs in front are pretty good at chewing up pirates. However, as with other combat planes your trading will be crimped by lack of range.
T3 Performance: Requin
- Another sub-par performance plane in most peoples eyes. With overlapping arcs and decent speed the Requin might perform passably, but is overshadowed by the Chappy.
T3 Trade: Halifax
- The Halifax is largely inferior to the Chapperal in most ways and is also not recommended. However, it does have that extra bit of range and cargo, so buy it at your own discretion.
T3 Stock: Chapparal
- The Chappy is ridiculously overpowered in this pre-upgrade world. 'Nuff said.
T3 overall: Get the Chappy. (Mkii and Halifax are ok too, but they just don't compare to the Chappy's versatility in the absence of upgrades.)
Tier 4
T4 Combat: Phantom
- A powerhouse for mopping up messes of lower tier planes, the Phantom is great for the combat pilot who just wants to make money by fighting mid/lower level combats. May encounter trouble against higher tier Perf/Combat planes such as Havocs and Novas due to lower speed/accel
T4 Performance: Loki
- The plane of choice for combat pilots who enjoy pushing the limit. Although it has half the firepower of the Phantom, the higher speed, maneuver and acceleration give it greater survivability against higher tier opponents.
T4 Trade: Cyclops
- Though slow, the Cyclops makes up for it in range and cargo. Though not suited for high level combats, it can hold its own in most fights. A good plane for pure traders or sporadic players that do little combat.
T4 overall: A fairly well balanced tier. Whether you fly P/T/C, you should be able to earn good money and have fun (though keep in mind the Cyclops is a slave to the economic outlook of Skytopia)
Tier 5
T5 Combat: Seahawk
- Basically a powered up Phantom; same principles apply. Also no slouch at trading, the Seahawk is a popular T5 pick.
T5 Performance: Mantis
- The Mantis suffers from poor maneuver and low cargo, plus a moderately large sprite. Not recommended unless you are hardcore.
T5 Trade: Barracuda
- Also not recommended, the 'Cuda is too slow to keep up with Skytopia's (currently) highly dynamic economy. The giant sprite and slow speed make it extremely vulnerable in combat despite four medium guns.
T5 Upgrade: Dauntless
- The second popular pick of T5, the Dauntless rivals the Seahawk in combat prowess. The main concern is range; the Dauntless will not be able to reach a few FL5 skylands and may require extra fuel stops.
T5 overall: There are two main choices, Dauntless or Seahawk; choose based on your combat style. The Mantis can also be considered if you are truly addicted to speed.
Tier 6 (in progress)
T6 Stock: Bolo
- A strong pick for T6, the Bolo sports good arc coverage, has excellent handling and a spacious cargo hold. Unfortunately it runs through ammo very rapidly, most of which is wasted. Awaiting a comparison to other T6s...
Tier 7+
In progress.