Mars-Bound Hokie

Can't wait to see it, and I'll also accept a regular F-15 for that slot since they look so much alike. It shouldn't be too hard to make. A regular F-15, let alone an F-15C, won't qualify for the F-15 S/MTD slot since that has upward-pointing canards near the front . If you're interested, you can also submit your F-15 to my Air Force Museum replica collection. Sure, it's an F-15A, but I can let the variant letter slide (if your craft has one) so long as it resembles the real F-15A as closely as possible.

Have you got some ace that would undermine your country's war efforts or your own lust for fame and power? No matter how many battles he's been through, he always comes out on top. Look no further, my friend. We at Guardian Mercenaries have the best pilots in the best fighters. I'm talking about Scream and Rage, the Delusional Duo, in their Su-47 Berkuts. The Su-47 Berkut on display in the SPH. I included the aka in the craft name so people who know this under its NATO designation can find it. To accommodate the forward-swept wings while leaving a believable amount of room for the front canards, I had to lengthen the fuselage by adding a short Mk2 liquid fuel tank. While looking at photographs and models of the real Su-47 as well as an outline on Wikipedia, I noticed that the tail end on the starboard (right) side was different from the left. More specifically, it was longer than the left. It was a great opportunity to add some batteries so that the plane can have some power reserved when gliding. Immediately in front of the engines is a drag chute to slow down the plane during landing, although later testing proved this unnecessary. At least with how I was flying it. Right beside the engines are radially adjustable ramp intakes. They needed some more air due to flameouts in early tests. This was an experimental technology demonstrator for Russian stealth fighters, so it made sense for me to install nav lights at the wingtips so the prototype can be seen so easily. At the same time, if this thing were to actually see combat - like with those two psychopaths in Ace Combat - the nav lights should be kept separate from the main light switch so the enemy can’t see you so easily. Uncovered photograph of an Su-47 undergoing a drag chute test at a Marxan airfield. The pilot accelerated the plane to at least 150 m/s on the runway before cutting the engines, then he applied the brakes and deployed the chute. Although odds were that he would be approaching at a slower velocity, the engineers wanted to make sure it was effective - and they were right. Taking off and ascending to altitude at 20 degrees pitch. In the later years of the Marxan Union, its air force made Su-47s as technology demonstrators for stealth fighters. Although they have proven very maneuverable, aft-swept wing fighters performed better in supersonic flight. After the Marxan Union’s collapse, the Berkuts that were not scrapped or placed in a museum were sold to paying customers. Among the owners was KM Aerospace, a private military contractor group belonging to Kerbal Mercenaries. Yusai Kerman also owned an Su-47 in case any aircraft got too close to Creep Island, and it cost her almost all her kidnapped rivals. She never got a chance to use it, though. When Jeffrey Kerman acquired Creep Island, he kept the plane as a collector’s item. The Su-47 settling at cruising altitude while on fire. Panther engines were used at first in an attempt to mimic the aircraft’s real-life counterparts, but the plane decelerated even with their gimbals locked and the engines in wet mode. So, Whiplash engines were installed. Flying over Kerbin’s north pole with the Mun in the sky. The old Marxan missile site was detected on Kerbnet. Elke Kerman of KM Aerospace doing a corkscrew while landing over Kerbin’s southern polar ice cap. She was excited that she got to see the Mun in different parts of the world twice in less than an hour. If you look at the aft starboard side of the plane, you can see the tail end there longer than the port (left) side. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Altitude: 19.5 km (~64.0k ft; Class Echo airspace) FUN FACT: Class Alpha airspace goes from 18k ft ASL to 60k ft. Above that is Class Echo airspace - E for Everything Else. Velocity: 1175 m/s (2,628.5 mph) Flight Time: 42 minutes Expected Range: 2,770 km This plane glided for an additional 95 km afterwards before coming to a stop in the latest test flight. KM Aerospace pilot Elke Kerman striking a pinup pose after landing on Kerbin’s southern ice cap. Her approach was so slow and smooth that a drag chute was not necessary in this case. Although her supervisor advised against it, the company’s board of directors offered Elke a bonus in exchange for at least one seductive photograph of herself on a company plane to be used for their new calendars. A Marxan Su-47 owned by the Kerbal Space Program doing a barrel roll for the annual Kerbal AeroSpace Demonstration. The landing was a real nail-biter; the pilot was initially approaching at over 30 degrees before flaring. Thanks to the brake and the chute, he came to a stop rather quickly and the spectators cheered in awe of this stunt. Just like the American YF-23, the Su-47 was an experimental fighter aircraft that flew well but ultimately got rejected and only saw action in Ace Combat videogames decades later. Project Aces should introduce more of those kinds of planes in their next release, especially as enemy bosses like the van Dalsen siblings. Maybe the Research and Development Gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force would provide some inspiration, but given that Bandai Namco Entertainment is Japanese odds are they'll look for reject aircraft within the eastern hemisphere first; can't have all your aircraft be American, after all. Perhaps the protagonist of Ace Combat 8 could fly in a top-secret commando squadron, like Christopher Robinson in Blazing Angels 2, which uses lesser-known planes that did well in testing but never entered mass production. And s/he should order the wingmen to actually help instead of flying around and looking pretty. Any and all help to check some planes off the list is greatly appreciated. I'm sure you'll find this much easier than my USAF Museum replica thread, since all the playable aircraft are fighter jets and only a few of the unplayable ones require rotors. On top of that, the collection is way smaller. Thank you in advance. Replicas Remaining: 59

