This deceptively simple little thing is the most fun aircraft I've made in some time, and has possibly my best flight module so far. Earlier flight modules of mine had dual-mode handling: low or high maneuverability. This one, by contrast, has handling that varies smoothly from low speed to high speed.
50% throttle is the cruise setting for this aircraft. Any higher than that and the afterburner gets engaged. The afterburner is not a simple on-off toggle, but ramps smoothly up from 50% all the way to 100% throttle. Between 50% and 100% throttle, it has perfect trim; below 50% you have to use manual trim. The afterburner visual effect also ramps up smoothly, giving a visual indication of your throttle setting -- so you can fly this in third person mode, without the HUD overlay.
Instead of having separate controls for the variable geometry, that's also controlled by the throttle.
It can take off vertically, and also come to a dead stop in mid-air simply by cutting back the throttle to zero with VTOL mode on. Note: don't cut the throttle immediately, take it smoothly down to zero instead.
People have asked for the ability to install their own weapons on my previous airbrake-only builds, so this one comes with fuselage blocks visible in designer mode to let you do that. Note that any weapons added to this will need to have zero mass and drag, or they will degrade flight handling.
Features
- Low part count
- Simplified controls
- Variable geometry
- Rapid acceleration and deceleration
- Custom afterburner effect with color grading
- VTOL capability
- Insanely good flight handling at all speeds
- Perfect trim at any speed over 50% throttle
- Near-invulnerable to collisions
- Very overpowered burst-mode plasma cannons. But there's no crosshair, so you need some skill....
Controls
- Custom camera 1 is cockpit view
- FireGuns: fire plasma cannons
Regular flight mode
- Throttle: speed, afterburner, variable geometry
- Pitch, Yaw, and Roll: work as expected
VTOL mode (only available under 200 mph)
- LandingGear: retract to enable VTOL mode
- Pitch: ascend and descend
Specifications
General Characteristics
- Successors 1 airplane(s)
- Created On Windows
- Wingspan 19.7ft (6.0m)
- Length 54.9ft (16.7m)
- Height 17.7ft (5.4m)
- Empty Weight 49,999lbs (22,679kg)
- Loaded Weight 100,000lbs (45,359kg)
Performance
- Power/Weight Ratio 5.056
- Wing Loading 10.3lbs/ft2 (50.2kg/m2)
- Wing Area 9,730.6ft2 (904.0m2)
- Drag Points 108523
Parts
- Number of Parts 332
- Control Surfaces 2
- Performance Cost 2,325
How exactly did you make the software that generates these builds???
Amazing. I really like your builds@SledDriver
@MajorSix Well, as long as you like it : )
@SledDriver I'm speechless.
@LePetitMarseillais It's because the airbrakes, which it's made out of, don't extend until you enter the sandbox. Thanks : )
i dunno why the blueprint looks like a sandwich. very nice plane
Thanks, @Boatrider
Really nice handeling!
Thanks, @LofiTank. You ain't seen nothing yet :)
in-fu**ing-cred-ible, just when you think you've seen it all in simple planes.. great job, bravo.
@Texasfam04 Thanks, Tex. Every time I think this game has nothing more to discover, I find something... :)
Goodness, that SMOOTH
Really really neat! Flies great! Awesome use of airbrakes! I love seeing how stock parts can be utilized.
:)
Thanks, @ThisIsMyCreativeUsername @Subnerdica
@NightmareCorporation That's an odd notion. Do you also believe that exercise causes muscle loss? Or that productive work causes poverty?
Noice
Your builds are always cool
@SledDriver how much brain cells did you lose while Creating this thing
@SledDriver I just still think birds fly amazingly well regardless. But you got a valid point
@Panzer828
Most of those things can be done by airplanes and helicopters; the ones that can't are either because birds are the only things small and light enough to do them, or because we have no need to do it. Why is it a bad thing to need jet engines or propellers? Bone and muscle can't generate the kind of power a jet or prop engine does. An airplane can hover in place in a stream of air as well.
Birds have been continuously refined through evolution over millions of years; humans made their first heavier-than-air flight 117 years ago. Considering that I think we're doing pretty well.
@SledDriver birds can hover in a small stream of air, birds can take off vertically easily using just rotational energy. One of the falcons can fly at 60mph ish and impact water without taking any damage to itself then come right back out the water with fish. Birds can precisely land. Their wings have slots so they can decrease lift and increase it when they please without weight. Birds also don’t need jet engines or propellers. As far as I know there is no human aircraft that had a stall speed of a snail and can take off vertically and still go as fast as 60mph. The only limiting factor to birds is materials they are made of lol biotic stuff isn’t as strong as aluminum. And birds can still fly up to 37,000 feet which is really high.
@Panzer828 Best flying things? As far as I know, no bird has broken the sound barrier, or carried hundreds of passengers across the Pacific, or flown at 90,000 feet... from where I stand, we humans are beating the pants off birds.
@SledDriver it’s kinda funny to be honest, birds are some of the best flying things yet every time we try to recreate one it fails and jets and planes don’t look anything like birds.
Why, thank you, @AWESOMENESS360