Aventador - Long Range Reconnaisance atmospheric plane

[Scarecrow88]

The Aventador

A long distance reconnaissance craft.

Crew: 1

Engines: 1

Fuel Capacity: 900 Units

Cruising Height: 23,500m

Cruising Speed: 1100 m/s

Range: Circumglobal

With SAS turned on, this craft is extremely stable, needing very little encouragement to leave the runway when doing your take off run. Good glide characteristics means altitude is easily controllable on the throttle. The proving flight of this craft circumnavigated the planet at an average altitude of 23,000m, and landed back at KSC with 345 units of fuel still left in the tanks, more than a 1/3 of what it started with. Elapsed time for the flight was just under 1 1/2 hours, all flown in real time.

For best results when covering long distances, the Aventador should be climbed to between 23,000 and 24,000 metres, aiming to hit 1100 m/s at that height. Once there, keep the nose 20 degrees above the horizon, and control your rate of climb using the throttle. Keeping an eye on the VSI, and anticipating ascent/descent rate changes, the throttle can be juggled between 1/3 and 2/3 power to maintain speed and altitude. As progress is made around the globe, the nose on the navball will appear to climb. If your controls are in fine-tune mode, a gentle tap on the W key from time to time should be enough to keep the nose on the 20 degree marker. Aventador is OK flying at 2/3 throttle at 24,000m with intake air down to 0.05, but keeping just below 24,000 with intake air at 0.06 is better.

Album of the test flight going round the world.

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Aventador Craft File

Aventador II

Based around the original airframe, but with even sweeter handling, slightly higher ceiling and cruising speed, with the ability to go vertical straight after take off due to the improved PWR, Aventador is also available as a twin engined single seat craft (Aventador II) or as a twin engined 2 seater (Aventador IIB). Good for those medium to long range mission, where a slightly shorter endurance is not a problem.

Aventador II

Aventador IIB

Aventador II goes ballistic shortly after take off.

Edited October 11, 2013 by Scarecrow88