United States Air Force Museum Replica Collection

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

While I was walking through the National Museum of the United States Air Force last Saturday, I was reminded of all the KSP replicas of those same aircraft. Some of them looked like they can be done with pure stock parts and no DLCs, while others (mostly the older ones) need mods that come with more parts.

 

So, I started this thread for everyone to showcase their replicas of the aircraft that the four large hangars (plus the Missile Gallery) have on display. The guidelines for this showcase thread are simple:

• You are free to use any and all parts necessary, including ones that come in DLCs and mods.
• Vehicle has to be functional.
  • Which means pictures/video of the craft in action.
  • Similar performance stats are a plus.
  • EXCEPTION: if the craft in question could not move on its own (as in it needed to be attached to a larger assembly to go anywhere) then the functionality requirement may be waived.
    • e.g. the Apollo 15 command module. You'll only need one picture of your best replica (or half-assed; it shouldn't make a difference in that case), since it's useless unless attached to the rest of the spacecraft.
      • If you want to make the rest of the rocket assembly, fine. Only the capsule made it to the museum, and that's what I need.
• Vehicle has to look as close as possible to whatever real-life craft you're trying to copy.
  • Therefore, it is highly recommended that you have photographs to reference.
• Build something not yet claimed on the checklist (link below) first.
  • EXCEPTION: for craft that appear more than once in the museum (such as the Superfortress and the Twin Mustang), you may only sign off on one of your craft's variants. Leave the rest of them for others to claim.
    • e.g. I only do one Twin Mustang; the one in the Korean War section in Hangar 2. I'll leave it to someone else to get the other Twin Mustang in Hangar 3 and claim it on the log.
  • If you want to show something that's already been showcased on this thread, fine - but you don't get credit for it.
• I don't care if you built the craft 7 minutes or 7 years ago, so long as it's yours.
  • If you have an old stash of aircraft replicas that you're willing to showcase (and can work), great.
• Weaponry (e.g. guns, bombs, missiles) not necessary, although I won't object to them either.
• If the original aircraft was manned, so is your replica. If the original aircraft was unmanned, so is your replica.
  • I won't object to a probe core for your manned aircraft if it doesn't deviate too much from the aesthetic, so long as you include the appropriate crew module/s.
• You don't need to match the passenger/crew capacity of your original aircraft, so long as your replica comes close to looking like its real-life counterpart AND it's functional.
  • e.g. if you use one or more Mk. 3 Passenger Modules for an Air Force One variant, as long as your aircraft makes a convincing replica I don't mind you exceeding or falling behind its real-life counterpart's passenger capacity.
    • Those things weren't designed for carrying a lot of people anyway; just provide comfort for the president and his staff.
    • (SIDE NOTE) Whoever builds the Douglas VC-54C "Skymaster," I'm not requiring you to install an elevator in the back to load polio-stricken passengers in and out. If you do and the plane still flies smoothly, even better.
      • The one housed in the museum was designed specifically to transport then-president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who needed a wheelchair.
• Craft files a plus.

 

Below is the link for the replica checklist:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tA9IGsSCQIuTFjw9eNHYcgv8JboCxKiAy9ep5-nflR0/edit?usp=sharing

 

Here are the instructions on how to use it:

• Pick an aircraft that has not already been built
  • Like I said earlier, if you want to build something that's already been done here, don't steal credit from the original kerbalnaut.
    • And for duplicates, you can only claim one of the type. 
• Once you're done, write:
  • Column D: Your KSP Forum name
  • Column E: The link to the specific forum post showcasing your replica/s
    • It is acceptable to put more than one craft in the same post. Just leave a link for everyone to find it.
  • Column F: Whatever DLCs you used to make the replica
    • If this doesn't apply to that specific craft, leave it blank
  • Column G: Whatever (parts) mods you used to make the replica
    • If this doesn't apply to that specific craft, leave it blank
  • Column H: (IF YOU WANT TO) Additional notes that other readers may find interesting
    • Please don't modify someone else's notes. If you want to debate/talk to someone about their craft, don't do it on the spreadsheet.

Source for my list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_at_the_National_Museum_of_the_United_States_Air_Force

 

Click here to see this thread's replicas assembled on KerbalX

 

As a prize, if you make at least one replica from each of the four hangars (not counting the air park or missile silo since they're too small; specific hangar category (e.g. Early Years vs WWII, Experimental vs Space) doesn't matter), you'll earn this sweet badge:

   

•  I made it myself. It's a representation of all four hangars by using a combination of the following four logos:
  • U.S. Army Air Corps, whose planes dominate Hangar One.
  • Classic U.S. Air Force, which became mainstream at the time period Hangar Two covers.
  • Modern U.S. Air Force, which has a lot of planes in Hangar Three still in service.
  • NASA, since the space gallery is in Hangar Four.
• Entries from the Missile Gallery can be used as "wild cards." They're ultra-rare, so get them while they last.
  • Depending on what hangars you lack, it can be used as either a Hangar Three or Hangar Four entry.
  • To make things fair for everyone, only one Missile Silo entry per person

 

All Four Hangars Badge Recipients

• @Mars-Bound Hokie (Me, the OP)
• @swjr-swis

 

I'll start us off with my favorite, the SR-71 Blackbird.

• The SR-71 Blackbird on display in the SPH
• Picture taken February 2020.

