Official FAR Craft Repository

[tetryds]

Official FAR Craft Repository

Welcome to the FAR Craft Repository.

This is the place for discussing about design and aerodynamics, as well as sharing your creations and asking for tips.

This place is meant to take off the load from the mod thread, which is reserved for discussing about the mod itself, not how to design for it nor plain aerodynamics discussion.

The mod thread is then dedicated to discussing bugs and its features, so for instance "how does far handle lift?" goes there, while "how to improve my craft's lift?" Goes here.

If you don't feel like your post belongs here you can head over to the mod topic.

Misplaced posts on the mod topic will be moved here.

[Nansuchao]

Yesterday I shared my first successful FAR SSTE (Single Stage to Everywhere... More or less).

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/120981-FAR-Three-Kats

Congratulations for the idea of this thread.

[Mäpä]

The first SSTO I actually managed to get into orbit with the new voxel-based FAR

http://imgur.com/gallery/2Bh9SV3/new

Still trying to come up with a cool name though.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Mäpä

[Wanderfound]

A demonstration of how little engine is actually required:

Kerbodyne Gull NF.

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Craft file at https://www.dropbox.com/s/uzsjjsxjgnzs254/Kerbodyne%20Gull%20NF.craft?dl=0

[FourGreenFields]

Looks like I'll be a frequent visitor of this thread.

Lets spam some sub-sonic designs for them lulz

First 3 I'll post here (many more to come):

The Blohm & Voss BV 144, passenger transport plane

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/26238483038829081/6261CFA699202AA4E3E8D18CBA8E50077A219274/

(please ignore that aerodynamic overlay thing, still not used to my new screenshot key)

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A, WWII fighter

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/26238483038832861/4D912F029BEE7D66CCFA7A2C8A329EC32D0C06C9/

And the Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H, WWII high altitude fighter (Ta being short for Kurt Tank)

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/26238483038839405/76CCD4C9CE119E454D9C964654C263A3702DC56A/

If anyone wants more pics, or the blueprints tell me.

Partially due to lack of procedural parts of any kind I dont bother replicating them too exact. But I do try to replicate the general aerodynamic configuration, as well as some details.

If anyone has some more unusual aerodynamic configurations, or planes from roughly 1920-1950 that are otherwise interesting, please tell me about them.

[tetryds]

I see lots of big SSTOs running on very few rapiers, I did not make SSTOs on nuFAR, but does it feel overpowered?

@FourGreenFields: They look awesome!

You just reminded me that I need to give a pass on my propeller airplanes!

New screenshot key? Not F1?

Protip: go on settings.cfg and supersize your screenies:

SCREENSHOT_SUPERSIZE = 1

That way you will get mindblowing resolution screenshots!

[FourGreenFields]

Am I right to assume that "mindblowing resolution screenshots" may kill my several years old laptop?

While doing the screenshot for the BV 144 I had about 6 fps iIrc...

Anyway, old screenshot key was F12 (default), new one is numpad 5. Accidentally pressed F12, and forgot to wait till the stuff disappeared again.

EDIT: And btw: I cant even open .cfg files... so I cant change anything in settings.cfg (unless there is an in-game option to do that)

Edited May 14, 2015 by FourGreenFields

[tetryds]

Am I right to assume that "mindblowing resolution screenshots" may kill my several years old laptop?

While doing the screenshot for the BV 144 I had about 6 fps iIrc...

Anyway, old screenshot key was F12 (default), new one is numpad 5. Accidentally pressed F12, and forgot to wait till the stuff disappeared again.

EDIT: And btw: I cant even open .cfg files... so I cant change anything in settings.cfg (unless there is an in-game option to do that)

Strange, so the built-in screenshot lags a lot but the steam one doesn't?

The steam ones always seemed of a little lower quality for me, that may be it.

Well, aparently supersized screenshots are broken, nevermind then.

Here is one of my propeller planes, it looks like a P-47 but is not meant to be a replica (I don't really like making replicas).

[FourGreenFields]

Strange, so the built-in screenshot lags a lot but the steam one doesn't?

Never tried to do a built-in screenshot. My framerate got worse with each kerbal, maybe they were the cause of all that lag.

Anyway, just finished my next plane. Henschel Hs 130.

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/26238483039185518/6BF66BCE4ADBEFA40B4BF0AF16087CDAF1F7AE15/

Fuselage fuel tanks have been emptied to save weight for this flight.

PS: Jug ftw!

Edited May 14, 2015 by FourGreenFields
type error

[Wanderfound]

I see lots of big SSTOs running on very few rapiers, I did not make SSTOs on nuFAR, but does it feel overpowered?

