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The Beachcraft, as the name implies, flying over the beaches near the KSC.
- Although its original owner did fly here sometimes, most of her sightseeing flights were somewhere else on the planet. Furthermore, the Kerbal Space Program didn’t exist at the time.
- After it was retrofitted with a probe core many decades later, it was brought here for a test flight.
The Beachcraft with its cargo inventory on display in the SPH.
- This was meant as a recreational short-range aircraft and not to be used for any serious survey missions. The thermometer was mostly for show, as one would like to know the temperature of the landing spot while on vacation.
After a painless takeoff - I didn’t even need to pitch up before liftoff at 80 m/s - I gained some altitude and turned west towards Alt Test Mountains.
Description
Commissioned by Wynter Kerman II so she can go sightseeing over the beaches - followed by short-range personal travel. Later, she starting bringing along her husband and daughter for sightseeing and short-distance vacations. Even when jets and/or longer-range aircraft became available, Wynter Two still used this plane because she wanted to … still experience what flight was like back in my younger years.
After she died, Wynter Three inherited this plane and, like her mother before her, used it for occasional sightseeing.
Many decades later - and several years before Irpond Kerman started her interplanetry killing spree - Kerbin’s legislature passed a law mandating that all new planes be equipped with an autopilot program and a means to control it remotely. This Beachcraft was exempted thanks to the Manufactured Before Passage
and Purely Personal Usage,
clauses, but Wynter Four did agree to retrofit the plane with MechJeb. Years later, after she was murdered by notorious fugitive Misty Kerman, her heirs paid to get a probe core and knockout gas dispensers installed in case the plane got hijacked. Although this particular aircraft had never been involved in any crimes (other than Wynter Three’s alleged adultery a long time ago), Wynter Four’s children wanted to be Better safe than sorry.
A stock aircraft called Beachcraft. Built with 74 of the finest parts, its root part is probeStackSmall.
Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.12.4.
Clearing Alt Test Mountains with ease. Although the craft was intended for low-altitude sightseeing, KSP test pilots love to take their vehicles over Alt Test Mountains.
Details
- Type: SPH
- Class: aircraft
- Part Count: 74
- Pure Stock
- KSP: 1.12.4
Takeoff Instructions
- Engage the brakes and turn on SAS. It doesn’t matter if you have a pilot or not.
- Full throttle.
- Disengage brakes.
- Press and hold H (translate forward). It increases the propeller blade deploy angle - hence your speed.
- Retract gear when airborne.
- Keep tapping H as necessary to keep optimal blade angle (which maximizes thrust). It is recommended to tap rather than press and hold for fine-turning blade angle. Best blade angle for maximizing thrust is 45 degrees, but you do what works best for you.
- Be advised that you may need to slowly lower blade angle again at some point. When that happens, translate back using N.
RECOMMENDED CRUISE
Altitude: 8 km (~26k ft, which is technically Class Alpha airspace)
- This test run flew at 7.85 km, but that was due to a screw-up involving the MJ autopilot.
- It’s best to get up to 8 km manually, then keep ascending for a few seconds before activating the altitude hold.
Velocity: 205 m/s (~450 mph)
Landing Advice
After you land the plane, (unless you’re all done with it) press and hold N to return the blade angles back to 0 before taking off again.
95 units of fuel left, and I flew 331 km west from the KSC in 28 minutes. It had a good flight, but it was time to land.
- Lucky thing it didn’t overshoot the desert peninsula when the
LAND IMMEDIATELY
alarm went off, or the pilot would be in a lot of trouble.
Descending at a very low throttle for an off-road landing test along the desert beaches.
After a two-wheeled landing (that tailwheel didn’t want to touch the ground for a bit), the plane managed to come to a complete stop in one piece.
- However, due to an unforeseen complication, the hatch was obstructed and Val couldn’t get out for a photo.
- The ladder was moved several times and the cockpit was replaced, but no good. Finally, the engines were moved from the center a bit - and just like that, Val was able to get in and out of the plane. Apparently, the blades were too close to the hatch for it to open.
Additional Notes
This plane was loosely based on the Beechcraft Model 18 - which was also known as the C-45. The Beachcraft was able to pass its real-life counterpart’s service ceiling (at least as a cruising altitude, I didn’t try to go higher than that), and it went at double the maximum speed. However, I could only manage 1/6th of the range before I needed to land.
- Not that I planned to do anything serious with the Beachcraft anyway.
Major Stanley Cohen (d. 2016) in front of a C-45 Beechcraft named the Hokie Pokie.
After it was retired from military service, its most prominent owner was Virginia Tech - whose mascot was the Hokies. Later, in 2014, it was purchased for the Tri-State Warbird Museum in Batavia, OH, by WWII veteran and Virginia Tech alumni Stanley Cohen. The plane is now on display at the museum.
- Image taken from the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets’ Cohen Memorial Webpage
