Contract mission question re speed/airspeed

[SpaceScott]

Hi,

I'm having trouble with the early contracts in career mode. I have some contracts which say deploy parachute or test rockets etc and give conditions which must be met before completing the contract.

One of the conditions (for the parachute tests) is to have speed between 380-580m/s...As you meet the various conditions of the contract they get ticked off and untick if the condition is no longer applied, but I can't get the speed indicator to light up.

Mainly because I have no idea how fast I am travelling. I can't see an speed/airspeed indicator anywhere in the HUD in either external view or IVA.

I think I can see the vertical airspeed indicator next to the altimeter at the top of the screen but, I can't read any details of it...

What am I missing...please?

Thanks.

[AlexinTokyo]

There is a speed readout at the top of the navball. It's the small green text, and it should have either 'surface' or 'orbit' displayed.

Surface represents your speed relative to the surface of the body you're currently orbiting/landed on. Orbit displays your orbital velocity.

[Axelord FTW]

What Alex said.

Also, take note that some of the contracts have conditions which might conflict with each other. For example, low altitude but high speed. You might have to go past the target altitude, turn around and thrust downward so you can reach the target speed.

Another note, while the part must be activate through staging, it doesn't mean you can't use it beforehand. Through action groups or right-click menu, you can use them before the conditions are met as long as you still get to 'activate' the part through the staging when the moment come. Useful for the testing of large engines and Solid Rocket Boosters.

P.S. Furthermore, on the navball. Clicking on the speed will cycle trough the available reference points. It always start with Surface and will switch to orbital as you reach a certain altitude. If you have an object or a body targeted, the relative target velocity can also be displayed.

[SpaceScott]

Thanks! I knew it would be something obvious that I was overlooking...

I got into this game a while ago and figured lots of stuff out, but hadn't played for a while and forgot most of the stuff I learned...

Back to the drawing board!

Cheers...