Fine Print Flyover contracts

[tsotha]

So I installed Fine Print to give myself some more variety in contracts, and all is going well, generally. One thing I don't understand is how to do those "fly over such and such place on Kerbin". I made a plane with a basic jet engine and headed out. It took hours. And not interesting hours, either, more like "are we there yet?" hours. I'm kind of curious how other people are fulfilling these contracts - are you waiting until you have turbojets and doing fast, high atmosphere jaunts to the target area? Are you using rockets to take your plane sub-orbital to the area of interest and then flying to the targets? Are you somehow using a rockets for the whole thing instead of a plane?

Edited October 28, 2014 by tsotha

[capi3101]

I too use FinePrint (I figured I should get used to it since it'll be stock in 0.90, and it has given me some interesting contracts). I did wait until I had Turbojets to start fulfilling those contracts - though for low altitude flight there's nothing terribly wrong with the Basic Jet Engine). I've been going high for those ones that aren't in the immediate vicinity of KSC; I pretty much build my planes like I would if I were taking it to space, get it up to speed in atmo and just fly. You don't have to be at the target altitude until you're over the target, so you might as well go fast.

Now, landing after those missions has proven problematic for me, but that's my own issue...

[Hodo]

I built a specific craft just for fly over missions. I always have one atmospheric jet aircraft that I use for a test bed on all of my installs.

[Jovus]

When using just the basic jet engine, I ignore flyover contracts that aren't close to KSC. I have other things to do with my life.

[Hodo]

Here is my science plane, the X-2. It is also a fighter type aircraft designed with FAR and DRE in mind.

I fly it to any of the points on Kerbin and perform the mission then fly back and land it. Pretty easy plane to fly and even easier to land, even on its narrow landing gear.

[tsotha]

I can't tell by looking at it - what kind of engine is that? All I have so far is the basic jet.

[Hodo]

I can't tell by looking at it - what kind of engine is that? All I have so far is the basic jet.

Sorry, that is the D30 Turbojet from B9 Aerospace. It has a bit more power than the Turbojet in stock but is a fair bit more expensive.

[Stratoroc]

Current version of fine print generates contracts that are pretty close to KSC at low tech levels and rep. I had a handful of contracts that rewarded more funds per effort than any other contracts at the time. The flights that require going to the far side of kerbin I don't bother with.

[cantab]

I've not actually used the mod, but any time I've got something that's time-consuming but requires little input from me, like a long cruise, I just stick the TV on while it's going.

Depending on your plane's design and how much fuel you have you can cruise at say 200 m/s, at maybe 6-9 km altitude, in the basic jet fine. That'd get you to even the other side of Kerbin in 2 1/2 hours, which might go as low as 40 minutes if your plane and PC can handle 4x timewarp. And that's the worst-case scenario, most places are much closer.

Edited October 28, 2014 by cantab

[The_Rocketeer]

Lazor autopilot works a dream.

[capi3101]

OP, did a mission last night to fulfill a FinePrint contract with the nav points on the far side of Kerbin. Took me a literal full hour of flying time for the whole mission, started at KSC 09 and landed at KSC 09 (i.e. wound up circumnavigating the planet). I handled it by going high (25,000-29,000), which let me get my speed up to around 1600-1800. Wound up circumnavigating the planet. So yeah, I'd recommend going high to get to where you're going, then descending to the target altitude range once you're approaching the area.

Definitely the most flying I've done so far. Way more entertaining than the longest I've ever driven with a rover (100 kilometers over the ice caps of Duna).

[Wanderfound]

So I installed Fine Print to give myself some more variety in contracts, and all is going well, generally. One thing I don't understand is how to do those "fly over such and such place on Kerbin". I made a plane with a basic jet engine and headed out. It took hours. And not interesting hours, either, more like "are we there yet?" hours. I'm kind of curious how other people are fulfilling these contracts - are you waiting until you have turbojets and doing fast, high atmosphere jaunts to the target area? Are you using rockets to take your plane sub-orbital to the area of interest and then flying to the targets? Are you somehow using a rockets for the whole thing instead of a plane?

Wait until you've got two or three survey contracts in the same area, then get there high and fast and do them all. Manoeuvring at speed in order to get from point to point can be quite entertaining: