KerbalX

1.12.5 Craft File Update

• Now includes Standardized Action Groups
• Removed invalid KIS part module references (1.7.1)
• Trimmed an unnecessary part or two to make the design accessible earlier in the tech tree (1.9.0)
• Automated landing lights (1.9.0)
• Adjusted aileron sensitivity to tame roll control (1.9.0)
• Auto-deploy takeoff/landing configuration with initial staging (1.9.1)
• Flight Tested and 1.12.5 Approved!

• Type: SPH
• Class: aircraft
• Part Count: 56
• Pure Stock
• KSP: 1.12.5

Description

FE-03 Scepter Science Interceptor by Untied Technologies. The next step in science and survey mission superiority!

A stock aircraft called FE-03 Scepter. Built with 56 of the finest parts, its root part is mk2Cockpit.Standard.

Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.12.5.

Design Notes

True to all of my designs, when this craft appears in the SPH (or possibly after staging) you will notice I have the various flaps and spoilers deployed for takeoff. When you stage-on the engines, the landing gear lights will also illuminate. The design concept is to manage flight configurations automatically. I view takeoff and landing configurations as equivalent; so I have the spoilers and flaps deployed for takeoff. Once you are in the air, the G key not only retracts gear, it also toggles off landing lights, and auto-configures the flaps/spoilers for normal high-speed flight. This lets me easily transition between flight and landing mode in all my designs using nothing but the G key.

I also like the idea of assigning various ON settings (like landing lights, and flap deployment) to the initial Stage of the aircraft. So you might see some of my craft leave the hangar in a clean flight configuration, but when the spacebar is pressed… the various control surfaces are deployed for takeoff. You really don’t need to worry much about how and when to deploy flaps and so forth, when you think it’s time to put the gear down, the plane configures itself to land automatically. However, my standard assignment of flaps to key 4 and landing lights to the U (undark hehehe) key is still available as well as the main engine toggle key 2 all of which would only be required if you wanted to completely shutdown the craft on site or at a hangar. Why do I always assign main engines to key 2? Because I reserve key 1 in all of my designs for Engine Mode Toggle, and key 3 is then used for secondary engines.

I do not like to see bright white light in the cockpit when the U key is pressed. So I always remove that. My U key toggles the lights that I need to takeoff and land; as opposed to blinding my night vision. So if I want to turn on cabin lights for some odd reason… I right-click on the part and turn on the lights. You might notice in some of my other designs I also use red light for cargo bay lights for the same reason, the red light preserves night vision.

In my latest 1.9 career, this craft has proven itself once again by knocking out two different Kerbin observation missions halfway around the globe on the same outing and returning to the KSP with fuel to spare. I probably could’ve done 3 missions on the same outing, but I had forgotten how efficient the Whiplashes are when used properly at altitude. The trick to flying these Whiplash powered planes is to set a course and then gun it for a 20-24km suborbital arch. Then ride (or push) the crest of that wave at 900-1100 m/s all the way to your destination with 0.5 or lower fuel consumption. If you’re running outta gas, you’re not flying these planes the right way! You could take the suborbital arch all the way to 40km, but the goal is to crest out at or near where the engines can still breathe and keep you cruising along in that 1000 m/s sweet spot at 0.3 fuel usage. As a result, I probably fly this plane more in map mode than I do in the standard third-person view.