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: ALMOST THERE On the surface of Kerbin, the sun was setting on the Wynter Kerman Industrial Airfield outside of Owl City. Originally a small industrial town, it eventually expanded into a fully functioning city that included a few schools, several parks and community centers – including its own library system – and many businesses, both small and large. The city’s most prominent business, and the reason for the city’s very existence, was the WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium. It was founded long ago, in the early decades of aviation, by a rebellious engineer named Wynter Kerman. Her company was often laughed at due to its founder being a woman, but it soon earned a reputation for consistently producing quality propeller-driven planes. When jet-powered aircraft became popular on Kerbin, WinterOwl shifted its focus to delivering small civil jets, though it still produced props. Sometimes, it would assist other companies in their research and development projects; for example, it recently accepted a partnership with C7 Aerospace in building a spaceplane capable of landing on all five of Jool’s moons. Today, WinterOwl is the oldest aircraft manufacturing company that’s still operational. Wynter Kerman the Fourth, the current CEO of WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium, was sitting alone in the executive catwalk office of Hangar SP2. Many years ago, when WinterOwl accepted contracts for roles in spaceplane projects, the airfield underwent heavy renovation to accommodate the new spaceplanes, which included increasing the runway size and building some new hangars. This evening, Hangar SP2 – “SP” for “Spaceplane,” since it was one of the hangars that was built during the renovation – was housing the latest prototype of the T-6 Cannonball. It was a large spaceplane that could land on the surface of Minmus before refueling itself with its drills and ISRU equipment. According to the kerbalnauts who tested the T-6, it would have enough delta-V to blast off straight to Jool after leaving Minmus’ sphere of influence. Of course, they never actually sent it to Jool since the Kerbal Space Program wanted them to test re-entry and landing on Kerbin. The emergency cabin ejection system had already been tested before the mission, but the crew was able to return the spaceplane without any problems. Recently, Wynter had received an urgent message from Val that Misty Kerman would attempt to steal the T-6 Cannonball soon. Although Wynter was honored to get a direct communication from one of the Famous Four, she dismissed Val’s warning. In her reply, she restated the commonly held belief that nobody could have survived the capsule explosion from over a year ago. The inability of the recovery crews to find kerbal remains was to be expected, as Misty’s and Jeb’s Senior’s bodies most likely disintegrated during re-entry. Regarding Victor’s claim that he saw Misty, Wynter scoffed at the idea that Val “… took the word of a convicted war criminal that some random woman passing by was a ghost.” As for the spaceplane’s security, Wynter assured Val that stealing it and taking it to Jool was impossible – even if someone other than Misty was to attempt it. Since it was a brand-new aircraft, it would be difficult for a thief to figure out how to work all the complex controls before getting caught. Wynter even joked that a thief was more likely to detach the cabin before taking off. On the off-chance that someone did manage to achieve low-Kerbin orbit, however, not only would the aircraft be tracked, but the military would be scrambling to intercept it immediately. Furthermore, the farthest it could go was the surface of Minmus before it had to refuel, and even that would take days whereas soldiers stationed on Minmus would be able to reach it in hours at a maximum. Although the T-6 was capable of docking with other spacecraft – even though it shouldn’t have to for the mission it was designed for, which was landing on all five of Jool’s moons without outside help – orbital refueling stations would be on full alert. It would not be mistaken for a legitimate spacecraft in need of fuel, as its design was brand-new and hence recognizable. Wynter sighed as she leaned on the window, looking at the T-6. WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium had already made all sorts of iconic aircraft in the past, but its spotlight was slowly fading thanks to the prominence of larger jet-powered airliners, supersonic aircraft, and spacecraft. Should the T-6 prove successful in landing on and taking off from all five of Jool’s moons – especially Tylo – before returning to Kerbin, it would cement WinterOwl’s legacy in the space travel industry; C7 Aerospace was already famous for other contributions to the Kerbal Space Program. The two companies would also make a lot of money producing and selling more T-6 Cannonballs to anyone who dared travel to Jool’s moons, and with complete mission independence too – albeit at a higher price than usual. The companies would also profit from maintenance contracts when the spaceplanes returned to Kerbin, and WinterOwl was planning on training kerbalnauts bound for Jool to perform regular maintenance on the spaceplanes. The entire project was a long and risky endeavor, but the rewards for completing it were too great to ignore. “Turn around, and you’re dead,” a woman’s voice whispered behind her. “Who are…?” asked Wynter, but she felt something press hard against her back. “This is loaded,” the voice warned her. “If you scream or reach for your pockets, I’ll shoot.” “Okay,” said Wynter. “What do you want?” “I know you have a T-6 Cannonball in that hangar,” her assailant began. “We are going for a ride in that thing.” “That’s a pretty specific request,” Wynter observed. “Why THAT plane?” “Well, I have specific plans for that thing.” “What are they?” “All in good time,” her captor assured, “but first, you are going to do everything I say.” “Oh, no, Val was right,” sighed Wynter. “What? Val?” Wynter wanted to turn around to see her captor’s face, but she knew that she would end up with a bullet in her spine if she did. “Never mind that child. If you deviate from what I want, I will not hesitate to kill you.” “Then what do you want?” “First, you are going to order a full pre-flight check on your most successful T-6 Cannonball prototype. After that, you will order all runways cleared from now until the next day. Don’t even think about getting me a prototype that will FAIL, because you’re going down with it if it does.” “Okay, I understand,” sighed Wynter. “I’ll need my cell phone for this, though. It’s in my jacket pocket.” “Then get it out slowly. If I think you’re getting a weapon or calling for help, you’re dead.” Wynter obeyed, and carefully showed her captor her cell phone. “Hey, uh… Ray,” she stammered nervously. “Yes, boss?” a man replied. “Which prototype has had the highest success streak so far?” “Let me look… Version Eight, mam. We just need the okay to roll it out to the market.” “Is it in the hangar you’re in now?” the lady with the gun whispered, and Wynter repeated the question. “Yes.” “Good, then I want a complete pre-flight inspection of that thing done,” ordered Wynter. “Wait, now?” “Yes, now.” “Tell them you want that thing ready immediately,” the woman with the gun demanded, and Wynter complied. “Okay, then,” answered Ray, then he hung up. “Miss, it’s going to be a while before their inspection is finished,” said Wynter. “Does your airfield have a runway with a heading of 90 degrees?” the assailant asked her. “Yes, we do,” Wynter responded. “Then clear the runways now.” Wynter then dialed Air Traffic Control. “Yes, Mrs. Wynter.” “I want all runways cleared now,” she demanded. “Wait, all of them? Now?” The man at ATC responded. “Yes, now,” clarified Wynter before her captor leaned in closer. “Ask them how long and wide Runway 0-9 is,” she whispered. “Let me hear his answer.” “Oh… and one other thing,” said Wynter. “What is the length and width of Runway 0-9?” “The east-west runway is 3 kilometers long and 70 meters wide.” “Okay, then. Resume clearing the skies and runway.” ATC acknowledged her commands before disconnecting. “May I ask why you want me to do all this?” “I told you, all in good time. Now, Wynter, is the Cannonball REALLY capable of doing the Jool-5? Be honest.” “I don’t know, it’s never actually been done before.” “Then how promising were the test results? Be specific, and do not lie to me.” “I heard that it should have enough fuel to get to Jool on nuclear engines alone after getting off Minmus,” started Wynter. “In another test run, the fuel-and-oxidizer engines were said to have enough to land on Tylo.” “How about simulated runs for this model? Did you do any of those?” “Yes, but they said that they did the Tylo and Laythe landings ‘By the skin of their teeth.’ You still want it?” “Yes. Like I said earlier, you’d better not give me a dud or else you’re going down with it.” “Okay, I get it,” sighed Wynter. “Honey, you can come out now,” the assailant said calmly, then Wynter heard footsteps enter her office. “Wynter Kerman?” a man’s voice asked. “Be quiet,” the female assailant ordered. Wynter then gasped as she recognized the man’s voice. “What? But you’re dead.” A few days later, the kerbalnauts were having a rather uneventful time in Pod 5B31. Cassie and Marge were working out, Hadgan was asleep, Jeb had just finished cleaning up after finishing his own workout, Val was typing the mission log to send to Mission Control – this entry was short since nothing was happening – and Bill had just taken off his EVA suit after brushing space dust off the solar panels. Bob was on his kPad playing Cult Clash awaiting responses from Guscan and Rob. He had previously told them about Victor’s assault on the woman suspected to be Misty in the Scorcher Desert. While Rob had disagreed with the chance of Jeb Senior also being alive, he entertained the thought of Misty hiding after he recalled that someone in his cell block was – and still is – serving time for conspiracy to commit murder and insurance fraud after blowing up his own private jet to fake his death. Guscan had refused to talk to Victor since he didn’t trust him to tell the truth about anything, but he placed wanted posters and electronic advertisements in the towns in the Scorcher Desert with Misty’s photograph on them. So far, there was no sign of her. It would not be long before their pod would reach Kerbin’s sphere of influence. Val was upset that Wynter had dismissed her warning about Misty attempting to steal the T-6 Cannonball prototype. Her email correspondence with the KBI proved less than fruitful as they were also not willing to believe that Victor was not just delusional. On a brighter note, Minmus Command promised her that the T-6 would be spotted if it attempted to land, and that the military would reach the spacecraft well before it could synthesize enough fuel to leave. Hadgan was satisfied with that response, but Bill was not and had cited Misty’s history of slipping past security on a regular basis. Jeb assured him that he was just being paranoid and that Minmus’ military forces would be better prepared this time. “Wow, guys, take a look at this,” said Jeb, then he played a video on his kPad. “What is it?” wondered Bill, but he soon got his answer. “We have received a video message from a source within WinterOwl,” a man spoke. “Apparently, the company’s CEO herself, Wynter Kerman the Fourth, is taking on the Jool-5 challenge.” “The Jool-5?” gasped Val. “Let’s see the video,” the anchor requested, then the screen showed Wynter Kerman sitting inside what looked like a cockpit. “This is Wynter Kerman the Fourth, the CEO of WinterOwl,” she started with a blank expression on her face. “After seeing the results of the T-6 Cannonball tests, I am confident that it is ready for what it’s designed to do. Therefore, I am doing the Jool-5 challenge in this plane. In the event I do not return, I have already named a successor to the company.” She paused for five seconds before speaking again. “Wish me luck.” “There you have it, folks,” the news anchor said. “While many praised her for her bravery, others criticized her for being reckless. The most damning argument came from her personal physician, who said that she was not medically qualified…” “What?” gasped Val. “Not medically qualified?” “What’s the big deal?” asked Jeb. “Regulations FORBID interplanetary travel for anyone who does not possess a current appropriate medical certificate,” explained Val. “In other words, she’s not allowed to leave Kerbin’s sphere of influence.” “Aren’t there multiple classes of medical certificates for space travel?” questioned Bob. “Yes, but if she doesn’t have the right one, she can’t leave Kerbin’s sphere of influence,” clarified Val. “Heck, depending on how bad her health is, she may not be able to leave Kerbin’s ATMOSPHERE.” “Big deal,” Jeb scoffed. “Jeb, this is serious,” argued Val. “Not to me. I don’t wait for medical clearance to do anything,” replied Jeb. “First of all, of course you don’t,” sighed Val. “Second of all, it shouldn’t be too hard… well… it WASN’T hard for YOU to get medical clearance. You’re an athletic young man with no allergies, disabilities, or other health problems that would impact mission performance.” “Wynter could be feeling courageous today,” Jeb suggested. “And spontaneously deciding to take a trip that will take up a good chunk of her life – if not outright ending it,” said Bill. “Come on, dude. Why are you taking Miss Downer’s side?” Jeb asked his friend. “Because the Jool-5 takes a LONG TIME to plan,” said Bill, “and it takes EVEN LONGER for a solo mission. Besides, there are a few things I find weird about that announcement.” “Like what?” asked Bob. “According to the latest edition of Spaceplane Monthly,” started Bill, “the Cannonball had some trouble during the initial ascent. More specifically, during some of the test runs, it did not have enough delta-V to make it to Minmus after reaching LKO.” “Does it mean that she’ll crash or what?” sighed Val. “It said that the programmers worked on an autopilot program designed to ‘maximize propellant efficiency enough to have more than enough delta-V for the Minmus refueling stop. That way, the Cannonball can be completely independent of other spacecraft – aside from relays – during its intended voyage.’” Bill then showed his friends a picture of the spaceplane. “This is a pretty big deal to her, since that plane won’t be able to fly on rapiers alone once fully loaded. It’ll need the large fuel-and-oxidizer rocket engines as well.” “Does that article say whether or not that autopilot program works?” wondered Bob. “No, it doesn’t say,” said Bill. “Even if it did work, don’t you find it the LEAST bit strange that the WinterOwl CEO – who’s not even medically qualified for spaceflight – just decided to do the Jool-5 when there’s no record of her plane doing it FOR REAL?” “She could have FORGOTTEN the medical exam,” said Jeb. “Besides, couldn’t she just take it on Minmus while she refuels?” “Which brings me to the next subject,” continued Bill. “She has… ZERO training OR experience in spaceflight, and there have been no records of the Cannonball ever being used to successfully complete the Jool-5, yet she wants to fly the PROTOTYPE to all five of Jool’s moons. Wouldn’t it be a better idea to send a TRAINED CREW to do it first… which would include an ENGINEER and a PILOT to help with the planetary landings and refuelings?” “So? I was like that too,” Jeb replied. “Val, you said it yourself, Wynter’s great-grandma paved the way for women in the business world. Why should SHE not do the same thing with the Jool-5?” “Because something is wrong here,” Val told him. “Bill and I warned her that Misty could steal the T-6 Cannonball, but she doesn’t believe us. Now, she’s using that same prototype without THE LEAST bit of evidence that she prepared for it.” “I think it’s a GENIUS move,” argued Bob, getting confused looks from Bill and Val. “Misty and Jeb Senior can’t steal the plane if it’s not even on the surface.” “Thank you, Bob,” said Jeb, pointing at him. “Even so, you need a current medical certificate to pull that off,” Val told Bob. “Now, let me remind you that she needs THE HIGHEST-LEVEL clearance to leave the sphere of influence.” “Who said she was ACTUALLY doing that?” smirked Bob. “What do you mean?” asked Bill. “She could have SAID she’s doing the Jool-5,” explained Bob, “but she’s actually hiding it SOMEWHERE ELSE.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” sighed Val. “First of all, where EXACTLY would she put it?” “Duh, in orbit or on Minmus or something.” “You know, now that you mention it, someone did leak the fact that the T-6 Cannonball was docking-capable,” said Bill. “Even if hiding the plane was her intention, do you have any idea how much her stocks would tank if everyone finds out she’s not actually doing the Jool-5?” argued Val. “SOMEONE’S going to end up finding out, and her company’s reputation is ruined.” “Until she tells them that she’s just HIDING it from Misty,” said Bob. “Unfortunately, her customers aren’t going to believe that,” warned Val. “They’ll just think she chickened out or just did it as a publicity stunt or something like that… which brings us back to the ‘Why not have a crew do it?’ question.” “Then just TELL the world that she’s just hiding the Cannonball,” suggested Jeb, “or just doing the Jool-5 FOR REAL.” “On the off-chance that she’s not actually doing the Jool-5, by the time she may even reveal that fact, her company could be in shambles,” said Val. “Someone is BOUND to find the Cannonball being hidden – let’s just hope it’s not Misty – and spill the secrets to everyone. Worst-case scenario, she gets thrown out of her position for sabotaging her own stockholders and then maybe investigated for embezzlement.” “Can we get back to the medical question, please?” interrupted Bill. “CAN she even get to low-Kerbin orbit, let alone out of the sphere of influence?” “Dude, her doctor just said she’s not medically qualified to do the Jool-5,” sighed Jeb. “I thought you were all FOR her doing that,” said Bill. “Her medical certificate could have EXPIRED,” Jeb pointed out, “or she could just get the right exam on Minmus or something. Can she?” “Okay, now I’m curious,” Bob conceded. “Val, do you have access to Wynter’s medical files?” “You know, Jeb has that clearance level too,” reminded Val. “He’s an admiral now, remember?” “Oh, yeah,” smirked Jeb. “Stephen, access Wynter Kerman’s KSP file. Password: I hate passwords.” “Voice key approved… three matches to ‘Wynter Kerman’ found in database,” a male voice replied from the kPad, then the screen showed him the three names with general descriptions. Wynter Kerman III Wynter Kerman IV Wynter Kerman V Alias(es) Wynter Three Wynter Four Wynter Five Status (DECEASED) Alive Alive Cause of Death (If Deceased) Lung Cancer · History of smoking prior to death N/A N/A Gender Female Female Female Role/s (Chronological) · WinterOwl CEO (former) · WinterOwl CEO · Tourist · Tourist · Piloting Cadet (KSID #: 193-519-572) “Wynter Kerman has a daughter?” gasped Jeb. “With the exception of Wynter Kerman the Fifth, all ‘Wynter Kermans’ listed have daughters,” said the kPad’s automated assistant voice. “It’s… part of her family tradition,” stammered Val. “They name their firstborn daughters Wynter.” “Try Wynter Four,” ordered Jeb. “Affirmative,” replied Stephen, then the kPad displayed the first page of Wynter’s personnel file. “Again, why does the space program have a personnel file on WinterOwl’s CEO?” asked Bob. “I believe it’s protocol to have files on EVERYONE it does business with,” said Val. “I don’t know what it has on the third Wynter, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a file on the FOURTH since she was marked as a tourist. As for the FIFTH, she’s a cadet with a Kerbal Space ID number; they HAVE to have a file on her.” “That’s weird,” said Bill. “If Wynter the Fourth’s already a tourist, then why did her doctor say that she wasn’t medically qualified to do the Jool-5?” “Because she was REJECTED,” answered Jeb. “According to this, when she went to get her third-class medical certificate renewed a year ago, she applied for a first-class. HOWEVER, due to her heart condition as well as ‘family history of similar conditions,’ her first-class examination came back with a no-go.” “Doesn’t a heart condition automatically disqualify you from going into space AT ALL?” wondered Bill. “Well, they loosened up the restrictions recently,” explained Val. “Um, what exactly does a third-class medical certificate mean?” Bob questioned, and his friends looked at him awkwardly. “What? Since WE’RE obviously able to leave Kerbin’s sphere of influence, lower-class clearances weren’t really an issue for me.” “It means she can’t get higher than low-Kerbin orbit – or, more specifically, an orbit with an apoapsis of more than 200 kilometers,” answered Val. “Then odds are that she’ll croak before…,” started Bill, then he noticed Jeb typing on his kPad. “What are you doing?” “Maybe her daughter knows something,” said Jeb. “I’m gonna try to reach her.” “You might want to wait a few hours,” Val told him. “It’s midnight in Krakopolis.” “Yeah, so?” asked Jeb, and Val facepalmed herself. “Duh, she could be ASLEEP.” “Or she’s out taking the plane for a joyride,” said Jeb. “Where would you get an idea like that?” “I used to take the training jets out for night joyrides in Basic,” explained Jeb. “Well, that was until security caught me red-handed after the… seventh time. Huh, ironic that seven was my UN-lucky number.” “Hmm…,” said Val, scratching her chin. “What do you think she’ll know?” “Why her mom would do the Jool-5 all of a sudden when she’s not qualified,” answered Jeb as the kPad played a dial tone. “Kinda nice that her cadet file had her cell phone on it.” “Good luck getting a response,” sighed Val. “Hello,” a girl answered, surprising Jeb’s comrades. “Are you Wynter Kerman the Fifth?” asked Jeb. “I am,” she replied. “Who are you?” “This is Cap… I mean ADMIRAL Jebediah Kerman,” he told her. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it’s really you,” she cheered. “I’m Wynter Kerman the Fifth, but everybody just calls me either Wynter or Wynter Five. I just want to say it is an HONOR to talk to you, sir.” “Why, thank you,” said Jeb. “Are you sure you got the time right?” Bob whispered to Val. “She seems kind of excited for someone who’s supposed to be asleep.” “Yes, which is weird,” said Val, showing Bob a picture of the moon above a city labeled “Krakopolis” on her kPad. “I can’t believe I’m talking to Jebediah Kerman,” Wynter Five continued. “Could you calm down for a minute here?” sighed Bill. “Who said that?” asked Wynter Five. “Jeb’s lesser-known friend, Bill Kerman,” he answered, but that seemed to excite her more. “You mean just the COOLEST ENGINEER EVER!” “SHUT UP!” shouted Val. “Okay, okay, chill,” said Wynter Five. “Who was that, by the way.” “Elegail… uh, Kerman,” lied Val. “Yeah, I’m Admiral Elegail Kerman.” “Really, V…,” said Jeb, but she covered his mouth. “If she knew I was here, we’ll be stuck with introductions until we splash down,” she whispered. “Why’d you call me?” asked Wynter Five. “Are you aware that your mom is doing the Jool-5?” inquired Jeb. “WHAT?!” gasped Wynter Five. “Impossible!” “That’s weird, because she made a public announcement about it earlier,” said Jeb. “Well, this is the first time I heard about it.” “Hold up,” Val interjected, “are you saying your mom didn’t tell you?” “No, she didn’t,” answered Wynter Five. “She’s not allowed to leave low-Kerbin orbit, let alone THE SPHERE OF INFLUENCE – and for good reason. With HER heart condition, that’s practically SUICIDE.” “Thank you,” said Jeb. “Let me get this straight,” started Bill, “your mother, who has a serious medical issue, just decides to do the Jool-5 and NOT TELL YOU BEFOREHAND?” “Apparently,” confirmed Wynter Five. “Did she tell you anything else regarding the plane she’s using?” asked Jeb. “What plane?” inquired Wynter Five. “The T-6 Cannonball.” “Wait, so it was MOM’S company that made it?” gasped Wynter Five. “Well, hers and C7,” admitted Bill. “I saw some of the other kerbalnauts use some weird-looking plane a few months ago,” said Wynter Five, “but I heard that they were testing it. I had no idea Mom’s company actually MADE it.” “Could you hold on a bit, please?” Bill requested, then he muted Jeb’s kPad. “What kind of mom doesn’t tell her kid that she’s doing a suicide mission?” “Mine,” sighed Jeb, “only it was my DAD.” “No, since your dad emailed you before he went off into space,” reminded Bill. “Aside from that, he was obviously qualified to leave Kerbin. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up kidnapped on Eve.” “Maybe she’s a negligent mother,” said Bob, “or she’s actually stashing the plane in LKO.” “Then wouldn’t she have at least told her daughter that, or at least told her SOMETHING?” asked Val. “I mean… if I was Wynter Four, I’d at least tell Wynter Five that I was doing the Jool-5 just in case Misty captured her.” “I’ll have to debunk your ‘hiding in LKO’ theories right there,” said Bill, “since a large plane such as the Cannonball can easily be tracked. If not a government-sponsored agency, someone else will and then tell everyone.” “Hmm… can someone other than Jeb pull up the video Wynter Four made?” said Val. “Can-do,” Bob acknowledged, then he found what Val was looking for. “There.” “Hey, Wynter Five,” a girl’s voice said on Jeb’s kPad, “whatcha doing?” “Oh my gosh, Jebediah Kerman’s talking to me,” Wynter Five replied. “What exactly is she doing this late at night?” Val asked herself. “Start the video.” “This is Wynter Kerman the Fourth, the CEO of WinterOwl. After seeing the results of the T-6 Cannonball tests, I am confident that it is ready for what it’s designed to do. Therefore, I am doing the Jool-5 challenge in this plane. In the event I do not return, I have already named a successor to the company. Wish me luck.” “Jeb, you keep talking to Wynter Five,” said Val. “The rest of you boys, let me ask you this: how would you feel if you were about to do the Jool-5?” “I’d either be totally stoked or scared out of my mind,” confessed Bill. “And in a plane that’s never actually done it before, I’d be leaning towards ‘scared’ myself,” added Val. “I can only imagine what an older businesswoman with a medical issue is going through.” “Maybe she’s trying to look calm for her viewers,” suggested Bob. “Perhaps,” said Val, then she replayed the video again. “Huh, she seems… hold it.” “What?” asked Bill. “I got it,” interrupted Bob, snapping his fingers. “Wynter Four is DYING.” “Dying?” inquired Val. “She’ll either die doing the Jool-5 or from whatever problem she’s got,” explained Bob. “Really?” sighed Val. “Well, if her condition involves eye twitching, that could be it.” “Eye twitching?” wondered Bill. “Look.” Val then pointed at Wynter Four, who kept looking to her left with her peripheral vision during her speech. “That’s weird,” said Bob. “What is she looking at?” “Come to think of it, she looks like she’s in a cockpit or something,” said Bill. “Why not do it in a studio, or at least somewhere more appropriate?” “Yeah. If I was going to tell the world that I was gonna do something that risky, I would do it in a fancy studio WAY in advance – and with teleprompters, camera crews, makeup, and everything,” agreed Val. “Why do it in a cockpit immediately… before… takeoff?” “When you’re likely to croak outside of a 200-kilometer orbit,” added Bill. “And in a plane still in the experimental phase,” said Bob, then Jeb hung up. “And not tell your daughter a thing.” “UH OH!” Val and Bill said together. “What do you mean uh oh?” wondered Jeb. “I forgot to run software diagnostics today,” said Bill. “Can it wait for ten minutes?” asked Val. “Yes.” “Bob, you said that Wynter Four could be lying and is just trying to HIDE the Cannonball,” said Val. “Is that right?” “Yes, but you said that someone could find it and the hoax would ruin her company,” reminded Bob. “Then why not tell US that?” Val pointed out. “Because if she told everyone that she stashed the Cannonball in LKO, Misty will know where to look,” answered Jeb. “I mean telling just Bill and I when we warned her,” clarified Val. “She blew us off, and then she suddenly decides to tell the world that she’s taking that thing to another planet days later – without even telling us that she’s fine.” “Which would support my ‘doing it because she’s dying’ theory,” argued Bob. “I would agree with you,” said Val, pointing at Bob, “but NOT from any medical conditions.” “Uhh… I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that if Wynter Four WAS dying, then a medical condition is pretty much implied,” said Jeb. “Yeah, kinda like my mom,” agreed Bill. “What exactly do you think would kill Wynter Four?” “A gunshot,” answered Val, shocking the men. “GUNSHOT?” gasped Jeb. “Are you saying that Wynter Four was HIJACKED?” said Bill. “By none other than Misty herself,” finished Val. Inside Kerbin’s sphere of influence, a T-6 Cannonball was in a Hohmann transfer to Minmus. As Val and her friends had predicted, Misty had forced Wynter Four at gunpoint to film herself inside the spaceplane’s cockpit announcing her attempt to land on all five of Jool’s moons. Misty also made Wynter Four request a copy of the full report on the simulated Jool-5 the engineers performed, which included instructions on how it could be accomplished. After all the pre-flight checks were done – with Misty and her partner staying out of sight – the T-6 took off, ascended to low-Kerbin orbit, and made a Hohmann transfer burn to Minmus. Misty had explained to Wynter Four that she wanted the T-6 specifically because it should be able to get on and off Tylo completely on its own. Tylo was her focus because it was as large as Kerbin but without an atmosphere, which made ascent and descent extremely difficult for other spacecraft; they were also either multi-staged or dependent on Jool’s transport network. Few kerbalnauts dared set foot on the surface because of that, including level five veterans. This made Tylo the ideal place for Misty and her partner to spend the rest of their days at, and the T-6 was perfect in case they had to move. However, if the simulated Jool-5 mission report was an accurate prediction on how it would go, then the T-6 would have to land on Laythe first; it would then have to refuel and fly to Bop to refuel again before landing on Tylo. While this would slow down Misty’s plans for a Tylo getaway, her odds of getting arrested on Laythe were low thanks to Kerbin’s reduced military presence there. Political backlash from the Clivar Genocide had forced Kerbin’s central government to withdraw or decommission all their forces on that moon except for those necessary for base security, weather patrol, or light vehicle escort. The Fallout Zone surrounding Poseidon’s Palace also caused demand for tourism and kerbalnaut assignments there to drop, and since the T-6 Cannonball was designed for complete mission independence Misty did not have to worry about running into someone who would recognize her and ruin her plans. It also helped that she was presumed dead for over a year, which made Laythe a great romantic vacation spot for her and her partner while they weren’t on Tylo. That partner was someone else everyone assumed to be dead, Jebediah Kerman Senior. Unfortunately for all three of the occupants, Wynter Four suffered a heart attack a day after the spaceplane made its Hohmann transfer burn to Minmus. Despite Misty’s and Jeb Senior’s best efforts (short of calling for medical aid), they could not resuscitate her. On top of losing their best bet on knowing how to operate the T-6, Wynter Four’s corpse would become a health hazard if they left it in the crew cabin. At the same time, Misty did not want to risk sounding the alarm by ejecting the body there and leaving it for other kerbalnauts to find. Luckily, the engineers who built the T-6 included three body bags and some appropriately sized boxes in the cabin in the event of an occupant’s death; it was still an experimental spaceplane, so the risk of someone dying mid-mission was high. Misty was upset by this setback, but Jeb Senior argued that she was already planning to kill Wynter Four anyway. “Not yet,” Misty had told him. “We needed her to tell us everything she knows about this spaceplane, not to mention leverage in case some snoopy kerbalnauts form a paparazzi. Good thing we got her email and phone login, or else we’re toast for sure.” With Wynter Four’s body in a vacuum-sealed body bag, which was locked in a secured crate, the next few days were relatively quiet. Before they knew it, they were hours away from entering Minmus’ sphere of influence. “We should have enough fuel to land safely on Minmus before refueling,” Misty announced. “Once that happens, we shall be free at last to live our lives together.” “Looking forward to it,” said Jeb Senior, “but must we do it in this spacecraft?” “For the hundredth time, YES,” sighed Misty. “But if your intention is for us to live in isolation forever, then wouldn’t it be better to do it in a more LUXURIOUS spacecraft?” argued Jeb Senior. “At the very least, we should have taken a spacecraft whose performance has REPEATEDLY been proven.” “What do you mean by that?” asked Misty. “The T-6 is still technically an EXPERIMENTAL spacecraft,” explained Jeb Senior. “How do you know this thing will actually make it to Jool, or stay in one piece after landing? It’s never done the Jool-5 before.” “You can say the same about the first rockets that made it to the Mun before they pulled off that feat,” countered Misty, “or the first spaceplanes… or regular planes, for that matter. Besides, this thing had passed the simulated Jool-5 runs, so I’m pretty confident that it can do it for real.” “You bring a good point, but why must we use THIS plane? Why not just take a spacecraft that’s ALREADY done the Jool-5?” “Because everything else had to be done in pieces, like that one plane that sent multi-stage open-cockpit landers for Tylo. If we have to land there, then we can only do it ONCE.” She paused as she held Jeb Senior’s hand. “Also, we can’t use the KSP’s Jool transport network for obvious reasons – two of them being that they’re too slow for Tylo refuelings and that we’ll get captured. THAT, my love, is why we are taking a risk with the T-6 Cannonball.” “Sounds great,” Jeb Senior conceded. “On a related note, aren’t you concerned that our docking capability would be a problem?” “Well, Wynter told me that the monopropellant was mostly for fast maneuvering in case the reaction wheels didn’t cut it. The engineers then decided to add a docking port at the end in case ISRU refueling isn’t enough… and so that the plane can be used for more than just the Jool-5.” “Speaking of Wynter, wouldn’t peo…,” started Jeb Senior. “Alert: incoming vessel entering Kerbin’s sphere of influence,” a female computer voice interrupted. “Ooh, I wonder who that could be,” said Misty. “Computer, identify vessel.” “Vessel identified as Pod 5B31, coming in from Dres.” “Bill,” sighed Misty. “I had calculated that he would be home by now to intercept me. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew I was in this plane already.” “Then… I guess this means game over,” stammered Jeb Senior. “Not yet, it doesn’t,” argued Misty. “If you remember the news from last year, you would have known that they were taking my daughter’s killer back home from Dres. Therefore, Bill and his friends HAVE to splash down and hand over the prisoner before he could get airborne again. Besides that, they’ve been away from Kerbin for almost a decade by now. By the time Bill’s cleared to get back into action again, we would already be out of his reach.” “Bill and Val, maybe,” said Jeb Senior, “but not Jeb.” “Again, stop talking about your son,” Misty sighed in boredom. “BOTH our old families are GONE. Sure, Jeb is still alive, but he wants nothing to do with you. Furthermore, you were once rich before you ‘died.’ I’m sure you left him SOMETHING to satisfy his greed – not that you owe him anything.” “Jeb may be a knucklehead,” replied Jeb Senior, “but the only thing he IS greedy for is a high-risk thrill.” “As far as you know; you haven’t talked to your son much BEFORE I picked you up,” said Misty. “Besides, he is BOUND to spend his inheritance on doing whatever dumb acrobatics he would otherwise get arrested for.” “Would those ‘dumb acrobatics’ include flying to Minmus for me?” Jeb Senior pointed out, and Misty laughed. “Surely, with as long as JEB’S been on the program, Mission Control would have gotten wise to his antics. Besides, you remember how lousy you felt after landing on Kerbin; your so-callled son would WANT some time off.” “Good point,” agreed Jeb Senior, “but don’t expect him to take care of his own health before he does that. After all, he’s the kind to leap first and look later.” “Assuming he still cares about you,” said Misty as she embraced Jeb Senior. “Just remember: if you turn up alive, he’ll have no choice but to give back everything he inherited from you. If anything, he’ll benefit more if he LEFT you alone.” “Okay,” Jeb Senior conceded. “However, on the small chance that he DOES come for me – or if SOMEONE ELSE does – then shouldn’t we call for a fuel truck or an ore transport to meet us? It would speed up the refueling process.” “And risk someone doing Bill’s job FOR him?” reminded Misty. “First of all, someone operating the fueling vehicles could see us and kill us – if not radio for more men. Second of all, this spaceplane is designed to be the pinnacle of space travel; the one that can do the Jool-5 and return in one piece ALL BY ITSELF. If it can do that, then we don’t need any stinking help.” Since Misty had already told Jeb Senior that she had “taken care of” the possibility that the press would want to see their craft in person, he figured that nobody would come for him. “Misty,” said Jeb Senior, “I would like to send out another message… as Wynter Four.” “Everybody strapped in?” Bill asked his fellow crewmembers. “Dude, we’ve been strapped in for 20 MINUTES,” sighed Jeb. “Perfect,” said Bill. “As we all know, Misty Kerman is heading to Minmus to refuel her plane. If we don’t catch her before her tanks are full, we can kiss her good-bye. At the same time, we have orders from the top to splash down within 50 kilometers of the Kerbal Space Center so that the military can take us in.” “Yeah, yeah, we know they need to pick me up and debrief you guys,” said Hadgan. “Could you skip to the part where we… I dunno, DO SOMETHING?” “As I was saying – before Hadgan interrupted me – we currently do not have enough fuel to circularize our orbit before making a transfer burn to Minmus,” continued Bill. “You might want to ask me ‘why not just use ANOTHER spacecraft to chase her AFTER we land?’ Answer: by the time the higher-ups give us the green light to do so, it would be too late. However, you might also be asking ‘then how does Bill expect to get to Minmus if he doesn’t have enough delta-V?’” Everyone started looking at each other in confusion, then Bill got their attention again. “I’ll tell you how I expect to get to Minmus while conserving fuel: we’re going to AEROBRAKE.” “What?” gasped Bob. “Are you trying to blow us up?” “Uh… question,” said Maurge Kerman, the pod’s medic, “why are we even chasing Misty?” “She’s Irpond’s mother,” answered Val. “Yeah, so?” questioned Maurge. “She kidnapped my dad, blew him up while faking her own death, and now she’s trying to get away,” sighed Jeb. “Bill’s been out for her head for years.” “ANYWAY,” said Bill, “at our current trajectory, we’re at great risk of either blowing up or staying in a hyperbolic trajectory by the time we get through the atmosphere. Heck, we’re at great risk of losing one or more engines during said aerobrake. Therefore, I’ve DISABLED the navicomputer’s automated landing sequence and implemented a NEW program. If I did the math right – and assuming the repeated simulations were accurate – the resulting circularization burn should give us a 55-kilometer periapsis while having an apoapsis on Minmus’ orbit at the time that moon passes through that particular point in space.” “Can we get the TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ version, please?” Jeb requested. “We should be able to rendezvous with Minmus while saving fuel,” Bill summarized. “Um, excuse me,” said Cassie, “if this last-minute change in the mission is intended to intercept Misty Kerman, then how are we going to transport her back to Kerbin? We’re already at full capacity, not to mention we need to take ANOTHER prisoner too.” “Who said we’re taking her in ALIVE?” replied Bill, tightening his grip on a screwdriver. “When we catch up to Misty, I’ll KILL her and leave her body there.” “So, it’s a murder mission?” sighed Maurge. “Count me in,” Hadgan commented. “One problem: what about Wynter Four?” reminded Val. “What are we gonna do about HER?” “Who’s Wynter Four?” wondered Cassie. “CEO of WinterOwl,” said Val, “or at least she WAS. Now, we believe that Misty TOOK HER HOSTAGE as she made her escape in the Cannonball.” “Odds are Misty killed her already,” Bill guessed. “However, if Wynter Four is still alive when we find her, we’ll transport her to an outpost for a medical assessment and then have someone take her back.” “Why not just have one of us STAY on Minmus and have Wynter Four fly back with US?” questioned Jeb. “Given her heart condition, I don’t know if she’ll make it unharmed if she rides in this pod. At least Mission Control will know what to do with her,” answered Bill. “So, to recap,” started Bob, “we aerobrake, intercept Minmus, assassinate Misty and bury the body, and then leave Wynter Four there while we return to Kerbin.” “You forgot making our partial de-orbit burn before the aerobraking part,” said Bill, “not to mention we actually NEED to find Misty and/or Wynter Four. Even if we DO find Wynter Four – and assuming she’s still alive – we’ll take her to the nearest medical station for a full assessment. We’ll then radio Kerbin and have THEM deal with her while WE get back home.” “I’m in,” said Val. “Same here,” concurred Bob, and everyone except for Cassie agreed. “Why SHOULD we do this?” she argued. “You’re adding weeks to our mission time just so YOU can MURDER someone.” “Who murdered hundreds of innocent people, including Jeb’s dad,” countered Bill. “If we don’t stop her now, she’ll MULTIPLY her kill count.” “Then why not capture her?” said Cassie. “Killing a murderer is what got Hadgan in trouble with the law.” “Because the bureaucrats who charged him are corrupt, and Irpond was ALREADY imprisoned – and facing a death sentence, by the way,” spat Bill. “Besides, the last time the cops tried playing fair with Misty DIDN’T WORK. If she wants to play dirty, then so will I. Now, are there any OTHER questions?” All was silent for ten seconds. “No? Okay, then. Now, hold on to something. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.” Almost a minute later, Jeb’s kPad buzzed. “Ooh, an email,” he gasped. “Who’s it from?” asked Val. “Wynter Four,” answered Jeb. From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Your Dad Jeb, I know you were not on the best of terms with your father. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if you thought he deserved to get blown to bits. At least read what I have to say and don’t delete this. You won’t regret it. YOUR FATHER STILL LIVES – IN YOU Sincerely, Wynter Kerman the Fourth “That sounds so… fishy,” said Val. “You’re telling me,” agreed Jeb. “It’s been over a year since Dad got blown up, and NOW she says that ‘he still lives in me.’ A little late to tell me that now, isn’t it?” “Especially since Misty has Wynter Four held hostage in that plane,” reminded Val. “Why would Misty let her send YOU an email?” “I dunno, probably to throw us off,” suggested Jeb. “Then why email you SPECIFICALLY and not just… make it public?” countered Val. “Hmm… I wonder if BILL got an email from her too,” said Jeb. “Well, did she CC him?” asked Val. “Nope,” answered Jeb. “Hmm, that doesn’t mean she didn’t send him a SEPARATE email,” said Val. “Why would Misty let Wynter Four send BILL an email?” Jeb mentioned. “Better yet, you said it yourself, why would she let her contact anyone at all?” “Executing maneuver node in ten… nine… eight… seven,” the navicomputer started. “Brace yourselves!” ordered Val, and Jeb secured his kPad to the compartment under his seat. When the countdown was over, the pod fired up its engines while MechJeb kept it on Bill’s plotted maneuver node. The pod was about 150 kilometers above Kerbin’s surface when the engines stopped. “MJ, aim for the radial,” said Bill as he pressed some more buttons. “This should dissipate the heat while we aerobrake, but we need to spin the pod about it for a more even distribution. Jeb, you ready?” Jeb then flipped a transparent lever cover and pulled it from the center position closer to his own seat. “Manual override engaged,” said the navicomputer. “All ready, dude,” Jeb told Bill. “Just give the word.” “The pod will tell us when we get below 70 kilometers altitude, which should be any second now. When that happens, I need you to keep rolling and not stop until I say so.” “Should I roll left or right?” “Hmm… doesn’t matter, but pick one and stick with it,” Bill answered as he made sure that all the solar panels, antennae, and radiators had been retracted. “Got it.” “Alert: you are now within Kerbin’s atmosphere. Altitude: 70 kilomters.” “Hit it, Jeb.” Jeb began spinning the pod to the left as flames started forming around its exterior. A few minutes later, the flames subsided, and Bill told Jeb to stop and straighten out the spacecraft. He then checked their orbit with the navicomputer and gave a thumbs-up before entering some more commands into the MJ autopilot. “What are you doing?” asked Jeb. “I thought we were good.” “We still need a fine-tuning to get caught in Minmus’ sphere of influence,” explained Bill, “but this aerobrake saved us a lot of fuel.” “Hey, Bill,” said Bob, “better extend the panels and antennae now that we’re out of the atmosphere.” “Oh, right.” “Pod 5B31, this is Mission Control,” a man’s voice crackled on the radio. “Do you copy?” “We’re in trouble,” said Jeb. “Since when has that concerned you?” smirked Hadgan. “I’ll handle this,” said Val. “Affirmative, Mission Control. This is Admiral Valentina Kerman.” “You were supposed to be on a splashdown trajectory now,” said the man at Mission Control. “Explain your course change immediately.” “I knew this was a bad idea,” Cassie commented. “Relax. If there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s getting out of tight spots,” Bob assured her. “We’re talking MUTINY here. In the eyes of the law, we’d be pirates.” “Pirates? Cool,” said Jeb. “That doesn’t help.” “Quiet, guys,” ordered Val before responding to Mission Control. “Uh… we’re making a stop at Minmus to refuel.” “Good one,” whispered Bill, but Val gestured him to remain silent. “Why? You were ordered to jettison the engines during re-entry, and your previous trajectory would have had them land safely in the ocean.” “Right, but… why let this perfectly good spacecraft go to waste? I mean, can’t we use it again?” “Negative,” the man at Mission Control answered. “All Mark V interplanetary travel pods in active service have been mothballed.” “WHAT?! Mothballed!” Bill gasped in shock. “Any Mark V pods returning to Kerbin are considered decommissioned and are to re-enter immediately unless doing so would endanger kerbal life.” “You’re trashing…?” said Bill. “Tchhh… what’s tchhh… say again, shhh…!” Val responded. “Radio… wor…” She then disconnected the radio. “Did you just hang up on Mission Control?” asked Jeb. “I learned from the best,” Val replied, winking. “Misty’s caused us enough trouble already, and I don’t need Mission Control helping her.” “Just like when he ditched Jeb’s dad when we were kids,” Bill commented. “Dad…,” muttered Jeb, and suddenly his eyes widened. “Dad’s STILL ALIVE.” “What?” gasped Bill. “MY FATHER sent me that email,” explained Jeb. “We’d better get him fast.”