 

• Ted Kerman enjoying himself flying at high altitudes at a speed higher than the aircraft's real-life counterpart.

 

There you have it, folks. Have fun, and I can't wait to see what you got.

Build a plane from each of the four hangars, and you get the badge.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Mars-Bound Hokie
Added link to NMUSAF replica thread hangar.

[swjr-swis]

I guess it would be appropriate to start off with, well, the start of it all?

https://kerbalx.com/swjr-swis/Kerman-Flyer

"It's an older model, sir, but it checks out."

Would this qualify? There are some obvious concessions to the likeness, but as pure stock non-DLC replicas go, this is pretty close. Up to you though.

 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

9 hours ago, swjr-swis said:

Would this qualify?

"This aircraft is crude, but it should be adequate to pass off as a replica of the Wright flyer."

• In other words, yes it qualifies.

 

Impressive work with making it all-stock and non-DLC, by the way. I never saw that coming. Feel free to write your name in the checklist.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Mars-Bound Hokie

[swjr-swis]

8 hours ago, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

Impressive work with making it all-stock and non-DLC, by the way. I never saw that coming. Feel free to write your name in the checklist.

In my defense: it was built in 1.2.2; DLC didn't exist yet so there wasn't much of a choice. Been toying with updating this to at least 1.3.1, so the aero performance is up to date with all the later versions. I just haven't got around to it yet.

The Wright brothers went through a number of different iterations of their Flyer, and record of the differences is sketchy at best, so it's hard to put a finger on exactly what iteration this is most like. I added it under the Wright Flyer "B", because the military version was the one that added a machine gun, I think. I've seen no pictures that show the whole of that one, and I've never been to the museum, so I don't know for sure. If you think it should be otherwise let me know.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

Since I visited the Air Force Museum again yesterday (twice - and yes, twice on the same day) and the Armstrong Air and Space Museum - along with the Waco Air Museum in Troy, OH, I was inspired to play KSP again and revive this thread.

 

Anyway, here's my next entry: the Boeing YF-118G Bird of Prey.

• The YF-118G Bird of Prey on display in the SPH.

 

• Jeb and Bob circling around the KSP to depart 2-7-0 (west).
• Afterburner activated.
  • Flight starts in subsonic mode.

 

• Successful landing after a nice test flight.

 

• Bob golfing performing an experiment on Kerbin's surface upon landing.
• The Mk. II cockpit has four repair kits and four experiment kits in the cargo bay.
  • I don't know if they stayed in the craft file upon upload.

 

Can't wait to see what you all come up with. 

Spoiler

On an unrelated note, I recently got the Breaking Ground expansion pack. I wonder what kind of aircraft engines I can come up with now.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

And here I go again. Behold, the Boeing X-45.

• The Boeing X-45 on display in the SPH.
• Closest I could get to a functional replica with all stock parts.

 

• Flying as close to its real-life counterpart's cruising altitude speed as possible

 

• Safe landing.
• The F3 Menu said that almost 2,000 km was covered, and I had approximately 75 units of fuel left.
  • A little disappointed that I didn't make the real-life counterpart's combat range of 2,400 km. Even so, that's still pretty impressive.

 

Come on, people. I can't cover the whole museum by myself here (even though I have Breaking Ground). I can't wait to see your all's replicas in action.

[Kerbalwerks]

The one pictured was the 2nd attempt, the first one I did was before the DLC s, the electric motors, servos and props of the DLC helped the flight performance of this one greatly, still a little wonky when transitioning to foward flight. Probably one of the tougher builds for me technically because of all the variables.

https://kerbalx.com/kerbalwerks/Bell-V-22

 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

After some playing around with the Breaking Ground DLC, I finally managed to make a replica of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

 

• The (gas-powered version of the) aircraft in the SPH.
  • More on that story later.
• I didn't have any US Army Air Corps flags loaded in my game, so I stuck with the US flag. 
• It took me a long time to not only get a motor-blade combo that worked, but a balanced CoM and CoL placement.
  • The regular propeller blades were weak, so I went with the duct fan blades (especially since they never failed).

 

• Jeb flying up north in the aircraft in an attempt to climb over the mountain range.

 

• The aircraft's performance stats were pathetic, but they were adequate to maneuver through the mountains to the north.

 

• Nice cockpit shot.

 

• After a successful landing, Jeb stepped outside for an "Old-timer's selfie."
  • A camera on a tripod with a timer.
• Apparently, he didn't set the timer correctly and it took a shot of him going up the ladder.
  • "I was going for a pinup pose on the nose."

 

• For a while, I thought the off-road takeoff test would fail since it took me the full runway's length to get off the ground. Good thing this worked.

 

• All Jeb said was "WILDCARD, BI(censored)! YEEEEEEHAAAAWWW!" before bailing out of the aircraft. Upon recovery, the probe core indicated nothing was wrong with the craft before Jeb bailed - causing it to crash without a controller.
• Jeb was unharmed, but the same couldn't be said for the P-38.
  • It's "manner of death" was marked as "Pilot Stupidity."

 

The "Electric Boogaloo" Origin Story

Spoiler

I was disappointed by this craft's performance, although the rules did say that it had to look as close to its namesake as possible AND be functional. Since @18Wattcompared my Eve drone prototype to the P-38 (although he typed P-47 by mistake), and said prototype worked out so well in my electric vehicle circumnavigation challenge, I figured I might as well modify my P-38 prototype for electric motors. 

Not surprisingly, it performed way better than its gas-powered counterpart.

 

• The "Electric Boogaloo" version of the classic P-38.
• This version originally didn't have solar panels and RTGs, but over 25k electric charge isn't so bad.
  • Of course, you can only use it for so long before it's done for.

 

Truth be told, this version would have been a valid entry for this collection. After all, it does look like its namesake AND, as seen in the screenshots below, it works. 

 

• What a beautiful day for flying, especially for the solar panels.
• The electric plane didn't need the entire runway to take off, unlike its gas-powered brother. 
• Like the Eve drone prototype I previously mentioned, its speed leveled off at ~120 m/s (even at 1/3 throttle) and its altitude fluctuated while remaining straight and its wings level.
  • At least the altitude change wasn't too concerning, unlike the gas-powered P-38.

 

• Off-road landing test successful.

 

• Off-road takeoff test successful.
• Jeb was ordered to fly back to the KSC and was threatened with termination if he bailed out without reason again.

 

Craft file: https://kerbalx.com/Mars-Bound_Hokie/P-38-Lightning-ELECTRIC-BOOGALOO

 

So, there you have it. My replica/s for the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Now that you know about the two variants, which one of those two would you rather take into battle? Feel free to answer in your replies below.

• Personally, I'd go for the electric version due to superior performance alone. If the mission is taking place during the day, then I have unlimited range.

[swjr-swis]

12 hours ago, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

I was disappointed by this craft's performance

A while back I adapted a very similar looking plane with dual props, on a request for help in this forum. The final version performed very nicely for a gas-powered prop. Feel free to take any part of that build to get a performance boost for yours. I think it should be possible to get upward of 250 m/s out of it, even with the bigger wingspan yours has.

https://kerbalx.com/swjr-swis/DDE-proptest2

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

On 10/5/2022 at 1:37 PM, swjr-swis said:

A while back I adapted a very similar looking plane with dual props, on a request for help in this forum. The final version performed very nicely for a gas-powered prop. Feel free to take any part of that build to get a performance boost for yours. I think it should be possible to get upward of 250 m/s out of it, even with the bigger wingspan yours has.

https://kerbalx.com/swjr-swis/DDE-proptest2

Thank you very much, @swjr-swis. I took your advise and updated the gas-powered P-38 version, tested it, and posted it on KerbalX.

[Rutabaga22]

I may or may not have a "Not a B-50" on my ksp saves...

[Rutabaga22]

Nevermind, It's a B-29. WHy do they both have to be called supefortress?

[Rutabaga22]

Here is my B-29!
https://kerbalx.com/Rutabaga22/Not-a-B-29

 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

And now, for my next trick, I shall replicate the North American F-82 Twin Mustang.

• And cue the Blazing Angels flashbacks.

 

• The North American P-82/F-82 Twin Mustang on display in the SPH.
  • It had a "P" designation in its early days, then the Air Force began assigning "F" in front of fighter aircraft.
• Due to the large difference in landing gear height, the craft was tilted with its nose(s) pitched up in the SPH.
• Its root part is the probe core on the left fuselage (from the pilots' perspective).
  • To increase power capacity and lower the nose length difference, the right fuselage has a battery between its cockpit and motor.

 

• Night flight around the KSP.
• I decided to revert to launch and wait until late-morning to do the off-road landing test.

 

• Flying around with both its ladders deployed. 
  • At least Jeb didn't jump off this time.
• At a couple points during the test runs, this prototype was performing at (if not better than) its real-life counterpart's absolute top speed.

 

• "Who says men can’t be pinup models?" (Jeb)

 

• Turned around and flew toward the mountains.
• To save fuel while maintaining altitude and velocity, I had to reduce throttle to less than 1/3 (forgot exactly where).

 

• After clearing the mountain range west of the KSC, I landed in some bumpy terrain. Good thing I had the reverse thrust action group handy (although I didn't know if the real-life version had it).

 

WORD OF ADVICE: Pay attention to the takeoff and landing instructions on the craft page, and you'll be fine. 

 

Come on, kerbalnauts. I can't do all 245 remaining craft all by myself (243 if you ignore the second Superfortress and Twin Mustang). If we all work together, we can cover the entire museum's collection in no time. 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

This has got to be the laziest entry on here: the Apollo 15 Command Module.

 

• Using Vesselmover, I relocated this three-piece capsule to the admin building.
• If you look at the picture of the command module on display, you'll find that this screenshot and the photograph don't look that much different.

 

Only 244 to go - and yes, that includes the two duplicates I mentioned earlier. I'm eager to see some (slight) design variety.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

Phew, it's been a long time. Looks like I'd better get my KSP hype warmed up before KSP2 comes out.

• But do not worry; I'll still be playing the classic game nevertheless. If nothing else, this is good practice for when I go interstellar.
  • Hope my craft files from KSP are compatible with KSP2.

 

Now, back to this. After failed attempts at building some models on the list - including the Air Force One variant that came with an elevator - I got a working replica of the North American T-39A Sabreliner in action.

