United States Air Force Museum Replica Collection

Vanamonde · August 7, 2023

One of my favorite airplanes.

Mars-Bound Hokie · August 8, 2023

5 hours ago, Vanamonde said:

One of my favorite airplanes.

If you're referring to the B-58 Hustler, I'm sorry I couldn't provide a supersonic replica. That would have been awesome. If you're into cool jet bombers with way better stats, you'll have plenty of fun with my B-52 Stratofortress copy.

On the bright side, despite the Hustler replica's (terrible) performance, it's gotten relatively popular on KerbalX. Within 24 hours of uploading, it reached a total of 8 downloads and 2 upvotes.

You can contribute some craft on this thread too, if you're bored and have nothing else to do on KSP1. Bet there's at least one old plane in your save files you want to show off.

Mars-Bound Hokie · August 11, 2023

And now, the moment you (and the Peacemaker guys) have all been waiting for, the ~~Green~~ XF-85 Goblin.

The XF-85 Goblin on display in the SPH.
I structured the fuselage interior and rear stabilizer configuration after looking inside fatology’s Goblin replica.
- After reading what @KolonelKerbal (aka Boeing737) said on my triplane replica earlier today about how I can stabilize single-engine prop planes using SAS wheels, I figured that a reaction wheel hidden inside the fuselage would be very useful in future projects. Thanks for the idea.
I had the wings fold in half to mimic its real-life counterpart’s intended purpose of being stowed in a bomb bay and then deployed once the bomber was attacked by enemy fighters. I never actually tried it, though.
At first, the hinges were having trouble deploying properly - and would often freeze. Under @Hotel26's advice, I disabled the autostrut for the wings and the joints and then removed symmetry from one of the joints. Once that was done, the wings worked like a charm.
Since the real-life Goblin was never meant to take off from a runway, I originally had it attached to a stability enhancer - and later two - while the engine got warmed up. However, all those test runs ended in failure. So, I added landing gear to the fuselage, but I later decided it would ruin the aesthetic. Eventually, I went with detachable landing gear. They do have parachutes that deploy after detachment so that it’s not a total waste.
One large parachute wasn’t enough to bring the craft down intact, and neither were two. So, I went with four. I didn’t worry the chutes obstructing the hatch, though, since it was ALREADY obstructed.

I may or (most likely) may not merge this with my B-36 Peacemaker Replica. Despite its terribly short range, there’s a slim chance I would succeed where the real-life USAF failed.

After Hotel26’s DM about how to fix the hinges, I started with a wing deployment test.
Though the winged salutes from the failed prototypes were cute, I needed them both down to fly right. In this case, it worked well all times.

After getting at least 100 m over the surface, Jeb detached the takeoff wheels and turned to heading. The takeoff was bouncy, but the Goblin was not designed for a runway takeoff.

Wait until you’re AT LEAST 100 METERS AGL before ditching the wheels. That should give the chutes time to deploy and send the wheels back down to the surface without breaking anything. Those things are expensive, you know.

A real-life Goblin hanging by a trapeze from a modified B-29 during a test flight. If all went well, the pilot would detach from the bomber and reattach itself via the trapeze with no problems. Unfortunately, that was not the case for at least half the tests. The Goblin project ended up cancelled almost a year after its first flight.
Photograph copied from museum website.

The Goblin doing a range test along Kerbin’s equator.
At the very least, it should be able to cruise at the same altitude as, if not higher than, the B-36 replica. That way, it can go after enemy fighters with an altitude advantage over the bomber and, if the pilot’s extremely lucky, can also dock with the host bomber when its done.

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Altitude: 6.6 km (~21.6k ft; Class Alpha airspace)
Velocity: 295 m/s (~660 mph)
Maximum Endurance: ~40 minutes
- Maybe a bit more, but it’s wise not to push it.
Expected Range: 700 km

For this craft, since the real-life Goblin was never designed for conventional runway landings, there are only three ways to land this thing:

Mid-air attachment to another aircraft that would carry you in.
1. Whichever craft you pick to be your host, you need insane piloting skills and an even more insane amount of luck to pull it off.
A slow landing on water, like with my Ohka.
(IF NEITHER OF THE ABOVE CAN BE DONE) Parachuting down.

For another test flight, Jeb’s doing a barrel roll. This was to be expected, as the Goblin was originally designed to be a fighter - and would be expected to pull off evasive maneuvers in combat.

While testing the abort system, Jeb retracted the wings in mid-air and deployed them again.
The original plan (in KSP lore, at least) was that the wings would remain retracted once stowed. Then, once the Goblin was launched, the wings would deploy mid-air and the pilot would be ready for action.

The latest prototype with all four chutes deployed. Now the plane can go down slow enough to remain in one piece upon impact.

Jeb after a soft landing via parachutes. He was found taking a nap when recovery crews caught up with him.
- Not that he could come out to give them a high-five anyway.

I would like to thank everyone who offered to help fix this problem. Now that the hinges are working properly and I've proven that this egg can fly, I can check this failed experiment off the list.

In my opinion, the Goblin was a good idea when it was first thought of in the mid-1940s. The only way we would have found out if it was a bad one is if it was tested, and that's what the test flights were for.
It wasn't just testing failures that got the project cancelled. Not only were the Goblin's performance stats lame compared to other jet fighters, which meant that they would have been at a disadvantage against enemy fighters from the start, but aerial refueling technology for escort fighters showed promising development results.
Even so, can you imagine being carried by the very bomber you're assigned to protect? It would save you fuel, and (if you didn't mind engine noise) you could take a nap while flying from your base to the target - or at least on the way back home.
- Kind of reminds me of the plane fight scene from Captain America: The First Avenger.

Replicas Remaining: 219

Mars-Bound Hokie · August 22, 2023

For pilots who seek to get their night flying hours in a multi-engine prop plane, you might want to use the P-61 Black Widow.

And no, you guys. This aircraft doesn't come with hot Russian assassins.

The P-61 Black Widow on display in the SPH.
The prototype originally had Type B Propeller Blades to maintain aesthetic, but the plane could not get off the ground during takeoff. Type C would have been too long, so I went with R-25 Ducted Fan Blades. They may have been too small and too curved to pass off as a true replica, but at least the craft could work. Plus, that airframe does a good job at looking like a P-61 even without propeller blades.
For the turret on the top, I used a Communotron HG-55 and four 16-Ss.
The storage unit in the bottom of the fuselage is to carry emergency supplies in case the plane crash-lands and the survivors have to wait a while in the jungle for rescue crews. Of course, if it crashed over enemy territory during the Second Imperial Wars, odds are the survivors would have ditched the wreckage and tried to flee or else be taken prisoner - assuming they weren’t already.
Since the real-life P-61 had a radar system (as well as the P-61C-1 in War Thunder), as it was designed specifically as a night fighter, this replica was equipped with a probe core for Kerbnet. Solar panels were also added in the very back of the fuselage to mimic the glass end of the real P-61’s fuselage. Too bad this model doesn’t also come with a target lock and interception system.

How do you even use that plane’s radar in War Thunder, anyway? For that matter, what advantages would radar give the P-61 over other WWII aircraft?

Anyway, back to the test flight of the KSP replica.

Just like what the real-life P-61 was designed for in the Second Imperial Wars, Candace and Tim C Kerman tested this restored prototype at night. Tim C wanted to test it during the day, but Candace wanted to "Relive what our forefathers went through and fly this bird at night."
This prototype was one of two operational P-61s left in existence, as the very small number of models that were not scrapped after the Second Imperial Wars were eventually put on static display in museums.
One prototype crashed in Nye Island during the war, and was found many decades later by a runner who slipped and fell through its window - and got tangled in vines. It was then collected by the Nye Island Aeropleen Museum (aka NIAM - and whoever spelled that sign should be fired) and underwent several more decades of restoration to airworthiness. It would be a lot of time and money spent before it would be up and running again.

As for the second operational P-61 left on Kerbin, it has a more nefarious history.

Spoiler

Irpond Kerman's ancestors have been taking in males (sometimes against their will), eliminating their rivals in love (often with deadly force), and training their daughters to do the same for centuries. Occasionally, said rivals would find themselves imprisoned in what is now known as Creep Island, which served as a forced labor camp (or penal colony - or death camp, depending on how you look at it) which not only confined the yandere bloodline's rivals without leaving too much of a mess, but generates a secret profit for their illicit love-seeking antics. Some of the inmates were forced to become wives for the guards there. Until Jeffrey Kerman's arrest and jailhouse murder in more recent decades, very few knew of the island's location and true nature.

