Hotel26

Before I introduce the first ILS approach in this "Simplified IFR" thread, I had originally planned to only describe a kind of CAT-III approach for ILS for stock KSP. I had not, at that time, imagined how to do an ordinary ILS. Now I have. For background, (CAT-II and) CAT-III approaches require special equipment, including radar altimeter and a good autopilot that is capable of flying the airplane down the precision glide slope, through the landing flare and to touch-down on the runway. Airports like Heathrow outside of London, that are notorious for fog, are suitably equipped for these kinds of approaches. And, in good time, I will publish a CAT-III ILS for KSC R9. In the meantime, it turns out that I have "perfected"(Kerbalspeak) an ordinary ILS approach and I will publish the first of these -- Coney Island ILS R27 -- in the next post. Although the main focus of this thread is on "stock KSP", I view this thread as a jumping-off point for consideration of a) autopilots (which are enormously helpful during the IFR workload) and b) IFR navaid mods within KSP that support RL instrumentation. At later points in time, I do intend to start conversations about each of these areas and general discussion would be welcome. So now, here follows (next note) the ILS Approach for Coney Island R27. Enjoy!

NDB Approach Coney Is R9: Minimum Enroute Altitude is 1500m. N-CONEY holding course 270; outbound 090; tear drop entries to 060 or 120, direct to 090; right-turn pattern, stay above 1500m. Leave the FAF at 1500m, speed 100 m/s or less. fly 30 secs, then make a right-hand procedure turn (30 sec legs, descending no lower than 425m MSL. Track inbound on 090, MDA 425m MSL, ready to land. Go visual when Target marker is depressed between 5 and 10 degrees on the navball. Missed approach is a climbing left-hand turn to course 270. Retry after climbing above 1500m. One of the easier approaches! Notes: deploy the N-CONEY aid with Mod-F12: Cheats: Set Position: as usual, but specify an unusual altitude of 70m. you may be becoming familiar with the terminology: since departure from the HP is course 270, any westerly initial approach will use a direct entry; any easterly initial approach (typical from e.g. KSC) will use the nearest tear-drop heading, left or right, as closer. Right-turns in the pattern are marked, so no descent may be started in an initial left turn; and, once established, right turns are mandatory. The FAF crossing altitude is, anyway, 1500m, the same as the MEA.

Uh, probably important to have copied this context here: Check what is in GameData/KerbalKonstructs/NewInstances and delete it if it looks totally new (check dates). Roll it back. Then try the load. As usual, "Don't fork it up!"

You could try the following. rename your saves/<world>/persistent.sfs to saves/<world>/persistent.sfs.231225 (now you have a backup) copy your save/<world>/quicksave.sfs to saves/<world>/persistent.sfs (Now you've regressed to happier times) do not panic! (I should have mentioned that eariler) now try the startup... if it works, there's something wrong with the most persistent. Check its size and compare it with the quicksave: maybe it's significantly shorter? If so, it's toast: move on without it. if it doesn't work, you can copy your persistent.sfs.231225 back over persistent.sfs (but keep the Xmas (231225) version). Further diagnosis required. Let us know how these steps work out for you. Also, don't panic! But don't fork it up... (Pay particular attention to everything above that is underlined.)

With all the excitement about the upcoming launch of the next IRL X-37b, I recently built my OTV-37 "pseudo-replica". Then I added a small payload: an RA-2 cubesat (unpublished). Meanwhile, with the continuous launch of IRL Starlink missions, well, it lead me to thinking about using the stretch CRG-08 Mk2 cargo bay. However, I was tentative about making any change to OTV-37 since I am very fond of its aerodynamics. Therefore, I whipped up Kerblink, in two configurations: the first with 4x RA-2 cubesats (yet unpublished), and this one depicted, with 18x C-16 cubesats: It is so prototypically simple that it has been a huge surprize [sic] and bonus that its simple format works so well -- I regard it as 'final'. It's a recoverable, autonomous, Mk2 CRG-08 cargo bay mounted on top of a recoverable Twin Boar. A very sweet marriage! Conceivably [if I indeed know what that word means], a double-bay config could be used, possibly upgrading the Spark engine to a Terrier. Flexible for any compact payload. Even the Mk2 aerobody ("body lift") performance impressed (staggered) me, because I have never witnessed that phenomenon this dramatically (see below). I was very tempted to make it Horizontal Return-capable (you know, like an aeroplane). This is the recently-built Kobe Island airport, 50 clicks downrange from KSC, acting as impromptu target (after a full orbit since lift-off): But again, why stink things up? "Simple is beautiful!" Have a nice day.

