KerbalX

Description

The Bell X-1 (Bell Model 44) is a rocket engine-powered aircraft, designated originally as the XS-1, and was a joint National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA, the precursor to NASA)-US Army Air Forces-US Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived during 1944 and designed and built in 1945, it achieved a speed of nearly 1,000 mph (447.04 m/s) in 1948. A derivative of this same design, the Bell X-1A, having greater fuel capacity and hence longer rocket burning time, exceeded 1,600 mph (715.264 m/s) in 1954. The X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, was the first manned airplane to exceed the speed of sound at level flight and was the first of the X-planes, a series of American experimental rocket and non-rocket planes designed for testing new technologies.

This KSP recreation, despite not being orange, looks very much alike its real-life counterpart, and behaves similarly. For a more realistic flight, attach this to the bottom of a B-29 bomber, but this craft can still take off on its own, despite constantly dragging its tail across the runway. Landings are easy too, just make sure it’s butter, as the low wheel base doesn’t do it much justice.

Make sure the spoilers (AG4) are deployed AFTER touchdown, as combining them with the flaps (AG1) really slows it down, but not all the way. So, if you’re planning a long approach, do not deploy the spoilers until the wheels have touched the runway, as the plane will lose lift quickly. Also, do not extend the antennae. Period. They are just for show.

I did have to swap out the Swivel engine for a scaled-down Vector, as the original was having a very hard time reaching 341 m/s (the speed of sound at sea level). With the scaled down Vector, it should now be able to at least break the sound barrier. Keep in mind that even though the Vector is half its original size, it still performs admirably. I should know, I did it with the Staraeroterraraptor (and I believe a few others as well).

A mod aircraft called Bell X-1. Built with 54 of the finest parts, its root part is x1cockpit.

Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.5.1.

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: ship
• Part Count: 54
• Mods: 7
• KSP: 1.5.1

Mods

• Airplane Plus
• NEBULA Decals Continued
• NEBULA EVA handrails pack.
• Procedural Parts
• RemoteTech
• Squad (stock)
• TweakScale - Rescale Everything!