AUTHOR'S NOTE I sincerely apologize for not paying attention to this novel for years. I have been bogged down with college, job search, the actual job, and just life in general. One thing in particular that took my creative energy was my Air Force Museum replica showcase in the Spacecraft Exchange. While it was just copies of planes that already exist in real-life, making functional replicas and piloting them was no easy task - especially for older aircraft. It also provided a nice opportunity to write some more kerbal lore, especially in the years long before any of the Famous Four's parents were born. That being said, due to popular demand, I've gotten back to writing the next chapter. In approximately three hours (2230 EST on November 9, 2024), I will post it on this thread. I'm waiting that long so that the two posts don't merge together, like with the prologue and Chapter One. So, get ready because the chase is back on.

So, how did your journey go? Was my calculator helpful?

Wonder Woman's Invisible Plane I prefer the real invisible jet Batwing I said the REAL invisible jet B-2 Spirit Perfection Iconic photograph of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber in flight. I made this plane for my Ace Combat replica collection on the KSP1 spacecraft exchange earlier today. For more details on how well it did, feel free to check out the post linked below. There's one more thing you must know before you decide to take it out for a spin. Whatever you do, DO NOT WARP UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS AIRCRAFT WILL BREAK APART IF YOU DO At last, I have completed the triumvirate of the U.S. Air Force's strategic bombers: the B-52 Stratofortress for strength, the B-1 Lancer for speed, and now the B-2 Spirit for stealth. What's next, the B-something Helen for elasticity? It's honestly a mix of sadness and relief that the B-2 was developed too late to perform the very thing it was designed for. On one hand, most people would prefer that an all-out thermonuclear war not break out. Even if the Soviet Union didn't see the aircraft itself coming, it wouldn't really matter since the Soviets would undoubtedly target the U.S. and its allies in retaliation regardless. Just like the B-36 Peacemaker for WWII, it did not see action in what it was intended for, but at least it served as a nuclear deterrent afterwards; in the B-2's case, it still is. On the other hand, billions of taxpayer dollars were spent on a stealth bomber that could fly deep into Soviet territory without being seen, yet it came out too late to do that. At least it got to see combat in the Middle East. Which makes me question why there is a need to replace it with the B-21 Raider. For that matter, even if the B-2s were starting to perform badly due to age, why did the U.S. government announce that they were getting replaced in 2032 in the first place? That just gives our adversaries time to infiltrate our military contract workforce and steal secrets, like how to hide from air defenses. I get making it public if you have a working prototype and you want to convey the message "Stay back, or you won't see us coming when we retaliate!" but that's kind of pointless now that everybody knows of the B-2's existence. If they really do need replacement, you don't want to advertise that fact or else our enemies could exploit that weakness. Have fun with the B-2 Spirit, if you can find it. Replicas Remaining: 182

Wonder Woman's Invisible Plane I prefer the real invisible jet Batwing I said the REAL invisible jet B-2 Spirit Perfection The B-2 Spirit on display in the SPH. I started with the Mk2 cockpit since it was the closest to matching the real-life’s, then followed with a probe core for Kerbnet. Behind that, I used a Mk2 Rocket Fuel Fuselage Short in case I needed oxidizer to move the CoM forward. My Mk2 ALCM Bay subassembly was used for the bomber’s ordinance. It worked out great for me in the past, so that saved me a lot of time and headache on testing alone. Perfect if you need to nuke a hostile alien spaceship over Houston. It was convenient that the subassembly’s action groups - AG4 for the doors, and AG0 to activate the missile itself - also carried over when I merged it. As an additional feature, I programmed the AG9 button to activate the missile’s Kerbnet so that it can have GPS guidance in the dark. Putting the giant wing together was a nightmare. To make a long story short, I started from the back and worked my way forward for the outside, filled the inside with wing connectors starting from the side of the fuselage, and made sure to autostrut everything. Once again, Panthers proved to be a disappointing choice for engines. I started with them due to their wide gimbal range since the B-2 had no rudder, but the aircraft proved to not get up to takeoff speed quick enough in dry mode. In wet mode, though the plane did get airborne, it was wiggling side to side and the gimbals were pointing everywhere. At least with Whiplash engines, their thrust vectoring was more uniform. I also got some more reaction wheels out of it too. I originally had one set of large landing gear on each side, but the engine it was not attached to drooped downward due to a lack of support. To even things out - and to reduce wing wiggling - I put one large landing gear per engine in the back, totaling four. For the finishing touch (besides the American flag on the starboard (right) side of the front fuel tank), I added nav lights and made them a separate action groups from the main light button. That way the plane can be stealth when penetrating enemy territory and later be seen when approaching a friendly airfield. After all, no use spending billions of dollars to make a stealth bomber that can go deep into the Soviet Union only for some random pilot to crash into it in mid-air over Missouri because s/he could not see it in the dark. First and foremost, DO NOT WARP UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES THIS AIRCRAFT WILL BREAK APART IF YOU DO The B-2 heading north after a long takeoff and a very slow turn. Due to the aircraft’s immense size, especially the wing alone, you need to accelerate to 140 m/s before you can get airborne. The pitch functions were disabled on the outer three control surfaces - while they were left on for the inner two - since they were going against what the pilot wanted. A large airframe combined with a lack of elevators or a rudder is exactly why powerful engines with gimbals were warranted. While a subsonic plane was ideal to mimic the real-life B-2, which was designed for stealth instead of speed, it was the only way this plane could get off the ground. Even then, it still had stability issues. After pitching up at 20 degrees, the B-2 settled at a cruising altitude of 15 km. It could cruise at 925 m/s. Although it is at nearly a third of the throttle, the plane would at least stay there the entire time. It took a few times to figure out a good ascent profile and cruise setting due to spinning, bouncing, and the occasional flameout. Preliminary range calculations showed that the B-2 would be able to cover almost 90% of the planet’s circumference, and that it would take over an hour at the speed it was going. Iconic photograph of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber in flight. If you enter your cruise right, you won’t have to worry about rolling or yawing as much. You should still pay attention, but if that does happen it should be easy to correct. Whatever you do, DO NOT WARP. The stealth-except-to-super-long-range-infrared-scanners bomber flying over Kerbin’s oceans, on its way to bomb some unsuspecting targets. With this ALCM, nobody will see their doom coming until it’s too late. Some of the pilots wanted a grim reaper dressed like a ninja painted on the airframe, but the military expressly prohibited unnecessary decorations on bombers that would not be assigned to specific squadrons. They also did not want to risk compromising the stealth coating by introducing it to non-approved paint, which was used for airframe part marking and the necessary air force symbol. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Status: ARMED: LIGHT AIR-TO-GROUND ORDINANCE 1 x Air-Launched Cruise Missile Mk. II Altitude: 15 km (~49.2k ft; Class Alpha airspace) Ascend to altitude at 20 degrees pitch after turning to your desired heading. Velocity: 925 m/s (~2,069 mph) Expected Range: 3,600 km With ALCM still loaded. This is a conservative estimate, since I had to sleep IRL and the plane broke apart when warping during the test cruise. The B-2 making a landing at a peninsula east of the KSC. The missile is still inside the bomb bay. Good thing the engines had thrust vectoring, or else that large flying wing might never have turned around. The engineers feared that, despite the autostrutting, the plane would break apart during landing. To their surprise, the pilot managed to land it in one piece. Very long, flat areas recommended. Now that the engineers confirmed that the aircraft works, and since they were using the same type of air-launched cruise missile bomb bay that worked on the B-1 Lancer, it was time to test the missile itself. In another test flight, the B-2 entered its recommended cruise before opening its bomb bay doors and deploying its missile. Even if the plane wasn't flying at supersonic speeds, the downward-pointing rockets helped get the missile out faster and reduce the risk of it hitting something mid-deployment. The military wanted to see how far the missile could fly at low altitudes after being deployed at the B-2’s regular cruise, so the missile spent a few minutes gliding down at 10 degrees pitch before firing up its engines. The results of that test were as follows: Altitude: 150 m (~492.1 ft) Velocity: 320 m/s (715.8 mph) Distance Covered: 365 km (~226.9 miles) from initial deployment to fuel depletion At last, I have completed the triumvirate of the U.S. Air Force's strategic bombers: the B-52 Stratofortress for strength, the B-1 Lancer for speed, and now the B-2 Spirit for stealth. What's next, the B-something Helen for elasticity? I don't know about the other Ace Combat games - I only played AC7, the most recent one to be released, on PS5 - but I wonder how a mission would go if you were to fly as one of these bad boys. Ideally, you in a B-2 would send your ordinance to enemy ground targets and return without a hitch. However, it's Strangereal, so expect something to go wrong mid-mission and/or the enemy already setting up a trap before you arrive. On the flip side, a real challenge would be you flying as an interceptor when the enemy is using B-2s. How can you shoot them down quick enough if your ground radar and AWACS cannot even find them, and you won't be able to get radar locks on them. You'll have to rely on your eyes, guns, and heat-seeking missiles to stand a chance against them, and even then that's only if you're close enough to see them in a clear sunny sky. What do you all think of that? If something like that is already a level in the other Ace Combat games, please tell me. Replicas Remaining: 60

