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Jet-of-the-Day Collaboration


Servo

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We're back! I enjoyed my little break, but now it's time for some planes.

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet / Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet

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The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 and the subsequent Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet were lightweight, fourth-generation fighters designed to supplement the large, expensive F-14 Tomcat. Designed around a pair of high-thrust turbofans, the Hornet has a high thrust-to-weight ratio, allowing for extreme maneuverability and acceleration. Part of the Hornet’s maneuverability is because of the wing strakes that extend from the leading edge to the cockpit. The provide proportionally more lift at high speed, increasing supersonic stability and subsonic agility.

1024px-USMC_FA-18_Hornet.JPEG

The Hornet has found a niche as a low-cost export fighter (it serves in the air forces of eight nations), as well as a carrier-defense fighter. Although it has less range and payload capability than the F-14 and F-15, the F/A-18 is an extremely potent threat, and will be a constant sight in air combat through the 2020’s.

Replica Statistics

Builder: Servo Part Count: 138 Mass: 23 tons Crew: 2
Top Speed: 580m/s Service Ceiling: 10km Powerplant: 4x Panther Dimensions: 14.14 x 9.18 x 3.94

This F/A-18 is an extremely maneuverable, high-performance fighter. It more closely represents the two-seat F-18E/F Super Hornet at about 75% scale, but is designed to meld the two designs together. It can punch through Mach 1 in a vertical climb, and it currently holds my G-force record with a whopping 73g maneuver. It’s a fun plane to fly that won’t disappoint.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/FA-18-Hornet

Tomorrow's Craft:

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

 

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October 1983: Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

3rd-Party Entry---from @Soundwave__007

(Disclaimer: This article was created by me, the craft is his.)

5b774b6a2b.jpg

The Lockheed F-117 truly is the definition of a stealth fighter: ugly, purpose-built, and undetectable, at least by 1980's radar standards. The F-117 is one of the major recognizable developments of the 'Skunk Works,' using sharp angles to deflect radar-return signals. developed from the proof of concept codename Have Blue, the F-117's development was necessitated by the realization that the Soviet defense network of radar systems would almost certainly pick up the then active U.S. fighter jets, so something beyond a reconnaissance aircraft (SR-71) would be needed in the case of a confrontation.

lockheed-f117-nighthawk-wallpaper-1.jpg

Learning from experience with SAM's in Vietnam, Lockheed's approach for a stealth fighter has stood the test of time. Despite it having been retired in 2008, there are still a few Nighthawks in active service, and the rest are in regenerative storage, meaning they are maintained to sub-airworthy standards for long-term storage, only being fully restored to airworthiness if/when called upon. This is similar to the way some A-10's were stored until recently.

Anecdote: the reason the F-117 is suffixed "-117" was to confuse enemy intelligence. The idea was that they would believe there
were other fighter aircraft between "F-111" and "F-117," as well as to make radio identification arduous, maybe confusing.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/Soundwave/Lockheed-F-117-Nighthhawk

Tomorrow's Craft: McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II

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26 minutes ago, NorthAmericanAviation said:

October 1983: Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

3rd-Party Entry---from @Soundwave__007

(Disclaimer: This article was created by me, the craft is his.)

<big snip>

 

9 minutes ago, qzgy said:

Looks good! How long did it take to make the F-117?

THIS CRAFT IS NOT MINE---BUILT BY @Soundwave__007
I don't mean to be coarse with the allcaps but I want it to be absolutely clear that I did NOT make that model, I just showcased it because my F-117 craft hit major development issues and I ran out of time (and energy).:/ All I did was a short article. I will continue work on mine for eventual release, but I did not want to hamper the schedule of this thread. Apologies.

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On 4/18/2017 at 5:10 PM, Triop said:

Will this be on the list ?

Nope, only military jets here. For the most part, it's only aircraft that entered service, though some prototypes were too cool to pass up.

 

Hawker Siddeley/McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II

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The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B was a follow-on project to the British Hawker Siddeley Harrier. McDonnell signed onto the project to assist in development and ensure that Harriers would be available for U.S. air squadrons. Although the AV-8A was a partial failure (it had less range and capability than the A-4 Skyhawk of the Korean era), the subsequent AV-8B fixed all of the problems facing the design, and USMC Harriers began operating from escort carriers in 1985.

