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[Stock] F-35B Joint Strike fighter, working VTOL


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Stock VTOL Joint Strike Fighter

 

As promised, I created a craft showcase video for my stock JSF. Here it is in all its glory.

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This project started after I had the inspiration to adapt @Majorjim!'s wonderful thermometer hinge to an aircraft. I quickly made a working hinge, using landing gear to actuate the engine, building on my experience from my Vought F8U Crusader.

nXd1AA1.gif

After I got the mechanism to work, I spent just as long working on the exterior of the plane, matching it as closely as I could to the real JSF. The result was a mechanically complex aircraft that you would want to take out to dinner (or war, for that matter). The procedure for flying the JSF is also comparatively simple, and requires a minimum number of action group presses. Unfortunately, the way KSP handles undocking means that to land, you have to switch over to the engine and reset the throttle, but it's easy to maintain control while doing so.

da6dpGx.png

Procedures for Flight:

Spoiler

How to take off:

1.) Throttle to 60%, then use action groups 2 and 3 to enable the engines
2.) Use action group 1 to decouple the engine, and take off as you would a normal VTOL.
3.) With a minimum of 40m altitude, press action group 1 to swivel the engine, followed shortly by 2 to toggle the lift fan.
4.) Once the engine redocks, throttle to full. Use action group 5 to close the engine bay. Action group 4 toggles the afterburner, which is helpful for low-altitude takeoffs.

How to land:

1.) Open the engine bay with action group 5, then throttle to 40%
2.) Press action group 1 and 2 simultaneously to toggle the engine down and activate the lift fan.
3.) Use [ to switch to the engine assembly. Throttle to 40%.
4.) Switch back over to the main aircraft and land as you would a normal VTOL. Make sure you land with brakes enabled.
5.) Once on the ground, throttle the lift engine to zero. Either press 1 to re-raise the lift engine or switch to the engine and throttle it to zero. If you are reloading or recovering the craft, lift the engine so that it is docked.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/F-35B-JSF 

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18 hours ago, Dman979 said:

Nice stuff! I remember when VTOLs were all the rage here. Now I feel old. :)

 

 

14 hours ago, Majorjim! said:

Damn this is awesome man, amazing work! This is the best VTOL I have ever seen on these forums! No joke. :kiss:

 And thanks for the mention too. You're a good sport. :)

Thanks all around!

I recorded a new video today, showing off more of the F-35's capabilities. The first half is me trying (and failing) to refuel it with my new KC-135, and the second half is good shots of it flying around, and doing a pair of vertical landings. I feel like I'm really close to mid-air refueling, as I've ironed out a few quirks in the KC-135, and I finally figured out how to launch both craft at the same time (it took me a while, and I didn't catch it on camera).

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That's some impressive proximity flying. Docking two crafts in atmosphere is incredibly difficult.

I do wish we could make plane replicas in KSP that looked a bit less cardcraft-y tho. It always grinds my gears when what should be smooth and beautiful looks like something my infant nephew brought home from school around the joins.

Not that you haven't done an awesome job here, personally I get frustrated almost whenever I try something like this and end up abandoning it.

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40 minutes ago, eagle92lightning said:

I downloaded this craft today and it flies awsome!!!!! BTW is it b d armory compatibe?

I've never messed around with BDA. I assume that if you takeoff and land horizontally, it will work just fine with the autopilot. Any weapons will have to be carried on the wings, since I didn't leave space for internal weapons.

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