Even then, most people nowadays remember it as Jeffrey Kerman's kerbal trafficking hub and not for the more sinister history dating back from long before the Green Baron's grandparents were born.

During the Second Imperial Wars, Elsa Kerman struck a deal with Heinkel's Intelligence Bureau. She would give them the position of an Allied airfield that had P-61s on standby. During the attack that would follow, she would sneak through the perimeter amid the chaos, steal one of the P-61s there, and fly it back to Heinkel to be reverse-engineered and/or used in intelligence operations. In return, she would get ownership of one of their self-sustaining underwater bases and a mini-sub so that she and her "true love" can live in peace for the rest of their lives.

However, she had other plans.

Instead of flying towards Heinkel as they had agreed, she pointed the P-61 in a completely different direction. Since she had blown up the makeshift radar station at the airfield as well as disabled the plane's transponder, nobody could find where she had gone. Unbeknownst to any of them, she had taken it to Creep Island and hid it. In case any aircraft or ships got too close to simply be passing by, she and/or the scoundrel pilot she hired would intercept the approaching craft and destroy it. She needed that model plane specifically, as it could locate enemies at night and was designed to automatically intercept selected targets.

When the Heinkelian Intelligence Bureau agents involved with the airfield attack were eventually captured by Allied forces, they were more than happy to give up Elsa since she double-crossed them (they never received the P-61 they promised). However, she had expected that, and so she used the name of the Allied base commander's daughter - who was rumored to have been dating someone with Heinkelian parents. The commander tried to hush it up, but some private with a grudge against the commander leaked the agent's claims to the press and soon the daughter and her boyfriend were hung by an angry mob in Woomerang. That incident put the stolen P-61 out of everybody's minds, including those in charge of inventory.

When Yusai Kerman gave control of Creep Island - which was then known as "Ghost Plane Island" - to Jeffrey Kerman, he saw no use for the plane other than a collector's item. After his long-awaited arrest, the police found the plane and, after testing it for evidence regarding Jeffrey's crimes or those of his customers, sold it to the Wynter Kerman Warbird Emporium in Owl City. It wasn't long before museum personnel discovered that not only was there hope of restoring it to airworthiness, but that it was the same P-61 that was stolen by "the Blonde Saboteur."

At the time, although there was no doubt a P-61 just vanished that fateful night during the war (according to inventory logs, if one took the time and looked close enough), there was debate on whether or not the woman that the surviving servicemen claimed they saw actually existed. Or, if she did, whether she ever set foot in a P-61.

The P-61 flying at night with the lights off and the moon behind it. Enemy fighters would surely have a hard time locating this bad boy - until it was too late, that is.
- At least during the Second Imperial Wars. Nowadays, this plane would get spotted from kilometers away - even in the dark.
  - Then again, who would use this in modern-day air combat?

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Altitude: 6 km (~19.7k ft; Class Alpha airspace)
Velocity: 225 m/s (~503 mph)
Blade Deployment Angle: 42 degrees
Recommended Throttle: 2/3
Expected Range: 440 km
- WARNING: Although fuel was wasted going full throttle for part of the way, the plane had flown ~450 km in total before it touched down with only one fuel unit left.

Tim C standing in front of the P-61, about to set up camp before the recovery crews pick him and Candace up. Candace, however, wanted to sleep in the plane.
In her mission log, she stated that she was too tired from stress to help her brother. That seems understandable, as the plane only had one fuel unit left when it was picked up. Pulling off a smooth landing with that little fuel would stress out anybody, even trained pilots.

#gunsafetyfail

Tim C Kerman standing in front of the turret after his older sister landed the plane. Candace reminded him to never stand directly in front of turret barrels, but Tim C told her "You really think the restoration crews would keep the ammo in there? Besides, I checked it myself. The guns are empty."
- And in case you were wondering, this was the plane that crashed in Nye Island.

Sheesh, that took a long time to write. What should I do next?

Replicas Remaining: 218

:rep:

MAY YOU FLY AGAIN SOME DAY, USAAF 42-39445

Mars-Bound Hokie · August 27, 2023

For those who served in America's ground forces, (besides the usual "Thank you for your service") once you saw this plane and/or heard the sound of its Gatling gun, you knew at that moment the battle was won. Behold, the source of the deadly BRRRT - and my dad's favorite plane - the A-10 Warthog.

The A-10 Thunderbolt II on display in the SPH.
I included the aka in the craft name since odds are people would most likely know this as the Warthog. At the same time, I wanted to include the name that it was given before the popular nickname.
For the Gatling gun in the front, I used an retracted Gigantor panel. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT EXTEND IT!
Balancing the CoM and CoL so that the plane won’t be so nose-heavy, tail-heavy during takeoff, and (for that matter) actually fly was a nightmare. After looking at CrissMatt’s (armed) Warthog, I used engine nacelles for air intakes and realized I needed to drain the FRONT tanks as opposed to the rear ones.
I installed small hardpoints on the wings to mimic the real Warthog’s impressive weapons capacity. Unfortunately, since I didn’t have BDArmory anymore (and I had trouble using guided weapons systems when I did), this version is more or less unarmed. On the bright side, that means you can add whatever weapons you want.
Underneath the fuselage, I included fireworks to mimic the A-10 dropping some air-to-surface ordinance. This aircraft has 24 shots in it, so use them sparingly.
- Action Groups 4, 5, and 6 have eight shots each.

Before a weapons test could be performed, this prototype had to undergo a cruise test. With that knowledge, the military would get a better assessment of what the plane was capable of and how to deploy them in combat.
Here, we see Victor Kerman, Val’s older brother, after flying over Alt Test Mountains. Before he was cleared to go interplanetary, he volunteered to get certified in flying attack aircraft. As part of the test, he had to do a cruise flight of an unarmed Warthog from the KSC.

The Warthog flying over the desert with 110 fuel units left after covering 728 km.
In his mission report, Victor stated that he didn’t care about the plane’s combat range since "If you do your job right, you’d have leveled the enemy enough to make a new airstrip."

With fuel at critical levels, Victor is determined to get past this upcoming mountain range before landing.

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Status: MINUMUM ARMAMENTS
- 24 x Fuselage-launched unguided air-to-surface fireworks
Altitude: 7 km (~23.0k ft; Class Alpha airspace)
Velocity: 270 m/s (~604 mph)
Expected Range: 890 km
- This plane glided for almost 30 km afterwards before touchdown in the latest test flight.

After flying 890 km from the KSC, Victor made it over the mountains and glided for about 30 kilometers before touchdown with only 12 fuel units left. While awaiting the recovery crews, he stepped outside and gave a salute in front of the Warthog.
He then called his sister and told her "I dare your nerd friend Bill to build a plane to beat this one. Oh, wait, he can’t. Nobody can."

The next evening, Victor got called for a weapons test. Though the wing-mounted racks were unloaded, the fuselage-based ordinance weapons were not. Here, he rains some hell on dummy boats in the water. After this photo was taken, he proceeded to strafe a fake convoy with the Gatling gun.

After watching Ruffles Kerman's video on building a P-38, I realized that if I wanted to go for aesthetic AND functionality on older warbirds with larger propellers, I've been approaching it all wrong. More specifically, I should have used ELECTRIC motors instead of crummy gas-powered R121s with small blades. If I manage to get hold of propeller-caused roll, I may also end up using electric motors on WWI-era planes. What do you all think of this approach?

Replicas Remaining: 217

Mars-Bound Hokie · August 29, 2023

Before we had the modern-day cruise missiles we all know and love (and sometimes fear), we had the German V1 rockets from WW2. Before that, however, we had the Kettering "Bug" Aerial Torpedo.*

Or at least we would have, had WW1 not ended AND funding for further development wasn't a problem afterwards.

The Kettering Aerial Torpedo on display in the SPH.
Due to the aircraft’s skinny fuselage, a single EM-32S motor was required. For the propeller blades, (for the final prototype, at least) I used two R-12 ducted fan blades set at 16 degrees. Unless I planned to have the craft be rocket powered (SPOILER ALERT: it was for a bit), I didn’t have much choice in terms of engines available.
Just like the real-life Bug and my XF-85 Goblin replica, this craft was mounted on a detachable set of wheels for takeoff. After all, once it is launched, there is no going back.
Also like its real-life counterpart, it had detachable wings for when it reached its target. To pull this off, two TT-38 radial decouplers were installed on the sides and a wing was mounted on each one (and had their tips moved up). For the second set of wings, I simply copied the old set and mounted them on a small stack of cubic octagonal struts.
The Lf+Ox tanks in this prototype are there for weight and balance purposes now. After the first several test flights on the EM-32S alone ended in abysmal failure, I considered cheating and installed four 24-77 Twitch engines hidden in the back - which meant I needed more Lf+Ox tanks; the motor would have been for decoration. Though those test runs were relatively successful, I had to go to bed immediately afterwards. The next day at work, I thought about my Saltrider and realized that I should have set my propeller blade angle to 15 degrees. First chance I got, I removed the rockets, installed some more batteries - while keeping some tanks to move the CoM to the right spot - and set the blade angles to 16 degrees (it wouldn’t settle on 15).

