Profile image

A few tips for Super-Sonic flight

7,305 OtterOfToast  8.6 years ago

Struggling to achieve super-sonic flight like an F-111?
Tired of being doomed to a life of sub-sonic speeds?
Can't quite pass the trans-sonic barrier?
Do you aircraft rip apart at the mere mention of going 162mph?
Well then, listen up!

Wasting - A MUST for super-sonic aircraft is to reduce your aircraft's silhouette's mass where the wings meet the body. You narrow out the fuselage a little bit and attach the wings. Make sure where the wings are attached do not go outside the wasted zone.

Swept wings - Swept wings cause less drag for your aircraft. They allow for higher speeds and increase the durability of your aircraft because they sweep shock-waves back so that they don't affect your aircraft, but the air outside of it instead.

In-line engines - This one isn't critical like the last two, but it does help. Engines can cause drag, so when you're aiming for a sleek, small fighter, try getting your engines in line. If you have two, try to give them both an intake system on either side of the aircraft (like the F-18 for example), but if you have more that two, how to reduce drag for the engines is up to you.

Smooth armor - Make sure your aircraft looks like a low sound wave. Smooth, low and streamlined. Streamlined, sleek aircraft are best for super-sonic flight. because hard edges, even hidden behind a smooth one, can cause drag.

Stabilizers - External stabilizers cause a lot of drag and are cumbersome. If you can, shave off any extra wing tips and stabilizing surfaces, and opt to balance your CoM and CoT instead.

Canards - Canards can be your best friend. You see, when you exceed the speed of sound, there is a lot of air bogging down your control surfaces, and can make it hard to pitch up or down. So to combat this, add a small rotator to your horizontal stabilizers and set them to an activated group so you can turn them on and off. These can serve in the front or rear of your aircraft.

To keep much larger, longer or wider aircraft in check, it's best to have a large vertical stabilizer, but these, like your canards and wings, should be swept back, but it's normally a good idea to angle them, like on the B-2 bomber. It looks cool, reduces drag and keeps you stable.

~ I hope you found these useful, and good luck with your super-sonic projects!
~ Happy hunting~!

  • Log in to leave a comment
  • Profile image
    9,430 CALVIN232

    This one doesn't shake on high physics but I after using the emergency chutes once you disable them you can't then go to high speed or risk the plane exploding and on low
    Physics it shakes up and down when going above 5000 mph at low altitude but at high altitude it can reach 8000 mph sometimes more and then it gets stuck going up at 5000+ mph which is what the chutes are actually for to stop the plane as it can't stop itself

    8.1 years ago
  • Profile image
    9,430 CALVIN232

    Auto pilot can be used when 1 and 2 are disabled @OtterOfToast

    8.1 years ago
  • Profile image
    7,305 OtterOfToast

    @CALVIN232 The autopilot is in no way equipped to deal with such an unwieldy aircraft. It's too fast and too agile to engage autopilot without buggering itself.

    8.1 years ago
  • Profile image
    9,430 CALVIN232

    Just go with the latest one@OtterOfToast

    8.1 years ago
  • Profile image
    7,305 OtterOfToast

    @CALVIN232 Send the worst one to me, and I'll see what I can do for you!

    8.1 years ago
  • Profile image
    9,430 CALVIN232

    I'm having trouble with my air arrows when you go fast it shakes up and down which drops the speed

    8.1 years ago
  • Profile image
    7,305 OtterOfToast

    @Ezri Cheers!! :D 🍻

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    3,711 Ezri

    @OtterOfToast Ok, i'll take your word for it.

    Cheers!

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    7,305 OtterOfToast

    @Ezri It doesn't show in the drag view.

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    3,711 Ezri

    @OtterOfToast i'm not so sure... If you have a swept foreward wing aircraft, the wings are just as dragless as if swept back

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    7,305 OtterOfToast

    @Ezri That's good. White means less drag. Red means more drag. Swept wings, even in SP, do help reduce drag :D

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    3,711 Ezri

    Do swept wings actually crate drag in this game though, cause when you 'show the drag' then the wings are completely white.

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image

    @Somenewguy don't create anymore alts. If you want to continue playing this game then you will serve out the remainder of your ban. Being a jerk to other users when you return from your ban, or creating another alternate account to circumvent the current ban will both result in a permanent ip ban. I don't want to have to do that, you don't want me to have to do that.

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image

    @TheLatentImage No I don't learn, I learn at school.

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image

    @Somenewguy Glaceon/Shatterfox... you just don't learn do you? Are you trying to get yourself ip banned?

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image

    @OtterOfToast Not in this game apparently xD

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    7,305 OtterOfToast

    @Somenewguy Straight wings rip off at super-sonic speeds :P

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    26.3k Skua

    @PINK nope, very definitely flat bottom > semi-symmetric > symmetric in order from highest to lowest lift.

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image

    "Do you aircraft rip apart at the mere mention of going 162mph?"

    Bruh

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image

    @OtterOfToast its fine, I don't usually use modded engined. The xml modding I use the most is invincible wings.

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image

    @Griffith me too

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    6,444 AV8R

    @OtterOfToast I was the same way, until I opened up the XML files and realized all it let me do was fine tune things that the sliders/adjusters in-game force me to do poorly (like adjustments finer than 0.25 for fuselage blocks, rotations of less than 90 degrees). The engine mods don't bother me much either, because in real life there are WAY more than 5-6 engines available like we have in SP right now. I look at engine mods like I'm getting an engine from a different manufacturer.

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    25.2k JacobHardy64

    The SAAB J-39 Gripen and the English Electric Lightning are great examples of all of these points

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    67.8k PINK

    I though symmetric produces medium lift, flat none, semi most. @Skua

    8.6 years ago
  • Profile image
    7,305 OtterOfToast

    @Skua Oh neat thanks :D

    8.6 years ago
  • Log in to see more comments