Did they nerf rapiers?!

[Arugela]

Why can't rapiers get to speed anymore. Did they remove their ability to gain speed before 30k? They get some speed at low altitude but never fast enough to punch up. I'm flying a plane that I used to stack nukes and rapiers on and it can't get past 300-350km/s?! Same frame same design. When were these removed and why have space planes been eliminated?!

Have they modified rapiers since 1.3/1.4. I know I was playing then. Probably 1.5 also.

I can't get past 100 thrust per engine at 8.9km?! Did the increase drag or something on all parts. This should be easy.

When did the rapier stop hitting it's upper portion of thrust?!

 

NO matter how little drag there is they do not increase thrust. How broken is this game now! they literally have the same thrust abilities as Jpanthers. Who loveed up rapiers and copied the Jpanther code onto it?!!!!!! 69kn at 10,000m!!!!! with almost no drag!

Edited September 23, 2019 by Arugela

[fulgur]

I can confirm that they have not been nerfed. I believe it is likely that you are pitched up too much. If you pitch close to 0 degrees and get past 400m/s you will begin to increase thrust and speed. Make a single-RAPIER plane out of a shock cone intake, a FLT-800 and a cockpit and pitch close to the horizon. I guarantee that you will get past 400m/s.

If you could show us a picture of the plane we could diagnose problems with it.

EDIT: Yes, @AHHans below has got my point exactly.

Edited September 23, 2019 by fulgur

[AHHans]

I think the point that @fulgur means - but isn't explicitly pointing out - is that the RAPIERs (in open cycle mode) gain a lot of thrust at speeds above 400 m/s. So once you got to 400 m/s then accelerating even more becomes comparatively easy. But accelerating through the sound barrier from 300 m/s to 400 m/s can be a bit of a hurdle, so pitching down can (maybe even trading height for speed) can be needed.

[Signo]

I do not think so. I can still lift the same amount of weight as before.

Single rapier craft pic below.

[Arugela]

It's just weird. I have done this over and over again with no problems for years on this craft design. Never had problems. I even removed nukes I had stacked with them to lighten it. have they adjusted how drag works? It's getting much worse difference of angle compared to what it used to. I'll have to try to nose dive it.

[Signo]

Do you have "open nodes" on your craft?

[Arugela]

There is no excessive drag for the ship. No.

 

I just got rid of a part with drag from a problem with double symetry. And possibly figured part of a drag bug out. But the drag is normal for the ship at this point.

 

There is somethig wrong with the engines though. It's only getting 69kn per engine at 10k. No matter how much you nose down it will not gain speed. There something wrong with the. I've flown this plane with these engines over and over again. The droop is because the thrust is reducing in a wrong way.

I got it above 400 from diving at 2500 down to 600m. It still doesn't seem like it's working correct at 10k to me though. Especially after taxiing. I'll have to try it again.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Arugela

[Corw]

Pictures and/or craft file?

[ExtremeSquared]

I do think it has become somewhat common for minor inter-version tweaks to not make it into the changelog. It is pretty normal for those of us who play with re-entry heat set to full difficulty to need to redesign our barely-capable eve landers between versions. Can't speak for the rapiers though.

[Kernel Kraken]

On 9/23/2019 at 3:26 AM, Arugela said:

There is no excessive drag for the ship. No.

 

I just got rid of a part with drag from a problem with double symetry. And possibly figured part of a drag bug out. But the drag is normal for the ship at this point.

 

There is somethig wrong with the engines though. It's only getting 69kn per engine at 10k. No matter how much you nose down it will not gain speed. There something wrong with the. I've flown this plane with these engines over and over again. The droop is because the thrust is reducing in a wrong way.

I got it above 400 from diving at 2500 down to 600m. It still doesn't seem like it's working correct at 10k to me though. Especially after taxiing. I'll have to try it again.

Pics or it didn't happen mate. I would love to help, but I can't see what the problem is. Did you press left shift after you started your flight? I also doubt it has anywhere near the thrust of the panther, I've used it in nearly all my planes and they can all go past the sound barrier when I want em'. You said you removed the nukes, maybe they were giving you the extra thrust you needed? If you need to leave a pic (which you prolly should) just upload it to steam and copy- paste the URL here.

[sh1pman]

Rapiers aren’t nerfed in my game. My SSTOs perform just as well as they always have. Easily breaking 400 m/s barrier. Payload mass fraction  at~40% (to orbit). 

Try adding more engines and removing some draggy parts.