BSC: Albatross 3 - And the winner is...

[GusTurbo]

My big jumbo jet has a very particular problem: once it's climbing past 30 degrees or so, it's really difficult to nose-down. It also has problems pulling up once pointed down. Not sure how to solve that issue without canards. It makes landing difficult.

[gm537]

@mhoram

Dude this plane is amazing!!! Ok so I've been flying a bunch of planes today and yours is the first (possibly ever) to be yaw stable!!! This is the easiest to control in flight plane I have ever flown! (take off and landing aren't perfect but totally acceptable) I'll test it to near fuel empty and at altitude but holy cow!

[whistlehead]

No side effects?!? Um no fault to you here but I flew it at 4x and pressing ANY control button for more than a millisecond causes one of the two rear wings to break off and the whole thing to nose dive. Now given it does not immediately dissingetrate upon hitting 4x but that's not 'no negative impacts'. Again more of just a weakness of the current build of the game but still the claim is a bit outrageous.

Now even with that said I love the design! I've flown a few of the designs so far and this is my favorite so far! Good job Whistlehead!

Oops - I'll amend that... No control is what I meant...

And thanks! It means a lot

[Xeldrak]

I present you my entry:

I decided to downsize the original Albatross to a reasonable size and this is what I came up with: A high altitude science-plane. With two Ram-Intakes and one TurboJet Engine, it can savely cruise at around 20km altitude, do science and transmit it back to the KSC. Flame outs are not problem due to the single engine configuration. With 750 units of fuel, I've taken this plane once around Kerbin and landed back at the KSC, so it's save to say that you can reach any biome on Kerbin. At 59 parts is reasonably simple. The two tricks that are build into this plane to be emulated are:

1. Bind all your science-gizmos to a action group, it makes doing science THAT much easier

2.Check the Fuel lines - you can route fuel trough a wing and avoid long, ugly fuel lines.

It doesn't handle exactly like a flying Ferrari, but I think that okay with a high altitude, science plane. Also I tried to come up with a reasonably informative and funny desciption text:

ChemRock High Atmospheric Research Plane

The CR Harp is a high altitude, long range science plane. It can safely cruise at 20km altitude once around Kerbin. It's outfittet with several easily activated science-gizmos. This combination let's you do science on whereever you want on Kerbin.

Action Groups:

01 - Make science!

02 - Extend ladder

Bill Kerrman:

"Playing the HARP is like starting to smoke - the first few tries are disgusting beyond imagination. But than is starts to grow on you."

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You can start playing the HARP >>HERE<<!

[antbin]

My big jumbo jet has a very particular problem: once it's climbing past 30 degrees or so, it's really difficult to nose-down. It also has problems pulling up once pointed down. Not sure how to solve that issue without canards. It makes landing difficult.

Your problem is that your center of thrust (jets) is below your center of mass (cockpit and fuselage). I'd suggest raising the wings (with engines still attached), so that the wing-mounted engines are about level with the cockpit attachment point.

Since wings don't weigh very much, you can tolerate having them off the centerline. Use SHIFT-WASDQE to tilt the wings down to level.

Unfortunately this will make your 747 look more like a C-130, but them's the breaks.

Edited October 30, 2013 by antbin

[Xeldrak]

Well, my last try on a plane like this ended up looking like something the A-Team built in a barn they were locked in....

[Giggleplex777]

Project HARP?

[Xeldrak]

No, not that HARP (although now I know why this sounded so familar) - I just needed a nice acronym

[Giggleplex777]

High attitude research

[whistlehead]

Totally Legit Aerospace Ltd service update: I've replaced the incorrect file in my original post.

In other news, Jeb has been subjecting the Kerbaltross I to a more... rigorous... flight test...

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I've added this to my original post.

On a side note, if anyone can get the Kerbaltross I under that bridge, they win an internet cookie. It's narrow enough, but I doubt it can pull up in time...

Edited October 30, 2013 by whistlehead

[GusTurbo]

Your problem is that your center of thrust (jets) is below your center of mass (cockpit and fuselage). I'd suggest raising the wings (with engines still attached), so that the wing-mounted engines are about level with the cockpit attachment point.

Since wings don't weigh very much, you can tolerate having them off the centerline. Use SHIFT-WASDQE to tilt the wings down to level.

Unfortunately this will make your 747 look more like a C-130, but them's the breaks.

Couldn't I also bring the center of mass down somehow? I don't really want to change the aesthetics. I mean look at it:

[Giggleplex777]

Why don't you rearrange the engines into the L-1011's configuration?

[antbin]

Couldn't I also bring the center of mass down somehow? I don't really want to change the aesthetics.

You could also try rotating the engines to get the center of thrust to pass more through the center of mass... but this works better with engines at the back of the craft. I guess that the engines are pretty much right below your center of mass, so that would be tricky.

If you put one engine in the tail as Giggleplex has suggested, then you'll have more freedom to rotate just that one engine to fine tune your Center of Thrust.