This Rafale has the means to end this hideous war, in a definitive and elegant manner. We seek not a conflict, but rather a restoration of balance, a judgment. And it will be done with reason, from beginning to end. Kerbin shall be horrified by the number of lives we will take. Only then will they let go of their weapons... weapons that would have taken the lives of ten million! The Dassault Rafale on display in the SPH. For the nose, I used a sharp-pointed fairing and hid some batteries inside. The real Rafale is famous for its delta wing (with canards at the front), so I used Big-S Delta Wings and filled them up. I noticed that the real Rafale had control surfaces on the front of the wings, so I included those as well in my replica. However, they seemed to increase the speed required to get airborne during takeoff, so I deactivated the pitch ability of the front surfaces (while leaving them on for the back) and that worked. Just like with my F-22 Raptor replica, I set the Mk2 to 1.25m adapter at the front to drain last and I filled its oxidizer tank all the way so that the CoM would still remain forward once all the plane’s liquid fuel was gone. The refueling probe is two Communotron DTS-M1s. It can be a literal drag at high speeds, so I had to limit the test cruise at 900 m/s. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything on the real Rafale having airbrakes or a drag chute, so expect this aircraft’s braking distance to be terrible unless you approach at a low speed. As an additional feature, I installed an air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) underneath the Rafale’s fuselage. However, designing said missile was also the hardest part of the entire process. I was inspired by Ace Combat 7’s DLC Mission 1, when a Rafale launched from the carrier submarine Alicorn was carrying a cruise missile and the protagonist has to stop him before he gets within range of a civilian population. Since I’m building this plane for my Ace Combat replica showcase on the KSP forums, I figured I might have some fun by adding my own cruise missile. I tried merging my Air-Launched Cruise Missile Mk. II, but for some reason the SPH would not accept it even with the missile alone (as opposed to including the launch stability enhancer). Rebuilding that same missile from scratch was easy, and I had already proven it can work - you still need the AG0 button to activate it - but it came with some other problems. Before the Rafale’s test cruise, it would take off, turn around, and land on the runway with the ALCM. This model’s air intake and rudder were hanging pretty low and snapped off a lot during the landings. My only option for a small air intake was a radially-attached adjustable ramp intake, but doing that would require a longer missile body. So, I made a whole new missile from scratch. I originally had it go underneath the missile, but after it snapped off during another test landing I decided to mount it near the top. The new missile has proven so far to stay in one piece during Rafale landings, and should be stable while flying on its own. Press AG0 AFTER DEPLOYMENT to activate the missile. Designing and flying the plane itself was easy, but building a suitable cruise missile was difficult. It had to fly right and have a low risk of parts snapping off during landing if it was still attached to the Rafale. Before the test cruise, Saxon Kerman examines the ALCM for damage after landing at the KSC. Immediately after getting off the plane, he complained about how poor the brakes were and that the engineers who designed the Rafale should have installed a drag chute and/or airbrakes. He was in no danger of blowing up due to a missile detonation, since all the explosives were replaced with a dummy mass for the test. After he confirmed no visible signs of damage to the missile, the aircraft was refueled and turned around. It was good to go for the test cruise - with another dummy missile. The Rafale flying over Rangefinder Mountains at 900 m/s. Initial runs had the plane cruise at an average of 965 m/s, but it kept dipping to the right thanks to the drag induced by the refueling probe. When Saxon noticed that it started after the plane reached approximately 900 m/s, he decided to use that as his cruise speed. Preliminary calculations showed that the Rafale would cover over 60% of Kerbin’s circumference. The engineers bet that the range would be higher if it wasn’t carrying the ALCM. Saxon Kerman in his Rafale flying over Kerbin’s northern polar ice cap. Underneath the fuselage is the ALCM designed specifically for that plane. He was tempted to launch it at the Marxan missile site, even though it did not have any explosives, but he was given specific orders to hold on to the cruise missile throughout the entire flight. The Rafale launching countermeasures as part of its test flight. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Status: ARMED: MEDIUM AIR-TO-GROUND ORDINANCE WITH MAXIMAL COUNTERMEASURES 1 x Air-Launched Cruise Missile 32 x Flares 32 x Chaffs ONE LAUNCH: (1 x Flare) and (1 x Chaff) Altitude: 19 km (~62.3k ft; Class Echo airspace) FUN FACT: Class Alpha airspace goes from 18k ft ASL to 60k ft. Above that is Class Echo airspace - E for Everything Else. Velocity: 900 m/s (~2,013.3 mph) Any faster and the plane would be at greater risk of dipping to the right thanks to the drag induced by the refueling probe, hence requiring constant course-corrections, hence decreasing your aircraft’s range. You still need to do occasional course corrections, but not frequently. Flight Time: 50 minutes Expected Range: 2,580 km With ALCM still loaded. This plane glided for an additional 70 km afterwards before touchdown in the latest test flight. Saxon Kerman stepping out of the Rafale, admiring Kerbin’s southern polar ice cap after a smooth landing. He was lucky the terrain wasn’t bouncy, otherwise he might have wrecked the ALCM hanging underneath the fuselage. Before the camera snapped the photo, he screamed his signature battle cry SALVATION! Now that it has been confirmed that the Rafale can fly properly - and no spinning incidents like with the F-22 - it was time to test the cruise missile. It had already proven to be able to deploy and fly straight at first without problems, and a cautious pilot can land the Rafale without damaging the missile, but the engineers wanted to see for sure from how far away it could be effective. The Rafale taking off in the morning and heading east, armed with the ALCM designed specifically for that aircraft. The idea was to see how far the missile itself can travel after being launched at the Rafale’s recommended cruise settings. The missile’s wings are locked while mounted on the Rafale so they don’t inadvertently mess up the plane’s flight profile. They are reactivated after hitting the AG0 button. After the Rafale settled at an altitude of 19 km and a velocity of 900 m/s, the missile was deployed. It was too high for the Juno to use its engine, so it had to wait until it got at a lower altitude. The B-1B Lancer’s cruise missile worked out great at 10 km after launch, so the engineers decided to have this ALCM cruise there. The Rafale’s ALCM flying along Kerbin’s equator. Notice the air intake at the top of the body near the nose. It got a big boost from the supersonic Rafale after being detached, increasing its effective range after being deployed. Of course, that’s assuming that the missile is flying in a (relatively) straight line the whole time. It would be dark where the missile would finally come down. The ALCM's test performance stats were as follows STARTING ASSUMPIONS: Host Aircraft: Dassault Rafale Altitude at Time of Deployment: 19 km Aircraft's Velocity at Time of Deployment: 900 m/s Altitude: 10 km (~32.8k ft) Pitch down at 10 degrees after detaching from the aircraft. Velocity: 283 m/s (~633.1 mph) For comparison, the real-life AGM-86B has a maximum speed of 500 mph (223.5 m/s). Flight Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Range After Deployment: 1,600 km That’s almost 42% of the length of Kerbin’s circumference. And don't forget to HIT AG0 TO ACTIVATE THE MISSILE AFTER DEPLOYMENT. It's the first time I did a replica of a French-made aircraft, and the first time I've heard of a fourth-and-a-half-generation fighter. One thing I noticed while researching it was that delta wings is a popular design among Europe's fighters, but I don't know why that is. What advantages do their delta wings have that our somewhat more conventional airframes do not? Is it so their airframes can be easily distinguished from China's, Russia's, or even those from the United States? IFF should already tell them apart, but an unmistakable design in a dogfight should reduce the risk of ending up like Full Band (even if your AWACS is an evil genius) should that system fail. The ALCM, although a fun addition to the aircraft, was quite the challenge. In hindsight, I should have had it fly lower since it would be harder - if not impossible - to detect on enemy radar then. However, I wanted to see just how far it can fly and preliminary calculations showed that I would cover slightly under half of Kerbin's circumference if I flew at an altitude of 10 km at a speed of 283 m/s after being launched from a Rafale at supercruise. With it flying that high on autopilot, it was a great time for me to get gas and groceries IRL. I should expect the range to be lower than 1,600 km if this cruised at a low altitude since the atmosphere is thicker then, but you have to admit that a cruise missile that can fly even half that far on Kerbin is impressive. In case you're wondering why the developers for Ace Combat 7 selected the Rafale M specifically, it's because the real-life Rafale M is the carrier-based version and the game involves Rafales taking off from carriers - especially in the DLC missions. Skip the spoiler below if you haven't played them yet and want to experience the story for yourself later. Don't you see?! One million! ONE MILLION LIKES! Replicas Remaining: 61

Thank you. I'm testing another replica as I type this, and with extra salvation too.

I'd go with Rabaul as well, since you got to blow up land, air, and sea targets. It was especially fun destroying those waves of fighters BEFORE they took off, making the airfield job way easier. In second place is Midway: Turning Point (the one with the red skies and the Japanese carrier group). Throughout the level, you feel like you're in the final battle scene of a movie. You charge into action, save the bombers from enemy fighters, and like any good protagonist you're the key to winning. Why? I actually thought it was easy. My least favorite level was "Top Secret," especially those ice caves. For those who think the Cape Rainy canyon in Ace Combat 7 was hard, you haven't seen anything until you tried the Norwegian fjords. Especially that one tight left turn in the second run, that was hard to master. There were also some parts of that level that made no sense: For starters, how could the Me 110s fly higher than the canyon itself yet Joe and I could not? At least in Ace Combat - and the Flying Tigers level in Blazing Angels 2* - it is explained that going too high would result in enemy anti-aircraft guns tearing you to shreds. No such explanation was offered in the ice caves, so what's our excuse? It also didn't help that the Me 110s kept shooting at us with their tailguns, yet shooting one down would result in the smoke obscuring our vision. I never played Blazing Angels 2 myself, but I watched gameplay videos. How did Tom and Frank get to the heavy water plant before Joe and I? If they had completed the entire maze of fjords before we did, then why did Joe need to blow up the door afterwards. And for that matter, why don't all four of us go together? If we're going to get shot at by Germans as soon as we clear the first maze, then why did we even need to start the mission in FW 190s? Did someone tip them off about us? On the bright side, with all the practice I put in - especially with the snow extending my school's winter break - I eventually got to the point where I could complete the whole level without crashing and win an ace medal. That kind of skill served me well when my brother got Ace Combat 7 on his PS5 thirteen-and-a-half years later. Getting used to the PS5 controls aside, getting through enemy radar around the space elevator and then the canyon at Cape Rainy was a snap. I started with the American fighters as well. My dad was smart enough after watching me to complete Berlin in a Tempest, which had greater firepower. After I completed the campaign, I got the ace medal in a Meteor.

