totm mar 2024 Setting wings to a Precise angle by using an Inclinometer

[Tony Swallow]

I'm a bit of a purist, so I don't use Mods, at all, when playing KSP.

Using the rotation adjustment with Snap on means that the minimum change in angle that can be achieved is 5 degrees. For making various spaceplanes, especially SSTO's, it is desirable to be able to pick a smaller angle. To do this I have made an Inclinometer that I use for getting precise angle with snap off.

The inclinometer has been set with graduations of 0.5 degrees using small solar cells as "markers. I have saved the Inclinometer as a subassembly so I can bring it out as I need it.

In this case I'm using it to se the wings for an SSTO cargo carrier. I want to set the wings at 2 percent. I attach an arm made of wing sections to the wing I'm adjusting and move it back and fourth until the arm matches with both arms on the inclinometer.

Then I turn snap off and rotate to the angle I want, in this case 2 degrees. Using this I can confidently set an angle within a tenth of a degree.

Then I can delete the arm and inclinometer and set the wing to where I want it!

Can this be done with Mods? Absolutely, and no doubt more precisely.