 

• The aircraft on display in the SPH
• It doesn't exactly brag an impressive speed, range, cruising altitude, or... anything for that matter. Honestly, the only good thing about it is that it can fly and looks like its namesake. 
  • Between this and India Golf Niner Niner, I think I'd rather fly the latter. At least it's supersonic, and its model has a history of evading surface-to-air missile strikes.
• Sort of like its real-life counterpart, this could serve as a light trainer before students move on to supersonic aircraft.

 

• Jeb giving a salute before boarding the jet for a test flight.
• In KSP lore, former Prime Minister Lynson Kerman used this to travel from Dangerzone AFB to his ranch and vice versa from the end of his term in office until he died from a heart attack.
  • Though there were theories of an assassination plot - seeing as how his predecessor, Kennedy Kerman, was killed in a sniper attack - they died down when it became known that Lynson Kerman was a chainsmoker and, unsurprisingly, had a history of heart attacks. 
  • That was when Ned Kerman, father of Jebediah Kerman Senior (and eventual grandfather of Jebediah Kerman II of the Famous Four) decided to quit smoking for good.

 

• The Sabreliner making a turn to the northwest after taking off from the KSC.

 

• Flying near the edge of the mountain range west of the space center.
• Like I said, not an impressive cruising altitude.
  • But it does make for some nice shots for on-board photographers.

 

• Per my standard aircraft testing procedure, I did an off-road landing (and subsequent takeoff).
• I had to toggle the engines off even though I put the throttle all the way to 0%, otherwise I'd hear jets running all day.

 

10 relics of aviation history down, 243 to go. Any and all help in completing this checklist would be greatly appreciated.

 

Oh, and one more thing:

Spoiler

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. On Saturday, May 20th, 2023, the museum will open its Centennial Exhibit.

Edited January 19, 2023 by Mars-Bound Hokie

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

Behold, my fellow kerbalnauts, the North American F-86A Sabre.

• Boy, I sure am getting a lot of North American Aviation planes lately. Maybe I should make a separate showcase thread for them.

 

• The fighter on display in the SPH
• As you can see, this model does not have a probe core on it. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you only allow pilots to use it.
  • Not that you'd let anyone other than qualified pilots fly one-man dogfighters anyway, right?
• I had to drain the rear fuel tank and move the wings back a bit since it was tail-heavy in earlier test runs, especially during takeoff.
• The cockpit comes loaded with four EVA repair kits
  • Although I don't know if pilots can use those. Please let me know.

 

• The Sabre flying over the mountain range west of the KSC (I really need to name it)
• In afterburner mode, this baby can fly at well over twice its real-life counterpart's top speed. Maybe even thrice.
  • This shot was taken at ~12.3 km altitude.

 

• The performance specs of the real-life F-86A Sabre on display in the museum.
  • Maximum Speed: 685 mph --> 306.2 m/s
  • Range: 1200 miles --> 1931.2 km
  • Ceiling: 49,000 ft --> ~14.9 km
• Source: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196118/north-american-f-86a-sabre/

 

• Kenby Kerman doing a barrel roll in the desert mountain range minutes after crossing the ocean west of the peninsula where the KSC is.

 

I then did a landing test after that, but ended up killing the pilot and had to revert to launch. It wasn't so much the design that caused the CATO so much as it was my landing technique - notably my attempt to slow down by A LOT before touchdown.  So, I went further up north in another test flight.

 

• I was way too high and fast to land when I took this shot, so I switched the engine mode to "regular" and had to glide for a few minutes.
• Note to users: give yourself A LOT of time and distance to land.

 

• Another successful landing (after the failed one)
• Ready to shoot down MiG-15 (counterparts) another day

 

• And yet another successful off-road takeoff
• Though the default mode is regular (subsonic), you can switch to afterburner mode for a shorter takeoff distance
  • I made sure to switch back to regular after starting to climb.

 

A bit of lore if you're interested:

Spoiler

Jeb's maternal great-uncle, Kenby Kerman, was a fighter pilot in the air force before Amelia Kerman (his daughter and eventually Jeb's mother) was born. He saw action during his time there; his favorite plane was the Sabre fighter as seen in the above screenshots. Decades after his retirement, he hired a private investigator to track down his favorite fighter and applied to do a showcase flight at the annual Krakopolis Airshow. When they accepted his offer, he was all to happy to "Show the youngsters that this old guy's still got some speed under his wings."

Spoiler

Kenby would have been a Flight LA8202 victim, but he got sick at the last minute and had to be taken to the hospital in Woomerang. He was mad that he missed his flight, but he then felt relief when he learned that the plane he would have taken otherwise had crashed; there were no survivors. After he was discharged from the hospital, he then got a refund for his plane ticket and decided to take the train to Baikerbanur.

 

According to my checklist, there are a few other F-86 variants on display in the museum - specifically, the Cold War section. Per the showcase rules, I'm leaving those jets to you all.

• The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis is fair game for everybody, including me, but honestly it's kind of a lazy job if you already have a working F-86 variant model. Just alter the rear stabilizers for a (working) T-tail and BA-BAM.

 

242 more replicas to go. I could use a little help here, please.

• And boy, do I suck at some of these replicas. 
  • After I made the Sabreliner, I tried to replicate the VC-137C (the fourth Air Force One). Each time, I ended up either skidding along the runway, getting nose-up before crashing into the ground again, just not taking off, struggling to keep the plane stable, or a combination of the above.
  • I also tried making some other replicas months ago - most notably the quad-engine Air Force One models and the X-4 Bantam - but ended up with similar outcomes.

