Mars-Bound Hokie Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 If you've followed my National Museum of the United States Air Force replica showcase, or are fortunate enough to have entered the museum itself, you might notice that a lot of the jet-powered aircraft on display are the same kind used in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown. Even if you've never even heard of or set foot in any aviation museum, those who have played and/or watched AC7 as well as Kerbal Space Program are bound to have come across replicas of those aircraft at least once. Some of them look like they can be done with pure stock parts and no DLCs, while others need mods that come with more parts. So, I started this thread for everyone to showcase their replicas of craft that appear in AC7, both based on real life and original designs from the franchise. Just like my U.S. Air Force Museum replica thread, 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, but not required. I'm positive everything on the checklist could move on their own. Vehicle has to look as close as possible to whatever 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 airframes that appear more than once in the game (such as the F-14 Tomcat, the F-15 Eagle, and the F/A-18 Super Hornet), you may only sign off on one of your craft's variants. Leave the rest of them for others to claim. Example: I only do one F-15; the F-15C in the Base Game subcategory. Someone else gets the F-15E that's also in the Base Game subcategory and claims it on the log. A third person will get the F-15J. Another example: I get the F-14D Super Tomcat in the Base Game, a second person gets the F-14A in the DLC subcategory, and a third gets the F-14A with the Top Gun: Maverick tag. If you want to show something that's already been showcased on this thread, fine - but you don't get credit for it. Just please don't hog all of the same airframe. I don't care if you built the craft 10 minutes or 10 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 (especially the UAVs), 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. Example: if you use Mk. 3 Passenger Modules for an A340 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. If whatever you're trying to copy is very large, such as the Arsenal Bird, functional scale models are acceptable. This is mainly to reduce someone's computer crashing whenever s/he's trying to operate the Arsenal Bird or something like that. Of course, if you want to fry your own CPU making a full-sized replica, I won't say no to that. I'd also think it's cute if you make a mini Arsenal Bird, for example. As long as the craft works and looks like whatever you're trying to copy, it's good. Craft files a plus. Below is the link for the replica checklist: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nJl2Ph5azsRydnpn97Kgn1SlAR7qBZLUXtigqkmRI3k/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://acecombat.fandom.com/wiki/Ace_Combat_7:_Skies_Unknown/Aircraft Click here to see this thread's replicas assembled on KerbalX To kick off the showcase, I've already got 11 entries down since they were also used in my U.S. Air Force Museum thread. As I specified in the guidelines, I don't care how long ago you built the craft (or what it was used for), as long as it's yours and it works. So, here we go. Base Game: Spoiler A-10 Warthog F-104 Starfighter F-16 Fighting Falcon F-22 Raptor Action Shot 1 My best action shots of F-22 involved it catching fire while in supercruise, which would make recognizing it harder. At least I included a picture of this craft in action. Action Shot 2 MiG-21 Fishbed Action Shot 1 YF-23 Black Widow II This was the best shot of the aircraft in flight and it was not on fire. It was sent to investigate an anomaly that its onboard Kerbnet detected, and the coordinates were logged after the flyover. DLC: Spoiler F-4 Phantom II Unplayable: Spoiler AC-130 It goes by many names such as: Spectre Spooky Stinger II Ghostrider B-1 Lancer Action Shot 1 Yes, the wings can sweep. Comes with a small Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). Shot of the B-1 deploying the missile B-52 Stratofortress C-17 Globemaster III There you have it, folks. Have fun, and solitary, now I can't wait to see what you got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars-Bound Hokie Posted October 29 Author Share Posted October 29 AWACS Long Caster << Hello, base galley, this is AWACS Long Caster. I'd like to order the footlong bacon, lettuce, and tomato on white bread, and I'd like it cut in half too. For my side dish, I'll have an order of sausage rolls... actually, make that two orders. To drink, I'll have a bottle of apple juice. I'm at the E-767 parked in Hangar Three, since I need to take off within the hour. >> << By the way, if you hear someone shouting "Solitary!" on the way in, don't worry about it. It's Bandog, he does that to everybody. >> If you could look out the left side of the aircraft, you can see Nye Island itself. Apart from the cockpit, this aircraft does not have windows. This is to protect the crew and equipment from the intense radio frequency transmissions that its radar emits. That doesn’t mean the AWACS crew in the main cabin is completely blind to where they are. On the contrary, they can not only see a (general) three-dimensional scan of the area around them as well as their coordinates, but they can detect aircraft flying to, around, and from Nye. Depending on