Jet-of-the-Day Collaboration

[Hodo]

I just want to say...

 

This thread is nothing but win!

 

So awesome you have done this and your work is outstanding.  Great job.

[Servo]

On 3/21/2017 at 11:58 PM, Hodo said:

I just want to say...

This thread is nothing but win!

So awesome you have done this and your work is outstanding.  Great job.

That's high praise! Thank you, and I hope we will continue to impress. Today is a short one, as I've got a bit of homework that needs attention.

February 1963: Grumman A-6 Intruder

The Grumman A-6 Intruder was a twin-engine attack aircraft designed for penetration, low-level bombing, as well as precision strike craft. It replaced the long-lived piston A-1 Skyraider, and served until the 1990s when LANTIRN-equipped F-14 Tomcats replaced them in all active units.

The Intruder was also modified into the EA-6B Prowler, an advanced electronic warfare unit that is still in service today. Modifications included adding two more seats for electronics countermeasures officers, as well as pods on the wing and tail.

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 49	Mass: 9.9 tons	Crew: 2
Top Speed: 288m/s	Service Ceiling: 7km	Powerplant: 2x Juno + 1x Wheesley	Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.86 x 3.95

This A-6 is a solid aircraft that flies nicely. If you increase the thrust limiter on the Wheesley in the tail, it can actually go supersonic. It's also really conservative on the part count, clocking in a less than 50 parts.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/Grumman-A-6-Intruder

Tomorrow's Craft

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly

Edited March 24, 2017 by Servo

[DarkOwl57]

No pictures I see... Oh well

[Servo]

7 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

No pictures I see... Oh well

Whoops...

I'll fix that once I get home, there are pictures in the WIP design thread and on the kerbalX page for now.

[DarkOwl57]

26 minutes ago, Servo said:

Whoops...

I'll fix that once I get home, there are pictures in the WIP design thread and on the kerbalX page for now.

ah thanks; I'll check that thread out!

EDIT: When you can't find the WIP thread page

Edited March 23, 2017 by DarkOwl57

[RunsWithScissors]

I would like to add that the prowler is no longer in service, the last ones where decommissioned, and the last flight was on May 27, 2015.

Just to let you know 

[Servo]

1 hour ago, RunsWithScissors said:

I would like to add that the prowler is no longer in service, the last ones where decommissioned, and the last flight was on May 27, 2015.

Just to let you know 

Navy Prowlers were decommissioned in 2015, the Marine Corps still has a three active squadrons with a total of fifteen EA-6Bs. 

[Dman979]

Wow, this thread is still going! I have to admit, I was wondering how long you'd keep at it. The quality of both your builds has gotten better since the start, it's very visible. The F-5 is the best replica I've seen in a long time.

Keep it up!

[DarkOwl57]

Oh shoot I forgot to look over Spring Break; has the Phantom come up yet?

[Dman979]

8 minutes ago, DarkOwl57 said:

Oh shoot I forgot to look over Spring Break; has the Phantom come up yet?

Yes

[DarkOwl57]

4 minutes ago, Dman979 said:

Yes

GAH! The F-4?

[Dman979]

Just now, DarkOwl57 said:

GAH! The F-4?

Yes

[DarkOwl57]

On 3/19/2017 at 9:40 AM, Servo said:

@DarkOwl57, your time has come - two days early, to boot.

I've got good reason to miss this! I had like 100 notifications when I came back from SB. My emails were cluttered... I'M SORRY!!!!!!! *cries*

[Servo]

I'm trying to get pics to work in the original A-6 post, but it's not working. I'll drop them here instead.

Edited March 24, 2017 by Servo
I got it, but more pics here

[NorthAmericanAviation]

Given all the above stuff, it's time for more Vietnam goodies!

Sometime 1963: Cessna A-37 Dragonfly

The A-37 is a light ground attack aircraft developed from the Cessna T-37 basic trainer. Being as it was derived from a lightweight trainer, some modifications were made to make it more combat-ready, including strengthening the design of the wing, adding fuel, adding pylons for bomb load-outs, and even a 7.62x51mm (NATO) Minigun.

Dragonflies in Vietnam flew thousands of sorties, proving their worth and also being supplied to the South Vietnamese Air Force as of 1968. According to U.S. records, only 22 losses were recorded during Vietnam.
Douglas A-1 Skyraiders put to the dangerous task of ground attack missions were being shot down at a greater rate than expected, and so the smaller, nimbler A-37 fit the bill and production ramped up to meet demands.
After Vietnam, many aircraft went to South American countries, such as Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, and Uruguay who currently operate them, and Chile and Ecuador, who are former operators. Thailand also received a few, as well. Four aircraft of the A-37 designation are known to be under private ownership in the U.S.

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA	Part Count: 62	Mass: 10.78 Tons	Crew: 2
Service Ceiling: 8300m	Powerplant: 4x Juno	Top Speed: 200m/s	Dimensions: 8.4 x 10.6 x 4.1 LWH

This model is slow to turn, but stable as a rock. It is an ideal candidate for practicing strafe or low-altitude bombing runs, provided you outfit it with some BDArmory goodies, I left these stock with ‘Dummy Bombs.’ Went a little overboard on the KerbalX page...

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/Cessna-A-37-Dragonfly

Tomorrow's Craft: North American XB-70

[fourfa]

Thud nose!  Nice touch

[Servo]

September 1964 - North American XB-70 Valkyrie

The XB-70 was a supersonic bomber that was the sister program to the F-108 Rapier. It would fly at Mach 3 and 70,000 feet to avoid interception from any aircraft of the era. It was planned that the B-70 would fly so fast that radar stations wouldn’t be able to scramble interceptors fast enough to catch it, making it effectively immune to interception. However, with the discovery of extremely capable Soviet surface-to-air missiles, the U.S. bombers were forced to shift to low-level penetration missions where SAM radar couldn’t get an effective lock on the bombers. The B-70 would have been ineffective at this role, providing only marginal advantages over the B-52 at the cost of shorter range and much higher cost. The program was cancelled in 1961, before the first prototypes were even built.

Despite the cancellation, two prototypes were still built in order to test high-performance characteristics, and a third was planned. They tested high-speed, long duration flight, a holy grail of aeronautics. Of the two prototypes, one was destroyed in a mid-air-collision involving a F-104 and the second is on display at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 189	Mass: 49.4 tons	Crew: 2
Top Speed: 1600m/s	Service Ceiling: 20km (Cruising)	Powerplant: 6x Whiplash	Dimensions: 28.15 x 18.95 x 6.42  LWH

This particular recreation models the variable incidence wing found on the actual XB-70. For subsonic flight, the wingtips are kept horizontal, and in supersonic flight, the wingtips droop to increase lift and take advantage of the unique compression shock. This enables the XB-70 to harness the power of the sonic boom by using the high-pressure air in the shock cone to generate more lift.

To use the wings first stage to decouple the wings, then use action group 1 to toggle the wings up and down. It’s really easy, and should work any time in the flight path.

Just don’t pitch up too hard. That ends poorly.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/XB-70

Tomorrow's Craft:

Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

[Servo]

On 3/24/2017 at 8:03 PM, Servo said:

Tomorrow's Craft:

Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

Missed a day there! There will likely be a "flashback" JotD when we get a chance to upload this one.

February 1967 - LTV A-7 Corsair II

The Corsair II was designed as a subsonic carrier-based attack aircraft by the Ling-Temco-Vought corporation to replace the aging A-4 Skyhawk. The Corsair II bears an extremely strong similarity to the F-8 Crusader that Vought produced. The Corsair II was built on a similar airframe, but has a shortened fuselage and lacks the variable-incidence wing of the Crusader. It also lacked the afterburner required to reach supersonic speeds. As a result, the Corsair II could carry heavier bomb loads and still operate from carriers.

Pilots appreciated the Corsair II as both a nimble aircraft and a stable bombing platform. However, they often complained about the general lack of engine thrust. This would plague the A-7 in Vietnam, where the hot, humid air robbed the engines of even more power. Pilots would have to fly for twenty miles after takeoff before retracting the slats and gaining altitude, and had similar problems on carrier launches. The unsatisfactory solution of using reduced bomb loads was reached, but even then, the A-7 underpreformed.

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo	Mass: 13.1 tons	Part Count: 100	Crew: 1
Top Speed: 320m/s	Service Ceiling: 8km	Powerplant: 2x Panther	Dimensions: 14.69 x 12.47 x 6.32 LWH

Fortunately, this replication is just as maneuverable and stable without the takeoff issues.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/Vought-A-7-Corsair-II

Tomorrow's Craft:

General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark

Edited March 26, 2017 by Servo

[eagle92lightning]

On 3/24/2017 at 8:03 PM, Servo said:

September 1964 - North American XB-70 Valkyrie

The XB-70 was a supersonic bomber that was the sister program to the F-108 Rapier. It would fly at Mach 3 and 70,000 feet to avoid interception from any aircraft of the era. It was planned that the B-70 would fly so fast that radar stations wouldn’t be able to scramble interceptors fast enough to catch it, making it effectively immune to interception. However, with the discovery of extremely capable Soviet surface-to-air missiles, the U.S. bombers were forced to shift to low-level penetration missions where SAM radar couldn’t get an effective lock on the bombers. The B-70 would have been ineffective at this role, providing only marginal advantages over the B-52 at the cost of shorter range and much higher cost. The program was cancelled in 1961, before the first prototypes were even built.

Despite the cancellation, two prototypes were still built in order to test high-performance characteristics, and a third was planned. They tested high-speed, long duration flight, a holy grail of aeronautics. Of the two prototypes, one was destroyed in a mid-air-collision involving a F-104 and the second is on display at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 189	Mass: 49.4 tons	Crew: 2
Top Speed: 1600m/s	Service Ceiling: 20km (Cruising)	Powerplant: 6x Whiplash	Dimensions: 28.15 x 18.95 x 6.42  LWH

This particular recreation models the variable incidence wing found on the actual XB-70. For subsonic flight, the wingtips are kept horizontal, and in supersonic flight, the wingtips droop to increase lift and take advantage of the unique compression shock. This enables the XB-70 to harness the power of the sonic boom by using the high-pressure air in the shock cone to generate more lift.

To use the wings first stage to decouple the wings, then use action group 1 to toggle the wings up and down. It’s really easy, and should work any time in the flight path.

Just don’t pitch up too hard. That ends poorly.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/XB-70

Tomorrow's Craft:

Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

NO WAY THE VALKARIE!!!!!!!!! I named my first attempt at an SSTO after that bomber!

[NorthAmericanAviation]

1 hour ago, Servo said:

Missed a day there! There will likely be a "flashback" JotD when we get a chance to upload this one.

<snip>

KSP has a nasty tendency to partially seize up / bug out in a way that renders the button functions in the top-right useless, including "Save." Ugh, I'm not making this up, either... I only detected AFTER I built the wing, tail-plane, and engine pylons. Technology will be the downfall of us all, I swear!  not really... (Craft on the way, sorry for inconsistency.)

[NorthAmericanAviation]

April 1965: Lockheed C-141 Starlifter

Designed to meet a new set of requirements to replace aging C-124 and debatably unreliable C-133 propeller driven cargo aircraft, the C-141's design took shape between 1960 and 1963, with U.S. President John F. Kennedy's First act in office being to allow the development of the 'Lockheed 300' project, which would be submitted to the USAF. A passenger version was also created, but there were no takers, so Lockheed sent the aircraft to NASA. The C-141 Enjoyed a 41-year service life, from 1965 to (Roughly) 2006.

The C-141 was much more useful to the U.S. Military than the C-135, due to the fact that the C-141 had a large unloading door/gate, whereas the C-135 had only side-loading doors.
Despite minimal participation in Vietnam, the Starlifter performed many roles as a cargo dropper, medevac, and general hauler, proving itself a reliable workhorse; in Desert Storm and Desert Shield, over 8,500 airlifts were flown between all the deployed craft.

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA	Part Count: 288	Mass: 110 Tons (full fuel)	Crew: 2
Service Ceiling: 7500m	Powerplant: 8x Panther (thrust limited)	Top Speed: 170 m/s	Dimensions: 53.1 x 50.3 x 10.0 LWH

This replica is very easy to fly, just be mindful of tailstrikes; it sits low for easy cargo-loading. It is also 1:1 scale, roughly, so it is quite capable of handling heavy loads---the exact capacity is unknown (will test soon) but the only limitation is the lobe of fuel surrounding the wing-mounts. The nose/cockpit is nothing to write home about, though...

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/Lockheed-C-141-Starlifter

What is today, but yesterday's tomorrow?

[Servo]

July 1967 - General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark

The F-111 was a multi-role supersonic attack aircraft that served from 1967 until 2010 (with the RAF). It could serve as an interdictor, strategic nuclear bomber, reconnaissance platform, and electronic warfare aircraft. The latter role is probably its best known, as it was a dedicated Wild Weasel aircraft. Another major feature of the F-111 was its ground-scanning radar. It allowed the Aardvark to follow the ground and keep a constant altitude at extremely low levels (200 feet). This protected it both from detection by ground radar stations and from missiles, which couldn't pick the F-111 out from the terrain noise. This allowed the F-111 to fly penetration missions without the danger of being shot down by SAMs.

The F-111 was subpar in many aspects, and the planned F-111B naval interceptor was scrapped. All was not lost, because the loss of the F-111B gave us the F-14, something that I’m sure all of us are fine with. In the 1990s, the F-15E Strike Eagle assumed most of the F-111’s roles as an attack platform, the F-16 assumed the Wild Weasel role, and the B-1b took over as the supersonic bomber. Despite this, the F-111 continued to serve in the Royal Air Force and in the Australian Air Force until their retirement in 2010.

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 95	Mass: 19.5 tons	Crew: 2
Top Speed: 280m/s	Service Ceiling: 5km	Powerplant: 2x Panther	Dimensions: 14.18 x 9.91 x 5.18

This F-111 was a testbed for a new type of swing-wing that I developed. It uses airbrakes sandwiched by RCS ports to pivot the wings. This makes the wing sweep extremely quickly, with the downsides of not docking (so no time warp), as well as taking up a lot of space in the fuselage.

Simply press 1 to switch the position of the wings. Occasionally it misaligns (this typically occurs when swinging the wings while in mid-high g-loads. If this happens, the plane is still completely controllable, just a little wonky. Fear not, and fly home for a refund.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/F-111-Aardvark

Tomorrow's Craft:

SR-71 Blackbird

This will be the first (and probably last) guest appearance on JotD. @eorin and @Exothermos did such a great job on their SR-71 that we just couldn't top it.

 

[NorthAmericanAviation]

March 1968: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

By: @eorin and @Exothermos, our only (thus far) 3rd-party entry

Designed in part by Lockheed's long-time chief aeronautical engineer, Kelly Johnson, the SR-71 "Blackbird" was a Strategic Reconnaissance aircraft designed to fly at Mach 3+.
Origins of the A-12/F-12 and SR-71/M-21 can be found in the A-11 and "Archangel" series of designs drafted between July 1958  and April 1962. The first is shown below.

The titanium construction of the aircraft meant that heat vs. area expansion coefficients were so high as to prevent the fuel tanks from being any more than roughly 1/3rd full on the ground due to how much they would compress. The fuel tanks were also designed to vent excess, so there would sometimes be a streak of fuel dribbling from the aircraft, mid-flight.
The Blackbird's anti-radar construction was so effective, in fact, that the radar footprint of the aircraft was equivalent to that of a seagull's, according to some.

 

The J-58: Revolutionary Powerplant

The Pratt & Whitney J-58 turbojet engine was and is still today a remarkable piece of advanced engineering, being designed for a peak efficiency and output at Mach 3.2 and delivering a knuckle-whitening 34,000 pounds of thrust each, while afterburning.
The unique inlet cone was completely conical, down to the very tip, making a stream of air that fed directly to the bleed system of the J-58 with little to no pressure loss, where it was slowed to subsonic speeds. Onto combustion, things are fairly tame, but once the exhaust gasses reach the ejector nozzle, they are accelerated to Mach 3 from around Mach 0.4-0.5. "Started" airflow from the intake also controlled expansion during exhaust ejection and cooled the engine by venting out of the aforementioned bleed ports.

Unstarts
The unique 'lossless pressure flow' of the J-58's intake section was achieved by 'starting' the shock cone of air so that a tangent line could be drawn from the tip of the intake spike to the forward-most edge of the intake cone. The conditions required to induce this seamless flow were very low-tolerance, like the rest of the plane, and were all dependent of the thrust balance between the intake vents, engine output, and exhaust ejector.

 

Bill Weaver: Disintegration at 3x the Speed of Sound

          On January 25th, 1966, 11:20 AM, SR-71 Aircraft T-No. 952 took off from Edwards Air Force Base with Bill Weaver in the 'driver's seat' and Jim Zwayer in the back seat.
They took on fuel from a KC-135 and headed to 78,000 feet, which was standard cruise altitude, and continued their route. During a 35 degree right-turn, they experienced 'unstart,' and the starboard J-58 lost power. Their aircraft now pitched up and banked even further to the right, despite the cross-tie system doing its best to control the roll and attempt to re-start the bad engine while keeping the other going. At this point, the control produced no response, but given as ejection at Mach 3.2 probably wouldn't end well, the two stayed with their ship for as long as they could until cumulative failures and extreme attitude caused the aircraft to disintegrate around them.
          The extremely high G-forces plus the air-blast of being hit by Mach 3+ air in a pressure suit caused Weaver to black out and Zwayer to, unfortunately, break his neck. Weaver was unconscious for some time during his descent and could hardly believe what had transpired when he finally came to. Weaver's suit stayed pressurized, the small oxygen tank doing its job, all the way to the ground and protection him from the sub-zero temperatures of high-altitudes.
          Even after the buffeting and direct exposure to such high speeds, the suit was intact.
          Bill Weaver and the body of Jim Zwayer landed on a ranch in New Mexico, whose owner promptly came out to investigate what had happened; it was about then that he reported to Weaver that his colleague had not survived. The ranch owner, Al Mitchell Sr., offered Weaver a ride to the Tucumcari hospital---an offer he initially refused, thinking
"I just survived a disintegrating aircraft at Mach 3, and this guy wants to fly me to the hospital in a beat-up sprayer-Helicopter! I'm going to die on the way to the hospital!"
He eventually accepted the offer, albeit barely, I've heard, and recovered at Tucumcari. Two weeks later, though, he was back in the hot-seat of another Blackbird!

I decided to take a more narrative approach for this entry, given the SR-71 and all variants are so well-documented and researched.
Below is the original post for this craft, it belongs to @eorin and @Exothermos, I am merely showcasing it.

 

KerbalX Download Link: https://kerbalx.com/Eorin/SR-71-By-Eorin-and-Exothermos-12

Tomorrow's Craft: Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

Edited March 29, 2017 by NorthAmericanAviation
Surname consistency, justification change, 'intact.'

