Lifting Bodies

[NinpoFox]

Just wondering if anyone else is experimenting with lifting bodies like the old X-24. Here's my first test.

I put the center of lift slightly forward of the center of gravity.

It floats like a leaf in the wind.

My next step is to take it to my space station and return.

[NinpoFox]

Heading to my station now.

[SkyHook]

I have been experimenting with lifting bodies, and I wish that support for it were implemented in the game. The trick for implementing it would be tricky though, as the only solution I can thing of entails cfg editing fuselages to be wings as well. This would bring about some balance issues though. I'm off to theorycraft how that might work!

[espm400]

Ferram Aerospace Research supports lifting body and blended wing aircraft (used to use a Dyna-Soarer-style crew vehicle). If you're interested in those type of aircraft, I would suggest getting that mod.

[SDIR]

It'd be nice to not only have lifting bodies for planes, but also for capsules like in real life.

[arq]

After reading this thread I had a fun time spending an hour just building planes around a single SRB, launching them up, then gliding them back down to the runway. Kind of like the Natter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachem_Ba_349.

[espm400]

After reading this thread I had a fun time spending an hour just building planes around a single SRB, launching them up, then gliding them back down to the runway. Kind of like the Natter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachem_Ba_349.

That's a lot closer to a missile than a lifting body. Lifting bodies are aircraft where the body itself creates most of the lift (see:Lifting Body).

I do believe that I incorrectly classified the 'Dyan-Soarer' as a blended wing body, though, as it's probably closer to a conventional aircraft than a BWB. My bad...

EDIT:

It'd be nice to not only have lifting bodies for planes, but also for capsules like in real life.

I'm currently learning Blender and intend to release some classic lifting body designs (as I said, I'm just starting out, so don't expect anything anytime soon)...

Edited August 5, 2013 by espm400

[NinpoFox]

Still playing with this idea. These end up be more like rocket assist gliders than lifting bodies.

I'm creating more lift by attaching an extra set of wings on the fuselage at a lower location than the first and them rotating the new wings to "blend" them into the first.

[DisarmingBaton5]

How do you guys overcome the stability issues? I find that when trying to mount a spaceplane on a rocket, the wings cause the rocket to become extremely unstable.

[Giggleplex777]

[Van Disaster]

Works until you want to land... FAR is not terribly forgiving.

[NinpoFox]

This is my second "lifting body." I flew it to my space station and returned. Stability was an issue at launch and I had to stay "on top" of the nav ball to make it go straight up. At just over 10K altitude it calmed down and I leaned it over to 90 to set up rendezvous.

Lots of fun to fly. Needs to be trimmed up a little to maintain level flight.