But, on the other hand, I can reveal our final destination of the journey we have embarked upon... Below is a CAT-III[1] "ILS" approach demonstration, flown in stock (aided in this case by Atmospheric Autopilot), filmed in May 2019: https://rumble.com/v42gfn1-cat-iii-r9.html Enjoy. (Don't miss the last 30 seconds.) [1] "bogeys on asphalt"

More than one VFR kerbal reader has now written in, asking, "what, exactly, do you mean: 'simplified'?"... Well, fair question, and I had been hoping it wouldn't get asked for a little while longer. It is certainly good to be cautious before flying into IMC. So, in this note, I will outline one simplification I have been making in KSP just to make things somewhat less real and thereby a bit more pleasurable. Hopefully, no kerbal lives will be lost by doing this -- quite the contrary! Let's just discuss Holding Patterns, since they've already come into usage in the Approaches above. IRL: So let's turn to the kind of Holding Patterns that kerbals use (in my vivdly fevered imagination, that is). We now present the KSP HP: Disclaimer: do not take any of this into real life. Everything written (by me) in this thread will be for edification, entertainment and pleasure. In particular: I do not now, nor ever have held Flight Instructor nor Instrument Rating Instructor qualifications; I presently have no fixed address (and "Hotel26" is not even my real name); the ultimate purpose of this thread is to let my imagination out for a hearty romp; no further disclaimers will be issued past this point: you are truly flying a) solo and b) blind (i.e. IMC).

The following are on sale: NAV-QBE. Pallettes of QBE navaid devices. I keep a pallette on the VAB rooftop, somewhere out of the way. When you need it, just decouple one and then Mod-F12: Cheats: Set Position: to deploy it wherever you want it. Check out also my NAV-NDB and NAV-VOR, if you want to "spend the parts to look the part".

Sometimes 'tis better to stifle oneself... <stifled> I take the opportunity, instead, to welcome @amaranthus; and good call on that excellent Guide.

NDB Approach Rembrandt R16: Minimum Enroute Altitude is 1200m. N-REMBR inbound radial is 156; outbound 336. On entry, if 336 is within 90 degrees of your heading, turn to either 306 or 006, whichever is closer, for a teardrop entry. Otherwise, turn directly outbound on 336. Right-turns in the holding pattern down to 900m and no more than 100 m/s, leaving the FAF. Track 156 and begin a 5 m/s descent for 100 m/s speed, or -1m/s for every 20m/s speed. MDA altitude is 460m MSL. Go no lower unless surface (visual) contact made. Go visual (or Missed Approach) when 9 km outbound from the fix (rear view F4).

Speaking about minorities in space, canines (Laika) actually beat simians into space, if I have my facts neatly marshaled? But about space-faring felines, I know next to nothing. Why not and, why, for example, has not a Bengal Tiger or, for that matter, a regular puddy-tat not entered orbit, hmm? Frankly, I am appalled. Our priorities are all kinked, it seems... Oh, wait! I might have taken a comment out of context...? This one, Commander Busby, has already done some capsule training:

The 8-nuke Crab in the middle is freighting 2x Zephyr boosters, recycled from Kerbin, down to LEO (Low Eve Orbit), where they will perform one last function as descent boosters (de-boosters?) for anything with a 2.5m dock bound for the Evian surface.

