1.1.3 - Parachute drag completely ignored, parachutes not working (already solved!)

[Kerbal101]

Hello! Got a problem today on fresh reinstall of KSP 1.1.3 (1289), which I was able to solve myself - but I think I must publish so that someone encountering it will spare himself the time.

Symptoms: Parachutes refuse to work. Any parachutes. Attached to any capsule. Anywhere.
Be it stock KerbalX, or MK1 dropped from height. The Aerodynamics overlay shows them not working at all.

It became so crazy, that I designed a high altitude rocket-plane just to show how crazy the situation is.

http://imgur.com/a/kLRh2

Here is a scenario to reproduce the problem, nothing extraordinary:
1) Installed KSP - did not start it yet! (important)
2) Installed Module Manager (2.6.25, current), Kerbal Engineer Redux (1.1.1, current) and Docking Port Alignment Indicator (6.4, current)
3) Started KSP

I have tried to remove:
- Unity3d settings directory in /home/
- physics.cfg and settings.cfg

I have tried to restart the game and sandbox mode.
I have played around with vsync on/off and physics settings. To no avail.

Solution!
1) Remove the game completely
2) Install it again
3) Run KSP before adding any other mods
4) After at least one run - add the mods.

Now the parachutes suddenly WORK.

It looks like one of these three mods corrupts parachutes data or does something that leads to that - if KSP never run before.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Kerbal101