[Servo]

June 1970: Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

The C-5 is the largest cargo aircraft in the U.S. arsenal, capable of carrying super-heavy loads over intercontinental ranges. The massive (75m long, 60m wide, 20m tall) C-5 has been in service since 1969, and has seen no hint of a competitor. C-5s have been deployed on all seven continents, and serve in the Air Force, Air National Guard, and in the Air Mobility Command. 

The C-5 Galaxy is a gentle giant, and rarely harms other airplanes. However, when it opens its mouth wide, it is a menace to the groups of humans that inhabit the local Air Force Bases. C-5s gulp down groups of humans hundreds at a time, carrying them thousands of miles before regurgitating them. For some humans, this process repeats many times, as the humans become attached to a C-5 or a group (known as a "Squadron").

I don't know what to write. It's a really big airplane and I have to go to school tomorrow. Enjoy the pictures.

Replica Statistics:

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 544	Mass: 207 tons	Crew: 4
Top Speed: 180m/s	Service Ceiling: 5km	Powerplant: 36x Wheesley	Dimensions: 53.33 x  51.08 x 14.68

This is a 75% scale C-5, and despite that it is still absolutely massive. This replication is one of the largest planes that I have built in KSP, second only to my B-36J in sheer volume, and unmatched by any in part count. I don’t recommend this C-5 unless you A.) are very patient (like me) or B.) have a very good computer (unlike me).

However, if you are fortunate enough to be part of groups A or B, you will find this C-5 fully featured. If has a (very minimal) flight deck, and also a hinging nose section. Use action group 1 to raise and lower the door. I highly recommend quicksaving whenever using the door, as it has a tendency to become kraken-bait when docking. I literally had it turn into a pile of rubble before my eyes when I closed the door once.

Just flick through this album quickly so see it for yourself

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/Lockheed-C-5-Galaxy

Tomorrow's Craft:

Lockheed S-3 Viking

 

[DarkOwl57]

On 3/28/2017 at 9:35 PM, NorthAmericanAviation said:

Bill Weaver: Disintegration at 3x the Speed of Sound

          On January 25th, 1966, 11:20 AM, SR-71 Aircraft T-No. 952 took off from Edwards Air Force Base with Bill Weaver in the 'driver's seat' and Jim Zwayer in the back seat.
They took on fuel from a KC-135 and headed to 78,000 feet, which was standard cruise altitude, and continued their route. During a 35 degree right-turn, they experienced 'unstart,' and the starboard J-58 lost power. Their aircraft now pitched up and banked even further to the right, despite the cross-tie system doing its best to control the roll and attempt to re-start the bad engine while keeping the other going. At this point, the control produced no response, but given as ejection at Mach 3.2 probably wouldn't end well, the two stayed with their ship for as long as they could until cumulative failures and extreme attitude caused the aircraft to disintegrate around them.
          The extremely high G-forces plus the air-blast of being hit by Mach 3+ air in a pressure suit caused Weaver to black out and Zwayer to, unfortunately, break his neck. Weaver was unconscious for some time during his descent and could hardly believe what had transpired when he finally came to. Weaver's suit stayed pressurized, the small oxygen tank doing its job, all the way to the ground and protection him from the sub-zero temperatures of high-altitudes.
          Even after the buffeting and direct exposure to such high speeds, the suit was intact.
          Bill Weaver and the body of Jim Zwayer landed on a ranch in New Mexico, whose owner promptly came out to investigate what had happened; it was about then that he reported to Weaver that his colleague had not survived. The ranch owner, Al Mitchell Sr., offered Weaver a ride to the Tucumcari hospital---an offer he initially refused, thinking
"I just survived a disintegrating aircraft at Mach 3, and this guy wants to fly me to the hospital in a beat-up sprayer-Helicopter! I'm going to die on the way to the hospital!"
He eventually accepted the offer, albeit barely, I've heard, and recovered at Tucumcari. Two weeks later, though, he was back in the hot-seat of another Blackbird!

hahahahaahahahahahahaha