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

And now for another lazy entry, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis... I mean the STS Space Shuttle.

 

• My best STS orbiter replica - minus the ascent rockets, obviously
• Since the shuttle (model) on display at the museum is just the shuttle with the cargo bay opened, just the orbiter alone is satisfactory for this showcase  
  • Honestly, if it's not the real space shuttle and just a mock-up, why is it even on the list that I pulled off Wikipedia?

 

• JEBEDIAH, YOU IDIOT!!!!! 
  • One guess how that high-thrust hijink ended

 

Replicas Remaining: 241

Help is always welcome

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

Wise men say only fools rush in, but I... Prepare yourselves for an awesome piece of history with the Lockheed VC-140B Jetstar.

• Also known as the L-1329 Jetstar, as the civilians know it.

 

• The aircraft and cargo itinerary on display in the SPH.
• I included the AKA part in the craft name in case anybody's looking for the civilian model as well as the Air Force One variant
  • If they want to alter or remove the flags after downloading, they're more than welcome to do so.
• With all the fuel tanks loaded, the plane was so tail-heavy that it leaned backwards as soon as it was on the runway. As a result, I had to add another fuel tank and some oxidizer to the front as well as drain the rear tanks so that takeoff would be more balanced.
  • In other words, I had to trade range for balance.
• Another problem I encountered was that the outer engines would flame out sooner due to their tanks not being connected to the rest of the them. I then installed fuel lines so that the plane would have consistent thrust throughout the entire flight - but at the cost of draining the fuel supply faster.
• In conclusion, the aircraft is at almost half capacity when you take off and expect a terrible range.

 

We interrupt our scheduled aircraft showcase to bring you a short tidbit of history with a side of Kerbin lore.

Spoiler

Elvis Presley owned a fleet of three private aircraft, two of them being Jetstars.

• One of them, the Hound Dog II, is now on display at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.
  • Along with his Convair 880 named Lisa Marie.
• The second one, registered N440RM, rotted in Roswell, New Mexico for 35 years after Elvis died. Although it was recently put up for auction, it's extremely likely to never fly again - mostly due to its lack of engines and care since its retirement. Odds are it would end up a collector's item and/or put on display in some museum.
  • Sources:
    • https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/32175-what-ever-happened-to-elvis-presley-fleet-of-private-jets
    • https://simpleflying.com/elvis-presley-lockheed-jetstar-auction/

 

Now for some KSP lore:

Spoiler

Houndog Kerman was a famous singer on Kerbin in the days of the Famous Four's grandparents. Though he had been dead for decades, his greatest hits were still admired by kerbals of all ages - from his old screaming fans to the teenagers who had enough of the modern-day garbage. Some admitted to have first discovered Houndog after watching the Lele and Patch movies and TV series.

He and his family are now buried at his mansion in Kevinville, where two of his private aircraft are put on display. The third is currently rotting in an aircraft graveyard in the Scorcher Desert.

 

Some other facts regarding Houndog Kerman:

• Houndog's mother was murdered via poison, and some groupie he was sleeping with got blamed for it.
  • But the groupie in question was actually innocent.
  • Unbeknownst to all but three, the true culprit was Sanger Kerman - who became the grandmother of Misty Kerman (and great-grandmother of Irpond Kerman).
    • Sanger framed the groupie so she could get closer to the groupie's then-boyfriend, whom she was cheating on with Houndog.
      • Sanger had no interest in Houndog himself, but she did keep some of his best-selling albums.
• Just like his real-life (partial) namesake, Houndog died from drug-related causes when the Famous Four's parents were kids themselves.
• Jeb dressed up as Houndog in the last KSC costume party he attended before his years-long mission to Eeloo. He also brought a guitar and did covers of some of his greatest hits.
  • It also wasn't the first time he went as Houndog. Often, in high school and in Basic, he tried to win over girls by either dressing up as him, using lyrics from his songs, or mimicking his mannerisms. To Bill and Val's surprise, most of his attempts were successful.
    • However, as a side effect, he would also attract the attention of grandparents - or at least women old enough to be grandparents.
  • Jeb surprised everyone attending that party by not only his choice of outfit, but how well he sang.
• Lele and Patch was Bill's favorite movie as a child. One time, when his mother heard him singing and dancing to the upbeat cover of "Fated to Love" in the end credits, she brought her old Houndog album and played the original version.
  • It was also meant to be a lullaby, since it was well-past Bill's bedtime.
  • At school, Bill hid his taste for Houndog since "My classmates are not into the so-called 'Grandpa music,' which, unfortunately, Houndog Kerman would fall under." Later, in high school, when he realized that the most of the music that his classmates liked was "pure, unadulterated garbage," he no longer cared if people knew he liked Houndog Kerman's songs.
• Bob Kerman has the full "Houndog Kerman's Top 40 Hits" album in his KSP-issued kPad.

 

Now back to our feature presentation:

 

• The Jetstar taking off from the KSC.
• Immediately after this photo was taken, Jeb remembered to turn the cabin lights back on.