FAR no longer includes an engine nerf, so RAPIERs and turbos have more punch than they used to. But it's compensated for by the reduction in altitude available to jets: you can get off the runway with much less engine, but you need to carry a lot more oxidiser. And, as in stock, the RAPIERs have a substantial flat spot in their powerband around the transsonic region. Get 'em up to speed and they accelerate very rapidly, but if your streamlining isn't good enough you'll never get up to speed in the first place.

It's different, but not "wrong". And the power boost means that you no longer need to strap on a dozen engines just to get a Mk3 off the ground; four turbojets will do just fine for 747-sized monsters.

[Hektos]

What are yall using to get those propeller engines?

[tetryds]

What are yall using to get those propeller engines?

We are using KAX.

It's a bit overpowered for FAR without AJE, but it should update anytime soon.

[kcs123]

I see lots of big SSTOs running on very few rapiers, I did not make SSTOs on nuFAR, but does it feel overpowered?

@FourGreenFields: They look awesome!

You just reminded me that I need to give a pass on my propeller airplanes!

New screenshot key? Not F1?

Protip: go on settings.cfg and supersize your screenies:

SCREENSHOT_SUPERSIZE = 1

That way you will get mindblowing resolution screenshots!

Actualy, RAPIERs are not owerpowerd. They certainly have a lot of power at sea level, maybe even too much, but once you reach 20 km and above where you need to gain speed above 4 mach, RAPIERS start to loose thrust quickly. While it is possible to bring nearly 100t craft to 20 km with only 2 rapiers, you need 4 rapiers to be able to gain speed.

New temperature feature, either if you use stock or deadly re-entry certainly brings some more stuff to pay attention when you design plane.

[Sterbehilfe]

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http://www./download/6t1n39ig2d6c9xi/GodSSTO3.craft

Mods used:

Kerbal Joint Reinforcement http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/55657-1-0-2-Kerbal-Joint-Reinforcement-v3-1-3-4-27-15

nuFAR http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/20451-1-0-2-Ferram-Aerospace-Research-v0-15-1-Fanno-5-10-15/page848

MechJeb http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/12384-PART-1-0-Anatid-Robotics-MuMech-MechJeb-Autopilot-v2-5

Kerbal Engineer http://kerbal.curseforge.com/ksp-mods/222685-kerbal-engineer-redux

Tweak Scale: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/...new-Stock-part (for wings, fuselage, engines, intakes...)

Instell Incorporated Experimental Technologies: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/...l-Technologies (scramjet engines)

Spacey Heavy Lifter: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/...82015-05-09%29 (proper 2.5m reaction wheels, vanilla ones suck)

Action Group Bindings:

1 - toggle Rapier on/off

2 - toggle Scramjets on/off

3 - switch Rapier airbreathing mode

4 - open cargo holds

5 - deploy drill

9 - deploy solar panels

Guide to orbit:

Press F10 to disable memory leaking temp. gauges

Press X to null thrust

Press spacebar to engage all engines and gimbals

Press 2 to turn off the scramjets again (flameout)

Now full thrust, steer a bit because the runway isnt aligned

You won't be able to liftoff before the runway ends, thats fine

Engage SAS and CAREFULLY orient the plane about 10-15 degrees upwards when you run over the runway end at around 200 m/s

If you pull up too strongly in that first moment the soup will tear off the wings

Once in the air, immediatly retract the gear and keep inching the nose upwards

Power back a bit, stay at around 300 m/s or mach 1, the engines can take a 45° and higher ascent no problem

At 10km up bring the nose back down to 20° and throttle to full

Keep climbing and accelerating. Past 400 m/s you can press 2 to turn the scramjets on

Past 1250 m/s you can turn off the Rapier with 1, else it will switch to rocket fuel because low atmosphere

You should be able to use the Scramjets to get a 75km Periapsis

(they might be op because they don't flameout at 250% air intake usage - if this bothers you just turn them off using 2 and use the rapier - 1 - for the last couple hundred m/s)

Then circularize and press 9 to deploy solars

Reentry:

Retract any gear, solar, cargo doors, kerbals

Get Apo/Periapsis at ~20km Kerbin

Keep the nose about 15 or 20 degrees above your velocity marker

Engage the (air-)brakes

No need to use RCS for either as- or descend

Edited May 14, 2015 by Sterbehilfe

[DaMichel]

The prop planes of you guys are really nice!

This is the one i posted earlier in the FAR thread. The engines a slight bit too much. I had no problem to fly it at 50% throttle to orbit.

