Modding Mondays: Ferram Aerospace Research

[SQUAD]

<p><img src="https://31.media.tumblr.com/f877983c4f5dc185bb3b4a0e8611b711/tumblr_inline_n16256BLJ21rr2wit.jpg"/></p>

<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VKX22RhqC60" width="420"></iframe></p>

<p><strong>ferram4</strong>'s <a href="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/20451-0-23-Ferram-Aerospace-Research-v0-12-5-2-Aero-Fixes-For-Planes-Rockets-1-7-14"><strong>Ferram Aerospace Research</strong></a>, better known as <strong>FAR</strong> is an oft-mentioned mod, so if you haven’t given it a chance, pay close attention.</p>

<p>This mod fixes the aerodynamics for all stock rockets and planes. This includes lift and drag, aerodynamic instabilities and more. These fixes give a greater feel of realism, while stability augmentations and an aerodynamic calculation GUI help make flight easier. </p>

<p>There’s a whole lot more where this came from, too. <strong>FAR</strong> is one of the top rising mods of the <em><strong>KSP</strong></em> community and for good reason. With so many features to customize and completely change the feel of your game, you will never play it the same way again.</p>

<p>Find out more about <strong>FAR</strong> by clicking <a href="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/20451-0-23-Ferram-Aerospace-Research-v0-12-5-2-Aero-Fixes-For-Planes-Rockets-1-7-14"><strong>HERE</strong></a>.</p>

[blizzy78]

yay ferram4

[bartekkru99]

Its harder to make plane with FAR but easier to make a rocket.

[Wahgineer]

Its harder to make plane with FAR but easier to make a rocket.

Actually, it's easier. You can basically just rip off a real life aircraft and it will fly very well.

[Die_Kartoffel]

Why is that such an old Video? :|

[taniwha]

While KSP has changed a lot since then, FAR has not. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of improvements, but nothing fundamental has changed. The video shows those fundamentals very well.

[allmappedout]

Still waiting for the day Ferram's phone rings and Harv is on the other side offering him a role at Squad

[KerbMav]

.

Honestly a similar questions I keep asking myself is what stops any developer - and Squad in particular, not being a "normal" (which has proven as a good thing in more then one instance!) game developer anyway - from buying of/bargaining for the work of modders?

Is it for legal reasons, the modders being in a different country or has it to many technical complications for mod code being to different from the actual game code or a matter of pride? (Which would ALL be very valid reasons, dont get me wrong please! )

[sgt_flyer]

One of the main problems is that squad have access to the full source code something like FAR would be integrated at the base level of the code (for optimization), needing extensive bugtesting afterwards. The resulting code, even if it's based on the mod, would end up being largely different

[Commissar]

funny thing is that for rockets, FAR actually reduces the deltav requirement significantly. although... it does make my rockets slightly more difficult to control if I don't slow my early ascent. however, my launches have became far more fuel-efficient since I limit the accel to 11-13 m/s^2, and do a 60-70% turn, rather than a 40%

[regex]

FAR owns. Everyone should be playing with FAR.

[Bobnova]

I'm amazed it took this long for FAR to be mod of the week! I absolutely love it.

It makes things both easier (~3300m/s to orbit, much simpler launch profile) and much harder (be aerodynamic or suffer).

I won't be playing without it anymore, except right after KSP updates if they don't work with the available FAR.

Distilled version: ROCKETS THAT LOOK LIKE ROCKETS AND FLY LIKE ROCKETS!

(Planes I was hopeless with stock and am still hopeless with FAR)

[Torham234]

This is definitely one of the 'must have' mods for me.

[Soda Popinski]

I'd like to mention, 2 other mods Ferram makes that go hand in hand with FAR. One is Kerbal Isp Difficulty Scaler, which reduces the Isp of your engines to counter-act the fact you need less delta-V to attain orbit than before. So basically, a similar build should perform similarly.