I also installed some reaction wheels in an attempt to counteract that stupid propeller-caused roll, but those alone didn’t work. So, after watching Jake Allen’s video on how to take care of it, I adjusted the ailerons to move the CoL right a little bit. However, that seemed to make the roll worse in the opposite direction. Whether it was because of the craft’s size or me doing it all wrong didn’t matter, since the real-life Bug relied on an autopilot (more or less) to get to its destination. So, after getting this craft to altitude, I engaged MJ aircraft autopilot and had it fly straight until its power supply was too low to carry on.

Historic photograph of a Kettering Aerial Torpedo being launched. This most likely took place during a test or a demonstration flight, as it was never used in combat. Nevertheless, it paved the way for UAVs and modern-day cruise missiles.
As of May 2023, only one Kettering Bug still exists - and it’s a replica built by personnel from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It was put on display in 1964, and is currently in the Early Years Gallery of Hangar One.
Image taken from museum website.
Information on the only surviving Kettering Bug in existence obtained from Wikipedia as well as the museum website.

The Bug right after taking off and ditching the wheels. Once the craft reaches a velocity of 30 m/s, pitch up and detach the takeoff wheels. For this prototype, expect to keep climbing.
Before rockets were used for this replica, the Bug would fly up for a second or two and then plop back down (mostly tail-first).
I still had a bit of motor-induced roll to deal with, but that’s why I activated the MJ aircraft autopilot as soon as I could.

The Kettering torpedo replica after being launched from the KSC flying over the ocean.
- Obviously, the Kerbal Space Program did not exist at the time real Kettering torpedoes were used. More specifically, they were invented during the First Imperial Wars.
Unlike their Earth counterparts, they were actually used in combat. However, they were almost ineffective against Heinkelian infantry due to their limited range and low accuracy - and their launch sites blowing up. To maintain the secrecy of how the Bugs worked in case of imminent capture, Allied Command ordered all their front-line storage tents and rail runways rigged with explosives and gave their technicians cyanide pills. Such a drastic measure never had to be used, since the Bug launch site explosions that weren’t a result of a lucky artillery shell were due to idiotic personnel.
- Some survivors said that the ones responsible "...couldn’t tell the difference between a candle and a dynamite fuse."
The model being flown here is a replica that was recently made by Super-Cool Aircraft Museum restoration engineers on a dare. None of the real Kettering Bugs are still around, so this is the only functional replica in existence on Kerbin.
- Although another replica was built decades prior, that one is for static display only.

The Bug shortly before its battery gets too low to carry on. Just like its historic predecessors from the First Imperial Wars, this one is being kept on course by an autopilot - only a far more advanced one than from that time period.
- Back then, the Bug had to rely on a system of internal pre-set pneumatic and electrical controls - followed by a revolution counter.
  - Nowadays, all you need is MJ.
- The functional replica was intended for single-use showcasing in airshows and demonstrations of "Olde Tyme Flight Technology."

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Altitude: 250 m (~820 ft)
- MAY go higher, but I had no maximum altitude from the real-life Kettering Bug to shoot for. This could still function as a (lame) olde tyme cruise missile against surface targets.
Velocity: 80 m/s (~179 mph)
Recommended Throttle: 2/3
Expected Range: 30 km
- Once you reach the target, detach the wings and you’ll start to pitch down towards it.

Once the Bug’s batteries were close to getting depleted, the wings were detached and it was BOMBS AWAY!

The now-wingless Bug using its remaining momentum, as well as its potential energy from being kept at cruising altitude, to descend on a dummy target in the ocean.
Unfortunately, an unexpected gust of wind at the beginning pushed the Bug to the side caused the Bug to miss completely. At least the engineers who made this functional replica proved its effectiveness - at least for the time period it was intended for.

I'm surprised NOBODY ELSE has made a replica of the Kettering Bug on KSP. First the Link Trainer, and now this bad boy. What other never-before-copied plane will end up on this showcase thread next? Probably not something famous, though, since there's bound to be at least one functional replica on KerbalX. I also suspect it would be on the older side, too.

P.S. I'm still having trouble with motor roll for single-engine prop planes. I tend to stay away from them, but for my own (and everyone else's) reference, I'd like a way to counteract this when I have to face it again. Especially when we start to run out of easy jets and/or someone has an interest in old warbirds.

Replicas Remaining: 216

Edited August 30, 2023 by Mars-Bound Hokie
Specified that the end of WWI (as opposed to WWII) slowed down Kettering Bug development

AtomicTech · August 30, 2023

This is amazing!!!

Keep up the great work!

Mars-Bound Hokie · August 30, 2023

Thank you very much, @AtomicTech. Out of curiosity, what's your favorite aircraft?

It doesn't matter whether or not it was already showcased on this thread.

If you have any Air Force Museum craft replicas you'd like to show off (preferably one not already done on the checklist yet), please feel free to do so. If you manage to get a replica from each of the four hangars, you'll earn the All Four Hangars Badge.

Mars-Bound Hokie · September 3, 2023

If you want to transition from single-engine warbirds to multi-engine, prepare for a hard time in the AT-9 Jeep.

The AT-9 Fledgling on display in the SPH.
I made sure to include the aka in the craft name since, although Curtiss-Wright named it the Fledgling, this plane was more commonly known as the Jeep in the United States Army Air Forces.
I used a fairing to mimic the real-life nose cone as close as I could; not too long, and yet with a pointier end than the aerodynamic nose cone.
Due to the relative propeller length on the real-life Jeep, I figured I could get away with R-25 ducted fan blades on the gas-powered engines.
Finding a good spot and orientation for the ladder proved more difficult than I thought, as the pilot often had trouble getting to and from the cockpit in test runs.
For the R121 engines, I reduced their motor size to 50%.

Though it proved more fuel-efficient than 100%, I don’t know if I should have reduced it some more. For that matter, does the total thrust-to-weight ratio even need to be over 1?

Jeb (the Third) doing a barrel roll over the KSC right after taking off as part of his Air Force pilot’s training.
Unlike back on Earth, Kerbin’s Air Force kept using this as the primary transition trainer after the Second Imperial Wars. Any airmen seeking to get cleared to fly multi-engine aircraft had to complete the necessary training in the Jeep. And then, they could move on to training in multi-engine jets.
The Kerbal Space Program, however, didn’t have multi-engine prop trainers. In fact, after its early years, it didn’t have prop-powered anything outside of those used for airshows - or old planes the KSP’s pilots were hired to test fly.
- Although it later developed electric prop planes to be sent to Eve, Duna, and Laythe.

Jeb clearing Alt Test Mountains at a cruising altitude of 7 km.

Another neat shot of Jeb flying the Jeep, this time over the desert.
He logged that, to increase fuel efficiency while maintaining speed, he had to gradually ease the throttle back during the course of the flight.

Noticing he was running low on fuel while going over water, Jeb decided to turn north for the remainder of the flight. After it reached critical levels, he aimed for a flat spot in the desert and began his landing.

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Altitude: 7 km (~23.0k ft; Class Alpha airspace)
Velocity: 230 m/s (~514.5 mph)
Blade Deployment Angle: 42 degrees
Recommended Throttle:
- 1/2 at the beginning
- Gradually decrease during flight to maintain airspeed while maximizing fuel efficiency
- Slightly under 1/3 at the end
Expected Range: 500 km
- WARNING: has a tendency to keep its tailwheel off the ground during landing.
- DO NOT activate reverse thrust until all three wheels are on the surface.

Jeb stepping out of the Jeep after a range test.
According to his mission report, landing was harder than it looked due to the plane’s tendency to keep its tailwheel off the ground.
His father’s friend, Bill Kerman, did warn him beforehand that the Jeep was designed to be hard to land.

This plane was relatively easier than I thought to copy. Nevertheless, I still feel like I haven't mastered props. I have so many questions such as:

What is the optimum motor size & output % for balancing performance and fuel efficiency on the R121?
- And what might be the equivalent for the electric engines?
How come the regular prop blades have such bad performance in comparison with the ducted blades?
How do I take care of that freaking roll for single-engine prop planes. Apparently, reaction wheels aren't enough (at least they weren't for my Kettering Bug replica), and my attempt at repositioning the ailerons made things worse.

