Basic Aircraft Design

[7499275]

Hello all! Today I present my first tutorial on basic aircraft design.

Please read all of this post and watch the video as some things are not mentioned in the video that I forgot and I would like to apologize now for that.

Some things to remember when building a plane.

• Make sure to place the wings last.
  
• Ensure the plane is not too heavy
  
• Place the Center of Lift (blue ball) just a hairs width behind the center of mass (yellow ball)
  
• Remember to place control surfaces on wings.
  
• Place landing gear beside or just behind the control surfaces.
  

Just one last thing I need to elaborate on... If the craft is having a hard time lifting off the ground you can use **** and Q or E to slightly change the angle of the wings. In the case of not wanting to lift off tilt the wings up with only one press of the button (I do not know the exact angle I am guessing it is 5 degrees) The problem you need to remember if using this method is the plane will have to be tilted down on the navball so it will fly level. If the navball says level and the wings are angled up the plane will have a tendency to fly upward.

Video recorded by: myself

Music by: Kevin MacLeod

If there are any points someone thinks I missed please mention and I will update this thread as required.

[celem]

You should probably make a point about symmetry and control surfaces have different effects.

If I recall correctly:

Applying control surfaces in symmetry (like your wing surfaces) makes them elevators. i.e. they will act in harmony and provide climb/dive

Applying without symmetry makes them ailerons (acting in opposition, lets you roll)

This is why your design flown in the video doesn't quite roll smoothly but yaws slightly, as it is using a combo of the tail, vectoring and pod torque. You dont actually have any ailerons. I usually set the wing surfaces as ailerons and add horizontal tail finlets as elevators. I'm not sure if there's an optimal way around to put these, I felt with elevators in the ass it pivots more or less round the CoM/CoL on rotation which feels right to me.

Also, wheels go on last. They shift the CoM in the SPH, but you should ignore that as currently (0.22) they are massless ingame. So balance the craft, add wheels and launch. I would have mentioned angling the rear wheels to rake the craft and give a better angle of attack on the runway... but this tends to inexorably lead to the 'yaw off the runway long before liftoff speed' bug for me.

Generally a good video. Coherently narrated and you touched on a few nice spaceplane pointers too.

Edited December 4, 2013 by celem

[7499275]

You should probably make a point about symmetry and control surfaces have different effects.

If I recall correctly:

Applying control surfaces in symmetry (like your wing surfaces) makes them elevators. i.e. they will act in harmony and provide climb/dive

Applying without symmetry makes them ailerons (acting in opposition, lets you roll)

This is why your design flown in the video doesn't quite roll smoothly but yaws slightly, as it is using a combo of the tail, vectoring and pod torque. You dont actually have any ailerons. I usually set the wing surfaces as ailerons and add horizontal tail finlets as elevators. I'm not sure if there's an optimal way around to put these, I felt with elevators in the ass it pivots more or less round the CoM/CoL on rotation which feels right to me.

Also, wheels go on last. They shift the CoM in the SPH, but you should ignore that as currently (0.22) they are massless ingame. So balance the craft, add wheels and launch. I would have mentioned angling the rear wheels to rake the craft and give a better angle of attack on the runway... but this tends to inexorably lead to the 'yaw off the runway long before liftoff speed' bug for me.

Generally a good video. Coherently narrated and you touched on a few nice spaceplane pointers too.

I didn't know that part about the control surfaces I will update that on the OP when I get home from school tonight.

That is why I didn't mention angleing the gear, yes it helps lift off but I get the same bug as you do.

And thank you I tried to do a good job on it.