What are the tricks to landing a spaceplane on an extraterrestrial surface?

[davidparks21]

(note, the first 10 minutes or so are setup)

That was a cool video, love the way you staged it, never thought of doing it that way. Actually I thought you always had to bring all the science equipment back, didn't realize you could grab up the experiments and dump the bay.

And a few of those mods looked great but I haven't seen them, your resources looked different, and what'd you use to plan your maneuvers there? That wasn't mechjet (I'm not using, yet) was it?

Also another question... on that video you had clouds and sand storms, I've never seen either of those things, is that a mod? A setting?

Edited June 10, 2014 by davidparks21

[davidparks21]

As you found out, stock parachutes are automatically cut loose as soon as you touch the ground, but the RealChute Parachute Systems mod rewrites things so that you have proper drag chutes, among other things. They might come in handy.

Oh what a fabulous mod! I didn't even see that, got it installed now, looking forward to the great new capabilities! Bravo, and thanks for doing the mod (if you're the author)!

[davidparks21]

For atmosphere less bodies you can use main tail engine for vertical landing on additional legs, like on pictures

http://i.imgur.com/pxRt5Jb.png

http://i.imgur.com/8feXc8J.png

Are you using a jet engine to land on the mun there?? I thought such a configuration was impossible no?

[Pecan]

A jet certainly won't work in a vacuum or an atmosphere without oxygen so, no, it can't be used on Mun. Some people like to use debug settings so they can 'clip' parts inside others for the look of the thing - I take it there's a 48-7S or similar 'hidden' inside the turbojet.

[Superfluous J]

...mods ... your resources looked different ... plan your maneuvers ... clouds and sand storms...

The 3 specific mods you mentioned are:

Alternate Resource PanelPreciseNode
Environmental Visual Enhancements

And that last one also has Astronomer's Visual Pack for Environmental Visual Enhancements for the sandstorms and super nice clouds.

I list all my mods in my main video thread here.