NDB Approach Cannes R32: Minimum Enroute Altitude is 1000m N-CANNS inbound radial is 120: 210-300, use 270 for teardrop entry, fly 30 secs, then right to track inbound on 120 300-30, use 330 for teardrop entry, fly 30 secs, then left to track inbound on 120 30-120, left turn to 300 direct entry to an initial left-turn holding pattern (30-second legs) 120-210, right turn to 330 direct to a right-turn pattern descend to 600m while executing right turns in the HP and slow to 100 m/s or less, before departing the FAF (Final Approach Fix) on course 120 fly 60 seconds, then execute a right-turn Procedure Turn (turn to 165, fly 30 secs, then left to 345 to intercept the N-CANNS 300 radial begin the descent to 257m, intercept and track the 300 radial go visual when the Target marker reaches the 10-degree declination line on the navball Notes: the Holding Pattern is composed of right-turns except for the initial tour which may be left-ward depending upon the direction of entry, as noted above. upon initial arrival at the fix, 030-210 is on the front-course and permits a direct entry. 210-030 is back-course requiring a tear-drop entry tracking a marker (in or outbound) on a radial that is not explicitly marked on the navball would involve some guesswork about its position on the navball. Given a long enough leg (you can extend any leg to 60s, including for or during a PT (Procedure Turn), will give you enough time to periodically turn to the desired heading and then check the position (left or right) of the Target. Then turn back to a heading which will compensate. You may have done this already leaving the FAF for KSC R9, but that example is on a heading (090) that is navball-convenient.

I would like to first show you the old Cannes airport, built June 11, 2023: OK, so let's innovate... Here is the new (experimental) Cannes airport: Well, I'm upgrading Cannes today because I am installing equipment for an NDB approach. I've using the radio tower for the NDB signal. Crafty!? Here's my Swisjet Plus Ultra inbound on radial 300, attempting a landing on runway 32.

VOR Approach KSC R9: en route to KSC landing R9, tune V-KSC9 as Target; when ready, set camera view directly upward (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) en route inbound above 2000m (Minimum Enroute Altitude) plan 100 m/s (or less) before arrival at V-KSC9 on a back course (180-360) make a 'teardrop' entry: from a NW course, turn L to 300, fly for 30 secs, then turn L again to track inbound on 090 from a SW course, turn R to 240 fly for 30 secs, then then R again to track inbound on 090 on a front course (001-179), begin the holding pattern: from a NE course, turn L to 270, fly outbound 30 secs, then turn L to intercept and track inbound on 090 (subsequent pattern orbits will be R turns, though!) from a SE course, turn R to 270, fly outbound 30 secs, then turn R to intercept and track inbound on 090 100 m/s (or less) at the FAF (Final Approach Fix), continue right-turn holding pattern[tbd], descending to 1000m at the FAF, <= 100 m/s, at 100m, heading 090, commence a (10:100 m/s[1]) descent to 313m MSL (Mean Sea Level), turn the camera view rearward; [f4] light target markers (thus showing distance from V-KSC9) maintain at least 313m MSL until 6.9km distant from the FAF (V-KSC9) achieving #8, go visual (camera view) and attempt to land or go MAP (Missed Approach); climbing left return to V-KSC9) Notes: you will know you are "at" the fix when the Target marker declines completely under the Heading indicator in the bottom of the navball if you're having trouble tracking inbound, definitely try using 60-second legs between turns to give yourself some extra time to adjust your track [1] 10:100 denotes 10 m/s descent rate for 100 m/s airspeed. Thus, at 85 m/s airspeed, descend at 8.5 m/s. Please see the following, general schematic for holding pattern entries:

