My real K-prize entry

[W. Kerman]

I did it the right way this time

 

DATA SPAM INCOMING

My entry: \(*)/Bird, (cyclopean bird)

http://imgur.com/a/sUs2S

Landing was hard; I flipped 4 times! Not to mention overshooting by that much...

[something]

Wow, that vessel actually stands on its wheels on the runway? Just looking at those images, I catch myself pressing R and S repeatedly to prevent that vessel from falling over

 

When flipping during re-entry, the fuel consumption might have moved your center of lift (COL) in front of your center of mass (COM). You can check that in the VAB by reducing the fuel in the tanks and observing both, the COM and COL overlays. If my assumption is correct, then your plane becomes aerodynamically unstable and will flip. Basically there are two ways to get around that issue: 1) Design your vessel in a way that COM always is in front of the COL, even if the tanks are empty or 2) Before or during re-entry pump fuel from the aft to the front - that  gets the plane more stable. When overdoing no 2) then you might be too stable during aerodynamic flight and you will have a hard time steering, pump some fuel back to the aft...

[W. Kerman]

On 11/16/2016 at 3:41 PM, something said:

Wow, that vessel actually stands on its wheels on the runway? Just looking at those images, I catch myself pressing R and S repeatedly to prevent that vessel from falling over

 

When flipping during re-entry, the fuel consumption might have moved your center of lift (COL) in front of your center of mass (COM). You can check that in the VAB by reducing the fuel in the tanks and observing both, the COM and COL overlays. If my assumption is correct, then your plane becomes aerodynamically unstable and will flip. Basically there are two ways to get around that issue: 1) Design your vessel in a way that COM always is in front of the COL, even if the tanks are empty or 2) Before or during re-entry pump fuel from the aft to the front - that  gets the plane more stable. When overdoing no 2) then you might be too stable during aerodynamic flight and you will have a hard time steering, pump some fuel back to the aft...

My problem wasn't flipping during reentry, it was that after landing, the in-flight sideslip would turn the craft upside down, and turn KSP into a Michael Bay simulator. Thanks for your tips!