Test Pilot (Working title)

[Skylon]

Feedback appreciated as always. Will probably edit later, for better pictures

Chapter 1

Spoiler

[Black Krags Airbase]

A few engineers and a stern general stand silently on a concrete floor, while birds tweet and in the distance a lighthouse can be seen. This is a big moment for them. Meanwhile, Aldin Kerman looks for his keys, looking very worried. He doesn’t find them, because they don’t exist, but he does find a green button, with ‘Ignition’ printed on it. Hands shaking, he fastens his seatbelt, and puts on his communications device; this will be a loud flight. Flipping switches and skimming through the pre-flight checklist, he communicates with the ATC.“This is PMXY-6A requesting clearance for take-off”

“Permission granted”

Aldin lets out a deep sigh, and his finger pushes down the green button.

In a badly lit room, two kerbals sit across the table from one another.

“From the back of my aircraft I could hear a whirring sound, building up into a low whine. At this point the brakes were still applied. When I could feel the plane struggling to stay put, I released the brakes. After a lurch, my speed steadily increased, and so did the noise of the engine. It was very strange, not seeing a propeller in front of me chopping away at the air, and it made me feel somewhat uncomfortable, but the excitement of being the first kerbal to pilot a jet plane was almost enough to quell my nerves.

I was going around 45m/s when I took off. When I had reached an altitude of 2000m I tested out the roll. The short stubby wings give it a great moment of inertia, and it rolled with ease. Feeling adrenaline from the speed, which was around 120m/s at this point, I tried a turn, easing the plane over and then pitching up. The pitch was slightly worse than some planes I had flown, but was nevertheless pretty good”

“I understand then that the plane was handling fine for the first few minutes of flight?” asked the general, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes,” replied Aldin, “Yes it was.”

“Please continue with your statement then.”

“Anyway, it was at that point that I got…arrogant.

I throttled up and climbed to 4500m, and when I got there, I dived. I started to pull up at approximately 2300m and 240m/s, but then I lost pitch authority and I bailed at 1900m, before slowing gliding by parachute back to the airbase. Judging from the footage of the crash and what I remember of what I heard and saw inside the cockpit, I’m guessing that the elevators weren’t strong enough to withstand the aerodynamic forces from pulling out of the dive, and then they snapped, so I lost all control of the aircraft. And, of course, there were no flaps...I guess that is what happens when you cut corners when you design a plane.”

As the general penned down the last of his statement, he said “Thank you very much, that is all I need for now.”

A low drone is heard in the distance while a hunk of metal is picked apart by a group of disappointed looking kerbals.

I’m nearly there. A few more kilometres, a routine landing and I’m free.