By 2026, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has long since stopped being a new release and started being a physics-based comedy laboratory. Link, Hyrule’s most overqualified aeronautical engineer, can still be found gluing fans to planks with Ultrahand while Zonai devices hum along like tiny bureaucratic miracles. The building system turned every spare wing, balloon, rocket, and steering stick into an invitation to ask one important question: will this fly, or will it dramatically become a pile? The answer, delightfully, is usually both.

Ultrahand was the headline feature that made Tears of the Kingdom feel less like a sequel and more like a workshop with a sword. Unlike the old Magnesis limitations, Ultrahand grabs almost anything that glows, which means the sky is not a limit but a suggestion. Add Sky Islands, Zonai fans, balloons, wings, and rockets, and the result is a sandbox where players can build aircraft that range from genuinely useful to gloriously ill-advised. The seven designs below are not ranked by practicality. They are ranked by how loudly a reasonable Hylian would yell ‘absolutely not’ before applauding.

7. The Star Wars X-Wing 🚀

The X-Wing remains a favorite because it looks like a fighter jet that went to art school. Its symmetrical two-winged cruising form can split into a four-winged attack stance, and builders have gleefully added blaster-like attachments to complete the fantasy. Real-world aerodynamics would probably file a complaint, but Hyrule’s physics engine is more interested in spectacle than paperwork. In 2026, the X-Wing still appears in community showcases because it balances recognizable silhouette with a surprisingly manageable parts list.

6. The Star Wars TIE Fighter 🛸

The Imperial TIE Fighter is an aerodynamic disaster wearing two solar panels and a glass ball. Naturally, that makes it irresistible. Its single-pilot cockpit is a sphere with a large windshield, held together by connector poles and flanked by enormous wings. One clever version leans closer to a TIE bomber, which makes sense because balance and propulsion are slightly easier to negotiate when the machine is not actively trying to spin into a folk dance. It should not work. It does. That is the Ultrahand way.

5. The Seaplane 🌊

Link can build boats, and Link can build planes, so of course someone eventually asked whether the two could share custody of a runway. The seaplane uses two large floats attached to the undercarriage, allowing it to take off from and land on water. Planks or logs can serve as flotation devices beneath a Zonai wing, which gives the whole project a charming ‘hardware store meets ancient technology’ energy. It is practical, ridiculous, and exactly the kind of vehicle that makes a player feel like a genius right before a wing clips a cliff.

4. Star Trek’s USS Enterprise 🖖

The USS Enterprise first appeared on television in 1966 and has been a symbol of elegant fictional spacecraft ever since. Recreating it in Tears of the Kingdom is less a flight project and more an act of architectural stubbornness. Its sheer size is the biggest challenge, and getting it airborne may require dozens of fans. A builder could also construct it on a sky island and float it downward, which is either a clever workaround or a dramatic way to test gravity’s patience. It is a tribute, a spectacle, and a warning about part limits.

3. Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier 🛡️

Marvel’s Helicarrier is the aircraft equivalent of a shopping mall that learned to fly. A full-scale version in Tears of the Kingdom is probably a fantasy, but a miniature version is a magnificent fantasy. Builders need a ton of planks, a lot more fans, and the patience of someone who enjoys watching a floating object slowly discover its own center of gravity. The result is less a vehicle and more a moving event. If it lifts off, everyone nearby should applaud. If it wobbles, everyone nearby should move.

2. The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber ✈️

The B-2 Spirit is famous for stealth, which is ironic because a player-built version is impossible to ignore. Its sleek surface and sharp wings already resemble the Zonai Wing, making it one of the more natural real-world-inspired builds. Attaching several Zonai Wings and some planks can create the silhouette, though the mostly flat design is tricky to keep aloft. The reward is style. A builder who gets this bomber airborne will not be stealthy, but they will be majestic.

1. Batman’s Batwing 🦇

The Batwing may never match the Batmobile in popularity, but in Tears of the Kingdom it might be the coolest thing in the sky. The iconic bat ears are mandatory, and the rest of the design can follow whichever Batplane variation a builder prefers. Link cannot paint his creations black, which is a tragedy, and flying only at night during a blood moon would be the correct artistic choice. Still, even in plain Zonai colors, a bat-shaped aircraft swooping over Hyrule is a beautiful reminder that Ultrahand was never just a tool. It was a license for nonsense.

Flightworthiness Cheat Sheet 🛠️

In 2026, the game’s building community still thrives because Tears of the Kingdom gave players a rare gift: a system that rewards curiosity and punishes overconfidence in equal measure. Link remains a silent hero, but his creations do all the talking, usually in the form of a fan-powered scream before impact. Whether the goal is a Star Wars replica, a Star Trek monument, or a bat-shaped dare, Ultrahand keeps the sky open for anyone willing to attach one more rocket and hope for the best.