Proposals Brainstorm

ACF Design Templates

Design templates are simply ACF files, but are specifically designed to give new devs a head start in crafting aircraft in PlaneMaker. Mostly we're talking about wings, control surfaces, bodies, gear and engines. A menu option to "save as template" should be available, and the saved asset should reference NO external resources like OBJs.

The concept of a template is semantic, clearly an ACF file in "some state" can be thought of as a template, but calling it a template yields multiple benefits.

Folks won't expect other assets. In other words, they don't have to go to the org, search for and download some aircraft, SAVE AS....remove all the OBJs and then start eyeballing all the params. They just "new from template" and BAM, they're off and running. Their mind is on design, not logistics of refactoring someone elses aircraft to make their own starter template.
It allows for parametric design wizards. Users, through a wizard, can select parameters to define their starter template and we can craft a starter configuration parametrically.

Preconfigured Components

This is like pre-configured autopilots, but for engines, electrical systems, hydraulics, systems, etc. Laminar should have some dedicated time to "build out a component library". The benefit is we're providing our knowledge of physics and systems modeling to build solid, first-principles models. Those models that require some additional configuration (like widget settings) would be captured in the docs. So for example, a user may select a "Continental IO-550" in a wizard type dialog, and there may be some parameters with it like, "turbocharged, constant speed prop" etc. Users execute the pulldown, a contextual set of properties come with it, users apply whatever and we then write those properties to the ACF file.

Body Editing Convenience Tools

Evenly space sections command.
Added stations
Interior station offset. Make it half between its bounding station.

aircraft strategy

lock the default catalog of aircraft, begin producing internal payware offerings for the store, but not jet transport, leave that for 3rd parties. Focus on other aircraft that as easier and more rapidly produced and can generate revenue.
Task two teams internally, one to do more complex aircraft like the ATR, i.e. Amy/Rodrigo...and another team to do more fast turn products with lesser complexity. Jim/Eric/Alex/Max/Cristiano/whoever.

Install template scripts from PM

A user dialog to install XLua1 and/or XLua2 in the current aircraft folder. Selecting the option checks/creates the plugins/xlua/whatever directory and populates it with any of the required files.

Consider

Design summits, where team members assemble in the same space physically to hammer out ideas and details for a specific implementation goal. (Austin's house?). This might be akin to "marathon coding" sessions. I know this has been done between Austin,Ben Chris, but its rarely done for art development.