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The Harrier was the first V/STOL aircraft to enter service in the U.S. It uses a Bristol Siddeley Pegasus 15 engine, fitted with four swiveling exhaust ducts to direct exhaust anywhere form directly downwards to horizontal. This allows the Harrier to both take off and land vertically, fly conventionally, and perform a number of maneuvers that other aircraft cannot replicate.

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The Harrier’s versatility was put to the test in a number of combat encounters in the 1980s and 1990s. In particular, the Harrier proved its worth during the Falkland Islands War. The Harrier’s ability to operate from both the HMS Invincible and other small aircraft carries, as well as from the Falkland Islands small airfields (too small for the conventional Argentine aircraft). Although 10 of the task force’s 42 Harriers and Sea Harriers were shot down during the conflict, they achieved an extremely respectable attrition rate - the Argentine Air Force lost over 80 aircraft an helicopters during the invasion.

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Additionally, U.S. Harriers were deployed in the Gulf War, where they served as escorts to slower reconnaissance or forward air command planes, as well as in their intended role, attacking enemy bases and supply chains.

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo Part Count: 245 Mass: 14.7 tons Crew: 1
Top Speed: 80m/s Service Ceiling 5km Powerplant: 8x Juno Dimensions: 15.57 x 9.43 x 4.76

Although the AV-8B was an unwieldly and difficult plane to fly, this recreation can be a breeze with a little practice. In my typical style, I recreated the Harrier’s iconic swiveling jets to allow for V/STOL operations, as well as a number of fancy tricks.
To take off, simply throttle to full, stage the engines to release them, and then turn on SAS. After a few seconds, the junos should spool up and it should take off on its own.

Once airborne, gain about 150m/s of altitude and 15-20 m/s horizontal velocity (less is possible with more altitude). Then use action group 1 to shift the engines into the horizontal position. They should dock on their own, but if not, you may have to adjust the extension on the airbrakes.

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To transition to vertical flight again, simply press 2 to turn the engines back to vertical mode. Again, they should dock by themselves. The Harrier hovers at about 80% throttle, and its a breeze to handle in VTOL mode. Of all of my VTOL craft (including my F-35 and ones that have both vertical and horizontal engines), this is the only one that I’ve been able to consistently land on the VAB and Admin building.

Don’t be alarmed by the extremely slow speed (50-70m/s). It’s a really draggy craft powered by only 8 junos, so it’s a bit of a slowpoke. It stalls and takes off at 35-40m/s, so don’t worry about losing control.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/AV-8B-Harrier

Tomorrow's Craft:

Rockwell B-1 Lancer

Edited by Servo
flipped controls
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October 1986 - Rockwell B-1B Lancer

Q97Yoho.png

The Rockwell B-1 Lancer was a next-generation supersonic bomber project developed in the 1970s as an interim between the B-52 Stratofortress and the B-2 Spirit bomber. The B-1A program was cancelled after four prototypes were developed, but the B-1B program was reopened in the 1980s as a multi-role bomber. The B-1, or Bone as it is sometimes known, is capable in both ground-support and high-altitude roles thanks to its variable geometry wings. The wings swing forward for takeoff and landing, and provide stability at lower speeds. At high altitudes, the wings retract and allow for speeds of up to Mach 1.25.

B-1.jpg

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo Part Count: 197 Mass: 30.97 tons Crew: 0 (oops...)
Top Speed: 180m/s Service Ceiling: 8km Powerplant: 4x Whiplash Dimensions: 26.04 x 20.23 x 8.41

The B-1 was a tricky build to make work, especially with the extra challenge of actuating the wings. As such, it may be necessary to zoom into the fuselage (under the radiators) to check what is going on. The mechanism isn’t 100% foolproof, so some fiddling may be necessary. Additionally, despite having four whiplashes on a 30 ton craft, the top speed is around 175m/s, simply due to the amount of drag the wing mechanism puts out. Beyond that, the B-1 flies as you would a normal plane. The wings handle G-forces and time warp pretty well, for what they are. Additionally, the B-1 is pretty maneuverable, and can take off and land without trouble.

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The swing wing of the B-1 is faithfully replicated here, in fully stock parts. Building off of my experience with the Crusader wing, I was able to fully actuate the wings in-flight.

