Dragon1260

I drew a diagram; someone with a better physics credential, correct me if I am erroneous.

Just some thing I learned in the last few hours. I wanted to post it in case it helps someone. There is likely this information posted somewhere on the forum, but I usually have to dig a bit for it. That or I am a dunce that can't find an existing guide. Hope this gets expanded or redirected to the appropriate guide. 1. My plane veers right or left on the runway, crashes into ground =Problem: The back of the plane is lifting off before the front -Solution: Make sure the Center of Lift is sitting behind the Center of Mass. Make sure that the wheels are level with eachother 2. My plane won't lift off before reaching the end of the runway =Problem 1: Not enough lift. - Solution : add a bit more in wings or reduce weight. =Problem 2: Center of Lift is sitting in front of or too close to Center of Mass. -Solution : Move Center of Lift behind Center of Mass. =Problem 3 :Rear landing gear too far behind Center of Mass. = Solution : Move landing gear forward. 3. Plane turns right or left in flight; hard to control right or left. Problem is more pronounced with more thrust. =Problem 1: Asymmetric structure of plane. -Solution : Check for asymmetry, make it symmetric. =Problem 2: Uneven fuel usage. -Solution : first check the tanks during flight to see if one tank is being used before the other. If so, this offsets the Center of Mass to one side. Reconfigure the fuel tanks / lines and do several test flights until fuel is used out of the tanks evenly. 4. Plane spins left or right around 23km up. =Problem: Flame out. -Solution: Watch your resources menu in the top right. When air intake reduces below 0.2, cut the turbine (or any other air-breathing engines). The plane is spinning because one engine cut out when the air became scarce, which left just enough air for the other engine to run for a second before cutting out, thus having thrust on one side for a sec. 5. Pulling up to quickly for takeoff knocks off my back engine (hits the ground). =Problem 1: Landing gear is too far forward. -Solution : The back landing gear decides where the plane pivots when taking off and landing. Move it further back to avoid scraping the engine against the ground as the plane pulls up. =Problem 2: Poor Driving -Solution : Hold Alt+S to adjust the trim to an upward pitch. Watch the pitch meter (in the lower left of the screen) rise as Alt+S is held. The trim sets a sort of "default" pitch/roll/yaw position. Setting the pitch up slightly will make the plane rise upward more slowly, rather than hitting S alone which maxes out pitch and dings the back engine against the ground. 6. I run out of fuel before reaching orbit. =Problem: Bad ascent profile. -Solution: Trying to run straight for the sky (like a rocket), often runs the plane out of fuel because the rockets are very expensive on fuel. The air-breathing engines are cheap. Look up ascent profile diagram for SSTOs. In general, a. 45 degree angle to 10km, b. lower to 5 degree angle, fly up to 20km at this low angle to gain about 1.5km/s velocity c. Cut airbreathing engines when air intake gets below 0.2, angle to 80 degrees (like a rocket), kick on rocket to raise apoapsis to desired parking orbit d. circularize orbit to about 2.2km/s velocity 7. How do I pull up the landing gear? -Solution: G key 8. And the lights? -Solution: U key Edit: July 16th, 2013 : Allmhuran : add to the "my plane won't get off the runway": Rear landing gear too far behind centre of mass. Move landing gear forward.