AWACS Long Caster << Hello, base galley, this is AWACS Long Caster. I'd like to order the footlong bacon, lettuce, and tomato on white bread, and I'd like it cut in half too. For my side dish, I'll have an order of sausage rolls... actually, make that two orders. To drink, I'll have a bottle of apple juice. I'm at the E-767 parked in Hangar Three, since I need to take off within the hour. >> << By the way, if you hear someone shouting "Solitary!" on the way in, don't worry about it. It's Bandog, he does that to everybody. >> If you could look out the left side of the aircraft, you can see Nye Island itself. Apart from the cockpit, this aircraft does not have windows. This is to protect the crew and equipment from the intense radio frequency transmissions that its radar emits. That doesn’t mean the AWACS crew in the main cabin is completely blind to where they are. On the contrary, they can not only see a (general) three-dimensional scan of the area around them as well as their coordinates, but they can detect aircraft flying to, around, and from Nye. Depending on the scanning mode, they can even detect naval vessels. The plane was low on fuel, so it needed to land soon. The E-767 on display in the SPH. I started with @HB Stratos' Mk3 Airliner Cockpit, but it led to some performance problems. Chief among them being the front landing gear not deploying due to being stowed. Even when I tried using a structural pylon attached to the cargo bay holding the front wheels, like the solution that was suggested when I had a similar problem months ago, it didn’t work. I then tried a wheel on EITHER SIDE of the pylon, but for some reason only one of them deployed while the other froze. I downloaded TimosUniverse’s Boeing 767 since it has a custom cockpit and tried it out for myself, but that also had front landing gear problems. In the end, I replaced the E-767’s custom cockpit with a regular Mk3 cockpit. That also explains why its crew seats are at the bottom of the list in the SPH, since it was the last crew module added to the aircraft. As a bonus, it made setting up the probe core and the cabin entrance way easier. For the wings, I ripped the ones from my C-17 Globemaster III replica and removed two of the engines before centering the other two. Of course, I had to reset the action groups as well, especially for the flaps, but I managed to find something suitable. The rotodome has a RA-15 Relay Antenna inside the fairing along with three Z-100 Battery Packs. Underneath it are some scientific instruments so the crew can collect data mid-flight. I made the nav lights and anti-collision lights separate action groups from the main light button. That way, you can fly with your interior lights off during the day (or night if you want a nap, which you should not be taking while working AWACS) while staying safe in the sky. I installed lander cans and ladders at the aft end of the cabin so that occupants can get in and out from there. To keep the rear landing gear straight, I installed them on the sides of the fuselage and rotated them downwards before translating them (while holding Shift to move them further) to the underside of the wings. Since the real-life E-767 had a logo of something with upward-pointing wings on its tail, I picked the WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium logo to copy it. Lastly, I installed radiators - and some Z-400 Batteries - in the cabin. During the last test cruise, three of the four kerbals died from getting too hot without helmets on; I had the fourth put his helmet on in case he was next. I don’t know if the radiators would actually work in allowing kerbals to sit comfortably in the cabin without needing helmets. The E-767 a few minutes after flying over Rangefinder Mountains. Besides the ability to deploy the front landing gear, using the regular Mk3 cockpit for this aircraft came with a better cruising altitude and expected range. It would take a lot more than a lack of sunlight to stop this flying control tower from doing its job. Photograph of an E-767 AWACS crew hard at work monitoring the skies, taken from the cockpit entrance. Here you see six workstations - four of them currently occupied, and two of them next to each other near the front - lined up on the port (left-wing) side with space on the starboard (right-wing) side for personnel to walk freely in the cabin. This picture was taken before the radiators were installed. If the photographer were to turn around, he would see the Japanese flag* over the cockpit entrance - and two Z-400 Batteries with two more SEQ-3C conformal storage units. Because the real-life E-767 is used by Japan's Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). Unfortunately, attempting a EVA inside the cabin DURING THE FLIGHT ended up with the kerbalnaut tumbling to the rear end and being unable to pick himself up from between the lander cans. So, I advise against it; you shouldn’t have to move personnel around while airborne anyway. MID-FLIGHT EVAS INSIDE THE CABIN NOT RECOMMENDED The sun rising over the northern polar ice cap as the E-767 flies over it. It’s fitting that this shot is included since Japan is known as the Land of the Rising Sun and the E-767 is a Japanese AWACS aircraft. Map view of the E-767’s immense communication range and with Kerbnet activated as it flies over the north pole. Kerbnet was turned on so that the pilot can know if s/he’s going to be over water in case outside visibility is terrible, like at night. Depending on the time of year, the relay could reach as far as Jool - albeit a direct signal would be weak at best. It would have better luck with closer planets, as seen here. In terms of gameplay, a rotodome with a 15G relay is not really practical on Kerbin since you’re always in comm range if you stay in the atmosphere. If you took it to other planets, however, it could act as a mobile relay antenna. Of course, the tricky part is designing an AWACS craft that can operate on Eve, Duna, or Laythe and then transporting said craft to its destination. Approaching the edge of the northern ice cap, the cockpit crew is grateful to see some daylight, which would make landing a lot easier. The preliminary range calculation estimated that the aircraft would be within gliding distance of the equator by the time it needed to land - at least with a regular Mk3 cockpit The custom custom cockpit showed a worse prediction and results. In case things did look bad, however, the E-767 pilots could land at night just as well as during the day thanks to its radar giving a three-dimensional overlay of the terrain below. Additionally, AltF12 Services Inc. had a tanker standing by in case it needed a fuel boost to fly to shore. The E-767 leaving Kerbin’s northern tundra and about to fly over the ocean. The AWACS crew had turned on naval scanning mode minutes prior, right as the shoreline appeared on the horizon. It’s standard procedure so the aircraft can detect and identify hostile ships early. With naval scanning mode on, it can see and track every boat, ship, and even iceberg for several dozen kilometers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have anti-submarine warfare (ASW) equipment, so without a datalink to sonobuoys it cannot detect submarines. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Altitude: 7 km (~23.0k ft; Class Alpha airspace) Average Velocity: 260 m/s (~582 mph) Flight time: 2 hours, 10 minutes Expected Range: 2,025 km WARNING: Plane is bouncy during landing. BE CAREFUL. This plane glided and bounced for an additional 40 km afterwards before coming to a stop in the latest test flight. The E-767 after a VERY BOUNCY LANDING with its ladders deployed and its engines still in reverse thrust mode. At least it’s in one piece. Before and after the flight is a good time to go on EVA, even inside the cabin, but not during. Three of the four AWACS crewmembers on board nearly died from due to a lack of air conditioning, so they had to be rushed to the hospital. The engineers suggested installing radiators in the cabin like with the C-17, but it is unknown whether or not this would actually work. I REPEAT: AIRCRAFT IS BOUNCY DURING LANDING Picture of AWACS Chief Bandog Kerman working at his station. Though he was excellent at his job, he is often viewed as a disgrace. A few months after this picture was taken, Sergeant Zieja Kerman was blown up in a friendly fire incident in an air battle against the Krakenites. The pilot who shot him down, Sergeant Chun Kerman, swore that Zieja’s IFF had him tagged as an enemy before he launched that missile. Further investigation proved that Chun was telling the truth, and that Bandog was the one who tagged Zieja. Bandog claimed it was an accident since all the aircraft were cluttered too close together. The enemy had electronic countermeasures to shake off beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles, so it made sense that all combatants would have to get closer to dogfight. However, Zieja’s sister, Avril, then came forward with a damning story. Bandog had threatened to have Zieja killed if Avril refused to date him. The military police convinced Avril to wear a wire and she got Bandog to incriminate himself before he was arrested. He was subsequently put on court martial and convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated extortion, witness intimidation, and abuse of military resources. Before he could be executed, however, he hung himself in his cell. And here are some blooper photos from the time I used a custom cockpit: I wonder why the developers for Ace Combat chose the E-767 as their AWACS aircraft instead of the classic, more popular E-3 Sentry. Only four E-767s were built and they're only used in Japan, whereas sixty-eight E-3s were produced and are operated by the United States and several of its allies. Did they want to include Japanese aircraft in their diverse roster, even if it ended up in the "Unplayable" section? On a related note, I think it would be a nice change of pace if the game had an occasional bomber and/or AWACS mission, like the B-17 mission in Blazing Angels. Yes, I mentioned Blazing Angels in an Ace Combat thread. It was my first air combat game, and I'll never forget it as long as I live. In fact, if it wasn't for all those times I flew through the Norwegian ice caves in 1944, I wouldn't have made it past the canyon to Cape Rainy in 2019 so easily. And to address the elephant in the room, I am SO GLAD the forums are back online. However, I don't know for how long it will stay good. Would it continue to operate as it did before, or should we expect more crashes like the two-week long one we just endured - or, worst-case scenario, a full permanent shutdown? Replicas Remaining: 62

MiG-23 "Flogger" You may outnumber me 2 to 1, but numbers mean nothing when you're an inferior design. I can fly faster, farther, and higher than you, not to mention I can sweep my wings for speed as well as style. If you're still foolish enough to try and fight me, I should warn you that it's not going to happen because I can blow you up before you get close enough to even see me. And on the off-chance you do manage to evade my beyond-visual-range missiles, all I have to do is fly below the horizon and I become invisible to your radar-guided missiles. Don't think about using that trick on me, because I never go anywhere without my look-down/shoot-down radar system. So, basically, all I have to do against a horde of you is to shoot down as many as possible from beyond visual range, get below the horizon so you cannot lock on to me, and mop up the rest of you.

If you've followed my National Museum of the United States Air Force replica showcase, or are fortunate enough to have entered the museum itself, you might notice that a lot of the jet-powered aircraft on display are the same kind used in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Even if you've never even heard of or set foot in any aviation museum, those who have played and/or watched AC7 as well as Kerbal Space Program are bound to have come across replicas of those aircraft at least once. Some of them look like they can be done with pure stock parts and no DLCs, while others need mods that come with more parts. So, I started this thread for everyone to showcase their replicas of craft that appear in AC7, both based on real life and original designs from the franchise. Just like my U.S. Air Force Museum replica thread, the guidelines for this showcase thread are simple: You are free to use any and all parts necessary, including ones that come in DLCs and mods. Vehicle has to be functional. Which means pictures/video of the craft in action. Similar performance stats are a plus, but not required. I'm positive everything on the checklist could move on their own. Vehicle has to look as close as possible to whatever craft you're trying to copy. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you have photographs to reference. Build something not yet claimed on the checklist (link below) first. EXCEPTION: for airframes that appear more than once in the game (such as the F-14 Tomcat, the F-15 Eagle, and the F/A-18 Super Hornet), you may only sign off on one of your craft's variants. Leave the rest of them for others to claim. Example: I only do one F-15; the F-15C in the Base Game subcategory. Someone else gets the F-15E that's also in the Base Game subcategory and claims it on the log. A third person will get the F-15J. Another example: I get the F-14D Super Tomcat in the Base Game, a second person gets the F-14A in the DLC subcategory, and a third gets the F-14A with the Top Gun: Maverick tag. If you want to show something that's already been showcased on this thread, fine - but you don't get credit for it. Just please don't hog all of the same airframe. I don't care if you built the craft 10 minutes or 10 years ago, so long as it's yours. If you have an old stash of aircraft replicas that you're willing to showcase (and can work), great. Weaponry (e.g. guns, bombs, missiles) not necessary, although I won't object to them either. If the original aircraft was manned, so is your replica. If the original aircraft was unmanned (especially the UAVs), so is your replica. I won't object to a probe core for your manned aircraft if it doesn't deviate too much from the aesthetic, so long as you include the appropriate crew module/s. You don't need to match the passenger/crew capacity of your original aircraft, so long as your replica comes close to looking like its real-life counterpart AND it's functional. Example: if you use Mk. 3 Passenger Modules for an A340 variant, as long as your aircraft makes a convincing replica I don't mind you exceeding or falling behind its real-life counterpart's passenger capacity. If whatever you're trying to copy is very large, such as the Arsenal Bird, functional scale models are acceptable. This is mainly to reduce someone's computer crashing whenever s/he's trying to operate the Arsenal Bird or something like that. Of course, if you want to fry your own CPU making a full-sized replica, I won't say no to that. I'd also think it's cute if you make a mini Arsenal Bird, for example. As long as the craft works and looks like whatever you're trying to copy, it's good. Craft files a plus. Below is the link for the replica checklist: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nJl2Ph5azsRydnpn97Kgn1SlAR7qBZLUXtigqkmRI3k/edit?usp=sharing Here are the instructions on how to use it: Pick an aircraft that has not already been built Like I said earlier, if you want to build something that's already been done here, don't steal credit from the original kerbalnaut. And for duplicates, you can only claim one of the type. Once you're done, write: Column D: Your KSP Forum name Column E: The link to the specific forum post showcasing your replica/s It is acceptable to put more than one craft in the same post. Just leave a link for everyone to find it. Column F: Whatever DLCs you used to make the replica If this doesn't apply to that specific craft, leave it blank Column G: Whatever (parts) mods you used to make the replica If this doesn't apply to that specific craft, leave it blank Column H: (IF YOU WANT TO) Additional notes that other readers may find interesting Please don't modify someone else's notes. If you want to debate/talk to someone about their craft, don't do it on the spreadsheet. Source for my list: https://acecombat.fandom.com/wiki/Ace_Combat_7:_Skies_Unknown/Aircraft Click here to see this thread's replicas assembled on KerbalX To kick off the showcase, I've already got 11 entries down since they were also used in my U.S. Air Force Museum thread. As I specified in the guidelines, I don't care how long ago you built the craft (or what it was used for), as long as it's yours and it works. So, here we go. Base Game: DLC: Unplayable: There you have it, folks. Have fun, and solitary, now I can't wait to see what you got.