Action Group settings:
1.) release the wings
2.) push wings forwards
3.) push wings backwards
4.) debug wings. Press after wings snap into place

Note: You have to press 1 before swinging the wings. This decouples the docking ports that hold them in place. You can then use 2 and 3 to move the wings. Press 4 to retract the airbrakes (this prevents any clipping errors) after both wings dock into place.

OkwMpol.png

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/B-1b-Lancer

Tomorrow's Craft:

McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk

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On 4/3/2017 at 10:33 PM, Servo said:

Continuing on my trend of legendary modern 70's warbirds, here's the F-16.

August 1978 - General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon

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The F-16 is one of the cornerstones of the modern U.S. arsenal, and has been since its introduction in 1978. Since production began in 1976, over 4,500 F-16s and their variants have been produced for the U.S. military and a total of 26 foreign nations. The F-16’s ubiquity - it’s the second most common military aircraft, and the most common fixed-wing craft in service today - is due to a number of factors. The Fighting Falcon is extremely maneuverable, thanks to relaxed static stability (designing the craft to be slightly unstable to enhance maneuverability) and fly-by-wire, advanced avionics allowing multi-target radar tracking, and a low cost-of maintenance.

f-16-j-98821f16wwf.jpg

F-16s have found several niches in military squadrons around the world, thanks to their extremely flexible layout - they have 17 hardpoints for bombs, missiles, and drop tanks. Additionally, F-16s currently hold the aggressor role in Red Flag war games, and are the plane of choice for Wild Weasel squadrons. The Red Flag games are a set of three to four aerial war games run annually. They feature aggressor pilots selected from the best air force pilots trained in enemy tactics and new pilots learning the ropes of aerial combat.

tPQBoqn.png

 

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo Mass: 11.6 tons Part Count: 39 Crew: 1 (actually 2)
Top Speed: 900m/s Service Ceiling: 15km Powerplant: 2x Panther Dimensions: 12.72 x 9.98 x 5.07

This F-16 replica is an extremely low part count replica, designed with both looks and performance in mind. Using a pair of clipped Panthers, this F-16 can punch through Mach 1.5 at sea level, and easily go Mach 3 at higher altitudes. Additionally, it is extremely maneuverable and fun to fly. As downloaded, the F-16 has only about 15 minutes of fuel (without afterburners), but it’s more than enough for a jaunt around KSC.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/F-16-Fighting-Falcon

Tomorrow's Craft:

Boeing YC-14

My mother wanted to fly one of these in combat... I feel bad for her instructor when she found out she couldn't.

On 3/24/2017 at 8:03 PM, Servo said:

September 1964 - North American XB-70 Valkyrie

Iten5Zx.gif

The XB-70 was a supersonic bomber that was the sister program to the F-108 Rapier. It would fly at Mach 3 and 70,000 feet to avoid interception from any aircraft of the era. It was planned that the B-70 would fly so fast that radar stations wouldn’t be able to scramble interceptors fast enough to catch it, making it effectively immune to interception. However, with the discovery of extremely capable Soviet surface-to-air missiles, the U.S. bombers were forced to shift to low-level penetration missions where SAM radar couldn’t get an effective lock on the bombers. The B-70 would have been ineffective at this role, providing only marginal advantages over the B-52 at the cost of shorter range and much higher cost. The program was cancelled in 1961, before the first prototypes were even built.

xb-70_valkyrie_hero_med_01_1280x436.jpg

Despite the cancellation, two prototypes were still built in order to test high-performance characteristics, and a third was planned. They tested high-speed, long duration flight, a holy grail of aeronautics. Of the two prototypes, one was destroyed in a mid-air-collision involving a F-104 and the second is on display at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

9QCRiEJ.png

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo Part Count: 189 Mass: 49.4 tons Crew: 2
Top Speed: 1600m/s Service Ceiling: 20km (Cruising) Powerplant: 6x Whiplash Dimensions: 28.15 x 18.95 x 6.42  LWH

This particular recreation models the variable incidence wing found on the actual XB-70. For subsonic flight, the wingtips are kept horizontal, and in supersonic flight, the wingtips droop to increase lift and take advantage of the unique compression shock. This enables the XB-70 to harness the power of the sonic boom by using the high-pressure air in the shock cone to generate more lift.

