Willis Ducts are a set of passage blocks added in the Automatons update that are used to build horizontal maintenance ducts and crawl spaces on large grid ships and stations.
Compared to a Passage block, the insides of Willis Ducts are at only two-thirds height, and Willis Ducts additionally have a floor and a ceiling. Even though they visually line up with the two ladder openings of Ladder Shafts, Willis Ducts prevent ladder exit on the way up.
Usage[]
Willis Ducts are narrower passage blocks that are large enough for an engineer to crawl through when pressing (C key). Typically, they are used to build horizontal tunnels in floors or in walls to provide less visible access between two areas.
For role playing, their design lets you pretend that the block's closed-off third of volume contains cables or other elements that need direct maintenance. Additionally, escapees can hide in these tunnels, and boarders or raiders can sneak around your ship or base unseen and watch you through the grates.
Tip: You can only walk through while crouching. Since you can't crouch walk in zero g, they make most sense on large grids with artificial or planetary gravity.
If you roll the block 90 degrees to the side so that the opening is at "full player height" upright, you still need to crouch to walk through, and getting over the "doorstep" is fiddly. If you tilt them 90 degrees backwards, you can clumsily jetpack up or down inside. To travel up and down, Passage/Ladder Shaft blocks are much more practical.
Construction[]
The Willis Ducts exist for large grid ships and stations only, and they are 1x1x1 block in size. They cost 1 PCU, except for "Willis Duct Light" which costs 25 PCU.
Willis Duct T Junction
There are 8 variants:
- Willis Duct -- A straight duct segment
- Willis Duct 2 -- A straight duct segment with a grated window on one side
- Willis Duct Light -- A straight duct segment that emits light. Mix into the other variants for moody lighting.
- Willis Duct Ramp -- A straight duct segment that starts at the upper third and ends at the lower third of the opposite block face, as if avoiding an unseen structural part of the ship. It allows crouching through but partially blocks the player's line of sight. It does not match up with a half block.
- Willis Duct Corner -- An L shaped 90 degrees curved tunnel segment similar to a curved conveyor. The inside has a decorative fan.
- Willis Duct T Junction -- A T shaped tunnel segment similar to a T Junction Conveyor
- Willis Duct X Junction -- A four-way junction segment
- Willis Duct Grate -- A small semi-permanent lid to close off the openings of these blocks. Needs to be grinded off.
Trivia[]
In the game files, these blocks are called Air Ducts. Willis Ducts correspond to Jeffreys Tubes in Star Trek. In Space Engineers, they are named after Bruce Willis[1] who climbed through air ducts in the movie Die Hard (1988).
Recipe[]
 Willis Ducts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Large Ship/Station Required | Large Ship/Station Optional | Small Ship Required | Small Ship Optional |
 Large Steel Tube | 4 | — | — | — |
 Construction Comp. | 15 | 15 | — | — |
 Interior Plate | 20 | — | — | — |
 Steel Plate | — | 10 | — | — |
The T Junction and the X Junction cost a few steel and interior plates less.
