Mustangrande

Every time I look at this thread, it gets better!

Is it possible to attach some sort of lander into the apollo decoupler/fairing? It seems as though there's only room for the CSM up top. An attachment node for some sort of lander payload, even a KSP-stock one, would be very nice.

I have to say, I'm eager to see what constitutes "extra love," given how much love the rest of the pack has gotten!

Nice! Where did those floats come from?

Watching that thing coming down, at that sort of speed tells me one thing: Invest in a helmet.

I'll see what I can do. I'm going to make a duplicate install with FAR, and do some more testing with it. Any chance of you posting a craft file with your changes?

I trimmed what I could from the K-2D, and came up with the K-2E, which uses the bare minimum number of air intakes for sustained full-throttle cruise at 25,000m. The wings have also been redesigned to eliminate the "porpoising" problem on descent, in which the K-2D would skip off of the air as it increased in density. This change has resulted in HIGHER TAKEOFF AND STALL SPEEDS. DOWNLOAD: K-2E Additionally, I've finished the K-2S, which is space-rated to 70KM, thanks to its SABRE-S engine and solar panels. The K-2S also has a set of speed brakes, designed to help the pilot bleed off velocity during descent and approach. K-2S ORBITAL MISSION PROFILE: Activate MJ spaceplane guidance and activate a hold of 90 degrees and 25000 meters. Activate engine and increase throttle to full. Allow the aircraft to climb to cruise altitude. Once at altitude, allow the craft to level off and increase speed. Once shock heating occurs, change the alt-hold setting in MJ to 40000m. Be ready to switch the SABRE engine to LFO mode. Monitor Intake Air, and when it drops below 0.2, press the 1 key, to switch engine modes. Deactivate Spaceplane guidance and activate Smart ASS Pro-Grade. Monitor orbital info until apoapsis reaches 75km, then cut engines. Circularize at apoapsis. Deploy solar panels with the 3 key. Be sure to orient the ship pro-grade, retract solar panels, and switch engine modes after the deorbital burn, to ensure a stable return to atmospheric flight. DOWNLOAD: K-2S

The "modified bicycle" gear arrangement is mainly intended to make takeoff and landing easier. While the wings are protected by gear, allowing that gear to touch will generally result in a severe pull in that direction. Two pairs of wheels mean that you don't have to balance the plane along the centerline. I'll likely play around with removing air intakes as well. I was mainly interested in "air hogging" my way up to the highest altitude I could manage for testing. For cruising at 25000, less air will be needed, and some weight savings could be had. I'm also playing around with a modified version that uses a Sabre engine to achieve LKO.

*Searches frantically for a "Dem Wings" picture with Jebediah in it.*

Having always been a fan of the U-2, I decided to fool around and come up with something similar. The end result flew so well, that I figured I'd share it with the community. The K-2D "Kraken lady" is a two-seat, single engine, long-range reconnaissance aircraft. In test flights, it was capable of taking off, climbing to a cruise altitude of 25,000 meters, (82,000 feet MSL) circumnavigating the globe and landing back on the KSC runway, using less than half of its fuel capacity. Test flights brought it to altitudes in excess of 30,000 meters, and surface speeds in excess of 1300 meters per second. Stats are as follows: Loaded Weight: 15.1 Tons Maximum Tested Altitude: 32,000 Meters Recommended Cruise Altitude: 25,000 Meters Cruise Speed: 1,200 Meters per Second (surface) Time to Cruise Alt: Approx. 8 minutes Range: Global Takeoff Speed (Loaded): 20 Meters per Second Stall Speed (Loaded): 10 Meters per Second TWR: 1.52 Mods Needed: Procedural Wings, Mechjeb, B9 Aerospace Due to the high lift of its wing, the K-2D requires very little power during takeoff and no power at all on final approach. Takeoff is level, with the aircraft lifting off of the runway at 20m/s. Low power is recommended during takeoff, as high power settings can cause a severe nose-up tendency unless corrected with trim. A long, slow and shallow final approach is recommended when landing. Due to the high lift of the wing, the plane tends to "bounce" following a steep approach. It also has a tendency to float down the runway, though its low landing speed means that once on the ground, the brakes will quickly bring it to a stop. Speed going into the flare should be about 13 m/s. Level the plane off and hold the wheels just a few inches above the pavement. The plane will eventually settle as the speed bleeds off. Due to the wide wingspan, the wings should be kept as level as possible on final to prevent a wing strike. Any corrections should be made with the rudder. At high altitudes, trim or Mechjeb Spaceplane Guidance should be used to keep the plane under control. At low altitudes however, the aircraft is responsive and nimble, whilst remaining stable and easy to fly. NOTE: This plane can experience prolonged shock heating under certain conditions: particularly during descent from cruise altitude and during high speed cruise in the 18-20KM range. Users of mods that simulate re-entry heat may need to take this into account. This aircraft has not been tested with FAR. If anyone decides to try it out with Ferram, I would appreciate any feedback or results you can provide. DOWNLOAD: K-2D "Kraken Lady"

I thought he never finished his PHD? That he started it and then life got in the way? At any rate, his bi-eliptic sundive video helped me with a particularly tough NT mission that I was having trouble with. (You know the one)

"Adjusting Floating Point Buoyancy"

I've never been to Jool, Dres, or Eeloo. Going through the NT missions pack is helping bit by bit, though. XD

He's only helped me with just about every aspect of the game.

Okay, thanks!

So, burn normal, 90 degrees early?

So I've been going through the missions in the Mission Commander mod, and reached one that requires placing a satellite into an orbit with a very specific LAN. I'm certain the method involves launching to an equatorial orbit and then burning to the necessary inclination, but how does one figure out just when to burn?

With mechjeb and a considerable amount of luck, I\'ve managed to complete my first two successful rendezvous. The first between two unmanned capsules, then between one of those drones and a manned spacecraft, with an EVA thrown in for good measure. (I like to think that both Jeb and Mechjeb are shouting 'SPAAAAAACE!' as happily as can be.) Thanks for an awesome plugin!

my favorite part of the second picture is how the shuttle looks like it\'s up on blocks.

And, as you can see, main gear well forward of the trailing edge, to provide a more balanced rotation.

I figured I\'d post back here with my solution to the unsticking problem; move your rear landing gear forward, so that they\'re closer to the point of balance. Then, use SAS to lift your nose slowly, and prevent a tailstrike. I\'ve found that this makes the difference between running off the pavement and taking off with a third to spare.

Here\'s my most stable craft yet. It travels more or less where it\'s pointed, and with the SAS on, is outright tame. SAS engaged and stick held back on takeoff, it will rotate at about 50m/s and lift off at about 70, with plenty of runway to spare.

A projectile in a vacuum, of course. I think I\'m over-engineering the hell out of this spaceplane. So far, I haven\'t even come close to orbit.

Where can I get that bicoupler? Search only turns up this thread.