Replicas Remaining: 215

Mars-Bound Hokie · September 21, 2023

I hope you took your malaria shots, because here comes the de Havilland Mosquito.

The de Havilland Mosquito on display in the SPH.
I started with the cockpit, nose, and wings of my AT-9 Jeep.
Although the wingspan length remained the same, I made them fatter to look more like the real-life Mosquito. As a result, I also had to use more fuel tanks to extend the engines - or at least lengthened the tanks behind the engines themselves.
Speaking of the engines, I eventually reduced the motor size and output to 25%. For the propellers, since the real-life Mosquito has the same propeller diameter as an American P-61 Black Widow, I decided to stick with the R-25 ducted blades like my namesake replica. To mimic the cones after the engines, I installed Type A advanced nose cones right at the rotor tip.
To accommodate for the fat wings and for aesthetic accuracy, I used liquid fuel tanks - and then threw in a SEQ-9 Container Module - to lengthen the fuselage. Surprisingly, I only had to drain the tanks a tiny bit to maintain CoM and CoL balance.
- Unfortunately, I could not find any parts that could function as a bomb bay without the top opening along with it. One could say that this replica was used to transport cargo over enemy territory, just like the real-life Mosquito.
The Communotron 16-Ss and tiny nosecones, which were used for the guns and engine exhaust pipes, were added after the test cruise and serve decorative purposes only.

Matt Kerman flying an old Mosquito over Alt Test Mountains. The plane may have been a little slow during the ascent, but it eventually achieved the desired cruising speed once reaching altitude.
Surprisingly, despite being from Nye Island, he was easier to understand. ATC personnel often complain about kerbals from Nye Island having very thick accents - which often led to misunderstandings and the occasional misspellings.

The expected range calculation done on Symbolab after reaching the 400-km mark.
Even though I actually got to keep (at least 85% of) the fuel and I found a good way to maximize engine efficiency during cruise, I was amazed at this prediction. If it proved true, then this plane can go for a little over ¾ of Kerbin on one tank of gas.
- SPOILER ALERT: IT DID
- {(1406 kal)/(0.13 kal/sec)} * {(238 m/s)/(1000 m)} + 400 km = Approx. 2,974 km

To be honest, I could have just ended the test there and saved myself hours of the cruise flight; maybe even gotten to bed earlier. But I also wanted to see if I need to change any of the fuel flow settings for a safe landing.

Just like the real-life Mosquito, this plane was used as a naval bomber by Nye Island - and, by extension, its allies, during the Second Imperial Wars.
- Of course, with Nye being surrounded by water, superiority over the ocean was a necessity if security was to be assured.
- One way to keep enemy naval forces far away from the island itself was to send preemptive strikes against their positions with fighter-bombers such as this.

As this aircraft was flying over Kerbin's ocean, my mind flashed to my eleven-year-old self flying along the Norwegian coast in 1944.

After our squadron was done wrecking Rabaul with American Pacific forces, we were sent back to Europe. With Operation: Overlord getting ready, it was necessary for the Allies to assemble all the air power up could up in England. This also meant that the invasion into Axis territory had to go smoothly, as in nothing could disrupt it. Especially not that German fleet off the coast of Norway.
That's where Joe, Frank, Tom, and I came in. Recently reunited with the RAF, the four of us flew in Mosquitoes (while for some reason the other pilots flew in Twin Mustangs); all of us were tasked with providing air cover for the British fleet.
- However, as usual, I had to do (almost) everything while my squadron either repaired my plane, shot down the occasional Stuka, or protected me from the four or five fighters that came.
Seconds before spotting the first German destroyer, we had heard that our flight instructor, Captain Eddie Rilstone, went down over the English Channel six weeks prior. Like that British sailor told us on the radio, this mission was our chance to avenge him.
Although our Mosquitoes could fly over the icebergs easily, the German Navy had positioned themselves close to the iceberg walls, making it near-impossible to get a good shot at them with the bombs. We had to attack them low, fast, and along their long axis. To take a perpendicular approach was risky, as you had to turn fast if you wanted to avoid the same fate as the Titanic.
- Of course, had I known that I was going to be flying through a maze of fjords for the next mission (on a Wii, I should add), I'd have probably done more of that just for training my reaction times. Too bad - or good thing, depending on how you look at it - the icebergs were too spaced out for me to practice weaving and bobbing, even at full speed.
Boy, that last U-boat sure could take a pounding. I was lucky that it surfaced frequently, otherwise it could have wiped out whatever was left of the British fleet before I could get another chance to bomb it.
The mission ended with Joe spotting a secret door in the cliffs, which was the door to the most agonizing mission of the game; the fjords into the German heavy water plant.
- That is where my family got the term "Ice caves," when we encountered a level in which one of us has to fly through tight spaces like that with an altitude limit - either due to physical or performance limitations or the threat of detection or destruction by anti-aircraft installments.
  - In this case, it was performance limitations - while for some reason the Bf 110s had no problem flying over the fjords before dropping in to shoot us down.
- After several dozen attempts, I was able to master it to the point where I could fly through the entire level in one go (in a Tempest after unlocking it) and earn the ace medal. All before I turned twelve.

Thank you for listening to another childhood Blazing Angels story. Depending on which plane I copy next, I warn you that I'm likely to tell more of those. Of course, if you have any such stories or even moments of a similar nature (either in a videogame or IRL), I'd be happy to read about them. Now back to the KSP cruise test.

After Matt woke up from his nap - thanks to an alarm clock his friend at ATC set - he found out that he had covered a total 2,530 km in almost three hours. He was not done yet, although he predicted it would be less than an hour before he would have to land.

Less than 100 fuel units left, and the plane is approaching a peninsula. Since the plane was so efficient at its current cruise configuration, he decided to wait to shut off the autopilot until he had reached it.

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Altitude: 7.6 km (~24.9k ft; Class Alpha airspace)
Velocity: 237 m/s (~530 mph)
- The cruise ended at 240 m/s (~537 mph)
Blade Deployment Angle: 43 degrees
Recommended Throttle: 2/3
Flight Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Expected Range: 2,975 km

Matt Kerman checking out the Mosquito his ancestor once flew during the Second Imperial Wars right after landing it.
He had about 45 fuel units to spare, but he and ATC were still impressed by the Mosquito’s cruise performance.

This is my best performing gas-powered prop plane yet. I still wouldn't say I have mastered prop planes, though; not by a long shot. Not when I still have that roll that comes with single-engine props, like my Fokker Dr.I (triplane) and Kettering Bug. Unless I'm making a large plane that warrants the largest propeller blades - specifically, Type S - I'll stick with the ducted ones.

Replicas Remaining: 214

Alpha_star · September 21, 2023

Great! You can actually use fairings to shield the parts having the wrong color or the wrong size. It would also be better if you have used size 1.5 parts for the main fuselage in your Cutriss AT-09 replica instead of size 1 parts, assuming you have the Making History DLC, which you could buy or just download the Restock+ mod.

Mars-Bound Hokie · September 24, 2023

While small concentrations of American ground troops in Vietnam landed in Bell UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" helicopters, their fathers had done the same from Waco CG-4 gliders almost two decades prior.

The Waco CG-4 on display in the SPH.
I started with a Probodobodyne OKTO2 as the root part to make the fuselage symmetrical, starting with wing connectors on the top. I then did my best to make a square structure.
I then made the door at the front, using structural parts to make steps for the cockpit seats and solar panels for the windows. I had three alligator hinges originally for the opening mechanism, but only the one in the middle was necessary so I got rid of the other two.
- As for the sides, since the wing sections were too large, I stuck with structural panels.
- For the finishing touch, I put a Docking Port Jr. in the front in case someone finds a way to attach this to a tow plane.
Just like with my German Komet replica, I had Rovemax Model M1 wheels at the front. However, each of the landing attempts ended with damaged wheels before I switched to LY-10s.
As an extra precaution to keep the wing sections from snapping off on impact, I added LY-05 wheels to the corners.
The four docking ports on each side only serve as decoration to replicate the windows.
This craft can hold a maximum of 18 people (16 passengers + 2 crew).

