KSP 1.0.1 now allows emergency water landings?

[Baenki]

While taking the stock D45 Stearwing on a joyride I ran out of fuel so I turned around and tried to glide towards the island runway.

Obviously I failed. So I decided to do an emergency landing in the ocean. I tried my best, used RCS to stabilize the plane but didn´t have high hopes that Jeb and Val would survive.

I did hit the water with a speed of 35-40m/s and the nose maybe 2° below the horizon on the Navball, landing gear out.

A huge splash, explosions, the plane ripped in half but the crew lives to crash once more.

So was the physics of the water changed or have I just been lucky?

[longbyte1]

Just lucky, I guess. I haven't seen any physics changes in the changelog since this isn't really Squad's thing.

[Renegrade]

I did hit the water with a speed of 35-40m/s and the nose maybe 2° below the horizon on the Navball, landing gear out.

A huge splash, explosions, the plane ripped in half but the crew lives to crash once more.

The cockpit has an impact tolerance of 45m/s... that's why they're still alive.

[wossname]

.....Or perhaps they flew on the wings of love?

I admit it's not a scientific hypothesis, but scientists should keep an open mind.

[zarakon]

I had a kerbal survive a terminal velocity head-first fall into the ocean the other day after a failed launch and failed parachute deployment

[samstarman5]

Are you on 1.0.1? Because 1.0.2 did address an issue of parts overheating upon hitting water. I wonder if that might be what is helping your parts survive.

[Gerandar]

you were going to slow to destroy the cockpit as someone above said that cockpit can survive up to 45m/s.

[zekes]

I managed to put a plane down with half a wing....

[mrclucks]

I mistakenly eva'd bill while on a 75by75 orbit. He started to deorbit and all of his fuel couldn't save him from that. He did survive the whole reentry burn and I thought he'd at least go splat, but he bounced about 5m and promptly planted a flag saying he survived.

I've now promoted him above jeb level, but its a shame that it was in sandbox and not in my career save.

*only one kerbal was mildly harmed in this making*

[sam.johnson841]

Squad did say somewhere that the water had gotten some love, i think it might have been in the AMA they did before release?

-Sam

[problemecium]

Yes, water is much nicer in this update. I actually depend on it to land my big ships now, as seen in my signature.