 

• The Jetstar getting airborne.
• "Houndog has left the building," Jeb said as he took off in the Jetstar.
  • That saying was made popular to disperse lingering audiences, paparazzies, and other groups of fans at the end of Houndog Kerman's concerts.
  • The jet being tested is not the same jet that Houndog Kerman himself used, but since Jeb recognized this plane as the same model, he decided to use that popular saying on the comms.
    • He was flying an old military transport that was used only for high-ranking officers and immediate assistants.
  • RIP, 

 

• Though I was barely able to match its real-life counterpart’s cruising speed of ~250 m/s, I was not even close to its service ceiling of 13.7 km.
  • This picture was taken at ~4 km altitude.

 

• After Jeb was directly over land, he decided to do a barrel roll in the Jetstar despite warnings that it was not designed to do aerial stunts.
  • When ATC asked why on the radio, he answered, "Houndog died in the bathroom doing drugs, dude. What better way to honor his legacy by doing something crazy in his jet?"
    • To which Bill immediately replied, "FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME, YOU’RE NOT FLYING HOUNDOG KERMAN’S JET! One of his Jetstars is on display at his estate IN KEVINVILLE! His other Jetstar IS ROTTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCORCHER DESERT - and, need I remind you, DOESN’T HAVE ENGINES!"
    • Jeb asked him to chill out and "Don't hate on Houndog, man."
• Soon after Jeb got the plane right-side up, he was given the green light to begin the landing test.

 

• After a couple of quicksaves and a lot of distance, I managed to pull off a successful landing.

 

• And finally the off-road takeoff test.

 

I know that I put in a lot of Elvis references in a USAF aircraft discussion thread, but we can't ignore the fact that the (civilian) Jetstar was used by a cultural icon. Now that all that's out of the way, we can get back to building replicas of cool warplanes.

• Obviously, I can't do ALL of these on my own.

 

Replicas Remaining: 240

 REST IN PEACE, HOUNDOG KERMAN 

WE WERE ALL FATED TO LOVE YOU

[swjr-swis]

On 1/26/2023 at 7:23 AM, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

Obviously, I can't do ALL of these on my own.

Fiiiiine.

 

Here's a Bell X-1B to add to your collection: the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in sustained level flight.

 

 

The full album records many test flights and comments (https://imgur.com/a/eTasnRy). I've had to battle imgur the past couple of days over this, and only have very limited play time, so I'm not going to replicate the lot in this report.

Craft file: https://kerbalx.com/swjr-swis/Bell-X-1B-Mk1b

I may or may not do more. No promises.

[swjr-swis]

Well, while we're at it, let's do the Bell X-5 too.

Spoiler

Full album: https://imgur.com/a/OeZfXkJ

Craft file: https://kerbalx.com/swjr-swis/Bell-X-5-Mk1b

 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

  !  EXTRA EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT  !  

AIR FORCE MUSEUM TURNS 100 ON MAY 2023

Spoiler

Yes, you read that right. The National Museum of the United States Air Force will celebrate its centennial anniversary on Saturday, May 20th, 2023. 

The museum started out as an engineering study collection in 1923 at Dayton's now-long-gone McCook Field, later being renamed the Army Aeronautical Museum in 1932. The collection was then placed in a Works Progress Administration building from 1935 until World War II. In 1948, it was renamed the Air Force Technical Museum. It was 1954 when the museum became public and housed its first permanent facility at Patterson Field. However, the collection was later moved indoors to its current facility in 1971.

• Its second hangar opened in 1988, its third in 2003, and the fourth in 2016.

 

On May 20th this year, the museum will celebrate its 100-year anniversary with the opening of a new exhibit. More specifically, the Cold War Gallery - which is located in Hangar 3 - would have a new exhibit giving visitors "a glimpse into its history and the people that make it all possible."

• Although the museum's reference curator, William McLaughlin, told me via email correspondence that they could place their founding on "May 16, 1913" (I'm guessing "1913" was a typo and he meant to say "1923"), May 16 this year would fall on a Tuesday - which would make it a less-than-optimal time to open a new exhibit since everybody's either at work or school. Therefore, it would make sense to open the exhibit on the nearest Saturday afterwards - which coincides with the weekend before Memorial Day. 

 

You can bet your stabilizers that I'll be there that day. Will you?

 

Sources:

• Email correspondence with museum curation personnel
• Dayton Convention and Visitor's Bureau - https://www.daytoncvb.com/blog/post/national-museum-of-the-us-air-force-celebrates-100-years/
• USAF Museum Webpage - https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Press-Room/News/Article-Display/Article/3260809/national-museum-of-the-usaf-celebrates-its-100th-anniversary-in-2023/
• Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_the_United_States_Air_Force

 

 

Thanks for watching the sneak previews, and now on to the main event. I shall now demonstrate the Lockheed F-94C Starfire.

• The F-94 Starfire on display in the SPH.
• I didn't give it an "A," "C," or other letter variant designation so that it could be easier to find on KerbalX.
  • I claimed "C" on this checklist, so whoever builds another F-94 variant would have to take "A" on this thread.
• WARNING: the hatches are obstructed, so don't plan on any EVAs while using this.

 

• Nothing screams "AMERICAAAAAAAA!" like big USAF symbols painted on your fighter jet.

 

• This plane had already surpassed double the real-life Starfire's top speed of 640 mph (286 m/s) with the afterburner on, so all that was left was to match its altitude.
  • Although I met the minimum requirements for this thread (looks like the namesake and can fly), I decided to go for the altitude match.