Wherein I describe the (simplified -- and entirely imaginative/fictional) procedures used by Kerbals to make instrument approaches under Instrument Meteorological Conditions (i.e. in clouds). Once everyone has "the hang" of how this thread goes, anyone is welcome to contribute. (I may or may not list your approach in the Approach Index; e.g. if it is a duplicate for a destination.) Simulating IMC in KSP: Point your Flight View camera directly upward for a view of the belly of your aircraft. Questions?? Note that flying outbound from a fix, some procedures will use the distance from that fix and, in stock KSP, that will be effected by pointing the camera rearward and using [F4] to activate target markers in the Flight View, thus displaying the distance back to the fix -- but without giving sufficient clues for visual flight. It is actually recommended to fly a procedure once in VMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions) to either familiarize oneself with the particular procedure, or perhaps once only just to see how a type of approach works... Approach Index: VOR KSC R9 NDB Cannes R32 NDB Rembrandt R16 NDB Coney Is R9 ILS Coney Is R27 ILS KSC R9 ILS KSC R27 VLB KSC VAB Helipad DISCLAIMERS: Nav Aids: Gratitude to @swjr-swis who acted as Chief Test Pilot! Bulletin: (changes periodically) Advisory: Coming soon... Kraken's Eyrie (VTOL) [maybe] I-KSC R9 CAT-III Note: Hotel26@SimplifiedIFR reserves the right to "improve" approaches as they continue to be tested/harmonized. "Your safety is important to us". Ha ha ha.

I am curious what kind (and how many) air intakes you used? Maybe 3x XM-G50 Radials? Or a couple of clipped Air Coolers?

outright bug then?

Thus positing a rational/real cause of the creation of our universe (including mathematics)????? Spectacular.

Although you haven't stated it explicitly, my thesis would simply be that KSP dynamically figures where control surfaces are wrt to the CoM to decide whether they are nose or tail. It might have to do this simply due to docking and undocking, for example. But that also makes this vulnerable to the CoM shifting in flight, when particular surfaces are only just 'nose' or 'tail'; but then switch as the CoM betrays them. (So I'm guessing you already subscribe to the same thesis.) I could see one fix being to simply lock them into their SPH/VAB initial function -- as long as there is no docking/undocking. And yes, I have built flying machines that fly long-distances fast as a tandem couple; then the nose splits off to function as a low-speed, low-range, VTOL-capable 'rover', using the tail as a base (fuel and accomodation); cargo planes that have a nose-mounted cargo but the cargo plane is designed/required to fly after despoiting the cargo; etc etc. In most circumstances, surfaces are in definitive positions nose/tail and not vulnerable, or when a reconfiguration occurs, the dynamic change does make sense. I could always be wrong. I haven't lain awake long at night thinking about this one.

You're an inspiration, Monsieur Triop.

That's one erotic picture too many, M.Triop. En garde! Where's my monocle? I cannot resist this sweet morsel any longer... That's a lot of fuel, hey, I reckon we can squeeze a couple of paying Kerbs in there. A name, a name, what shall we call it, my precious!? O, just 21 parts. my lovely; here we go... Ah, I am in love again!

Welcome to the forum, Geostationary Syncom! The first situation in which I can imagine AtmosphereAutopilot might "fight me for every single inch of rotation", is if you are in Cruise Flight mode and you are trying to turn using (Q/E) Roll. Is this what you are doing? With either the Level or Heading submodes selected? In these modes, use WASD to change the heading and altitude 'bugs' (settings). (I find it more accurate to just enter the numbers into the CF GUI.) In Level submode, AA will attempt to maintain the current heading, no matter what. In Heading mode, you can change the heading bug with A/D (yaw), but AA maintains primary control of attitude to accomplish the task. (Also, just want to check that you have discovered that the Autopilot module manager select/activates modes (MD, CF, AoA and FBW) via the buttons in it -- the associated "GUI" buttons simply control whether the associated GUI is open/closed. (Apologize if that's obvious but AA is somewhat impenetrable, so it's good to clear out the obvious first. If you get it going the way you want, please do also respond back here and let us know!)

AtmosphericAutopilot. I never leave home without it. I also added +5 deg wing incidence. And I converted the 90/110 LFOX tanks to 200 LF so I would have been carrying 400 units total fuel. I wasn't doing a speed run; just larping lollygagging.