the scanning mode, they can even detect naval vessels. The plane was low on fuel, so it needed to land soon. The E-767 on display in the SPH. I started with @HB Stratos' Mk3 Airliner Cockpit, but it led to some performance problems. Chief among them being the front landing gear not deploying due to being stowed. Even when I tried using a structural pylon attached to the cargo bay holding the front wheels, like the solution that was suggested when I had a similar problem months ago, it didn’t work. I then tried a wheel on EITHER SIDE of the pylon, but for some reason only one of them deployed while the other froze. I downloaded TimosUniverse’s Boeing 767 since it has a custom cockpit and tried it out for myself, but that also had front landing gear problems. In the end, I replaced the E-767’s custom cockpit with a regular Mk3 cockpit. That also explains why its crew seats are at the bottom of the list in the SPH, since it was the last crew module added to the aircraft. As a bonus, it made setting up the probe core and the cabin entrance way easier. For the wings, I ripped the ones from my C-17 Globemaster III replica and removed two of the engines before centering the other two. Of course, I had to reset the action groups as well, especially for the flaps, but I managed to find something suitable. The rotodome has a RA-15 Relay Antenna inside the fairing along with three Z-100 Battery Packs. Underneath it are some scientific instruments so the crew can collect data mid-flight. I made the nav lights and anti-collision lights separate action groups from the main light button. That way, you can fly with your interior lights off during the day (or night if you want a nap, which you should not be taking while working AWACS) while staying safe in the sky. I installed lander cans and ladders at the aft end of the cabin so that occupants can get in and out from there. To keep the rear landing gear straight, I installed them on the sides of the fuselage and rotated them downwards before translating them (while holding Shift to move them further) to the underside of the wings. Since the real-life E-767 had a logo of something with upward-pointing wings on its tail, I picked the WinterOwl Aircraft Emporium logo to copy it. Lastly, I installed radiators - and some Z-400 Batteries - in the cabin. During the last test cruise, three of the four kerbals died from getting too hot without helmets on; I had the fourth put his helmet on in case he was next. I don’t know if the radiators would actually work in allowing kerbals to sit comfortably in the cabin without needing helmets. The E-767 a few minutes after flying over Rangefinder Mountains. Besides the ability to deploy the front landing gear, using the regular Mk3 cockpit for this aircraft came with a better cruising altitude and expected range. It would take a lot more than a lack of sunlight to stop this flying control tower from doing its job. Photograph of an E-767 AWACS crew hard at work monitoring the skies, taken from the cockpit entrance. Here you see six workstations - four of them currently occupied, and two of them next to each other near the front - lined up on the port (left-wing) side with space on the starboard (right-wing) side for personnel to walk freely in the cabin. This picture was taken before the radiators were installed. If the photographer were to turn around, he would see the Japanese flag* over the cockpit entrance - and two Z-400 Batteries with two more SEQ-3C conformal storage units. Because the real-life E-767 is used by Japan's Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). Unfortunately, attempting a EVA inside the cabin DURING THE FLIGHT ended up with the kerbalnaut tumbling to the rear end and being unable to pick himself up from between the lander cans. So, I advise against it; you shouldn’t have to move personnel around while airborne anyway. MID-FLIGHT EVAS INSIDE THE CABIN NOT RECOMMENDED The sun rising over the northern polar ice cap as the E-767 flies over it. It’s fitting that this shot is included since Japan is known as the Land of the Rising Sun and the E-767 is a Japanese AWACS aircraft. Map view of the E-767’s immense communication range and with Kerbnet activated as it flies over the north pole. Kerbnet was turned on so that the pilot can know if s/he’s going to be over water in case outside visibility is terrible, like at night. Depending on the time of year, the relay could reach as far as Jool - albeit a direct signal would be weak at best. It would have better luck with closer planets, as seen here. In terms of gameplay, a rotodome with a 15G relay is not really practical on Kerbin since you’re always in comm range if you stay in the atmosphere. If you took it to other planets, however, it could act as a mobile relay antenna. Of course, the tricky part is designing an AWACS craft that can operate on Eve, Duna, or Laythe and then transporting said craft to its destination. Approaching the edge of the northern ice cap, the cockpit crew is grateful to see some daylight, which would make landing a lot easier. The preliminary range calculation estimated that the aircraft would be within gliding distance of the equator by the time it needed to land - at least with a regular Mk3 cockpit The custom custom cockpit showed a worse prediction and results. In case things did look bad, however, the E-767 pilots could land at night just as well as during the day thanks to its radar giving a three-dimensional overlay of the terrain below. Additionally, AltF12 Services Inc. had a tanker standing by in case it needed a fuel boost to fly to shore. The E-767 leaving Kerbin’s northern tundra and about to fly over the ocean. The AWACS crew had turned on naval scanning mode minutes prior, right as the shoreline appeared on the horizon. It’s standard procedure so the aircraft can detect and identify hostile ships early. With naval scanning mode on, it can see and track every boat, ship, and even iceberg for several dozen kilometers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have anti-submarine warfare (ASW) equipment, so without a datalink to sonobuoys it cannot detect submarines. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Altitude: 7 km (~23.0k ft; Class Alpha airspace) Average Velocity: 260 m/s (~582 mph) Flight time: 2 hours, 10 minutes Expected Range: 2,025 km WARNING: Plane is bouncy during landing. BE CAREFUL. This plane glided and bounced for an additional 40 km afterwards before coming to a stop in the latest test flight. The E-767 after a VERY BOUNCY LANDING with its ladders deployed and its engines still in reverse thrust mode. At least it’s in one piece. Before and after the flight is a good time to go on EVA, even inside the cabin, but not during. Three of the four AWACS crewmembers on board nearly died from due to a lack of air conditioning, so they had to be rushed to the hospital. The engineers suggested installing radiators in the cabin like with the C-17, but it is unknown whether or not this would actually work. I REPEAT: AIRCRAFT IS BOUNCY DURING LANDING Picture of AWACS Chief Bandog Kerman working at his station. Though he was excellent at his job, he is often viewed as a disgrace. A few months after this picture was taken, Sergeant Zieja Kerman was blown up in a friendly fire incident in an air battle against the Krakenites. The pilot who shot him down, Sergeant Chun Kerman, swore that Zieja’s IFF had him tagged as an enemy before he launched that missile. Further investigation proved that Chun was telling the truth, and that Bandog was the one who tagged Zieja. Bandog claimed it was an accident since all the aircraft were cluttered too close together. The enemy had electronic countermeasures to shake off beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles, so it made sense that all combatants would have to get closer to dogfight. However, Zieja’s sister, Avril, then came forward with a damning story. Bandog had threatened to have Zieja killed if Avril refused to date him. The military police convinced Avril to wear a wire and she got Bandog to incriminate himself before he was arrested. He was subsequently put on court martial and convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated extortion, witness intimidation, and abuse of military resources. Before he could be executed, however, he hung himself in his cell. And here are some blooper photos from the time I used a custom cockpit: Spoiler The E-767 with the modified custom cockpit. Notice the awkwardly-positioned front landing gear - and a structural pylon if you look closer. Like I said earlier, it was an attempt to get around the deployment problem. The end result of having a custom cockpit with a front landing gear anywhere underneath it. I then tried two smaller landing gears on either side, but that only half-worked. So, I went with a regular Mk3 cockpit. I wonder why the developers for Ace Combat chose the E-767 as their AWACS aircraft instead of the classic, more popular E-3 Sentry. Only four E-767s were built and they're only used in Japan, whereas sixty-eight E-3s were produced and are operated by the United States and several of its allies. Did they want to include Japanese aircraft in their diverse roster, even if it ended up in the "Unplayable" section? On a related note, I think it would be a nice change of pace if the game had an occasional bomber and/or AWACS mission, like the B-17 mission in Blazing Angels. Yes, I mentioned Blazing Angels in an Ace Combat thread. It was my first air combat game, and I'll never forget it as long as I live. In fact, if it wasn't for all those times I flew through the Norwegian ice caves in 1944, I wouldn't have made it past the canyon to Cape Rainy in 2019 so easily. And to address the elephant in the room, I am SO GLAD the forums are back online. However, I don't know for how long it will stay good. Would it continue to operate as it did before, or should we expect more crashes like the two-week long one we just endured - or, worst-case scenario, a full permanent shutdown? Replicas Remaining: 62 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbejans Posted October 29 Share Posted October 29 this is a very cool recreation well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars-Bound Hokie Posted November 2 Author Share Posted November 2 On 10/29/2024 at 6:16 AM, Bobbejans said: this is a very cool recreation well done Thank you. I'm testing another replica as I type this, and with extra salvation too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbejans Posted November 2 Share Posted November 2 Cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heakhaek Posted November 3 Share Posted November 3 I'd like to try my hand since I'm new KSP lmao. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars-Bound Hokie Posted November 3 Author Share Posted November 3 This Rafale has the means to end this hideous war, in a definitive and elegant manner. We seek not a conflict, but rather a restoration of balance, a judgment. And it will be done with reason, from beginning to end. Kerbin shall be horrified by the number of lives we will take. Only then will they let go of their weapons... weapons that would have taken the lives of ten million! The Dassault Rafale on display in the SPH. For the nose, I used a sharp-pointed fairing and hid some batteries inside. The real Rafale is famous for its delta wing (with canards at the front), so I used Big-S Delta Wings and filled them up. I noticed that the real Rafale had control surfaces on the front of the wings, so I included those as well in my replica. However, they seemed to increase the speed required to get airborne during takeoff, so I deactivated the pitch ability of the front surfaces (while leaving them on for the back) and that worked. Just like with my F-22 Raptor replica, I set the Mk2 to 1.25m adapter at the front to drain last and I filled its oxidizer tank all the way so that the CoM would still remain forward once all the plane’s liquid fuel was gone. The refueling probe is two Communotron DTS-M1s. It can be a literal drag at high speeds, so I had to limit the test cruise at 900 m/s. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything on the real Rafale having airbrakes or a drag chute, so expect this aircraft’s braking distance to be terrible unless you approach at a low speed. As an additional feature, I installed an air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) underneath the Rafale’s fuselage. However, designing said missile was also the hardest part of the entire process. I was inspired by Ace Combat 7’s DLC Mission 1, when a Rafale launched from the carrier submarine Alicorn was carrying a cruise missile and the protagonist has to stop him before he gets within range of a civilian population. Since I’m building this plane for my Ace Combat replica showcase on the KSP forums, I figured I might have some fun by adding my own cruise missile. I tried merging my Air-Launched Cruise Missile Mk. II, but for some reason the SPH would not accept it even with the missile alone (as opposed to including the launch stability enhancer). Rebuilding that same missile from scratch was easy, and I had already proven it can work - you still need the AG0 button to activate it - but it came with some other problems. Before the Rafale’s test cruise, it would take off, turn around, and land on the runway with the ALCM. This model’s air intake and rudder were hanging pretty low and snapped off a lot during the landings. My only option for a small air intake was a radially-attached adjustable ramp intake, but doing that would require a longer missile body. So, I made a whole new missile from scratch. I originally had it go underneath the missile, but after it snapped off during another test landing I decided to mount it near the top. The new missile has proven so far to stay in one piece during Rafale landings, and should be stable while flying on its own. Press AG0 AFTER DEPLOYMENT to activate the missile. Designing and flying the plane itself was easy, but building a suitable cruise missile was difficult. It had to fly right and have a low risk of parts snapping off during landing if it was still attached to the Rafale. Before the test cruise, Saxon Kerman examines the ALCM for damage after landing at the KSC. Immediately after getting off the plane, he complained about how poor the brakes were and that the engineers who designed the Rafale should have installed a drag chute and/or airbrakes. He was in no danger of blowing up due to a missile detonation, since all the explosives were replaced with a dummy mass for the test. After he confirmed no visible signs of damage to the missile, the aircraft was refueled and turned around. It was good to go for the test cruise - with another dummy missile. The Rafale flying over Rangefinder Mountains at 900 m/s. Initial runs had the plane cruise at an average of 965 m/s, but it kept dipping to the right thanks to the drag induced by the refueling probe. When Saxon noticed that it started after the plane reached approximately 900 m/s, he decided to use that as his cruise speed. Preliminary calculations showed that the Rafale would cover over 60% of Kerbin’s circumference. The engineers bet that the range would be higher if it wasn’t carrying the ALCM. Saxon Kerman in his Rafale flying over Kerbin’s northern polar ice cap. Underneath the fuselage is the ALCM designed specifically for that plane. He was tempted to launch it at the Marxan missile site, even though it did not have any explosives, but he was given specific orders to hold on to the cruise missile throughout the entire flight. The Rafale launching countermeasures as part of its test flight. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Status: ARMED: MEDIUM AIR-TO-GROUND ORDINANCE WITH MAXIMAL COUNTERMEASURES 1 x Air-Launched Cruise Missile 32 x Flares 32 x Chaffs ONE LAUNCH: (1 x Flare) and (1 x Chaff) Altitude: 19 km (~62.3k ft; Class Echo airspace) FUN FACT: Class Alpha airspace goes from 18k ft ASL to 60k ft. Above that is Class Echo airspace - E for Everything Else. Velocity: 900 m/s (~2,013.3 mph) Any faster and the plane would be at greater risk of dipping to the right thanks to the drag induced by the refueling probe, hence requiring constant course-corrections, hence decreasing your aircraft’s range. You still need to do occasional course corrections, but not frequently. Flight Time: 50 minutes Expected Range: 2,580 km With ALCM still loaded. This plane glided for an additional 70 km afterwards before touchdown in the latest test flight. Saxon Kerman stepping out of the Rafale, admiring Kerbin’s southern polar ice cap after a smooth landing. He was lucky the terrain wasn’t bouncy, otherwise he might have wrecked the ALCM hanging underneath the fuselage. Before the camera snapped the photo, he screamed his signature battle cry SALVATION! Now that it has been confirmed that the Rafale can fly properly - and no spinning incidents like with the F-22 - it was time to test the cruise missile. It had already proven to be able to deploy and fly straight at first without problems, and a cautious pilot can land the Rafale without damaging the missile, but the engineers wanted to see for sure from how far away it could be effective. The Rafale taking off in the morning and heading east, armed with the ALCM designed specifically for that aircraft. The idea was to see how far the missile itself can travel after being launched at the Rafale’s recommended cruise settings. The missile’s wings are locked while mounted on the Rafale so they don’t inadvertently mess up the plane’s flight profile. They are reactivated after hitting the AG0 button. After the Rafale settled at an altitude of 19 km and a velocity of 900 m/s, the missile was deployed. It was too high for the Juno to use its engine, so it had to wait until it got at a lower altitude. The B-1B Lancer’s cruise missile worked out great at 10 km after launch, so the engineers decided to have this ALCM cruise there. The Rafale’s ALCM flying along Kerbin’s equator. Notice the air intake at the top of the body near the nose. It got a big boost from the supersonic Rafale after being detached, increasing its effective range after being deployed. Of course, that’s assuming that the missile is flying in a (relatively) straight line the whole time. It would be dark where the missile would finally come down. The ALCM's test performance stats were as follows STARTING ASSUMPIONS: Host Aircraft: Dassault Rafale Altitude at Time of Deployment: 19 km Aircraft's Velocity at Time of Deployment: 900 m/s Altitude: 10 km (~32.8k ft) Pitch down at 10 degrees after detaching from the aircraft. Velocity: 283 m/s (~633.1 mph) For comparison, the real-life AGM-86B has a maximum speed of 500 mph (223.5 m/s). Flight Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Range After Deployment: 1,600 km That’s almost 42% of the length of Kerbin’s circumference. And don't forget to HIT AG0 TO ACTIVATE THE MISSILE AFTER DEPLOYMENT. It's the first time I did a replica of a French-made aircraft, and the first time I've heard of a fourth-and-a-half-generation fighter. One thing I noticed while researching it was that delta wings is a popular design among Europe's fighters, but I don't know why that is. What advantages do their delta wings have that our somewhat more conventional airframes do not? Is it so their airframes can be easily distinguished from China's, Russia's, or even those from the United States? IFF should already tell them apart, but an unmistakable design in a dogfight should reduce the risk of ending up like Full Band (even if your AWACS is an evil genius) should that system fail. The ALCM, although a fun addition to the aircraft, was quite the challenge. In hindsight, I should have had it fly lower since it would be harder - if not impossible - to detect on enemy radar then. However, I wanted to see just how far it can fly and preliminary calculations showed that I would cover slightly under half of Kerbin's circumference if I flew at an altitude of 10 km at a speed of 283 m/s after being launched from a Rafale at supercruise. With it flying that high on autopilot, it was a great time for me to get gas and groceries IRL. I should expect the range to be lower than 1,600 km if this cruised at a low altitude since the atmosphere is thicker then, but you have to admit that a cruise missile that can fly even half that far on Kerbin is impressive. In case you're wondering why the developers for Ace Combat 7 selected the Rafale M specifically, it's because the real-life Rafale M is the carrier-based version and the game involves Rafales taking off from carriers - especially in the DLC missions. Skip the spoiler below if you haven't played them yet and want to experience the story for yourself later. Spoiler You have to admit that Captain Torres' plan in the first DLC mission was genius. He knew that Osean forces had "intelligence" on their weapon of mass destruction, which means he knew they would be scrambling to catch it should it leave the Alicorn. After destroying the OFS Puffin and her escort ships, he had four Rafales launch from the submarine with one of them carrying the nuclear cruise missile. For the Osean airmen, since their naval power was all but gone, it was either chase the Rafale with the WMD and let the Alicorn get away, or attack the submarine and put a million lives in jeopardy. While Trigger and his wingmen were distracted, the Alicorn would dive and proceed with the next phase of their mass murder plan to save ten million lives. You also cannot deny that Captain Torres had a level of charisma rivaling that of Jim Jones IRL, otherwise those Rafale pilots would not have been so willing to sacrifice their lives to carry out his vision. Imagine how much more deadly