Updates to Published Projects

F-16C Viper Block 52 V5.6

I discovered an issue with the nose landing gear popping out when pulling high-G, which is now fixed. After messing around with rotator and part XML mass and failing, I decided to just have the landing gear rotate up more so that when it does flex, it doesn't go past the bay door. And it does so after the retraction, so you don't see it happen.

The afterburner has also been made more responsive, with less delay when transitioning from mil power to afterburner. And the overall drag has been reduced, increasing top speed and acceleration.

NF-104A Starfighter

The NF-104A is a modification of the F-104 designed for astronaut training with lengthened wings, RCS controls, and, most notably, a Rocketdyne AR2-3 liquid-fuel rocket engine, providing 27 kN additional thrust.

I'm still trying to get the rocket performance right, but I am running into an issue where it is acting like a regular (SP) jet engine, losing thrust at higher altitudes.

MiG-29A Fulcrum-C (9.13) V2.0

Since I felt like the F-16 needed something to fight against, I decided to make a MiG-29A. This particular variant is the 9.13, which has an enlarged spine to accomodate extra fuel. This earned the Fulcrum-C the nickname "fatback." It also happens to be the variant represented in War Thunder.

The landing gear retraction was definitely hard to get right, but it was worth it. I actually used Desmos to figure the animation out, which was fun. And like the F-16C, all the doors fit flush, which is pretty satisfying to watch.

Currently, the Fulcrum has the R-73 Archer (13 parts) and R-27ER Alamo-C (19 parts). The R-73 can use a helmet-mounted sight (HMS) to lock targets, which is replicated with 90 degree maxTargetingAngle. Stats-wise, the R-27ER is roughly analagous to the AIM-7F, but with better top speed, and the R-73 is probably the best air-to-air missile until I make something with an AIM-9X.

If you don't like the fatback look, you can easily remove the larger dorsal spine, revealing the regular MiG-29A spine underneath and converting your MiG-29A (9.13) to a MiG-29A (9.12). However, this removes ~2 minutes from your ~28 minute fuel load.

Currently the build stands at 498 parts. Compared to the F-16C, it has better angle of attack capability and low-speed maneuvering while the Viper has better stability and the advantage in a high-speed rate fight.