[GusTurbo]

That's a good idea. I think I will use Giggleplex's suggestion and see how that affects things. I have the perfect place to slap an engine in the back, too.

And then I can do this:

Thanks for the help -- I'm not very experienced with planes.

Edited October 30, 2013 by GusTurbo

[mcirish3]

Just a note: for the sake of openness and full disclosure. I want to state I have updated my craft file. I added a description to the craft and two action groups as well as 4 more air intakes. the net result is a craft that can easily fly around the globe. Also added a single pic of the changed craft highlighting the curve wings that are not readily apparent in the earlier photos I submitted.

[whistlehead]

Quick question - I built my entry with KAS installed. Because of this my .craft file contains values for KAS (null values, of course) - will this affect the plane on a vanilla install at all? And if so, can I safely remove the values from the craft file? I have a little experience in editing this kind of file (in another game).

Thanks

Chris

[Ojimak]

Quick question - I built my entry with KAS installed. Because of this my .craft file contains values for KAS (null values, of course) - will this affect the plane on a vanilla install at all? And if so, can I safely remove the values from the craft file? I have a little experience in editing this kind of file (in another game).

As long as the craft itself does not include KAS parts, then you're fine.

-Ojimak

[FallingIntoBlack]

What's the best place for fins (rudders...Whatever it is that allows you to yaw) on a plane?

Edited October 31, 2013 by FallingIntoBlack

[Ojimak]

What's the best place for fins (rudders...Whatever it is that allows you to yaw) on a plane?

Honestly, part-clipped into a fuselage somewhere in line behind the center of gravity...

But if that's against your morals, just anywhere not too much higher (or lower) than where the center of gravity is.

-Ojimak

Probably wasn't of too much help. Sorry.

[zekes]

Im going to submit the ZB-7...

ACTUAL STATS:

Crew: 3

Low altitude speed: Mach .6+

High altitude speed: Mach 3+

Service Ceiling: 40Km

Combat load: 27 kerbal tonnes.

Combat range (full load): 4,500KM (9,000 one way)

Action group "2" to toggle all engines, "3" for just high altitude jets. this is so any combination of Standard and High Altitude jets can be on at anytime, but may take some skill swiching between.

Basically this plane is the best because:

It has good performance at low altitude

Awesome high altitude performance

Amazing range

Amazing load capability (27 tons!)

Forgiving to fly, even beginners can fly it.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www./?fhtapoi33icqki5

Pics:

Edited October 31, 2013 by zekes

[AmpsterMan]

Depending on how far it can go, I might post this one

[briansun1]

... am I the only one that just noticed your a mod?

[antbin]

What's the best place for fins (rudders...Whatever it is that allows you to yaw) on a plane?

It will look different depending on whether you're using a control surface or a canard / fin. However the principle is the same - all control parts 'push' on the craft from their attachment point.

For fins, this means you want it attached roughly at mid-height of your craft, in-line with the center of gravity. This could be on top of a wing, for example, or on the side of the fuselage rotated 90 degrees up. It will look like the tailfin is above your center of gravity, but that's an illusion - the force really comes from the base of the fin.

I like to have the rudder slightly below the center of gravity, which means either putting your wings a bit lower than the CoG, or attaching the rudders to the underside of your wings and partclipping them so they stick up through (kind of cheating). Having the rudder slightly below the CoG means that when you yaw left, the plane will (ever so slightly) roll left at the same time. Better than the reverse, that's for sure!

[FallingIntoBlack]

I'd like to submit one of my favorite planes; The FS-1 Kestrel, commonly known as Kestrel 1.

I have been told the Kestrel is a very stable plane. It should (I say "should" because I've never had the patience to circumnavigate Kerbin with anything) have enough fuel, and good enough fuel efficiency to circumnavigate Kerbin. It requires upwards trim, but after that, it flies well. It has a pair of swept wings and the intakes on top are for weight and (obviously,) air intake. It has an Advanced Reaction Wheel because it was created in .19 and I never bothered to take it off, although it does help in some situations.

Action Group 1 toggles the ladder.

Download: FS-1 Kestrel

Edited October 31, 2013 by FallingIntoBlack

[vetrox]

Ok I Thought I would have a go at this one.

I give you all the...uhhh...albatross 4Bmk3 (Guys you should have seen the mk1! it flaps like a bird as you fly)

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Its the perfect, overly large, plane. Handles nicely, does perfect loop the loops. Takes off without ripping the engines off. Flys vertically. Lands pretty easily has a nice shadow. Also, judging from the expression on his face, Jeb likes it too.

An altitude of 22km at a speed of 1300m/s is pretty easy to reach, it can probably make 25km and do an around the world trip. Its late so im not gonna bother.

Heres the albatross 4bmk3 submission in my dropbox (im new to dropbox)

and heres the mk1 for ****s and giggles . Make sure the SAS is on otherwise it wont flap around This is not my submission the mk 3 above is my submission

Edited October 31, 2013 by vetrox