A TEST CRUISE WAS NOT PERFORMED BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT WAS A GLIDER, HENCE IT REQUIRED A TOW BEFORE IT COULD BE DEPLOYED

Doing a test glide over, or rather away from, the KSC.
Since I didn’t have a plane to tow it, I had to use ALT-F12 –> SET POSITION to start it in the air.
My first few attempts ended in failure, particularly in the front. Whether it was due to construction, landing technique, or a combination of both is still a mystery, but I adjusted both and got more successful results.
I was able to steer this glider around like a regular plane gliding down, but I needed to point it down if I wanted to maintain overall stability - or at least hope for a stable landing.
So glad that I installed solar panels - and a few extra batteries - so that the SAS doesn’t deplete the electric charge supply as quickly.
Although a test cruise for this craft is impossible since it’s just a glider, I still have a crucial tip to leave behind if you want to land in one piece.

While landing, pitch up NO HIGHER than 30 m above the surface

(Sounds difficult, I know, but it worked out great for me during the Alt-F12 tests)

Landing the CG-4 without a scratch outside of the KSC perimeter. This picture was taken a few tries after I modified my design and landing technique and ended up with results similar to this one.
- Basically, don’t pitch up to straighten yourself out before you’re 30 meters above the ground. I know it leaves you a small window of opportunity, but trust me it’s enough time.
- Pitch up any earlier, and your nose will point back down again and you’ll end up with a busted floor.
  - At best, it'll be the cockpit that ends up damaged.

oof

Next time, get out of the cockpit BEFORE you open it up.

Picture of a model Waco CG-4 with its door open near the center. To the middle-right, in front of the Mexican flag, is a model cargo plane towing a glider.
Photograph taken by me 9/16/2023 at the Waco Air Museum in Troy, OH.

Another replica I made that is the first of its namesake on KerbalX, just like my Link Trainer and Kettering Bug. It is also the first true Waco aircraft that got posted on KerbalX; @epicman352's WACO F-178 doesn't count since it is a fighter jet and Waco was known for making prop planes (especially biplanes) and gliders before going defunct in 1947.

If there are KSP replicas of planes designed/manufactured by Waco, please forgive me as I typed "Waco" in the search bar and that jet was the only result (before I posted my glider).

Replicas Remaining: 213

AtomicTech · September 29, 2023

On 8/30/2023 at 6:17 PM, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

Thank you very much, @AtomicTech. Out of curiosity, what's your favorite aircraft?

It doesn't matter whether or not it was already showcased on this thread.

If you have any Air Force Museum craft replicas you'd like to show off (preferably one not already done on the checklist yet), please feel free to do so. If you manage to get a replica from each of the four hangars, you'll earn the All Four Hangars Badge.

Apologies for the late reply; I didn't see your message until now

So, as for my favorite aircraft....

I'm not sure that I can pick a definitive one but the U-2 has been a favorite recently

There's something about the design and how they pushed their tech to the limits to evade radar that's just amazing!

Mars-Bound Hokie · October 1, 2023

On 9/28/2023 at 9:56 PM, AtomicTech said:

There's something about the design and how they pushed their tech to the limits to evade radar that's just amazing!

The ghost of Francis Gary Powers would like a word with you.

No, he didn't die after getting shot down or captured. He died 17 years later in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles.

I tried making a U-2 some time ago; I forgot exactly why, but I had to abort that project due to performance problems. Would you like to give it a try? I'm sure we're eager to see it in action.

Mars-Bound Hokie · November 10, 2023

Everybody knows about the C-47 Skytrain and its role as a WWII transport plane. While its place in aviation history is well-deserved, we should not forget about its older (half-) brother, the C-46 Commando.

The C-46 Commando on display in the SPH.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, the actual root part should be the Mk1-3 Command Pod kept inside the fairing in the front. I had to re-root the craft from the monoprop tank to the pod (and remove the front doors) due to crew seating and controls orientation problems. So, if you want to move the plane around in the SPH, grab the pod.
I made the cockpit as a separate craft (better version to be posted on KerbalX later), then proceeded with the rest of the plane. Unbeknownst to me early on, the lander can doors in the front won’t open unless they’re sticking out an absurd amount - rendering my ladders useless. If you want to enter and exit the plane, then use the doors at the rear.
I went for a 2.5-m (medium-sized tank) fuselage because, while this plane is larger than your typical 1 to 2-man fighter, using Mk3 parts felt like overkill and would reduce the accuracy of the aesthetic. Not to mention a 2.5-m fuselage would mean less weight for the prop engines than a Mk3.

That was why I started with the 2.5-m cockpit in the first place, so I can use it in future projects involving medium-large planes. Again, I’ll put out a better cockpit craft file later.

For the wings, I borrowed the ones from @swjr-swis's Skytrain replica and removed the control restrictions he had placed on the ailerons. To keep up with the aesthetic and to increase power capacity, I installed a battery and a fuel tank for each engine.
As for the engines themselves, I reduced the motor size and output to 50%. While I could have gotten away with using R-25 ducted blades since the real-life Commando’s propeller diameter is close to that of the P-61 Black Widow’s, I decided to stick with Type S (largest) propeller blades so that the look is unmistakable.
Since the Commando was a cargo plane, why not install a cargo storage unit - and load it?
I don’t know if the real-life Commando had nav lights in WWII, but I put them on anyway in this case. After all, if you’re going to be carrying supplies over treacherous mountains OR be used for commercial airlines after the war, why not have those? Any planes accompanying you will appreciate it when they're not crashing into you.
For the back, since C-46s were used to tow transport gliders into battle, I installed a telescoping hydraulic cylinder and a claw in the back for decoration. If you want to modify it to actually be used for towing gliders, knock yourself out.

Historic footage of a young 1st Lt. Burma Kerman standing in front of a C-46 Commando during the Second Imperial Wars. If you took the time to read his service record as well as the testimony from those whom he did supply runs for, he was an excellent pilot who was known to "Take pride in giving a smooth ride."
- At least as smooth as he could given the weather and the kind of plane he was flying.

Spoiler

What is not mentioned in his service record - at least the record that's made public (until the passage of the Untold Sacrifice Act, that is) - is that Burma was once part of a secret Allied mission that prevented a certain Heinkelian victory as well as a massacre of innocent civilians.

In this mission, he was tasked with flying a C-46 loaded with an elite Allied strike force to a secret Heinkelian airbase hidden in the mountains. Once the attack aircraft that accompanied him were done clearing the runway of enemy anti-aircraft emplacements, he would land the transport plane while the commandos (the men) would storm the base from the inside.

Their mission: steal Heinkel's new heavy bomber, known only as a "Dreadnought."

Originally, the plan was to wait until the strike force acquired the Dreadnought and took off with it before Burma would follow behind with whoever remained. However, the Allied strike force underestimated how well-defended the bomber was from within the base. Against his captain's orders, he fired the C-46's engines at full throttle and jumped out as it ran deeper into the base. Amid the chaos resulting from the collision and subsequent explosions, Burma and his copilot, Milo Kerman, shot three guards on their way to steal the Dreadnought themselves. Though they managed to take off with only minimal damage sustained during the initial firefight, they were not out of the woods (or, rather, the mountains) yet. The Heinkelian fighters tried to force it down since they didn't want to damage their new bomber too badly, but the Allied air escort provided adequate cover.

This daring mission, while successful, came at a great cost. Out of everybody involved, only the following returned to base:

Two attack aircraft; their pilots, and one of their gunners.
- The other gunner was killed from a round to his body sustained during the dogfight.
1st Lieutenant Burma Kerman, piloting the Dreadnought.
- Milo bled to death from a gunshot to his torso he took during the base shootout. By the time anyone noticed the excessive bleeding, it was too late. If Burma got distracted trying to save Milo's life, the plane would have crashed and they would have both died - and the mission would have failed.
- Burma carried the regret of not saving Milo until his dying day. To make matters worse, he was not allowed to say a word about his involvement in that mission, even to his own family or the veterans' therapist. When his regular unit asked him where he was, he stated that he was doing a mail run and that Milo had died in a car accident.

Everybody else was either killed or captured - and given the fact that Heinkel had lost its golden ticket to victory, the Allied prisoners were as good as dead.

Back in the present day, this mission finally became public knowledge when Prime Minister Ryan Kerman signed the Untold Sacrifice Act into law. This act ordered all files related to the Second Imperial Wars declassified and made public. The day Burma's family learned about this mission, they finally understood why he would cry for no reason.