 

• This fighter had exceeded the real-life Starfire’s top speed and altitude. In this picture, it is cruising at around a stable 16.5 km (it can go higher) at approximately 800 m/s.

 

• 200 units of fuel spent in afterburner mode, and the Starfire flew almost 500 km before landing.
  • I had plenty of fuel to spare (500 units left), but completing the range test would take all evening.

 

Thank you for watching this plane in action, and for taking the time to read my Centennial announcement. I can't wait to go there again (for the eighth time), and I hope you all have a chance to enjoy this landmark in aviation history (preservation) as well. Let's aim high, fellow kerbalnauts.

 

Replicas Remaining: 237

Edited March 27, 2023 by Mars-Bound Hokie
Entered the wrong number for replicas left

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

Straight from the Thunderbirds, here comes the F-16A Fighting Falcon.

 

• The pure stock F-16 replica on display in the SPH.
• Like its real-life counterpart, it has a fly-by-wire control system. In fact, it is regarded as the first aircraft to use such a system.
• Just like with my Starfire replica, I didn't give it a letter variant designation so that it could be found easier on KerbalX.
• Since I don't have BDArmory anymore, this plane is unarmed. Anyone who downloads this is free to add weapons if they wish.

 

• Before taking off, the decoy flares were tested.
  • I don't have BDArmory, so the fireworks were a good candidate. Although I don't know if they can actually function as decoy flares.
  • At the very least, it looks good for a pure stock plane.

 

• After I got my wheels off at 50 m/s in regular engine mode, I turned north and fired some more flares.

 

• Flying full throttle at an altitude of approximately 9.5 km at 290 m/s
  • Matching the real-life cruise speed, but terrible at reaching the maximum altitude and speed.
• I then set the MJ aircraft autopilot to stay at its altitude so I can see how far it can fly. Boy, was I surprised when I came back almost 40 minutes later.

 

• 40 minutes of flying later, I was almost out of fuel and flying at almost three times my starting cruise speed at full throttle - which was also past the real-life counterpart’s maximum speed.
• As soon as I took this screenshot, I was forced to cut the engine and make a landing on Kerbin’s polar ice cap.
  • I was so lucky I didn't need to restart the engine during the landing sequence, because I had accidentally set the action group to "Shut down engine," during that test run - as in I couldn't turn it back on with that button.
    • It's fixed now.

 

• Jeb taking a good look at the sun after landing the F-16. It had only 30 units of fuel left, so he was stuck there until surface recovery crews could pick him up.

 

• Image of the F-16A Fighting Falcon on display in the United States Air Force Museum.
• This particular aircraft was used by the Thunderbirds starting in 1982 until they converted to F-16Cs in 1992. After that, it was modified to operational condition and assigned to the Air Education and Training Command to train pilots at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Finally, in 1996, this plane was repainted in Thunderbirds Colors and put on display in the museum in October.
• Source: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196735/general-dynamics-f-16a-fighting-falcon/

 

Any and all help to complete the list is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Replicas Remaining: 236

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

Guten Tag, Damen und Herren. Einführung die Messerschmitt Me 262A Schwalbe.

 

• The Me 262 on display in the SPH.
• Although it is famous for being a jet-powered fighter called the Schwalbe, a fighter-bomber variant known as the Sturmvogel existed. Hence why I included it in the craft name.
• The tilted ladder was so pilots can easily crawl to the hatch when boarding, since preliminary tests showed that Jeb couldn't get on without it (after disembarking and getting on solid ground).

 

Before beginning the flight test, I had some more Blazing Angels flashbacks.

• Suddenly, I felt like an 11-year-old flying a P-51 on the Wii during my school's (extended) winter break.
  • Berlin was smoking from all the bombs the B-17s dropped, so it was hard to see in a lot of spots. When the propeller-powered Germans had retreated, I thought that we had finally won - but boy did we have another thing coming. 
  • Tom, Frank, and I were unable to catch up with the Nowotny Squadron, which was what the formation of Me 262s was called. Not only did they outnumber us - the bombers weren't any help and we were their only fighter escort - they were way faster than us in our Mustangs. To make matters worse, since Joe had died over Normandy (in-game) almost a year prior, we didn't have our in-flight mechanic handy for when we sustained serious damage. As if that wasn't bad enough, the jet squadron had planned their counterattack against us three in such a way that kept us separated until the last one or two left.
  • The odds were stacked against us in terms of numbers, speed, time, home territory, and visibility.
  • Eventually, after so many times getting shot down - and the occasional steeple-hitting in the thick smoke - I managed to pull off a victory. I didn't get an ace medal that time, but as far as I was concerned the mere fact that I beat those jets was good enough. I could try for the medal later, but I swore never to use the P-51 again for that.
    • I can also thank my Dad for telling me to lead my target when they're moving across from me, which came in handy. It also helped when we were outside playing soccer in deep snow later that day.
• The Tempest was a significant improvement since the P-51's guns were basically peashooters. However, I forget if that was what got me an ace medal in the rematch or if it was the Gloster Meteor.
• Feels ironic that I built a replica of the very jet which caused my pre-teen self some grief in an air combat videogame.

 

Sorry for the rambling, I'm sure you didn't come here to read childhood stories. Here are the performance test pictures as promised - and in English this time.

