Set the thrust limiter on your main engines to zero. However, don't put any fuel tanks on it yet, and empty any fuel-containing parts that you are using. Here's how you go about building a VTOL under these constraints.īuild yourself a plane. Not so with VTOLs: if the CoM shifts, you're not going to be able to land vertically anymore. Regular HTOL aircraft can afford to be a bit sloppy with this because aerodynamic forces will effectively obliterate moderate shifts in CoM - if your plane gets a bit more tail-happy as the tanks drain it's no problem, as long as your CoM stays ahead of your CoL. In other words, your fuel tanks need to be placed symmetrically around the centre of mass so it doesn't shift as the tanks dry, and you need to get your vertical thrust vector exactly aligned with said centre of mass. In particular, there's one constraint that needs special attention: centre of mass, and the invariance thereof, as you burn fuel. Getting all of this into one craft is a pretty intricate business, however. The cargo is near the centre of mass, but because it can shift, it's important to adjust the exact balance by tuning the power on the nose hoverjet.Īt its core, a VTOL aircraft is a plain old aircraft, with downward-pointing jets that produce a TWR of > 1.0 with the vector centred on the craft's centre of mass, and some way of controlling its attitude when it is hovering, because control surfaces do nothing at an airspeed of zero. It's a flatbed freighter suitable for shuttling base modules to and from the surface. A V/STOL atmospheric craft built for Duna can drop you on any dime, anywhere on the surface.īut mostly, the answer is still "because they're fun and educational and you can." On the other hand, atmospheric craft are superb for exploring it for the very same reason – you can scout for the perfect spot for your base, then land precisely there. Finally, it is really difficult to land a HTOL atmospheric craft on Duna because of the thin air: you'll be going really fast and terrain is really bumpy, so there's a huge risk of ending up as a big ball of fire, whereas it's very hard to land a conventional rocket lander precisely, like when you're aiming for your surface base. Kerbin has some biomes that are difficult to reach any other way. The same applies to Laythe, although it has gentler topography. There are a few missions for which a VTOL aircraft is ideal. Their hoverjets just have a TWR of less than 1.0.īecause they're fun and educational and you can. This guide also applies to STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft which do their thing using downward-pointing jets or rockets, because they're pretty much the same thing. So this guide is about atmospheric craft designed to fly by making use of lift generated by wings, which can take off and land vertically by use of downward-pointing jets or rockets. We're also not discussing helicopters here, because stock kerbals have not invented the propeller, and stock propellers are a whole big topic of their own. That's what this guide is all about, so we're not talking about VTOL rockets that don't make use of wings to produce lift. VTOL stands for "Vertical Take-Off and Landing." A VTOL aircraft as discussed here is a craft that's designed to fly aerodynamically, using lift produced by lifting surfaces, but take off and land vertically. Level: Intermediate/Advanced: You need to be able to slap together a plane that flies reasonably well before attempting a VTOL.īackground reading: Start with the fantastic Basic Aircraft Design tutorial in this very forum.
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