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Showing results for tags 'kerbal launcher'.
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Last year, while visiting family for Thanksgiving, I accidentally turned my young cousins into "Gerbil Space Program" super-fans when we built silly rockets that did funny things in flight. This year they begged me to build something even more amusing with them. Cousins: "Hey [SkunkTwerks], let's build an airplane!" Me: "Sure thing, easy peasy!" Cousins: "Yeah, an airplane that shoots kerbals!" Me: "Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about shooting things at kerbals... They have feelings too, you know!" Cousins: *laughter* "No, an airplane that shoots kerbals out of the front of it!!!" Me: "Oh. OH. OHHH! Like, using the kerbals themselves as the projectiles?" Cousins: *mad laughter* "YEAAHHHH!" Me: "BRILLIANT!" *may almighty Kraken forgive me for my kerbal-slaying sins* So with the expert design help of my favorite little Kerbal Engineers ages 6-13, SkunkTwerks presents the KERBAL LAUNCHER 50000! That little dot on the right is dear Bob Kerman, traveling at approximately ludicrous speed. I can't switch controls fast enough to get an exact maximum speed, but muzzle velocity is at least 300 m/s faster than the KERBAL LAUNCHER 50000's airspeed. A close-up of the firing chamber. Since KSP treats engine thrust as very precise, laser-focused vectors, we used structural panels and four Vector engines (gimbals locked) to create an enclosure in which the kerbal has a high likelihood of being directly in front of at least one of the point sources. Firing sequence: 1) Select a kerbal from the Mk2 Crew Cabin (not the Mk3 Passenger Module) and go on EVA 2) Switch control back to the KERBAL LAUNCHER 50000 using [ or ] 3) *Briefly* toggle the Vector engines On and Off by double-tapping Hotkey 2. Failure to keep it brief may result in a full stall & death spiral. 4) Watch 'em fly! Repeat as desired. 5) Refill the Mk2 Crew Cabin from the Mk3 Passenger Module as needed. Hotkey 5 opens the Mk3 cargo bay door for easier crew transfer. Jeb gives the KERBAL LAUNCHER 50000 a great big twisted & tangled thumbs-up after being fired at the VAB. I've never broken a kerbal so badly! I felt a little bit bad for the poor guy, but my cousins thought it was hilarious. Here's to keeping the young kerbal engineers entertained! -SkunkTwerks