What does "speed" refer to in contracts?

[christes]

I took one of those painfully specific part-testing contracts (Use part X at altitude Y and speed Z), but I'm having a lot of trouble fulfilling it since I don't seem to understand what speed they're looking for.

I just assumed that it was the speed listed above the navball since that's the easiest to read, but that seems to not be what they're looking for.

[FullMetalMachinist]

22 minutes ago, christes said:

I just assumed that it was the speed listed above the navball since that's the easiest to read, but that seems to not be what they're looking for.

Welcome to the forums! 

That is what they want, but you have to be careful about "which" speed is displayed above the nav ball. 

When you start out it displays the velocity relative to Kerbin's surface. But if you go high enough, even if you're still in the atmosphere, it switches automatically to "orbit" mode. Depending on which direction you were traveling at the switch, that can be a difference of several hundred m/s. 

I don't remember off the top of my head what the auto switch altitude is, but it's possible that the contract wants you to be above this, and you're looking at the wrong velocity. 

To switch back to "surface" mode, just click the velocity indicator and it will cycle through the options (surface, orbit, and target, but if there is no target set it'll skip that one). 

[Plusck]

Yes, in-atmosphere contract speeds are always (AFAIK) surface speeds. So if the contract is to be high in the atmosphere, you will have to switch back to surface speed after it auto-switches to get the right reading.

I can't remember where it auto-switches either, but it's around the 30-40km mark.

[Venusgate]

If these don't answer your question, a snapshot of your contract would be helpful

[bewing]

Yes, it is surface speed. And your navball switches into Orbital speed mode between 35 and 36km altitude. But I find the easiest thing to do is to have the contract open in the list, and just wait until all the checkmarks turn green, then hit the test asap.