For once, Famous Four kerbalnaut Jeb Kerman willingly decided to slow down a little bit after his years-long endeavor in space. When he was done spending time with his dad, Jeb Senior, (and getting some legal documents and titles straightened out, since Jeb Senior was previously presumed dead), he signed up for Warbird Airshow Pilot lessons through the Nye Island Aeropleen Museum (NIAM).
- Bob had commented that whoever was in charge of making the sign was probably not used to the Nye Islanders’ thick accents.
Here, we see Jeb acting as the COPILOT of an old C-46 Commando. Burma Kerman IV, a descendant of a Second Imperial Wars cargo pilot, is acting as the pilot-in-command this time.

Please read the takeoff instructions before your flight.

As the Commando is flying over its own Hump, Jeb decided to let the glider tow cable loose. As NIAM restoration engineer Genebro Kerman, who was on board at the time, would tell you, Burma Four was not happy.
- BURMA FOUR: Jeb, what did I tell you about extending the tow cable mid-flight?
- JEB: Aw, come on, it looks totally badass. We look like… a dragon with a sweet paint job attacking a mountain village.
- BURMA FOUR: Reel it back in or I report a hijacking and shove you out through the cargo doors.

In front of the C-46 Commando on display in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH, is a game called "Flying the Hump."
Just like the real-life Commando pilots, you have to navigate the treacherous skies over the Himalayas to complete your supply run.
- Unfortunately, it's not three-dimensional like in Blazing Angels or War Thunder.
- More specifically, you have to use your throttle (left) and control stick (right) - which only controls your pitch - to get your plane at a specified point in the sky within a time limit. It's easy at the beginning, but the time limits get shorter and the skies get windier as you progress.
Photograph taken by me 10/28/2023.
- I had to kneel to get comfortable while playing on account of me being tall.

And here's the result of my attempt to beat the Hump.
- I could still hear my dad quoting Chicken Little every time I won an ace medal in Blazing Angels, even levels I beat countless times.
I was expecting a little more of a challenge, or even something three-dimensional, but I'll take the win. I'm guessing whoever designed this game wanted something that was manageable for kids - which would also explain why the controls were positioned pretty low - and also fun for kids as well as adult (or even teenage) aviation and/or history enthusiasts.
Too bad I didn't get to write my name, or at least my initials, in the high score list - mostly because there wasn't one.
Photograph taken by me 10/28/2023.
- Four minutes after the first one.

The Commando several minutes after going over Alt Test Mountains and getting to cruising speed.
Jeb mentioned that this plane could be used for airliners, then Genebro replied with the fact that surplus Commandos were for a while after the Second Imperial Wars.
- At least until said airlines started having trouble paying the maintenance bills.

The Commando cruising in peace over Kerbin. This picture was taken after covering 750 km.

Jeb, Genebro, and Burma Four’s plane running on fumes after nearly 1,000 km and 2 hours of flight. The engines had a decent fuel consumption rate, but Burma Four decided to call it quits.

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Altitude: 7.5 km (~24.6k ft; Class Alpha airspace)
Velocity: 145 m/s (~324 mph)
- Will increase very slowly over time, but this is a good start.
Blade Deployment Angle: 37.5 degrees
Recommended Throttle: 1/2
Expected Range: 978 km
- How far can your C-47 go, @swjr-swis?

10 km of gliding and less than 1 fuel unit spent, and the plane was able to land in one piece. All occupants were present and accounted for, even Jeb - and no hijackings have been reported.
- WARNING: Landing can be tricky due to a stubborn tailwheel and the long prop blades.

I would like to thank @HB Stratos for his Mk3 Custom Cockpit being the inspiration for my own 2.5-m custom cockpit. It's still a work in progress, especially for the airliner variant, but I'm sure his help will come in handy. At least this cockpit is a good start for the C-46, and the assembly process gave me some good tips on what I need to do for the finalized product/s. Once I'm done, I'll use it on my next project and post the 2.5-m Cockpit/s on KerbalX - along with pictures of said project to give an example - for everyone to use. Then we will no longer be limited to making planes out of only small, flat, or oversized square parts.

Replicas Remaining: 212

Mars-Bound Hokie · November 13, 2023

Another easy opportunity seized, and one I don't have to worry about functionality for either. Get your tow cables ready for the Schweizer SGS 2-12 - also known as the TG-3A.

The TG-3 resting glider on the runway.
- Without a tow or ALT-F12, it wasn’t going anywhere.

A TEST CRUISE WAS NOT PERFORMED BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT WAS A GLIDER, HENCE IT REQUIRED A TOW BEFORE IT COULD BE DEPLOYED

Latest example of the end of a KSP replica’s test glide.
Amazing to control, but don’t expect to get your deposit back at the end. At least you can get your pilot out with no injuries.
- Too bad it can only take one person at a time, unlike the CG-4 that can carry several armed-to-the-teeth soldiers.

THIS CRAFT REQUIRES ALT-12 AND CAN ONLY BE USED ONCE

Each test run ended up with the cockpit safe, but the glider itself damaged

Since the TG-3 could not move on its own, I didn't need to worry about functionality; all I really needed to do was build the thing. Whether or not it actually worked was secondary in this case.

I know I said that I'd use a new 2.5-m Custom Cockpit for my next project, but I was waiting for a response from the kerbalnaut helping me out with it and I saw an easy check off the list in the meantime. I'm almost done with this cockpit, then I can use it to recreate a plane that made history.

Replicas Remaining: 211

swjr-swis · November 13, 2023

On 11/10/2023 at 3:33 AM, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

Expected Range: 978 km

How far can your C-47 go, @swjr-swis?

I had a bit of time before bed, and I could let most of the test flight run unattended (very stable plane in cruise), so I went and tested the range. It ran out of fuel and touched down at lat 24.127 heading due west the whole time. Departure was from KSC lat -74.724, so a total of 98.851 degrees, at a median cruise altitude of say 7.5 km, which gives 1048 km in all (sea level distance 1035 km, if you prefer to count that way)..

Album for the record: https://imgur.com/a/2JXTZAS

I expected your plane to do better than mine, given the slightly higher cruise speed, and the generally less draggy 2.5m fuselage compared to my mk3 body, while using the same wings. You keep your throttle higher though (50% vs my 21-22%), which is a significant difference. But then you downsized your engines compared to mine. Would be interesting to see how it would do with the full-size engines and similar throttle.

Spoiler

Mars-Bound Hokie · November 14, 2023

I could be wrong, but wouldn't increasing the engine size also increase the fuel consumption rate, hence decreasing fuel efficiency?

Anyway, I didn't know how much fuel I would need to use for landing, so I decided to stop powered flight when I had 15 units left. Before beginning the landing, I took the "Distance to Runway" indicated on MJ's aircraft autopilot and and used this calculator I made - which uses arc length and the planet's radius - to determine the distance covered flying westward. As you may guess, I tend to give more conservative performance stats so as to not mislead users to the craft's capabilities; better to find out they can do slightly better than prescribed than try to reach the specified performance stats and fail.

I bet if I wanted to push my craft to its limits (e.g. cut the engines at 2 units left) and/or kept it pointed east the whole time (instead of turning around shortly after takeoff), I'd have met if not passed your range.

Even so, the fact that your range (barely) exceeded mine despite you being almost nine tons heavier and having a draggier body is quite impressive.

9 hours ago, swjr-swis said:

You keep your throttle higher though (50% vs my 21-22%), which is a significant difference. But then you downsized your engines compared to mine.

I took a look at both our engine settings in the SPH.

My throttle settings for the engines.
- As you had mentioned, I had downsized the engines in an attempt to balance maximum performance and fuel efficiency.

Your throttle settings for the engines.
- I still have that C-47 replica that I downloaded and tried out months ago.
- How is it you were able to keep the symmetry and have both engines turn in opposite directions?

I wonder how the torque limit affects the difference in our performances. Any ideas why? Once I learn the secret to maximum efficiency for the best engine performance, who knows how much better my prop-driven aircraft will turn out.

Spoiler

Although my true wish is learning the secret to a balanced single-engine prop aircraft, or else I'll have to deal with a constant roll whenever I fly them (just like with my triplane).

swjr-swis · November 14, 2023

10 hours ago, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

How is it you were able to keep the symmetry and have both engines turn in opposite directions?

Just above the brake setting. You can change 'invert direction' on one without affecting the other.

Side effect: you can't use symmetry on the prop blades. Because why would they make it easy on us.

Did I mention before how intensely I dislike KSP's implementation of props...?

Edited November 14, 2023 by swjr-swis

Mars-Bound Hokie · November 15, 2023

On 11/14/2023 at 1:14 PM, swjr-swis said:

Side effect: you can't use symmetry on the prop blades.

Yeah, I don't leave the symmetry on for my blades either. Thanks for saving me the extra step, though. Plus, if I need to make a precise thrust adjustment mid-flight, I don't have to worry about doing it one engine at a time.

