How to land at the spaceports on Kerbin?

[Jestersage]

While I managed to land close to the lunar base, I found myself keep having problem landing on kerbin precisely, especially when using parachutes

So how do I land on kerbin if (each are seperated)

• not using any mods
• Minimal mods (eg KER)
• ModuleManager

[stelarfox]

Before anything, you are not trully supposed by any mission as far as i know to land back in kerbil runway or lunchpad exactly.

Also this its truly really but Really but REALLY! hard, I am kind of an expert into making almost anything and I give up a long time ago for whats needed, Why, because the reward its extremelly less than expected (lets see you land on it you get the same ship by 100% of its value), but for any real mission, you are going to arrive with what, 5% of the initial ship? of course, unless you have a one stage ship. (and if you are really near then put wheels and just push the rest of the way, i do with some crafts if i miss the runway).

I do not use mods so, the only part I can answer you is without mods.

First than anything this depends a LOT on how your ship is done, and how you try to make your landing, even so there are mostly 2 types of ships.

1) the easier one, will be with some sort of ship that is also a plane. (or at last have wings and some more fuel that actually works in atmosphere). If so all you have to do is aim it correctly from atmosphere, then do not use the parachutes and use the wings to aim it more properly. no matter what even so, you have to know your ship and be able to make a controlated descent (its impossible to do that from the mon or hi orbit, or at least it will work in only a few times every year (because of alignment)).

2) the harder way, just aim even better.

The truly hard, how to actually "AIM" a rocket from the atmosphere all the way down.

By this you want to know 2 things. 1) how much does your rocket slow downs on reentry and 2) how far does it take to make a full dessent into vertical.

Lets start by saying you need to have your rocket at a 71000m on both AP and PE.

then and this actually depend on the rocket, you are going to want to get the PE to something between 55k or all the way to 0. (some rockets may get burned in such condition) and the most conventional will be to set it to something between 35 and 40k.

when doing that, you have to be at some point for reference (for example the "other" side of where you want to arrive, or if possible have some flag on the way) then you do the retrograde when you are exactly over it.

You just land (do not use retrograde anymore, let the atmosphere slow you down, and to not change the variables, force your position to be against your direction) In other words keep your retrograde always on for the sas, if not the smallest misdirection is going to change the situation and will not land on the same spot. also do not use x2, x3, x4, because that actually changes it enough to alter your course.

if you choose a correct descent for your ship, you are going to land consistently. you can try just one time and then put a flag and see the distance.

But take into consideration this is needed for each ship, also take into consideration its even important to start with the same amount of fuel.

and yes is hard and all needs to be done to the metter (and to the second) in order to work properly (think you are going at 2000 meters per second, and you want to land on a place that has like 50 tops), so by just normal math you have only 0.025 of a second or you are going to fall 2 km off.

now with a plane thats actually a lot bettter, even if all of the above is important, if you are a bit off the place you can simply use the wings to convert vertical speed to horizontal speed, then you fall a lot less harder and you aim correctly.

Of couse unless you hav some extra fuel this will not be much help, but its a lot in comparation.

but what I say with the planes is practically how some of the nasa rockets works out.

you can try with mods but not sure there are many for this. unless totally automatic (which kills the point of playing for my taste).

unless you have enough fuel to just "stop" right above, kill your speed to cero over the place, then use the ship to not fall too fast (or not parachute or atmosphere will be able to stop you on time).

Hope this helps

 

 

[Jestersage]

Quote

 

Before anything, you are not trully supposed by any mission as far as i know to land back in kerbil runway or lunchpad exactly.

Also this its truly really but Really but REALLY! hard, I am kind of an expert into making almost anything and I give up a long time ago for whats needed, Why, because the reward its extremelly less than expected (lets see you land on it you get the same ship by 100% of its value), but for any real mission, you are going to arrive with what, 5% of the initial ship? of course, unless you have a one stage ship. (and if you are really near then put wheels and just push the rest of the way, i do with some crafts if i miss the runway).

 

I know. I am just challenging myself, (plus all those nice videos from YT, while I am like a smuck landing everywhere... but hey, it's in one piece!

Quote

 

 1) the easier one, will be with some sort of ship that is also a plane. (or at last have wings and some more fuel that actually works in atmosphere). If so all you have to do is aim it correctly from atmospUhhere, then do not use the parachutes and use the wings to aim it more properly. no matter what even so, you have to know your ship and be able to make a controlated descent (its impossible to do that from the mon or hi orbit, or at least it will work in only a few times every year (because of alignment)).

now with a plane thats actually a lot bettter, even if all of the above is important, if you are a bit off the place you can simply use the wings to convert vertical speed to horizontal speed, then you fall a lot less harder and you aim correctly.

 

Uh... how??? I mean I can land it on a piece of land, but I am still trying to figure out how to glide (or design a glider) that can aim easily. Now sure if I want more wings or less wing. Say it's one of those dreamchaser clones.

Quote

Of couse unless you hav some extra fuel this will not be much help, but its a lot in comparation.

I always have at least ~200 m/s left over on my spaceplane.

As for the rest, I will test it out. Thanks.

[bewing]

1 hour ago, Jestersage said:

Uh... how???

First, if you can't design something that steers nicely and glides well, then it sounds like you need to spend a few thousand hours building airplanes and spaceplanes first -- to get the basic principles down.

Once you've done that, then you put a glider spaceplane on a stick. This one takes five kerbals to LKO and lands with precision on any runway. It takes a lot more skill to land it on a launchpad, but it can be done.

It is also possible to do by strapping the SRB's to the sides of your plane, if the "on a stick" concept makes your design too unstable.

 

[Jestersage]

43 minutes ago, bewing said:

First, if you can't design something that steers nicely and glides well, then it sounds like you need to spend a few thousand hours building airplanes and spaceplanes first -- to get the basic principles down.

Once you've done that, then you put a glider spaceplane on a stick. This one takes five kerbals to LKO and lands with precision on any runway. It takes a lot more skill to land it on a launchpad, but it can be done.

It is also possible to do by strapping the SRB's to the sides of your plane, if the "on a stick" concept makes your design too unstable.

 

Thanks. I will make a copy of the plane for testing purpose. What type of wings is on the main shuttle btw? I know the front wings are "tail fins"

[bewing]

22 minutes ago, Jestersage said:

What type of wings is on the main shuttle btw? I know the front wings are "tail fins"

Type B and Type E. This is a very low tech 3STO for an early career game -- needs prograde hold for an efficient gravity turn. So this version needs a 1-star pilot.

Craft file:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SdWo8j1SlWQHAleeqLlIxjybPzNYUTcD/view?usp=sharing

(lemme know if that link doesn't work)

Edited October 26, 2018 by bewing

[dlrk]

You really do need Trajectories

[Jestersage]

27 minutes ago, dlrk said:

You really do need Trajectories

So that's a mod... and need module manager, right?

Also, had it been updated to 1.5.1?