To use the wings first stage to decouple the wings, then use action group 1 to toggle the wings up and down. It’s really easy, and should work any time in the flight path.

Just don’t pitch up too hard. That ends poorly.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/XB-70

Tomorrow's Craft:

Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

I downloaded this craft but can't seem to get it to work right can you run me through the processof getting it airborne. (P.S. if you ever feel like updating a plane the XB-70 is the one I would suggest because one the wings like to break one me and two a probe core that can be controlled from that is not at an angle.

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On 3/24/2017 at 8:03 PM, Servo said:

American XB-70 Valkyrie

Iten5Zx.gif

The XB-70 was a supersonic bomber that was the sister program to the F-108 Rapier. It would fly at Mach 3 and 70,000 feet to avoid interception from any aircraft of the era. It was planned that the B-70 would fly so fast that radar stations wouldn’t be able to scramble interceptors fast enough to catch it, making it effectively immune to interception. However, with the discovery of extremely capable Soviet surface-to-air missiles, the U.S. bombers were forced to shift to low-level penetration missions where SAM radar couldn’t get an effective lock on the bombers. The B-70 would have been ineffective at this role, providing only marginal advantages over the B-52 at the cost of shorter range and much higher cost. The program was cancelled in 1961, before the first prototypes were even built.

xb-70_valkyrie_hero_med_01_1280x436.jpg

Despite the cancellation, two prototypes were still built in order to test high-performance characteristics, and a third was planned. They tested high-speed, long duration flight, a holy grail of aeronautics. Of the two prototypes, one was destroyed in a mid-air-collision involving a F-104 and the second is on display at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

9QCRiEJ.png

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo Part Count: 189 Mass: 49.4 tons Crew: 2
Top Speed: 1600m/s Service Ceiling: 20km (Cruising) Powerplant: 6x Whiplash Dimensions: 28.15 x 18.95 x 6.42  LWH

This particular recreation models the variable incidence wing found on the actual XB-70. For subsonic flight, the wingtips are kept horizontal, and in supersonic flight, the wingtips droop to increase lift and take advantage of the unique compression shock. This enables the XB-70 to harness the power of the sonic boom by using the high-pressure air in the shock cone to generate more lift.

To use the wings first stage to decouple the wings, then use action group 1 to toggle the wings up and down. It’s really easy, and should work any time in the flight path.

Just don’t pitch up too hard. That ends poorly.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/XB-70

Tomorrow's Craft:

Lockhee

Edited by eagle92lightning
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My favorite part of this thread is hearing about other people's experience or heritage with the real-life examples of the many craft we've made. That said...

April 1988: McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk

8VbEAjP.png

McDonnell Douglas' T-45, a highly modified BAE Hawk, entered service in the early nineties to replace the aging T-2 Buckeye which no longer represented the flight characteristics of modern U.S. Navy fighters. Originally, the BAE Hawk had not been designed for use onboard a carrier, stalling at carrier approach speeds. McDonnell Douglas' design alterations included addressing this.

T-45A_Goshawk_04.jpg

The assembly of a T-45 has two major steps: The aft fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and intake ducts are made in England, while the rest is manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. In 2007, the T-45 was further modernized by receiving an HUD avionics display and more modern instruments. The USMC also uses T-45’s.

N8rhC2p.png

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA Part Count: 59 Parts Mass: 10.8 Tons Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 12.6km Powerplant: 1x Panther Top Speed: 335m/s Dimensions: 11.8 x 10.4 x 3.5 LWH

This model handles with great stability and decent maneuverability—it is toned down since it’s a trainer. it also has good range and is easy to land/take off. 1 toggles Afterburner.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/McDonnell-Douglas-T-45-Goshawk

Tomorrow's Craft: McDonnell Douglas C-17

Edited by NorthAmericanAviation
KerbalX page update, comment added while posting
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12 minutes ago, qzgy said:

Love all the craft here. On the harrier though, I think the controls are mixed up. Correct me if I'm wrong

Thanks for the compliment! As for the controls, you're right - I can never remember which controls control what function after I close KSP. I edited the OP + the KerbalX page.