 

• The Me 262 flying low over the VAB shortly after takeoff.
  • The launch pad was empty because no V-2s were ready for launch yet. Besides, even if they were, odds are they would have been shot down by some Gloster Meteors before hitting the target - assuming that it was even accurate enough to do so.

 

• It was quite the climb, but the plane managed to clear the mountain range west of the KSC.

 

For all of you wondering if I finally decided on a name for that mountain range, yes I did.

• I call it the Altitude Test Mountain Range.
  • Alt Test Mountains for short.

 

• The jet flying with the MJ aircraft autopilot on.
  • CAUTION: be wary of what functions you activate at what times.
• I was flying at 6.04 km altitude at an airspeed of 270 m/s.
  • Although I had managed to go faster than the real-life model, I could not reach its maximum altitude without serious speed drops - hence an increased risk of stalling before reaching said altitude, hence failure was inevitable.
• At least I managed to go above the Alt Test Mountains, and I had a smooth ride.

 

• If you look closely at the center of the yellow circle, you could make out a small speck. That speck is Minmus.
  • I first thought it was some crud on my TV screen, but it moved as I changed the camera angle. When I turned on map view and hovered the cursor over an ore scanner orbiting Minmus, I decided that the speck was indeed Minmus.

 

• 75 units of fuel left, and I have flown 556.7 km away from the KSC.
  • For reference, I had started with 225 units of fuel.
  • No, it was not at full capacity. I had to take some fuel out to balance it.
• Not a bad run, but it was time for an off-road landing test.

 

• Jeb standing near the front landing gear after getting this jet down in one piece. 
  • Some of the other pilots wanted to test the replicas themselves, and the higher-ups agreed - as well as several of the KSP's counselors. They decided that Jeb would get a break next time a new plane was to be flown.

 

Spoiler

To all you Blazing Angels players out there, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT USE A MUSTANG WHEN FLYING IN BERLIN! 

• Those who haven't completed Berlin yet, you should use a Tempest. It may not be as fast as the Mustang, but at least you can cause more damage with your guns than those peashooters.
• Those who have finished it but have yet to earn the ace medal, I highly recommend the Gloster Meteor.

 

Making progress, but like I said I can't do all of them all by myself.

 

Replicas Remaining: 235

BLAZING ANGELS HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN THE HEARTS OF MANY KERBALNAUTS

DO NOT LET THIS CLASSIC DIE

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

As more proof that German science is ze finest in the vorld, allow me to demonstrate the Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet.

• And I didn't have any Blazing Angels flashbacks this time.

 

• The Me 163 on display in the SPH.
• Pilots are unable to get in and out of there due to the hatch being obstructed. Not that this plane was useful anyway.
  • The Japanese counterpart, which the Germans helped kickstart, was intended to be a kamikaze weapon against incoming bombers. Not a good pitch for a brand-new fighter plane.
• Without the propeller on the nose, this aircraft could have been pure stock. Apparently, the real-life Komet’s tiny propeller operated as a ram air turbine that provided electrical power.
  • Which is ironic because in KSP, the electric rotor it ends up eating power unless the rocket engine is operating.
• The original design had Rovemax Model M1 wheels, but each takeoff ended up with fishtailing followed by catastrophic failure one second later. So, I had to resort to retractable landing gear for the front wheels so I can have a stable takeoff.

 

• Takeoff at full throttle.
• The smaller rocket motors weren't enough to get this going, so I had to use to the Dart.

 

Just like its real-life counterpart, I had a very short engine run time. 

 

• Thanks to the Dart engine, this plane was capable of exceeding the real-life counterpart’s maximum speed and altitude by a wide margin.
  • I even went supersonic for a while before easing on the throttle.
• However, I could not match the real-life Komet's maximum powered endurance (engine run time). As a result, a large majority of my test flight's time was spent gliding.

 

So, yeah, I wouldn’t use this to chase incoming bombers unless they’re high and very close - which is probably what the Germans probably did IRL. Honestly, if enemy bombers are close enough to the point where you have to resort to Komets (rather than just unmanned ground-to-air missiles), then you have a terrible radar detection system. 

• Even if you had a bunch of available Shūsuis and kamikaze pilots, it's best not to use them due to the Komet's reported combat inefficiencies - not to mention its record is riddled with testing and training deaths.

 

• The plane landed safely approximately 130 km from the KSC after 20 minutes of flight - most of which was spent gliding. The hatch was obstructed by the fuel tank, so Dilorf Kerman couldn’t get out for a photo.
  • Tim C Kerman noted that she "... looks just like the chick on the old Heinkelian poster next to the Sturmvogel at the Super-Cool Aircraft Museum" (yes, it's actually called the Super-Cool Aircraft Museum). Although Dilorf looks far too young to have grandparents who were babies in the Heinkelian Empire's final days - let alone be an adult test pilot herself in its mid-to-late years - museum employees and KSC personnel alike agree that the resemblance between the two is uncanny.

 

Tomorrow, which happens to be Easter Sunday, marks one year since my first time visiting the Air Force Museum. I then made six more visits in the year that followed, putting my total at seven. As of now, I plan to make Visit Eight on May 20th for the centennial celebration - and Visit Nine some time later for a company event (that I'm leading). 

 

 

Replicas Remaining: 234