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[Aseaheru]

Wait, KSP has a download client?

Well, thats another thing to be smug for not using.

Why yes, I am a asshole. But frankly, any program that eats up over two years of game budget after a WEEK of having a game by deciding that Im not allowed to play it anymore (When I have the fucking disk!) is gonna earn my ire forever more. $80 does not grow on any tree.

[Putnam]

You try to contact support for that?

[Ygdrad]

I've found my spaceplanes can rarely ever actually launch off the runway. They get to the end of the runway before being able to take off due to the ground suddenly disappearing.

They work fine otherwise. Until they enter a death spiral for no reason, or an engine cuts out and sends me into a death spiral. Or something explodes and sends me into a death spiral.

The trick to taking off is keeping the flaps in charge of pitch at the back so that the rear landing gear is situated between the flaps and the center of mass and you get a lever-action when trying to pull up. If your rear gear is behind your pitch flaps, you'll never lift off the runway. Also, for optimal control, I suggest separating the different controls so each set of flaps only controls one aspect, for example, horizontal tail flaps for pitch, tail fin(s) for yaw, wing flaps for roll.

[Sean Mirrsen]

The trick to taking off is actually being nose up on the runway. Just make your landing gear in the back shorter than on the front, and you'll be in a stable take-off arrangement that should take off by itself without much input from you.

Also, if you do use a nose-down arrangement (so as to land with less bouncing, and less chance of tailstrike), then you have to put your landing gear exactly below the center of mass, or juuuust behind it. That way the "lever action" from the pitch controls will have its pivot in the exact spot where it is most balanced.

And of course you can use canards to pitch up on take-off, especially if you're nose-heavy, but canards will really make it hard for you to reenter empty - too much lift and drag up front will cause you to tumble at the slightest deviation from "straight forward".

[LoSboccacc]

option 1: tilt whole plane so that it naturally points up:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

option 2: place rear wheel just behind center of mass and leave enough clearance for the rear wings to push the tail down:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Ygdrad]

I've noticed that air intakes can be closed and retain their air even after exiting into space, allowing you to use jet engines in space for a short time. Is there any way, stock or modded, to store air aside from the intakes' small amount?

Edit: I know that the jet engines run on something like 15:1 air to liquid fuel ratio and that this would probably be pretty inefficient weight and size-wise to hold 16 times as much air as fuel. I'm not looking for a full load of air, just something to help the engines keep going at those higher altitudes and make a few small corrections once up there.

[nogoodnames]

I've noticed that air intakes can be closed and retain their air even after exiting into space, allowing you to use jet engines in space for a short time. Is there any way, stock or modded, to store air aside from the intakes' small amount?

Sure, Firespitter even includes some air tanks. The problem is that jet engines don't work in space, even with an internal air supply. The thrust the jet engines give off curves downward at extreme altitudes and speeds, leaving it at some infinitesimal amount once you get to space. You can see it in action if you turn on infinite fuel and try to fly a plane to duna.

[Ygdrad]

I've noticed that air intakes can be closed and retain their air even after exiting into space, allowing you to use jet engines in space for a short time. Is there any way, stock or modded, to store air aside from the intakes' small amount?

Sure, Firespitter even includes some air tanks. The problem is that jet engines don't work in space, even with an internal air supply. The thrust the jet engines give off curves downward at extreme altitudes and speeds, leaving it at some infinitesimal amount once you get to space. You can see it in action if you turn on infinite fuel and try to fly a plane to duna.

Are you talking from experience there? I know the jet engines shouldn't work well at all in space, but a lot of things in the base game seem to work oddly or be powered by witchcraft and prayers, so I thought I could at least get some small use out of them.

[Facekillz058]

I HAVE gotten an Air Tank powered Jet Craft to space and the Jet Engines DO work.
Just not very well, like, at all.
Like, Ion Engine level power.

[BFEL]

Speaking of ion engines, does xenon for those work like normal fuel or monoprop? I.E. can I leave my xenon in a cargobay unconnected to the actual engines or do I need a bit of a redesign?

[Sean Mirrsen]

It's vessel-wide, so no need for fuel lines.

[BFEL]

Oh fuck, that's awesome!
Now I can just tack two to the back of my craft and I'm in business!

Well, once I can actually AFFORD said craft

So I made the "Surveyor II" aircraft and holy balls, this thing is an improvement over pretty much EVERYTHING in the original, and the original was the best plane I've made yet.

This one uses a cargo bay to store all the science experiments it can do (temperature, atmospheric, seismic) as well as its radiators, precooler, and six of the radioisotope generators. And its transmitter.
Not only that, but this one is MOAR STABLE then the last iteration, as well as being perfectly agile. I can do goddamn barrel rolls in this thing at mach 3 (note: not actually tested, but looks likely)

Its slower then its predecessor, but this is actually a good thing, because hitting mach 2 and 3 at "I want to land this thing" altitudes isn't good for...well for landing.

Only problem is a issue with the cargo bay not closing. I seem to have an outdated version of that particular Firespitter plugin. Anyone know an up to date one?

[miauw62]

I landed on minmus.

Spoiler: What a great view (click to show/hide)

[Aseaheru]

Why arent you using the shiny pod of shiny? (ALCOR pod)

[Sean Mirrsen]

What is so special about ALCOR? The stock lander pod(s) always worked great for me, especially after I installed RPM and its IVA overhauls and external cameras.