Fairly new, landing gear keep exploding

[Elfmaze]

Hey guys... I seem to be abnormally bad at designing airplanes... And i'm a pilot in real life

 

But This one I copied a design from online but used the non retractable gear.  I have KISSED the terrain and still boom! I have never managed to land anywhere but on the runway.  Are gear really that fragile?

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2017 by Elfmaze

[Ohm is Futile]

Since I rarely make planes, I can't say how the basic wheels compare to the other gears in terms of impact tolerance off the top of my head. That would be the first thing to check. My experience has generally been positive though, I can usually tell quite accurately if my landing is going to result in deadly confetti or not before the wheels touch down. Being a pilot, I can only assume I don't need to talk to you about the speed and approach for a landing.

So that leaves only one thing beyond the impact tolerance: As much as I love KSP, it's not necessarily the best collision simulator, especially when large numbers are at work both for vertical and horizontal speeds. Uneven terrain and aforementioned mix of horizontal and vertical speeds can have rather unpredictable and impressive results.

Edited January 24, 2017 by Ohm is Futile

[bewing]

Each type of wheel has a weight limit. Those kind max out at around 7.5 tonnes for a tricycle arrangement. The weight limits change a bit when the devs mess with the settings between each version.

The retractable wheels have about 3 times the weight limit of those basic wheels.

Those engines are fairly fuel efficient. 500 units of fuel could easily get you halfway around Kerbin -- which should be way more than you really need with that level of tech. So take at least half the fuel out of that front fuel tank, and you will be a lot closer to the weight limit.

Additionally, those basic swept wings are a cruel trick. They weigh twice as much as they should for the lift they provide. The TypeB wings may not be as pretty, but they work a heck of a lot better.

Edited January 24, 2017 by bewing

[Rath]

Yep, two mk0 fuel tanks per engine is enough for almost anything, if you don't want to go fast.  Replace the front tank with a structural one, and shove two mk0 tanks inside that.  You probably need to switch out the swept wings too, they kinda suck.

[WanderingKid]

Not normally, no.  The one you used for the front wheel is a lot more forgiving than the 'stuck out' rear wheels you used.  They need to come down so softly that you basically need a mod to be able to monitor your downward velocity.  Swap over to using 3 of the front style wheels and you'll be in a better position.

The rest of the landing gear ISN'T made out of explodium, thankfully.  Usually if you pop those gears you've simply over-weighted the gear and need to use the next size up.