On 11/14/2023 at 1:14 PM, swjr-swis said:

Did I mention before how intensely I dislike KSP's implementation of props...?

I believe you made that quite clear in June when you said:

On 6/26/2023 at 2:17 PM, swjr-swis said:

I sincerely hate stock props. Ugh, with extra phlegm.

At least props are just for a DLC - that I got for free at that special event last year - and not exactly crucial to completing any key milestones in-game.

And at least Breaking Ground parts bring in some new functionality, like prop motors and robotics, whereas Making History seems to be purely decoration.
As you can see from my Neptune Mission Files thread from over four IRL years ago, I don't need a prop plane to fly around Laythe - not even an electric plane. Just find me a good sun-kissed island with a high enough ore concentration, and I'm all set.
- I will, however, need solar-powered prop boats if I am to taste the salty seas.
If I want to explore Eve from within the atmosphere, and assuming I don't explode upon re-entry, that's when I'll need electric props. Otherwise, if my craft is ISRU-capable, I'm limited to hopping along the surface thanks to an extremely limited Lf+Ox supply on a planet larger than Kerbin; and with long refueling stops in between jumps, too.
- For Duna, you'll have to be a master of aerodynamics to make something capable of flying through its thin atmosphere - regardless of whether it's pure stock, includes DLCs, or even mods. The closest I've come to a Duna-worthy plane is this old pure stock SSTO, and its thrust on NERVs alone may have something to do with its success.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Mars-Bound Hokie

Mars-Bound Hokie · November 27, 2023

Listen up, maggots!

President Roosevelt is flying to Yalta on board The Flying White House today!

Consider it our Sacred Cow! As such, you protect it at all costs - including your own life!

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!

VC-54C, famously known as the Sacred Cow, on display in the SPH.
- It was a C-54 Skymaster modified specifically for transporting the President of the United States.
Just like with the Commando replica I started with the cockpit before proceeding with the rest of the plane. Making the nose was tedious, but after so many tries I managed. I also removed the side doors since apparently they’re useless if the landing capsules (or even their parent parts) are technically within the fairing. Nobody could get in our out through the front, but at least I planned an entrance / exit in the back.
After the cockpit, I worked on the elevator that would eventually be moved to the back. Since the real-life Sacred Cow had an elevator for FDR, I accepted the challenge to replicate that as best as I could. So, I installed a Mk1 lander can inside a 2.5-m cargo bay and oriented the door to face downwards, put a 1P4 Telescoping Hydraulic Cylinder on the side, and put a flat platform with a chair on it at the end. Now kerbals can get in or out through there.
For the engines, I followed @swjr-swis‘s example for his C-47 replica and kept the motor size and output at 100% BUT I set the main throttle torque limit to 1%. The wings are my own design.
The range tests proved successful, but the landings were disasters because the front landing gear just wouldn’t deploy. For some reason, the game gave me Cannot deploy while stowed messages even though the front landing gear was able to retract fine after liftoff. So, I put a long I-beam on the fuselage right behind the cockpit and put a large landing gear at the forwardmost end of it.
- Though test runs at this configuration have proven successful, there is NO GUARANTEE that it will work. Best to test the landing gear periodically, or at least ten seconds after takeoff and the first retraction, to be sure they’ll work.

Before constructing the fuselage and wings, I tested the wheelchair elevator's general design. Once those tests proved successful, I finished the plane itself and then fine-tuned the elevator to accommodate the finalized aircraft design.

Bob testing the wheelchair elevator at the runway before takeoff.
Do not attempt to exit the elevator landing can until the Target Extension is at least 1.4. If you’re unsure where exactly that is or if you can’t or don’t want to right-click on the cylinder, just try and open the hatch at different extensions until you do.
Once you do get out of the can, you’ll be hanging upside-down on it. You can right-click on the external command seat and get on to avoid concussions.

The Sacred Cow going over the ocean a few minutes after flying over Alt Test Mountains.

If you're using MJ Aircraft Autopilot to get up to cruising altitude, it is best to set your vertical speed hold to no more than 5 m/s.

The plane when there is 20 fuel units left at the end of its first cruise test.
- That was when I first encountered my problem with the front landing gear.
- Although I did provide a fix for it, there's a small(er) chance that it would still fail.

I don't have any kerbal lore stories attached to this plane because I already have a "First Air Force One" equivalent built and tested

And it arguably performs better than this plane.

Flying over a mountain range a ways north of the KSC during another test flight.

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Altitude: 6.1 km (~20.0k ft; Class Alpha airspace)
Velocity: 150 m/s (~336 mph)
- Will increase gradually over time, but this is a good start.
Blade Deployment Angle: 40 degrees
Recommended Throttle:
- Ascent to Altitude: 1/2 (50%) to 2/3 (66%)
- Cruise: 30%
Expected Range: 460 km
- WARNING: Multiple test runs have yielded inconsistent range results, so I logged the best one. More fuel was added to the plane after that flight, but still be wary.

The Sacred Cow performing a smooth landing after nearly running out of fuel.

I told you all in my last post that I would recreate a plane that made history, and I delivered.* Not only was this the first plane designed to transport the President of the United States, it became the first Air Force One. In fact, then-President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, which established the Air Force as its own branch of the U.S. military, while on board the Sacred Cow. I had also mentioned that I would be using a custom 2.5-m cockpit in the process of making this plane. Thanks to @HB Stratos's help, I got a working prototype to use - and modify as needed - for not only this craft but other aircraft that require a 2.5-m body.

While I did make a Sacred Cow prototype a long time ago, it had a Mk3 body and performed miserably - even with the more powerful electric motors. I then gave up on it until recently, when I was contemplating how to build my C-46 replica. That's when I realized that all I needed to do was build a custom cockpit for a 2.5-m fuselage, and I could lighten my aircraft and increase aesthetic accuracy for medium-sized aircraft. I also needed help, so I DM'ed someone who had experience making a similar cockpit but for Mk3 planes.
- I had to make a different variant for this model (and future aircraft) than I did for the Commando, since the noses are nowhere near the same (minus the windows, you can see the radial symmetry in the Commando's cockpit).

UPDATE: Here's the link to my 2.5-m Cockpit. Feel free to download and customize as necessary, but I would appreciate it if you gave me credit when you post your craft. Thank you very much.

https://kerbalx.com/Mars-Bound_Hokie/25-m-Cockpit

Replicas Remaining: 210

Edited November 27, 2023 by Mars-Bound Hokie
Added link to 2.5-m Cockpit

Azimech · November 30, 2023

I haven't checked the excel sheet but this is my unfinished fully stock (no DLC) Apache. On KerbalX, read the text from each image. Maybe the physics have improved over time, I could revisit the design.

https://kerbalx.com/Azimech/77I--AH-64-Apache-Beta-0962

Oh and the car at the bottom of the first two pictures is my 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Azimech

Mars-Bound Hokie · January 20

@Azimech,

Like I said in the OP, I don't care how long ago you built it as long as you're the one who did it. I am also impressed by not only your craft's performance but by how close it was to looking like its namesake - despite your claim to be unfinished.

Unfortunately, the AH-64 Apache is not on the checklist. I also checked Wikipedia and the museum's webpage on the Cold War Gallery (since the Apache first flew in 1975, then it was introduced in '86), but couldn't find it anywhere. I would have loved to mark it off the list otherwise.

That being said, I'm sure you can build, or have already built, something that is on the list that has not been checked yet.

Mars-Bound Hokie · January 21

For those of you who like large bombers, you have the B-10 to thank for revolutionizing bomber design.

Historic photograph from between the First and Second Imperial Wars. Here we see a prototype of Martin Aerospace Incorporated’s B-10 doing a demonstration flight from Krakopolis to Baikerbanur.

Before we continue with the demonstration flight, here's a story of how it came to be and what happened to it.

Spoiler

When an influential senator’s daughter was taking a vacation in Heinkel, she accidentally witnessed agents from Heinkel’s Intelligence Bureau murder someone that was later smeared as an armed terrorist by the state-controlled media and the Chancellor himself. Once she told her father about the ordeal, he convinced the legislature to cut a check to whoever would make a new bomber in the likely event a war broke out. Soon enough, Martin Aerospace Incorporated took the job.

As the first all-metal monoplane bomber, it changed how bombers would be designed forever. It could outrun biplane fighters yet carry more ordinance, and its speed was comparable to biplane fighters of its time. Of course, it wasn’t until after the Second Imperial Wars actually broke out when the B-10 was proven next to useless.

