Wind Tunnel Mode

[Jonfliesgoats]

A week or so ago, someone suggested a simulation mode that allows you to test your craft without spending the funds or getting science.  I forgot the names of the original poster of this idea, but that notion was rolling around in my noodle for a while.

What about a wind tunnel facility at KSP?  You could build your craft in the VAB or SPH and test it through different regimes of flight at different speeds.  Lift, drag and thrust vectors would change and the players could experiment with controllability,. There would be a small cost for using the wind tunnel, but you would get a much more detailed engineering report.  We could even have Kerbals put the data into various spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations!

This may be fun or it may make the game too much like an actual job at Kerbal Dynamics.

 

[BT Industries]

I really like this idea. The cool thing is that there happens to already be a wind tunnel at the R&D Centre!

-T

[Jonfliesgoats]

I think a lot of the part testing to be done on the ground could be moved to the R and D center as well.  It'd be more appropriate to set up test stands and other jigs there than on the runway or launch pad.

[Magzimum]

It would probably drastically increase the life expectancy on Kerbin to do a lot of tests in a wind tunnel rather than on a launchpad and in the skies directly above the KSC. At the same time, you have to wonder how the information gathered in such a wind tunnel is presented to the players? Most of the players including myself are of the trial-and-error type, who may not exactly appreciate a large chunk of data to dig through, while we cackle gleefully at another floppy rocket that blows up.

Also, wind tunnels aren't cheap. I would suggest that the "smal cost" is at least in the order of magnitude as the corresponding VAB and CPH, with the same limitations, so the base wind tunnel for only a few tons, and 30 parts, at atmospheric flight below mach 1. The 1st upgrade several hundred thousand, and the wind tunnel for the largest ships in the order of a million. Whether this is done by reducing the costs of the R&D upgrades, or by adding an additional cost, I don't know. It seems to me that such a wind tunnel is an optional extra that players can unlock if they have some money to spend... so I'd add the costs on top of the current costs of the upgrades.

If a single test in that wind tunnel will cost me money, they I won't use it. I'd rather launch and revert back to the VAB/SPH then.

[Spartwo]

A few hours too late:/ Great minds think alike. I just wanted to see the smoke trails running over my craft.

[Jonfliesgoats]

Magzimum makes a good point regarding the cost of wind tunnel testing.  A per-use fee for the wind tunnel may remove any incentive for using the facility.  Having an upgradeable wind tunnel would be something that would allow players to test their craft when they finally get tired of trying to keep their noodle-rockets stable.  Or, instead of trying to fly a spaceplane to a given altitude/speed regime to test its performance, you could "dial in" the specific speeds and altitudes (atmospheric pressures) to test your vehicle.  

Data presentation is another thing altogether.  While I'd love graphs of forces at given values of dynamic pressure, sideslip, aoa, etc.  Most people would quicky lose interest.  What would you think of a presentation of various vectors of lift, drag, thust along with pitching, yawing and rolling moments presented on the craft in real time during the test?  Numeric values could be presented in real time in the enhanced engineering report.

KSP already calculates these things.  We'd just present the values of these numbers to the player as they "fly" their noodle rockets and wedge-planes in the tunnel.  Think that'd be palatable?  My taste in these things is poor so I rely on the judgement of others.  I'd make all my coworkers wear uniforms of purple fur with LED insignia, if I could.  So, yeah, I am not the one to consult for customer-friendly presentation.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Jonfliesgoats
Poor taste.

[GeneCash]

This would probably be even "awesomer" for the education version of KSP... just sayin'

[problemecium]

*raises hand*

Unless someone else happened to also propose this, I believe I was the one who proposed the "simulation" idea you mentioned. More specifically it was for a "Simulator" building at KSC.
Unfortunately I think that functionality is looking to be supplanted by the new Cheats menu and its "Set Orbit" feature.

[Jonfliesgoats]

You were, Paramecium!  Also, microbiology rules, especially at the University of Wisconsin!  Thanks for the idea!

[swjr-swis]

I perceive a possible danger from this desire to let Kerbals simulate things: what stops them from simulating a human world, and then making us take seat in their wobbly noodles of fiery destruction...?

[pincushionman]

I'd like this a lot. Something where you have the aircraft in the tunnel, you set altitude, speed, angle of attck, and control surface deflection, and it draws the lift, weight, drag, and moment vectors at the CoM.

Facility upgrades would let you sweep AoA, altitude, or speed, and plot a curve for those results, but what beginners really need is simply something to indicate visually at what AoA they're going to either flip out or stall - in an environment where they can easily replicate and reset, instead of constant launch+revert to VAB because they're unstable the moment their nose gear leaves the runway. And by "beginner" I mean nearly everyone.

[Technical Ben]

Perhaps keep the use free, but any damaged parts would need replacing and have actual cost associated.

It would give an incentive to use it, with also a risk that if the wing blows off, you have to pay for a new one.

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

Do it.

[Wjolcz]

I suggested a similar thing years ago and I still think it's a good idea.

[KSPFanatic102]

Brilliant Idea! i would like to see it in KSP

Edited September 25, 2016 by Space_taco

[TheDestroyer111]

Great idea! This would amazingly help me in analyzing why my newest replica of a chinese fighter plane tends to get into flat spins when pitching up heavily at high speeds. And it would help me for the same thing with my space shuttle. But to be useful for such things, the wind tunnel should also be able to at least display the aerodynamic forces as well as precise rotation of a vehicle. It should also be possible to start a wind tunnel test with the vehicle already rotating (would help a lot for analyzing spins), as well as *maybe* a replay function? If it doesn't heavily increase hardware requirements  

[KingMonkeyNuts]

You had me at 'Wind Tunnel'

I too would like to see a wind tunnel added to the game.

[MDZhB]

Perhaps the wind tunnel could be like a different scene, where you can set the speed of the air flowing past your craft, and then move it in different ways through this air flow. The craft would stay anchored in one spot, but would otherwise be able to flip around and whatnot.

So, for example, I could create a craft in the SPH, then move it to the wind tunnel. I could set air speed to 100 m/s, and then "fly" the craft in a rendered wind tunnel, complete with Kerbal engineers watching through windows and taking notes. You could even render the craft with a blank grey texture to make it really look like a model, and automatically scale it to fit perfectly in the tunnel.

The scene would be complete with complementary data screens, and graphics showing air flow and force vector thingys, and of course lift, drag, etc. Maybe, you could even alter fuel levels and whatnot to see how it affects your CoM

This way, you could be able to see how your craft would really react at different speeds.

Edited September 25, 2016 by MDZhB

[Rodhern]

I think the functionality would make most sense as a plugin. Are you thinking plugin or stock functionality, or maybe that question is just not relevant for the discussion?