Help with Mk1 jets

[Pie Guy]

Hey everyone.

I'm currently in the process of designing my first hypersonic jet. I have the design down- it has a total of 7 Whiplash Ramjet engines, but I have an unfortunate problem: the Mk1 cockpit At the front of the jet burns up in the atmosphere before I can hit Mach 5. How can I solve this problem?

[RealKerbal3x]

@Pie Guy Maybe try using the Mk1 inline cockpit with a nosecone on the front.

[jimmymcgoochie]

The Mk1 cockpit isn't very heat-resistant, and if you have Whiplashes then you also have Mk2 components which can handle the heat better. I would suggest making your plane out of Mk2 parts instead of Mk1, as the Mk2 cargo bays can carry 1.25m (Mk1-sized) payloads inside them and the Mk2 passenger cabin and cockpits can carry twice as many Kerbals.

If you're dead set on sticking to the Mk1 system, use the inline cockpit with some heat-resistant nose parts on the front to protect your pilot from the heat.

[s_gamer101]

Or just put a light command module in a fairing. Fairings are way more heat-resistant than any cockpit. You could even put a command seat in a fairing to reduce the mass.

[Foxster]

Just stick a Communotron 16 antenna on the front of the mk1 cockpit. Will raise the max temp from 1100° to 2000°.

This quick-and-dirty aircraft can do mach 5 at 18km no problems.