Hi, I'm the C-17 Globemaster III. You may remember me from such action movies as "Transformers," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "Man of Steel," and the first two Iron Man movies. But today, I'm going to discuss my day job as a transport aircraft on Kerbin and the process behind my construction. TOTAL ECLIPSE Shot taken: Y54D78 – 0H49M Seems fitting to have this shot as the craft thumbnail on KerbalX, given that the United States had a total eclipse six months ago. UT given so people can know when to expect a total solar eclipse over the Kerbal Space Center. Before taking off, Jeb opened the cargo door and he, Bill, and Val scrambled out of the cockpit to look at the eclipse. Bob was at the Astronaut Complex viewing the eclipse with his brother, Rob, so he wasn’t part of this test. The C-17 Globemaster III on display in the SPH. My C-141 Starlifter replica from last year worked so well, I decided to use that as the airframe. It also saved me a bit of work on setting up action groups, and I thought it would look nice to include the American flag over the interior cockpit hatch. I started changing the aircraft by switching the C-141’s Wheesley engines with the larger, more powerful Goliath engines. Of course, the Goliath guzzles fuel at nearly 2.5 times that of the Wheesley engine and each Goliath weighs more than 1 x (Wheesley + liquid fuel tank + air intake + battery). Based on that as well as my experience with Plane Prime V4, while I should expect the C-17 to fly faster and/or higher than the C-141, I should not expect to beat its range. The nose has a probe core for Kerbnet clipped a tiny bit into the Mk3 Cockpit for a smoother look. Unlike my C-141, I only have 16 seats in the cargo bay - 8 on each side facing the center of the fuselage - near the front of the plane. Apart from four empty SEQ-3C Conformal Storage Units, the rest of the cargo bay is empty. If you want to modify the interior to carry more passengers and/or cargo, feel free to do so. Please don’t touch the Mk2 tanks or batteries, since they’re important to aircraft operation. Even if you leave the interior as-is, you should still be able to squeeze in a small surface vehicle along with several kerbalnauts; and do you really need 16 different kerbals for a surface exploration mission on Kerbin? After one test cruise ended in two out of four engines snapping off, I moved the wings upward on the fuselage and moved each of the engines up on the wings to reduce the chances of ground collisions happening again. That landing was also quite nose-heavy, so I removed the oxidizer from the front adapter tank. However, I ran into some more problems. The C-17 was going supersonic for a couple of test runs after that, so I jumped at the chance to improve my cruise stats. In the process, I saw that my FAT-455 wings were overheating, so I installed radiators on the wings inside the cargo bay. Unfortunately, even with them turned on, the left wing and at least one of its engines exploded 20 minutes after takeoff. To address this problem, I installed a some more radiators - and not just on the wings, but on the engines. I also decided not to try to cruise at supersonic speeds again. The following test flight worked so well until the landing, when the plane was stuck in a sharp nosedive despite attempting to pull up. So, to move the CoM back a little bit, I filled the rear adapter tanks with oxidizer, and everything worked like a charm at the end of the next test flight. POV: you’re looking at a total eclipse from the cockpit of a C-17 Globemaster III. Immediately after getting airborne, Jeb turned the plane around and he and his friends were able to get a good view of the eclipse from the cockpit. Looks like Jeb and his friends took their totality pictures in the nick of time. This shot was taken 3.5 minutes after the plane got off the ground. Jeb couldn’t watch the partial eclipse himself since he was flying the plane, but Bill shared the pictures he took with his camera. That's the last of the eclipse shots, now back to the test cruise. The C-17 flying past Rangefinder Mountains with its nav and beacon lights on. Unfortunately, the preliminary range calculation showed that the C-17 would cover less than 50% of Kerbin’s circumference. Bill Kerman and Valentina "Val" Kerman sitting next to each other in the cargo bay. Jeb releasing some countermeasures mid-flight as part of the test cruise. Although air superiority should have already been established in the C-17’s flight path and all enemy surface-to-air emplacements should have been destroyed by then, Kerbin’s military wanted to be prepared for sneak attacks. At the time of Poseidon’s Palace getting irradiated on Laythe, only two C-17s were attacked by hostile forces; both over Kerbin. One was hit by a Krakenite surface-to-air missile hidden inside a village hut, and another was shot down by hostile planes. Because the mission commander forgot to put Suppress enemy airfields within combat range of transport flight paths, on the to-do list. The C-17 passing over Kerbin’s northern polar ice cap. This plane is by no means fast (if flown properly), so one should expect at least some daylight on the other side if s/he took off from the KSC in the evening (as opposed to in the middle of the night). After passing over Kerbin’s northern tundra, Bill called his friends at AltF12 Services Inc. and asked for a mid-air refueling tanker to fly close to him. Bill had predicted that the plane would be over the ocean by the time the plane needed to land and too far away to glide to a safe spot. So, he called for help to at least get the C-17 within gliding range of dry land. Val took over flying the plane since she had significantly better aerial refueling scores than Jeb did for large aircraft. Jeb wanted to take a nap anyway. Almost 1 hour and 30 minutes of flying time, and the C-17 had 100 fuel units left. That was when the tanker from AltF12 gave it a small fuel boost before both aircraft turned west, then it gave the C-17 some more fuel to get close enough to glide to dry land. Once Bill gave them the okay, the tanker released them and they reduced the throttle. In the final revision, the C-17 had way better control during the landing sequence. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Cargo Status: UNLOADED: FACTORY CONFIGURATION EMPTY: 16 x (EAS-1 External Command Seat) EMPTY: 4 x (SEQ-3C Conformal Storage Unit) None of them have anything inside. EMPTY: Cargo Bay Weapons Status: UNARMED: MAXIMAL COUNTERMEASURES 32 x Flares 32 x Chaffs ONE LAUNCH: (1 x Flare) and (1 x Chaff) Altitude: 10 km (~32.8k ft; Class Alpha airspace) Average Velocity: 300 m/s (~671 mph) Flight time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Expected Range: 1,520 km That’s almost 40% of the length of Kerbin’s circumference. This plane glided for an additional 50 km afterwards before touchdown in the latest test flight. Bill and Val looking outside from the cargo ramp after a smooth landing. Although the terrain was a little bumpy, a slow approach combined with reverse thrusters upon touchdown helped a lot. This time, nothing broke off and all four engines were working properly. Jeb forgot to raise the flaps and turn off the reverse thrusters, although the engines were cut and the plane had already come to a complete stop. Eclipses are such a rare moment that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take pictures before taking off. Is there a chart or calculator that can tell me when and where in-game eclipses are supposed to take place? As for the C-17 itself, it sure was agonizing waiting for hours (since the game clock is slower than real-life) for this plane to almost run out of fuel only to fail the landings miserably - even with F5. At least I spotted the heating and supersonic cruise problems early in the cruise, but in hindsight I probably should have known better than to try and make a C-17 fly at supersonic speeds in the first place. Even though I took care of the heating and stability problems in the end, I was disappointed by this aircraft's inability to go only 40% of Kerbin's circumference. Then again, the real-life C-17 could only fly 28.79% of Earth's circumference unloaded and unrefueled, not to mention this replica did a way better job than my Boeing 707 replica (which isn't saying much, to be honest). Just arrange several dozen more command seats into the cargo bay, and you got an airliner* that can defend itself against incoming missiles. Likewise, if you have enough space in the cargo bay, you can bring one or two rovers with you for a surface survey mission within range of the KSC. At least with an empty cargo bay, this C-17 barely has enough range to take off from the KSC and fly over Baikerbanur and then Woomerang before needing to land; and yes, I did the math. Maybe that should be included in my KSP lore; retired transport planes converted into airliners with no class division. It may not attract high-paying customers with luxurious tastes, but it would probably attract more military veterans, aviation enthusiasts (civilians flying on a military transport is not nearly as commonplace as them flying on commercial airliners), and/or passengers on a budget. I should also include AltF12 Services Inc., which is famous for sending aerial refueling tankers. Replicas Remaining: 183

Bloons Tower Defense just got a major upgrade with the release of the new F-22 Raptor Update. Not even the largest zeppelins will stand a chance with this bad boy in the air. The F-22 Raptor on display in the SPH. I needed a part with Kerbnet access so that I can see where I’m flying in case I end up having to land in the dark, and the NCS Adapter was closer to the real-life F-22’s nose cone than the fairing I used for my YF-23 Black Widow II replica. My original plan was a Probodobodyne OKTO2 - and a couple of reaction wheels and batteries - in a service bay, but then I switched to a Mk2 Drone Core when I decided to use a Mk2 fuselage. The engines initially got their oxygen from radially-attached adjustable ramp intakes arranged in 2x2 squares at the front of the fuselage. However, with the plane losing speed at the beginning, I thought that they were affecting the plane’s overall aerodynamic profile. So, I switched to an XM-G50 radial air intake per engine at the front, but it took away from the aesthetic a bit. Fortunately, after taking a look at KBNT90‘s own F-22 model from eight years ago, I decided to use wing connectors to give the air intakes a more square shape and make the bottom half of the fuselage look smoother like the actual F-22’s. However, during the ascent that followed that modification, one of the engines flamed out. In hopes of adding some more oxygen per engine, I placed radially-attached adjustable ramp intakes on the outer sides of the Whiplash engines. This was also an opportunity to move the elevators back further. Even with a new airframe and air intakes, the plane was still losing speed when trying to fly at 22.5 km altitude - just like with my YF-23’s test. After some trial and error, I had to settle for 20 km for stable flight; at least I could (barely) go faster. Unfortunately, preliminary range calculations at each test flight that made it to Rangefinder Mountains showed that could not go past 75% of Kerbin’s circumference while the YF-23 can do a full circumnavigation with plenty to spare. And if I thought the plane would fly smoothly then, I was in for a HUGE surprise. I was over the ocean and a few minutes away from the equator when the F-22 started to lose speed again. Then, it started to fly all over the place while losing altitude. To make matters worse, one of my engines kept flaming out. Long story short, I was lucky to only lose my left elevator during the emergency landing - even though it would have been more prudent just to bail out. When I drained all the liquid fuel from the tanks, I saw the problem: the CoM was moving behind the CoL as fuel was being spent. It all makes sense, seeing as how the plane started acting funny minutes before the fuel tanks would have been depleted otherwise. The middle tank draining first would not impact the CoM placement as much, so I set that to drain first. Then, the Mk2 Bicoupler and the NCS Adapter (and the small fuel tanks behind the cockpit window for aesthetic purposes) would drain next. Lastly, not only did I set the Mk2 to 1.25m Adapter to drain last, but I filled its oxidizer tank all the way so that the CoM would still remain forward once all the liquid fuel was gone. In the end, it all worked out great. Jebediah "Jeb" Kerman launching a chaff-flare combination countermeasure seconds after pitching the F-22 up 20 degrees to the desired heading. It only has eight, so use them wisely. Better yet, don’t get locked on by enemy missiles in the first place. That’s kind of the whole purpose of the F-22 being a stealth aircraft. Jeb was the first to volunteer for flying the Raptor, since it is his favorite fighter jet. Settling at cruising altitude and deciding on a good speed. Although the recommended average speed is 1250 m/s, the variation between the low and high points while maintaining cruising altitude is greater at the beginning of the flight than it is near the end. This picture was taken after the fuel flow problem was dealt with. As a result, the plane was not spinning out of control or bleeding speed this time. Except for one hiccup in which the pilot deployed the landing gear mid-cruise by mistake, but another test was done afterwards. There’s a beautiful blue ring over Kerbin as the Raptor approaches the sunny side. The entire reason for the aircraft having any kind of probe core was to allow Kerbnet access in case a night landing was necessary. That doesn’t mean you have to finish your test cruise in the dark, which is why the plane was launched at night from the Kerbal Space Center. After passing the equator, Jeb launched some more countermeasures as part of the test flight. Around that time, he had to gain permission to fly near Nye Island since he was approaching their airspace. As usual, he complained about their thick accents on the radio - although the occasional static due to the thunderstorm over Nye Island itself didn’t do anyone any favors. 60 fuel units left and 30 minutes of flying time, and Jeb was starting to fly over another ocean. He did a hard right before gliding down to land. And no spiraling out of control this time. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Status: UNARMED: MINIMAL COUNTERMEASURES 8 x Flares 8 x Chaffs ONE LAUNCH: (1 x Flare) and (1 x Chaff) Altitude: 20 km (~65.6k ft; Class Echo airspace) FUN FACT: Class Alpha airspace goes from 18k ft ASL to 60k ft. Above that is (technically) Class Echo airspace - E for Everything Else. Average Velocity: 1250 m/s (~2,796.3 mph) If using MJ aircraft autopilot to maintain altitude and roll/heading, expect the fluctuation to be greater at the beginning of the cruise than at the end. On average, expect the plane to cruise well at this speed. Flight Time: 30 minutes Expected Range: 2,370 km Not one scratch on the F-22 raptor as Jeb landed it. Bill was disappointed that it did not fly as high or as far as the YF-23, and that it was barely faster. On the other hand, this F-22 had greater stealth potential and Kerbin’s military realized that it could conceal weapons inside the airframe without increasing the chances of detection by enemy radar - whereas the YF-23 had no room to hide anything. Kerbnet detected two anomalies during the test cruise, which were later found to be Nye Island's Commnet station and a monolith inside Rangefinder Mountains. A flyover wasn't done this time because it was deemed too dangerous to try and look for a small monolith in the mountains using a supersonic jet, and a trip to Nye Island would be like repeating most of the test cruise all over again. Years later, at the annual Kerbal AeroSpace Demonstration taking place at the KSC, Jeb is seen performing some stunts in an F-22. In this picture, he is doing a 90-degree climb before pulling back while corkscrewing so that he would get right-side up. After that, he flew low over the runway and launched some flares. When comparing the performance stats to those from the YF-23 replica I recently made, and assuming that I loaded countermeasures into the YF-23 as well (it didn't have any because it was just an experimental plane then), which one would you fly into battle? KSP REPLICA CRUISE PERFORMANCE COMPARISON YF-23 Black Widow II F-22 Raptor Altitude (km) 22.5 (W) 20 Velocity (m/s) 1,230 1,250 (W – barely) Range (km) 4,400 (W) 2,370 Thrust Vectoring NO YES Charge Capacity 455 2300 (W) Both planes were extremely agile during the test flights, even with the F-22's fuel flow problem solved. I didn't know a way to quantify agility for comparison, though. I'd lean towards giving the F-22 that point, since it has the advantage of thrust vectoring whereas the YF-23 did not. Unfortunately, there was no way I could compare stealth. I included charge capacity for when you have to cut the engines for long periods of time, like when gliding to land or you need to reduce your engine noise or heat signature. YF-23: (1 x OKTO2 = 5) + (1 x Mk1 Inline Cockpit = 50) + (1 x Z-400 Battery = 400) = 455 F-22: (1 x Mk1 Inline Cockpit = 50) + (Mk2 Drone Core = 250) + (2 x Z-1k Battery = 2 x 1000 = 2000) = 2300 And now, some bloopers from the failed test flights. To anyone who laughed at me for flying until depletion instead of sticking with a preliminary range estimation, the CoM moving behind the CoL is the NUMBER-ONE problem I'm hoping to catch before I record its performance stats. The Number-Two problem is the plane being too nose-heavy during the landing sequence, as I've experienced when I made my Plane Prime V1 last year, but that gets noticed during takeoff and initial ascent most of the time. Either way, WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?! Seriously, America's prime air superiority fighter since 2005, and its first air-to-air kill was a Chinese balloon off Myrtle Beach in 2023. If our leaders actually took threats to our nation seriously, that balloon would not have made it that far into the U.S. in the first place. Anyway, with the lack of air combat going on along with the high price tag, it's no wonder the F-22 program was scaled back from 750 to 195. To make matters worse for our wallets, we're already pouring money into the F-35 Lightning II. I understand the importance of staying ahead of our enemies when it comes to weapons technology, and I understand placing an export ban on the F-22 to reduce the risk of enemy agents stealing the technology and/or the planes themselves in allied territory - or worse, said allies becoming enemies later - but at least give the F-22 a chance to prove its air combat capabilities before deciding to replace it. Escorting Russian bombers out of Alaska doesn't count since there was no actual fighting (which honestly isn't a bad thing in the grand scheme of things), and neither does popping that balloon since that target was so easy a U-2 with a rifle strapped to it could do the job just as well. You wouldn't have had to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on an AIM-9X either. F-35s used by Israel already shot down Iranian drones and a Houthi cruise missile, which aren't nearly as hard to fight as a remote-controlled fighter or manned aircraft but still better to brag about than a high-altitude balloon. The Raptor needs to see some real air-to-air combat, which is the very thing it was designed for, and not just in videogames. Otherwise, the entire Advanced Tactical Fighter program would have been a big fat waste of time and our money. And yes, that would mean the YF-23 would have also been a waste of time and money as well. Replicas Remaining: 184