Glad that you're enjoying the craft :)

 

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15 hours ago, eagle92lightning said:

Can yall please do a B-2 spirit (and make replicas of all the spirits including the spirit of South Carolina my home states's B-2)

How timely---Coming tomorrow!

September 1991: McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III

lxa88pH.png

The McDonnell Douglas C-17 is a medium STOL capable cargo aircraft developed from the YC-15 AMST aircraft. Major changes are obvious; length was added, the overall size of the aircraft grew, and the wing was swept and given anhedral. The C-17 is still in production as of 2017 and serves the U.S, Australia, Canada, India, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, the United Kingdom, and with NATO directly. The Pratt & Whitney F117 Turbofans employ thrust reversers, which assist the craft in short-field landings. It can operate from dirt strips, gravel strips, and grass strips—or anywhere, really.

c_17_hero_lrg_01_1280x720.jpg

The C-17 carries on the Heritage of the Globemaster name; it was first used on the Douglas C-74, then again with the Douglas C-124. Appropriately, the C-17 was still developed by McDonnell-Douglas, so the name seems appropriate. The C-17 replaced the Lockheed C-141 and fulfilled a few of the C-5’s roles, despite being smaller. The first two Globemasters were out of service long before the C-17 flew. The tail is swept, screenshot inconsistency.

M3uuhGo.png

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA Part Count: 296 Mass: 59 Tons Crew: 2
Service Ceiling: 9400m Powerplant: 8x Panther (thrust limited) Top Speed: 175m/s Dimensions: 34.4 x 37.9 x 9.0 LWH

This craft handles well, but turns slowly. Can take off in 600m, pretty ordinary and simple. KerbalX page describes Action Groups, they have notable functions.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/McDonnell-Douglas-C-17-Globemaster-III

Tomorrow's Craft: Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit

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35 minutes ago, The Raging Sandwich said:

You should drop a MOAB out of it.

Wrong plane! To quote the most reliable source in the world (Wikipedia): " The bomb is designed to be delivered by a C-130 Hercules, primarily the MC-130E Combat Talon I or MC-130H Combat Talon II variants. "

Edit: I'm not angry...  -  Just making a minor point :wink:

Edited by qzgy
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16 minutes ago, qzgy said:

Wrong plane! To quote the most reliable source in the world (Wikipedia): " The bomb is designed to be delivered by a C-130 Hercules, primarily the MC-130E Combat Talon I or MC-130H Combat Talon II variants. "

Edit: I'm not angry...  -  Just making a minor point :wink:

Oh yeah, my mistake. But still, why not? :wink:

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On 4/22/2017 at 1:36 AM, NorthAmericanAviation said:

How timely---Coming tomorrow!

September 1991: McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III

lxa88pH.png

The McDonnell Douglas C-17 is a medium STOL capable cargo aircraft developed from the YC-15 AMST aircraft. Major changes are obvious; length was added, the overall size of the aircraft grew, and the wing was swept and given anhedral. The C-17 is still in production as of 2017 and serves the U.S, Australia, Canada, India, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, the United Kingdom, and with NATO directly. The Pratt & Whitney F117 Turbofans employ thrust reversers, which assist the craft in short-field landings. It can operate from dirt strips, gravel strips, and grass strips—or anywhere, really.

c_17_hero_lrg_01_1280x720.jpg

The C-17 carries on the Heritage of the Globemaster name; it was first used on the Douglas C-74, then again with the Douglas C-124. Appropriately, the C-17 was still developed by McDonnell-Douglas, so the name seems appropriate. The C-17 replaced the Lockheed C-141 and fulfilled a few of the C-5’s roles, despite being smaller. The first two Globemasters were out of service long before the C-17 flew. The tail is swept, screenshot inconsistency.

M3uuhGo.png

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA Part Count: 296 Mass: 59 Tons Crew: 2
Service Ceiling: 9400m Powerplant: 8x Panther (thrust limited) Top Speed: 175m/s Dimensions: 34.4 x 37.9 x 9.0 LWH

This craft handles well, but turns slowly. Can take off in 600m, pretty ordinary and simple. KerbalX page describes Action Groups, they have notable functions.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/McDonnell-Douglas-C-17-Globemaster-III

Tomorrow's Craft: Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit

OH GOODY OH GOODY OH GOODY

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