Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Flying Machines in Minecraft: How They Work
A flying machine is a set of slime blocks, honey blocks, pistons and observers that pushes itself through the air without anything holding it up. A piston pushes a slime block, the slime carries the blocks stuck to it, an observer sees the move and fires the next piston, and the machine keeps going until it hits something.
What are the parts of a flying machine?
- Pistons and sticky pistons do the pushing; each can move at most 12 blocks.
- Slime and honey blocks stick to the blocks touching their sides and drag them along. They do not stick to each other, which lets two halves of a machine move separately.
- Observers notice the blocks moving and fire the next piston, so the machine powers itself.
- Redstone blocks can be pushed, so a machine can carry its own power.
- Immovable blocks such as obsidian stop it.
What is the simplest flying machine?
The simplest two-way engine uses just 6 blocks: 2 observers, 2 slime blocks and 2 sticky pistons. Start it by updating one observer and it travels until something blocks it. Designs differ between Java and Bedrock because pistons behave differently, so always build for your edition. See Java vs Bedrock redstone.
What are flying machines used for?
- Tunnel bores that dig through stone with TNT or block breaking (mostly Java tricks).
- Farms that sweep across a field to harvest it, and moving bridges or doors.
- Elevators that carry players up and down; see elevators.
- Trenchers that clear huge areas for building.
What can and cannot be moved?
Obsidian, bedrock and (on Java) most containers such as furnaces, chests and dispensers cannot be pushed. Glazed terracotta can be pushed but slime will not stick to it, which builders use to keep parts apart. Full piston rules: pistons and observers and glazed terracotta.
Is there piston lag protection on ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
How many blocks can a piston push?
12.
Do slime blocks stick to honey blocks?
No, which is why machines use both to move separate parts.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.