I've got plenty of replicas of aircraft built before 1950, so get ready. World War One: Interwar Years: World War Two: What do you think? I made those for my National Museum of the United States Air Force replica showcase. Just click on the individual entries for those planes on my checklist (see OP for the link), and you'll get more details of the craft in action.

What do you mean "vintage?" What's the latest era the craft has to be from to be considered vintage? I have plenty of WWII-era craft - and a few from before that - if that's what you mean.

Naboo called, they want you on board their new starfighter program.

I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. They cannot be understood, for they speak Vietnamese. Wait a minute, Vietnamese? Oh no, burn down the jungle! With an F-4 Phantom II, this job we can't bungle. The F-4 Phantom II on display in the SPH. Since the real-life F-4 Phantom was an all-weather aircraft and had onboard radar (and since I needed Kerbnet to see where I am if flying in the dark), I originally installed a Probodobodyne OKTO2 - along with some reaction wheels and batteries - in a cargo bay behind the cockpit. I then removed the bay when I later learned that the CH-J3 Fly-By-Wire Avionics Hub had Kerbnet too. Of course, it could only do terrain mode, but at least a positive altitude reading meant I wasn’t over the ocean. There was no way I was going to use Panther engines for a supersonic plane ever again, given their history of inconsistent performance. At first, the fuel tanks along the top of the fuselage was one long line. However, when it was time to launch, they bounced up and down even with autostrut. So, I cut them into sections and attached them to the fuselage so that they won’t be as bouncy - especially the section with the tail. I knew the F-4 Phantom II had a drag chute in the back based on my experience in War Thunder and checking pictures of real Phantoms with their chutes deployed, so I installed a Mk16 Parachute at the end of the row of small fuel tanks. That was also why I sacrificed a second crewmember for the ability of the kerbal to get in and out of the craft, so engineers can repack the chute. The small pylons under the wings are to attach weapons, even though this plane is unarmed - except for countermeasures hidden in the fuselage. If you want to add ordinance afterwards, go nuts. The wings are translated up a tiny bit to allow access to the fuselage fuel tanks. In turn, this would allow fuel distribution to be adjusted in order to move the CoM forward or backward. You’ll notice that the fronts of the wingtips are not in line with the rest of the wing (and I don’t mean pointed slightly upward). Don’t worry, that was for aesthetic purposes. I thought about adding hinges to the wings so that the tips can fold in, hence mimicking the real-life Phantom’s ability so that it could have less storage space - which is crucial if you’re on a carrier. I then decided against it since it was simpler to leave it as it was and so people who do not have the Breaking Ground DLC can use it. Shortly after taking off and turning north for the test cruise, the F-4 Phantom II releases a chaff-flare combination countermeasure. How else is it supposed to protect itself against air-to-air missiles launched by MiGs? An unarmed F-4 Phantom settling at cruising altitude and speed. As expected, the plane’s speed and/or altitude didn’t go in a downward spiral with Whiplash engines. And that is exactly why I swore off Panthers for supersonic aircraft. A preliminary calculation at Rangefinder Mountains predicted that this plane would cover a little over half of the planet’s circumference. Since I launched during the day at the KSC, I realized that I would be in darkness when it was time to land. On the other hand, odds were I would be over dry land by that time. POV: You’re looking at both the Mun and Minmus after flying over Kerbin’s north pole. Minmus is pointed out in this picture since it’s just a speck to the naked eye. Shortly after this picture was taken, an anomaly was detected on Kerbnet. But that’s another mission. Historic photograph of the The F-4 Phantom II cruising in the dark at supersonic speeds. Like the A-7 Corsair II, it was nominated for a carrier-borne aircraft that Kerbin’s military could use on Laythe. However, despite more modern plane models being available, the F-4 was selected for its role as a fighter-bomber. It could carry more air-to-ground ordinance than a B-17 from the Second Imperial Wars and was supersonic, and rapid responses were warranted when Native Laythans were a credible threat to any kerbals on that moon. Supporters and critics alike voiced concerns that air-to-air missiles seemed like overkill against Native Laythans, but Kerbin’s military and some administrators in the Kerbal Space Program wanted to be ready in case the enemy had their own aircraft. Besides, the F-4 had already proven itself capable of at least going toe-to-toe with Marxan interceptors while in its heavy bombing configuration. Indeed, the F-4 was used in combat on Laythe soon after arriving. 60 fuel units left, and Kerbnet warned the pilot that it was seconds away from the ocean. So, the pilot ended the cruise and did a hard left so it can get deeper into land. This shot was taken seconds before touchdown with its landing gear down and lights on. The first priority was that the altitude indicated on Kerbnet was not a a negative number, which would otherwise mean that it was over water. The second priority was that the landing zone was relatively flat, or at least not jagged mountains. Fortunately, it didn’t look like they were near the coastline. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Status: UNARMED: MAXIMAL COUNTERMEASURES 32 x Flares 32 x Chaffs ONE LAUNCH: (1 x Flare) and (1 x Chaff) Altitude: 18.5 km (~60.7k ft; Class Echo airspace) FUN FACT: Class Alpha airspace goes from 18k ft ASL to 60k ft. Above that is (technically) Class Echo airspace - E for Everything Else. Velocity: 1250 m/s (~2,796.3 mph) Expected Range: 2,160 km As part of the landing test, the drag chute was deployed after all three wheels touched the ground. It didn’t slow down the craft as much as originally predicted, though, but at least an engineer was free to exit the craft and repack it if necessary. That’s another reason a probe core or fly-by-wire was necessary for this craft, so that non-pilots can use it. After checking the estimated coordinates for the marker and cross-referencing that with the list of known bases on Kerbin, it was determined that the so-called anomaly was most likely the Glacier Launch Site. If the anomaly was to be reached while there was daylight out, that meant the F-4 would have to be launched from the KSC at night. At the recommended cruising speed of 1250 m/s, it should take almost 15 minutes to get there. After the pilot circled around and flew close to the launch site, he got a warning on his radio to either land immediately or be blown out of the sky. With Marxan MiG-23 Floggers heading right for him, the pilot turned around and made an impromptu landing in Maples. Later analysis of the recon photos uncovered a Marxan missile site. The coordinates are listed on this picture so anyone who’s looking for it will know where it is. That's two F-4 Phantom IIs off the checklist, and @TheKspEngineer made the second one six months ago for the Southeast Asia War Gallery of Hangar Two. To everyone else who either already has an F-4 or wants to build one, there's one slot left available on the list if you feel like showing it off here. It should come as no surprise that the museum has three of those, since it's a famous combat aircraft from the Cold War. Replicas Remaining: 186

In an alternate universe, the YF-23 Black Widow II became America's prime fifth-generation fighter while his cousin, the F-22 Raptor, was cast aside to collect dust in some museums. The YF-23 Black Widow II on display in the SPH. I started with the nose to make it look as close to the real-life YF-23’s as possible, and the Advanced Nose Cones and the NCS Adapter didn’t seem to cut it. So, I made my own with the fairing. After completing the nose - and making it pointier later - I saw an opportunity to include a probe core without interrupting the overall aesthetic. More specifically, I added a Probodobodyne OKTO2 in the fairing and set the AG4 button to turn on Kerbnet so that the pilot can see what’s underneath him/her. As a bonus feature, anybody can fly this thing now. Lastly, I added a Z-400 Rechargeable Battery inside the fairing so that the aircraft can have plenty of power while it’s gliding. For the air intake, I used two radially-attached adjustable ramp intakes right next to each other and underneath the wings per engine. Unfortunately, the regular-sized adjustable ramp intakes were too big for a smooth aesthetic. At first, I used Panther engines for the air intakes. Since the real-life YF-23 did not have thrust vectoring, I locked the gimbals and set the AG0 button to toggle them in case the pilot needed to use them as well as reduce the risk of hitting that button by mistake when going for another action group. However, just like with a lot of my other replicas that used them - most recently, my B-1 Lancer replica - it came at a price of some serious deceleration after settling at cruising altitude. So, I switched to Panther engines and moved them forward a bit so that they look smoother. Normally, I'd add Z-1k Rechargeable Battery Banks right before the engines. However, they interrupted the aesthetic when I moved the Whiplash engines forward. The YF-23 breaking the sound barrier several seconds after takeoff. This should come as no surprise since this aircraft has Whiplash engines. That was the same case for the Panthers with the afterburners on, but with the speed drop after settling at cruising altitude a replacement was necessary. Also, the Whiplash engines have a better acceleration. The Black Widow II is extremely agile, even with the gimbals locked. After climbing at a pitch angle of between 20 and 25 degrees, the YF-23 is finally settled at a cruising altitude. WARNING: plane will catch fire at high speeds. A preliminary range calculation made at Rangefinder Mountains indicated that the Black Widow II would make at least one full flight around Kerbin’s circumference, and that the MET would almost be at the 1-hour mark when it was time to land. Flying over the southern tundra right before the polar ice cap. Over time, the plane didn’t need as much throttle to maintain cruising speed. As expected, the YF-23 was able to fly a full circumference around Kerbin with plenty of fuel to spare. The aircraft was to be flown until depletion not only for a more accurate range reading, but to see how draining the fuel tanks would affect landing. When it was time to land (with a little less than 60 fuel units left), Kerbnet detected a nearby anomaly. The pilot reduced the throttle to under 10% maximum and circled around, hoping to mark it before touching the ground. It was too dark to check it out, so a second mission would have to take place during the day. Once a marker was placed near the question mark on Kerbnet, the pilot checked for some flat terrain and resumed landing. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Altitude: 22.5 km (~73.8k ft; Class Echo airspace) WARNING: Tends to bounce up and down in cruise while MJ aircraft autopilot is on. FUN FACT: Class Alpha airspace goes from 18k ft ASL to 60k ft. Above that is Class Echo airspace - E for Everything Else. Velocity: 1230 m/s (~2,751.5 mph) Expected Range: 4,400 km Unnamed pilot standing outside the YF-23 after landing it on Kerbin’s highlands. He reported that he had no problems orienting the aircraft during the landing phase. He also mentioned being grateful that the prototype had Kerbnet access, or else he would have crashed in total darkness into the mountains. Now that the anomaly was marked, whoever would be sent to investigate it would know which way to go. After checking the estimated coordinates for the marker and cross-referencing that with the list of known bases on Kerbin, it was determined that the so-called anomaly was most likely the North Station One Commnet station. Regardless, a recon flight was launched around midday from the KSC, which means that there should be daylight at the anomaly. Given the coordinates of the KSC and the target while taking into account takeoff and braking, it should take nearly 10 minutes to reach North Station One at the recommended cruising speed of 1230 m/s. Once the pilot saw what looked like a large communications dish on the mountains, he slowed down and circled around for a better look. After this shot was taken (the text and circle were added afterwards), he made another perfect landing. The coordinates are listed on this picture so anyone who’s looking for it will know where it is. For an experimental fifth-generation fighter prototype that got rejected (IRL), this aircraft did very well. Unless someone beats me to it, I expect any F-22 replicas I build to go way faster at the same cruising altitude as this prototype. I don't really expect it to have greater maneuverability or range than the YF-23, however, since that was the case in real-life. I also cannot compare aircraft stealth, at least not without mods. Either way, as long as it looks as close to its namesake as possible and can actually fly, it can go in the showcase. I'm also glad to have made this calculator on Excel so I can better determine my craft's range, U.S. and metric conversions, and the distance to specific waypoints without having to get on MathPapa all the time. Although I mainly set it up for flight tests, it can also be used for land and sea navigation on Kerbin as well as other planets. Feel free to use it for yourself and tell me what you think. Replicas Remaining: 187

Well, that didn't age well.

Have you tried opening it in Google Sheets?

You're welcome. Did you try it yet? How's it working out for you?

Thank you. I was wondering where would be the most appropriate page for this. I didn't consider looking under the Mods section since this is an Excel sheet.

Quite soothing when you're in orbit. How do you make such a masterpiece?