I used some custom parts, including rescaled landing gear. Now i made a pure stock version.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/l3oqoy98mnamntv/FAR%20Spaceplane%20C.craft?dl=0

Tweaking the landing gear took me forever. The old and the new gear just won't fit nicely. It still is too wobbly. Requires SAS and careful braking.

Btw. has the heating system changed in 1.0.2? Because this plane can fly at mach 4 in 20km with no problem. The ones i built in 1.0 exploded at mach 2 in the lower atmosphere.

Edited May 14, 2015 by DaMichel

[Hektos]

We are using KAX.

It's a bit overpowered for FAR without AJE, but it should update anytime soon.

Yay, more mods to get

And so I'm not cluttering the thread with my posts about mods, here is the first plane I've come up with. It handles like a dream, but trying to land is a pain due to not being able to slow down very easily. I am still on the first level science building so still no Procedural Wings yet.

[lolstock]

Tweaking the landing gear took me forever. The old and the new gear just won't fit nicely. It still is too wobbly. Requires SAS and careful braking.

You should try BahamutoD's landing gear. I love them.

[Hektos]

You should try BahamutoD's landing gear. I love them.

They currently have an issue with the new voxel thing that FAR uses. I believe Bahamuto has a fix in the works but it isn't out yet.

[Hodo]

http://imgur.com/a/HI8gF

That is almost like my first interplanetary SSTO way back in the day, using B9 parts and Kethane. It went to Ike and Duna and returned. Great job there.

They currently have an issue with the new voxel thing that FAR uses. I believe Bahamuto has a fix in the works but it isn't out yet.

He does and I cant wait.

[Wedgenet]

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Craft: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3mdyewdgbi3097o/Manta%20S%20stock.craft?dl=0

[B15HOP_xmen]

I have a nice heavy mother of an SSTO using B9 sabre engines and part joining mod. (mostly for intakes)

As you can see it has a nice curvature cross sectional area drag profile:

I think I was reaching about 30km in altitude before I fired up the rocket engines. And about mach 5.5 usually... My goal of this craft was to bring fuel or cargo into space and then land back at the base.

In that shot I was already on my way back to Kerbin and had still half of my fuel left. I felt great considering that I had so much fuel to spare and had such a huge weight on board.

I had the idea of slowing down with a parachute. I landed on the runway and pretty much stopped faster than I thought I would... I haven't yet tried new chutes since nuFAR... But this plane was amazing with the old FAR ... I'll make a version two of this when I get a proc wing mod working with nuFAR.

By the way, this planes cargo was a Rockomax 64 jumbo fuel tank that weighs about 34 ton. Most peoples SSTO's are about that. I could probably carry the average SSTO with this beast.

[kcs123]

Btw, what is best crtitical mach number on your craft designs ? My best is somewhere between 0.80 and 0.82 for ~100t craft.

[tetryds]

Btw, what is best crtitical mach number on your craft designs ? My best is somewhere between 0.80 and 0.82 for ~100t craft.

It's usually only a big deal if you don't area-rule too well.

I would recommend focusing on area-ruling so that you don't even need to care much about the critical mach number.

[Hodo]

I have a nice heavy mother of an SSTO using B9 sabre engines and part joining mod. (mostly for intakes)

As you can see it has a nice curvature cross sectional area drag profile:

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/31867631257700713/6BCE522270D7227DA8D65ED3F9C6F65DBDD59BE2/

I think I was reaching about 30km in altitude before I fired up the rocket engines. And about mach 5.5 usually... My goal of this craft was to bring fuel or cargo into space and then land back at the base.

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/31865257804887491/653C6BFF12317FAA34576764C760EF10BFE21FE3/

In that shot I was already on my way back to Kerbin and had still half of my fuel left. I felt great considering that I had so much fuel to spare and had such a huge weight on board.

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/31865257804874909/4F30E2B5CF188FF16E305BD19810FC546BDFCD65/

I had the idea of slowing down with a parachute. I landed on the runway and pretty much stopped faster than I thought I would... I haven't yet tried new chutes since nuFAR... But this plane was amazing with the old FAR ... I'll make a version two of this when I get a proc wing mod working with nuFAR.

By the way, this planes cargo was a Rockomax 64 jumbo fuel tank that weighs about 34 ton. Most peoples SSTO's are about that. I could probably carry the average SSTO with this beast.

Didn't think B9 worked yet with the nuFAR yet or 1.0.2.

[blowfish]

Didn't think B9 worked yet with the nuFAR yet or 1.0.2.

nuFAR compatibility doesn't require many changes (if any). Wings are still using the same modules, and everything else is done based on part shape. As for general 1.0.2 compatibility there are some more serious issues like heating and the new thrust curves for airbreathers.