The other is Kerbal Joint Reinforcement, since playing with FAR encourages a more realistic vertical build. With the current wobble, this mod makes those vertically built rockets more viable. This very may well become moot when 0.24 comes out, as Squad has got around the engine's joint issues.

I'd love to see Squad implement more realistic / FAR type aerodynamics - but I think the amount of data that FAR gives is a bit overwhelming.

[SkyRender]

I don't think we're going to see a FAR-esque implementation of aerodynamics in stock until we also see a procedural fairings system in stock. FAR is pretty unforgiving of non-aerodyamic loads (as it should be), and there's little recourse in the stock game save to build very bland pencil-like rockets that don't have any real instrumentation at all on them.

[Wjolcz]

Its harder to make plane with FAR but easier to make a rocket.

WHAT.

Last time I installed FAR my planes went flying without any issues, and my every rocket went SSTOcean after 10 seconds of flight.

With fairings, of course. And I couldn't figure out what was wrong.

[Commissar]

WHAT.

Last time I installed FAR my planes went flying without any issues, and my every rocket went SSTOcean after 10 seconds of flight.

With fairings, of course. And I couldn't figure out what was wrong.

too fast of an ascent, too sharp of a gravity turn.

[Torham234]

too fast of an ascent, too sharp of a gravity turn.

yeah, it took me a while to realize that supersonic speeds are not healthy for an ascending rocket. With FAR, it is actually possible to go too fast on a lift off

[ferram4]

Supersonic speeds are perfectly fine for an ascending rocket (actually, fi you're not going supersonic you're going way to slow). It's supersonic speeds at high angles of attack that kill you. Or supersonic speeds with rockets that just aren't aerodynamically stable.

[Luckfish]

funny thing is that for rockets, FAR actually reduces the deltav requirement significantly. although... it does make my rockets slightly more difficult to control if I don't slow my early ascent. however, my launches have became far more fuel-efficient since I limit the accel to 11-13 m/s^2, and do a 60-70% turn, rather than a 40%

I think it depends heavily on the rocket. I've been running repeated tests, learning what works better in FAR, and was curious when I read that you limit acceleration to 11-13. I tried it with the craft I've been testing, and by limiting ascent acceleration to 12 m/s I used ~600 more dV to get to a 90x90km orbit. I tried several other launches (limited to terminal velocity, which I never came close to) and played with the ascent turn shape. The most efficient for this test rocket was about 25%, which surprised me too.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Luckfish
typo

[Soda Popinski]

I don't think we're going to see a FAR-esque implementation of aerodynamics in stock until we also see a procedural fairings system in stock. FAR is pretty unforgiving of non-aerodyamic loads (as it should be), and there's little recourse in the stock game save to build very bland pencil-like rockets that don't have any real instrumentation at all on them.

That's a good point. Though, I would argue any fairings would be OK, not necessarily procedural fairings.

I think it would be great if Squad eventually implemented an optional "Hard Mode" into the stock game, that includes more realistic aerodynamics/drag, requirement for heat shields, a la Deadly Re-Entry. But until they do, mods will be just fine.

[Commissar]

I think it depends heavily on the rocket. I've been running repeated tests, learning what works better in FAR, and was curious when I read that you limit acceleration to 11-13. I tried it with the craft I've been testing, and by limiting ascent acceleration to 12 m/s I used ~600 more dV to get to a 90x90km orbit. I tried several other launches (limited to terminal velocity, which I never came close to) and played with the ascent turn shape. The most efficient for this test rocket was about 25%, which surprised me too.

yeah, i limit to 11-13 till I hit the stratosphere, then I increase to 15, and turn off the limit once the rocket leaves the stratosphere. however, many of my rockets are launching bulky payloads, some having fairings as tall as the rest of the rocket, others as wide, or wider than the thors on the outside of the 3m boosters. like the rover I sent to duna the other day. I typically don't go supersonic till the lower stratosphere.

[federicoaa]

Nobody has said this so far, so I'll go:

ferram4 your mod is good and you should feel good

[Espresso]

I can't believe it took this long to get FAR on the front page!