Dozens of B-10s were exported to Nye Island in the early days of the Second Imperial Wars. While they were effective against Heinkelian infantry, they were easy prey to air attacks. Once other companies under Allied control rolled out larger, more effective bombers, no more B-10s were produced.

Only one antique airframe exists on Kerbin, and it is on static display in the Super-Cool Aircraft Museum in Krakopolis.

The B-10 on display in the SPH.
Due to the fat fuselage and oddly-shaped nose on the real-life B-10, I had to stack a second fuel tank underneath the front cockpit with a somewhat pointy nose and a Tail Connector A. For the main fuselage’s nose, I went for something a bit flatter - and added a Communotron 16-S antenna to simulate a nose turret.
After some research about the aircraft - as well as trying out a B-10 in Air RB battles in War Thunder - I included rear guns on the top and bottom of the fuselage. Unfortunately, the bomber’s turret configuration leaves it vulnerable to head-on and sideways attacks from underneath.
- By the way, the actual B-10 had an internal bomb bay. I felt like I should mention this because the bombs in War Thunder are carried externally, which actually create more drag (and a weight imbalance if you have the 1 x 2000-lb bomb).
Since the actual B-10 is confirmed to have variable-pitch propellers (Source: Wikipedia), I did the same thing for these propellers here.
As a last-minute aesthetic change, I added a decoupler to mimic the ring that’s behind the support beam on the fuselage.

Image of the B-10 on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH.
In real-life, this is the only surviving B-10 airframe.
- It was exported to Argentina in 1938. Over three decades later, as the Air Force Museum was looking for surviving B-10s, Argentina’s government donated an incomplete airframe which was then restored.
- As part of the restoration process, it was painted to look like a B-10 that was used in the mass flight to Alaska.

Another historic photograph involving a B-10. This one has two unnamed Nye Island airmen standing in front of it before they’re ready for gunner training.

The B-10 flying over Kerbin’s oceans during its range demonstration flight.
For some reason, this was the only photograph that was colorized. It is speculated that the person in charge of the picture restoration process was on a tight budget and decided that this action shot was the best one.

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Altitude: 7.5 km (~24.6k ft; Class Alpha airspace)
Velocity: 195 m/s (~436 mph)
Blade Deployment Angle: 37.5 degrees
Recommended Throttle: 15% (Or go for 1/6 if you cannot get that precise)
Expected Range: 780 km
- That's almost 20% of Kerbin's circumference.
- For reference, the real-life B-10 had a range of 1,370 miles (~2,205 km). However, that's only 5.5% of Earth.

Picture of a B-10 resting in the desert after a mission.

When looking on KerbalX to see if others have built the B-10, I came across @epicman352's namesake model. Then again, it looks more like a conventional bomber whereas I took the time to make my model look like an actual B-10 - from the oddly-shaped fuselage down to the ring and struts. You all be the judge on whether or not he made a true replica. Either way, that's a piece of military aviation history that often gets overlooked despite its significance.

Replicas Remaining: 209

Mars-Bound Hokie · January 27

Ladies and gentlemen, Damen und Herren, we're live in Deutschland celebrating the nation's top three most produced planes from WWII. Here we have our bronze medal winner, the Schnellbomber straight out of Dessau. Let's have a round of applause for the Junkers Ju 88.

The Ju 88 on display in the SPH.
The plane’s only battery is a Z-200 that’s at the rear end of the ventral (belly) turret pod, located underneath the main cockpit and behind the front guns.
For the engines, just like with my VC-54C and B-10, I kept the motor size and output at 100% BUT I set the main throttle torque limit to 1%. As I found out during the test flight, the minimum throttle percent required to cruise was quite low.
The tail was harder than it looked, as I had to get the stabilizers to line up with the fuselage despite working with a Tail Connector A. I forgot how I did it before, so I cut the tail from my TG-3A replica and made it a separate craft file before merging it with the Ju 88 WIP. Then, I redesigned the rudder and repositioned the rear stabilizers accordingly.
With its long fuselage and low mass, I had expected it to have a long range - albeit not nearly as long as my Mosquito replica’s.

Historic photograph of a Ju 88 Schnellbomber heading west soon after takeoff.
- You can see the Island Airfield under the aircraft.

And here's another story about the Island Airfield and how it was used in wartime. If one remembers my post about the Fokker Dr.I, they'll recall that it was once used by Heinkel during the First Imperial Wars until it was forced to surrender the island when it ended. After the Second Imperial Wars broke out, it was used as a naval flight school with at least one cruiser guarding it at all times.

Spoiler

Though the Island Airfield started under Allied control during the Second Imperial Wars, this was not always the case. One night, a Heinkelian sneak attack comprised of submarines and Schnellbombers with a light fighter escort destroyed the island’s naval defenses, leaving it free for Heinkel’s taking. They knew it was a matter of time before Allied reinforcements arrived to retake the island, so they carried out bombing raids against Krakopolis while they could do so uninterrupted.

The Ju 88s did not have a lot of ordinance, so they were used on smaller targets like anti-aircraft emplacements to make the raids easier for the heavy bombers. Their speed made it harder for the surface guns to hit them. Allied naval and air forces eventually retook the Island Airfield, but the Ju 88s - especially the ones with torpedoes - made it a costly effort. They alone sank half the Allied ships involved and destroyed all but two troop transports, not to mention they proved troublesome for the fighters. After the Island Airfield was secured (again), Allied pilots unofficially prioritized shooting down Schnellbombers over Heinkel’s heavier bombers due to them being harder targets to hit.

Many years later, after the Kerbal Space Center was built, the Island Airfield was deserted.

Back in the present day, a replica was built and tested. It would not be used in combat thanks to modern-day jets, but it would at least be used for airshows featuring historic designs - whether they be aircraft from that era or replicas thereof.

A Ju 88 replica flying over Kerbin’s desert.
Back in the Second Imperial Wars, (actual) Ju 88s were used on Allied tanks in that same desert.

During the test flight, I started to get Blazing Angels flashbacks again. However, they were short-lived as this was not the plane that was shooting at me and blinding me with smoke in that fjord.

They were actually Messerschmitt Bf 110s.
- They had twin tails (two rudders) while this bomber had a conventional tail.
According to this aircraft guide, the Ju 88 is not a plane that can be unlocked or used.
- One could argue that they were the German twin-engine bombers I would have to shoot down sometimes, although the same thing can be said about Heinkels - which Frank had explicitly mentioned in the Battle of Britain.

The Ju 88 flying over some mountains before hitting the ocean.

When the Ju 88 had only 10 units left, it had covered 1,640 km and was flying over the ocean.

AND SO BEGAN THE MOST NAIL-BITING MOMENT OF THE TEST FLIGHT

Since there was some land on the horizon, I decided to go for something I honestly shouldn’t have in hindsight: landing straight ahead.
I started by cutting off the engines and gliding down toward the ocean. I figured that if I got too low, I’d use whatever energy I built up to gain some altitude and then glide down again when I reached the top. However, I soon realized that such a strategy wasn’t enough.
When I was less than 400 meters above the ocean, I started the engines at 9% and kept it low. For a while, I thought I would run out of fuel and the plane would end up in the water. At last, by the skin of my teeth, I managed to land on the ground safely with only 1.48 fuel units left.
- I only felt that way in KSP once before, and that was when I was doing the Jool-5 in my T-6 Cannonball four IRL years ago.

The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows:

Altitude: 8.2 km (~26.9k ft; Class Alpha airspace)
Starting Velocity: 205 m/s (~459 mph)
- The cruise ended at 214 m/s (~479 mph)
Blade Deployment Angle: 40 degrees
Recommended Throttle: 18%
Expected Range: 1,640 km

HAIL HEINKEL!

The first unmodded replica of the Ju 88 - and, apparently, the first Ju 88 replica with an actual picture - on KerbalX. Any of you have any cool planes you would like to show off? I'm sure you can also build a replica no other kerbalnaut has before, though you'll most likely find those planes in Hangar One due to the later planes being so popular.

Oh, and P.S.

Spoiler

The Ju 88 is explicitly featured in Blazing Angels' lesser-known sequel, Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII. You first see them over Cairo, when a massive German strike force attacks a British base. Having the selected enemies be labeled by their plane model and distance helps a lot, kind of like War Thunder. Ju 88s are also in other levels throughout the game, although they're just enemies you have to shoot down.

Without spoiling anything, I'll tell you that Blazing Angels 2 is more like the WWII version of Ace Combat and doesn't really care for historical accuracy.

Replicas Remaining: 208

United States Air Force Museum Replica Collection

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