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Oops. Ok, will be gone for future builds. Jeb is... gone. This plane I was testing for contract clearing was struggling to gain AoA on liftoff. I tugged too hard on the pitch controls, and a tailstrike on the runway caused a pretty rapid RUD. RIP

Gonna start a run here to shake up my playstyle a bit. I've been getting a bit too used to the upsize everything way of life, and its getting a bit stale when my solutions to everything is to slap more fuel tanks and engines on. Going to go with just hard mode (topaz) for this, since my last (and only) career was just normal. I tried jumping into the Nanocrystaline Diamond one for a bit, and immediately stumbled on the shocking lack of funds. I haven't been keeping track of progress very closely, so screenshots were taken after the whole 1 hour session. Flight one was the simple Flea jump, but the model got updated with a few other instruments later on. I'm still surprised by how short ranged this thing is. I couldnt make it to the grasslands immediately west of the launchpad with my sloppy flying. Models 2 and 3 are upsizing the same thing, clearing a few small missions here and there. 3 made space, but I failed my intended target of flying to the deserts. Instead it went too straight up and splashed into the ocean short of the deserts. 4 was... yet another failure. This one should have had enough dv to orbit, but without tail fins, the rocket went straight up instead of doing my gravity turn and I lacked the thrust using the Terrier to pick up enough orbital speed. So, current state now. Very interested to take aviation next for control surfaces, and the potential for crafting a jet powered rover to scoot around KSC.

I agree, and I protest. So I made something. (small disclaimer, screenshots were taken over two attempts) This is x16. Note that thrust is within margin. Those wings on the sides are pointed DOWNWARDS to generate downforce, keeping the cart pasted on the runway. The main body of the "glider" has no wings at all. Racing down the runway, it picks up some serious speed. Detach wheels when it clears the runway. And when it loses control because of such crappy aero, ditch everything else... .. and comfortably glide into a newbie medal. Only 2 seconds of thrust after takeoff to get 7 klicks distance! Absolutely legit.

Are we looking at ground distance covered in the f3 menu? Because I don't really understand why it differed so much for mine between the distance to the flag and the ground distance covered. Also, I thought we had 5 seconds of thrust total, which puts your max speed at ~100ms.

New to the forum! Glider with rolling launcher. I figured the easiest way to time the staging is when the vessel hits 100m/s 7.2 klicks measured relative to a flag planted at the start of the runway. Is that the right measurement method?