How to Make a Perfect Space Plane

[zombie2u]

I really hope that this will help you, if you would like more tutorials, click these links:

-snip-

1. Intro

Hello, today I will be showing you how to make an absolutely perfect space plane! I would really suggest this guide for beginners trying to get into the world of planes in Kerbal Space Program.

2. Getting Started

First off, make sure you are using the newest version of Kerbal Space Program, and it is NOT pirated, when you buy it, the devs get helped out. As crazy as this sounds, it's true, they really get helped out, and it's a really nice thing to do. Also, make sure you read this slowly, some of this stuff may be confusing, but, if you read carefully, I will help you out with what everything means.

3. Begin Building (Alread!?!?)

Ok, you will want to start building. Go ahead and make a new save file or use an old one, it doesn't matter! To start off with, use ANY cockpit you want, this tutorial is going to teach you how to make anything using anything, as long as you follow these directions. First off, make whatever you want, just, start off making sense. It can be as crazy or as normal as you want, just remember these basic tips

1. The Center of Gravity is ALWAYS above Center of Lift. The buttons show you CoM (Center of Mass, The anvil button), CoL (Center of

Lift, the canard button), and finally CoT (Center of Thrust, the thruster button)

2. Always look at your aircraft from a 90* angle on the side.

3. Remember the, fuel flows from the front in KSP, so you might want to start off with the CoM in front of the CoL. If the fuel flows from the

front, then it automatically disbalances the weight moving the weight to the back.

4. If the CoM is in the back, then it will ALWAYS not be able to get out of a stall, flatspin all the time, and will be an all around horrible plane.

Paint a picture in that little head of yours, imagine that the Mass was in the back, when you stall it, it will ALWAYS fall backwards and

NEVER go forwards, causing the aircraft to crash itself. Now, imagine it forward, it will stall like a REAL plane and will go forward,

correcting itself.

This is how your Aircraft should look if

CoM = Orange

CoL = Blue

Front is on the left, and back is on the right

I really hope that this will help you, if you would like more tutorials, click these links:

-snip again-

Edited June 25, 2013 by Aphox
AdFly links are not allowed.

[zombie2u]

This needs to be seen...

[Rickenbacker]

The CoG shouldn't be TOO far in front of the CoL, though. If it is, you'll never get the nose off the runway. But it should most definitely be in front of it, and preferably NEVER move behind it, even with empty fuel tanks.

[3_bit]

You should talk about the rocket engine's dV (approx., since not all users use Mechjeb or any other mod capable of showing dV for a given engine and tank)

[firerider521]

Such a simple and basic tip, but so unknown throughout KSP. Thank you for posting this.

[Nao]

Some more advanced tips you can use in the guide:

In stock (no FAR) game to have a stable plane its also important to place control surfaces behind the wings, since their lift increases faster with AoA.

Because of that if you for example place control surfaces at the front you can make a plane that has CoL behind CoM (like in the picture) unstable because CoL will drift forward past CoM as AoA increases (contrary to your 4th point).

You can pick the main cockpit and rotate the whole craft with it in SPH to see where your CoL will drift.

Also there it's important to place small landing gear after setting up CoL to CoM relation since it's mass is calculated in CoM in SPH/VAB but not counted in flight.

[zombie2u]

Sorry if this is just too basic, it is kind of for beginners

[zombie2u]

I got on tutorial board, this is great!

[Nao]

Nah its nice

edit: [snipped the stupid thought] i need to stop trying to post when dead tired

Edited May 21, 2013 by Nao

[Haemogoblin]

I like rules of thumb like these All the info you need without getting bogged down with specifics

[zombie2u]

I like rules of thumb like these All the info you need without getting bogged down with specifics

Yeah, I tried to make it nice and easy

[hedzup456]

Just a quick FYI, you say that CoL is center of thrust and CoT is center of lift; these are the wrong way around

[zombie2u]

Just a quick FYI, you say that CoL is center of thrust and CoT is center of lift; these are the wrong way around

Haha, derp!

[Sgagliozze]

Dude,this is not working...

[Lazro]

This is always my strategy for building planes (although sometimes things go horribly wrong for a different reason.) I might try to write a more advanced guide for spaceplane construction.