he would have been if he had control of over 900 people as opposed to 330. PICTURE IT! It's no wonder he was put under house arrest, and that was BEFORE he was stuck in the bottom of the ocean for two years. Although Captain Torres' general plan did not change much with the cruise missile idea failing, he was obviously angry that it did. Otherwise, he would not have said his infamous "Crisp white sheets" line. Which begs the question if he would have still tried to nuke Oured if the cruise missile idea worked. Was he looking to kill a million people in general, or cause a large massacre in Oured specifically? You encounter more Rafales when searching for the Alicorn over the Spring Sea in the final DLC mission, which makes sense since Captain Torres needed to prevent the sonobuoy barrier from being set up. In case it was, however, he planted jamming buoys around so that he could buy time to reach Peony Trench. Honestly, it's such a waste that Captain Torres is a mere DLC villain and not part of the main game. He's already much more compelling antagonist than Mihaly, who is an old Erusean ace that likes flying and wants to see if there will be more skilled ace pilots after he passes away. Captain Torres, on the other hand, is an actual Joker-level villain; the most popular villain in the Ace Combat fandom, in fact. Don't you see?! One million! ONE MILLION LIKES! Replicas Remaining: 61 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars-Bound Hokie Posted November 6 Author Share Posted November 6 Wonder Woman's Invisible Plane I prefer the real invisible jet Batwing I said the REAL invisible jet B-2 Spirit Perfection The B-2 Spirit on display in the SPH. I started with the Mk2 cockpit since it was the closest to matching the real-life’s, then followed with a probe core for Kerbnet. Behind that, I used a Mk2 Rocket Fuel Fuselage Short in case I needed oxidizer to move the CoM forward. My Mk2 ALCM Bay subassembly was used for the bomber’s ordinance. It worked out great for me in the past, so that saved me a lot of time and headache on testing alone. Perfect if you need to nuke a hostile alien spaceship over Houston. It was convenient that the subassembly’s action groups - AG4 for the doors, and AG0 to activate the missile itself - also carried over when I merged it. As an additional feature, I programmed the AG9 button to activate the missile’s Kerbnet so that it can have GPS guidance in the dark. Putting the giant wing together was a nightmare. To make a long story short, I started from the back and worked my way forward for the outside, filled the inside with wing connectors starting from the side of the fuselage, and made sure to autostrut everything. Once again, Panthers proved to be a disappointing choice for engines. I started with them due to their wide gimbal range since the B-2 had no rudder, but the aircraft proved to not get up to takeoff speed quick enough in dry mode. In wet mode, though the plane did get airborne, it was wiggling side to side and the gimbals were pointing everywhere. At least with Whiplash engines, their thrust vectoring was more uniform. I also got some more reaction wheels out of it too. I originally had one set of large landing gear on each side, but the engine it was not attached to drooped downward due to a lack of support. To even things out - and to reduce wing wiggling - I put one large landing gear per engine in the back, totaling four. For the finishing touch (besides the American flag on the starboard (right) side of the front fuel tank), I added nav lights and made them a separate action groups from the main light button. That way the plane can be stealth when penetrating enemy territory and later be seen when approaching a friendly airfield. After all, no use spending billions of dollars to make a stealth bomber that can go deep into the Soviet Union only for some random pilot to crash into it in mid-air over Missouri because s/he could not see it in the dark. First and foremost, DO NOT WARP UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES THIS AIRCRAFT WILL BREAK APART IF YOU DO The B-2 heading north after a long takeoff and a very slow turn. Due to the aircraft’s immense size, especially the wing alone, you need to accelerate to 140 m/s before you can get airborne. The pitch functions were disabled on the outer three control surfaces - while they were left on for the inner two - since they were going against what the pilot wanted. A large airframe combined with a lack of elevators or a rudder is exactly why powerful engines with gimbals were warranted. While a subsonic plane was ideal to mimic the real-life B-2, which was designed for stealth instead of speed, it was the only way this plane could get off the ground. Even then, it still had stability issues. After pitching up at 20 degrees, the B-2 settled at a cruising altitude of 15 km. It could cruise at 925 m/s. Although it is at nearly a third of the throttle, the plane would at least stay there the entire time. It took a few times to figure out a good ascent profile and cruise setting due to spinning, bouncing, and the occasional flameout. Preliminary range calculations showed that the B-2 would be able to cover almost 90% of the planet’s circumference, and that it would take over an hour at the speed it was going. Iconic photograph of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber in flight. If you enter your cruise right, you won’t have to worry about rolling or yawing as much. You should still pay attention, but if that does happen it should be easy to correct. Whatever you do, DO NOT WARP. The stealth-except-to-super-long-range-infrared-scanners bomber flying over Kerbin’s oceans, on its way to bomb some unsuspecting targets. With this ALCM, nobody will see their doom coming until it’s too late. Some of the pilots wanted a grim reaper dressed like a ninja painted on the airframe, but the military expressly prohibited unnecessary decorations on bombers that would not be assigned to specific squadrons. They also did not want to risk compromising the stealth coating by introducing it to non-approved paint, which was used for airframe part marking and the necessary air force symbol. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Status: ARMED: LIGHT AIR-TO-GROUND ORDINANCE 1 x Air-Launched Cruise Missile Mk. II Altitude: 15 km (~49.2k ft; Class Alpha airspace) Ascend to altitude at 20 degrees pitch after turning to your desired heading. Velocity: 925 m/s (~2,069 mph) Expected Range: 3,600 km With ALCM still loaded. This is a conservative estimate, since I had to sleep IRL and the plane broke apart when warping during the test cruise. The B-2 making a landing at a peninsula east of the KSC. The missile is still inside the bomb bay. Good thing the engines had thrust vectoring, or else that large flying wing might never have turned around. The engineers feared that, despite the autostrutting, the plane would break apart during landing. To their surprise, the pilot managed to land it in one piece. Very long, flat areas recommended. Now that the engineers confirmed that the aircraft works, and since they were using the same type of air-launched cruise missile bomb bay that worked on the B-1 Lancer, it was time to test the missile itself. In another test flight, the B-2 entered its recommended cruise before opening its bomb bay doors and deploying its missile. Even if the plane wasn't flying at supersonic speeds, the downward-pointing rockets helped get the missile out faster and reduce the risk of it hitting something mid-deployment. The military wanted to see how far the missile could fly at low altitudes after being deployed at the B-2’s regular cruise, so the missile spent a few minutes gliding down at 10 degrees pitch before firing up its engines. The results of that test were as follows: Altitude: 150 m (~492.1 ft) Velocity: 320 m/s (715.8 mph) Distance Covered: 365 km (~226.9 miles) from initial deployment to fuel depletion At last, I have completed the triumvirate of the U.S. Air Force's strategic bombers: the B-52 Stratofortress for strength, the B-1 Lancer for speed, and now the B-2 Spirit for stealth. What's next, the B-something Helen for elasticity? I don't know about the other Ace Combat games - I only played AC7, the most recent one to be released, on PS5 - but I wonder how a mission would go if you were to fly as one of these bad boys. Ideally, you in a B-2 would send your ordinance to enemy ground targets and return without a hitch. However, it's Strangereal, so expect something to go wrong mid-mission and/or the enemy already setting up a trap before you arrive. On the flip side, a real challenge would be you flying as an interceptor when the enemy is using B-2s. How can you shoot them down quick enough if your ground radar and AWACS cannot even find them, and you won't be able to get radar locks on them. You'll have to rely on your eyes, guns, and heat-seeking missiles to stand a chance against them, and even then that's only if you're close enough to see them in a clear sunny sky. What do you all think of that? If something like that is already a level in the other Ace Combat games, please tell me. Replicas Remaining: 60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars-Bound Hokie Posted November 19 Author Share Posted November 19 (edited) Have you got some ace that would undermine your country's war efforts or your own lust for fame and power? No matter how many battles he's been through, he always comes out on top. Look no further, my friend. We at Guardian Mercenaries have the best pilots in the best fighters. I'm talking about Scream and Rage, the Delusional Duo, in their Su-47 Berkuts. The Su-47 Berkut on display in the SPH. I included the aka in the craft name so people who know this under its NATO designation can find it. To accommodate the forward-swept wings while leaving a believable amount of room for the front canards, I had to lengthen the fuselage by adding a short Mk2 liquid fuel tank. While looking at photographs and models of the real Su-47 as well as an outline on Wikipedia, I noticed that the tail end on the starboard (right) side was different from the left. More specifically, it was longer than the left. It was a great opportunity to add some batteries so that the plane can have some power reserved when gliding. Immediately in front of the engines is a drag chute to slow down the plane during landing, although later testing proved this unnecessary. At least with how I was flying it. Right beside the engines are radially adjustable ramp intakes. They needed some more air due to flameouts in early tests. This was an experimental technology demonstrator for Russian stealth fighters, so it made sense for me to install nav lights at the wingtips so the prototype can be seen so easily. At the same time, if this thing were to actually see combat - like with those two psychopaths in Ace Combat - the nav lights should be kept separate from the main light switch so the enemy can’t see you so easily. Uncovered photograph of an Su-47 undergoing a drag chute test at a Marxan airfield. The pilot accelerated the plane to at least 150 m/s on the runway before cutting the engines, then he applied the brakes and deployed the chute. Although odds were that he would be approaching at a slower velocity, the engineers wanted to make sure it was effective - and they were right. Taking off and ascending to altitude at 20 degrees pitch. In the later years of the Marxan Union, its air force made Su-47s as technology demonstrators for stealth fighters. Although they have proven very maneuverable, aft-swept wing fighters performed better in supersonic flight. After the Marxan Union’s collapse, the Berkuts that were not scrapped or placed in a museum were sold to paying customers. Among the owners was KM Aerospace, a private military contractor group belonging to Kerbal Mercenaries. Yusai Kerman also owned an Su-47 in case any aircraft got too close to Creep Island, and it cost her almost all her kidnapped rivals. She never got a chance to use it, though. When Jeffrey Kerman acquired Creep Island, he kept the plane as a collector’s item. The Su-47 settling at cruising altitude while on fire. Panther engines were used at first in an attempt to mimic the aircraft’s real-life counterparts, but the plane decelerated even with their gimbals locked and the engines in wet mode. So, Whiplash engines were installed. Flying over Kerbin’s north pole with the Mun in the sky. The old Marxan missile site was detected on Kerbnet. Elke Kerman of KM Aerospace doing a corkscrew while landing over Kerbin’s southern polar ice cap. She was excited that she got to see the Mun in different parts of the world twice in less than an hour. If you look at the aft starboard side of the plane, you can see the tail end there longer than the port (left) side. The KSP replica's cruise performance stats were as follows: Altitude: 19.5 km (~64.0k ft; Class Echo airspace) FUN FACT: Class Alpha airspace goes from 18k ft ASL to 60k ft. Above that is Class Echo airspace - E for Everything Else. Velocity: 1175 m/s (2,628.5 mph) Flight Time: 42 minutes Expected Range: 2,770 km This plane glided for an additional 95 km afterwards before coming to a stop in the latest test flight. KM Aerospace pilot Elke Kerman striking a pinup pose after landing on Kerbin’s southern ice cap. Her approach was so slow and smooth that a drag chute was not necessary in this case. Although her supervisor advised against it, the company’s board of directors offered Elke a bonus in exchange for at least one seductive photograph of herself on a company plane to be used for their new calendars. A Marxan Su-47 owned by the Kerbal Space Program doing a barrel roll for the annual Kerbal AeroSpace Demonstration. The landing was a real nail-biter; the pilot was initially approaching at over 30 degrees before flaring. Thanks to the brake and the chute, he came to a stop rather quickly and the spectators cheered in awe of this stunt. Just like the American YF-23, the Su-47 was an experimental fighter aircraft that flew well but ultimately got rejected and only saw action in Ace Combat videogames decades later. Project Aces should introduce more of those kinds of planes in their next release, especially as enemy bosses like the van Dalsen siblings. Maybe the Research and Development Gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force would provide some inspiration, but given that Bandai Namco Entertainment is Japanese odds are they'll look for reject aircraft within the eastern hemisphere first; can't have all your aircraft be American, after all. Perhaps the protagonist of Ace Combat 8 could fly in a top-secret commando squadron, like Christopher Robinson in Blazing Angels 2, which uses lesser-known planes that did well in testing but never entered mass production. And s/he should order the wingmen to actually help instead of flying around and looking pretty. Any and all help to check some planes off the list is greatly appreciated. I'm sure you'll find this much easier than my USAF Museum replica thread, since all the playable aircraft are fighter jets and only a few of the unplayable ones require rotors. On top of that, the collection is way smaller. Thank you in advance. Replicas Remaining: 59 Edited November 19 by Mars-Bound Hokie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heakhaek Posted November 21 Share Posted November 21 Think I'll try doing an F-15C though I've got to remember and find time for when I'm not gofing around in sandbox or making MORE satellites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars-Bound Hokie Posted November 23 Author Share Posted November 23 On 11/21/2024 at 2:33 PM, heakhaek said: Think I'll try doing an F-15C Can't wait to see it, and I'll also accept a regular F-15 for that slot since they look so much alike. It shouldn't be too hard to make. A regular F-15, let alone an F-15C, won't qualify for the F-15 S/MTD slot since that has upward-pointing canards near the front . If you're interested, you can also submit your F-15 to my Air Force Museum replica collection. Sure, it's an F-15A, but I can let the variant letter slide (if your craft has one) so long as it resembles the real F-15A as closely as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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