@SlowJet I can make a flying brick, and I can make a stealthy brick, but I can't make a flying, stealthy brick. It's not in the nature of bricks to do both at the same time.
Also, if you find that your plane tends to pitch down, you can use two techniques to fix this:
Move your engines lower, so that the center of thrust moves lower in relation to the center of mass.
Add semi-symmetric or flat-bottom wings near the nose of your plane, to provide lift and keep your plane's nose level. Take care to keep the center of lift behind the center of mass while doing this.
@Tully2001 No offense taken, but most of my planes are highly stylized, not meant to be realistic. The wings are thick so that the curve looks prettier when the light reflects off it.
Other things you might point out are that the two wings are too close together - this would cause turbulent drag between them. The lack of landing gear, no visible control surfaces, no exhaust for the jet engine, the nose looking like a prop engine but with no prop, etc. And of course, since 1940 or so, it makes no sense to make biplanes at all.
@MrMecha A glider wouldn't work with this style of construction -- the drag would be too great. I could build a slow-flying plane, though, but I find slow planes really boooooooringgggggggg, so I'd probably have to be completely out of other ideas to build one... maybe I could build a plane that looks slow, like the U-2, but goes 3000 mph anyway.
@Captain123 Sure. Up until "Silver Eagle" I was editing XML files manually, typing in the values for frontScale, rearScale, and offset for each block, calculating the values in my head. Starting with Metabomber, I wrote a script to generate the XML directly from code. At the moment the scripts aren't usable by anyone but a programmer, but when/if I get around to giving them a usable interface, I'll release them.
@MrMecha Glad you like it. I wanted it to evoke a crouching beast, ready to spring. The central section is supposed to be like a head jutting forward on a thick neck, and the side sections like limbs. Oh, and thanks for the spotlight!
@FlyingThings Excellent effort. That's more or less how I started. You just need to get smoothly blended curves. Here's how I used to do it:
your central section's frontScale and rearScale is, say, 60 x 10
For the next section, subtract 0.1 from the height, getting 60, 9.9
For the next, subtract 0.2, getting 60, 9.7
Next, subtract 0.3, getting 60, 9.4
Next, subtract 0.4, getting 60, 9
This will give you a smoothly increasing slope, i.e. a curve. Then at some point you'll want to reduce the slope again to blend into the wing. So start decreasing the decrement. Let's say you want to start reducing the curve when your decrement is 0.9:
For the next section, subtract 0.8
For the next section, subtract 0.7
For the next section, subtract 0.6
and so on. This will give you a nice S-shaped curve wherever you use this technique.
To recap: the decrements you're applying to successive sections will look like this:
I might make a tutorial on how to make planes fly well, if enough people are interested. It's actually quite simple, once you understand the (very few) rules.
@FlyingThings If I ever get my scripts to have a user interface that's usable by laypersons, I'll release them. Meanwhile, here's a primer. A fuselage block has five factors affecting its shape:
frontScale and rearScale (width, height)
offset X (sweep or horizontal curve)
offset Y (vertical curve)
offset Z (length)
cornerType (smooth, circular, square, curved)
I suggest you create a new airplane, and add a single fuselage block. Use OverloadXML to set its frontScale and rearScale to (50, 10), and offset to (0, 0, 1). Now rotate it 90 degrees around the Y-axis, and you have the type of basic building block that I use. Now clone it, say ten times, and stick all the cloned sections together, so you have a straight "wing."
Now start at one end and change the values one by one, using OverloadXML. You could start with width. For the first section, set the frontScale to (49, 10). For the next section, set the rearScale to (49, 10) and frontScale to (47, 10). Then (47, 10) and (44, 10) and so on, increasing the difference by one each time (50-1, 49-2, 47-3 and so on). You'll end up with a wing that smoothly tapers down in width. Next you can play with the height: (49, 9), (47, 7) and so on.
Once you get the hang of that, try playing with the other values. I'm always happy to answer questions, so feel free to ask.
It's just fuselage blocks turned sideways, and the various values (width, height, run, rise) set to mathematically-calculated values. It would be very hard if I were doing it manually, but I've created scripts that let me generate shapes mathematically. So I'm not laboriously dragging in fuselage blocks and setting the values for each manually, I just put in some numbers and tweak the calculations a bit, and the scripts generate the shape. Then I just have to tweak a few things, add wings and engines, etc. @FlyingThings @Aeroman77
@phanps Thanks, that's good to hear.
@FlyingThings That's ok, @MrMecha has me covered. Thanks for the thought (and the upvote).
@FlyingThings Now that you mention it...
@MAHADI Thanks.
@SlowJet I can make a flying brick, and I can make a stealthy brick, but I can't make a flying, stealthy brick. It's not in the nature of bricks to do both at the same time.
@TheTekkit101 That's what she said.
@Supercraft888 "Uneven elephant?" Is that what the jealous ones are calling my builds these days?
@PlanesOfOld Sublime Text.
@ICESX Ah, I see what you mean. But well, it is an alien craft, like a lot of my builds. If you find it unsettling it's doing its job :)
@MrMecha I was hoping someone would comment on that...
Make sure you don't miss my first VTOL aircraft.
@ICESX Uncomfortable to look at? Why's that?
@Treadmill103 Thank you! I finally decided to have a go at a VTOL aircraft now that gyroscopes are available.
Also, if you find that your plane tends to pitch down, you can use two techniques to fix this:
Move your engines lower, so that the center of thrust moves lower in relation to the center of mass.
Add semi-symmetric or flat-bottom wings near the nose of your plane, to provide lift and keep your plane's nose level. Take care to keep the center of lift behind the center of mass while doing this.
Yeah, for a first plane, this is quite good. Here are things you might want to change:
Try to keep the mass near the centerline of the plane, i.e. don't put fuel in wings. This will help with roll speed.
To increase roll speed, keep ailerons on the outer tips of the wings (lever principle).
Adding deadweight is usually unnecessary - try to think of ways to change the balance of your plane without adding weight.
More power is generally better - add more engines, or XML-mod the existing ones.
Outstanding.
@TheBroadside All right, all right.
@MrMecha Yeah, I thought this kind of build would go well with the bright colours...
@Bobplanes322 Thanks!
@SuperHappyFoo Always good advice...
@Tully2001 Here you go.
@Treadmill103 Thanks. More tea?
@Tully2001 No offense taken, but most of my planes are highly stylized, not meant to be realistic. The wings are thick so that the curve looks prettier when the light reflects off it.
Other things you might point out are that the two wings are too close together - this would cause turbulent drag between them. The lack of landing gear, no visible control surfaces, no exhaust for the jet engine, the nose looking like a prop engine but with no prop, etc. And of course, since 1940 or so, it makes no sense to make biplanes at all.
@mushr0om Hmm. Look forward to being able to use it.
@mushr0om Thanks. What mod are you using to get graphics like that?
A big improvement on your first effort (which was pretty good itself), well done. A very original design.
@Fjorge @Awsomur 'Kathode' is German for cathode, I hope you know what that means.
@AfterShock Yes, I don't know what came over me.
@TheBroadside Wow, not even an upvote. You are the most ungrateful person I've encountered in a long time.
Paging @TheBroadside
@Maxwell1 I have no idea what a Y-wing is, any resemblance is purely coincidental.
@Maxwell1 What if I made this thing launch a smaller bomb that launches another bomb?
@FlyingThings Sure, no problem. What are you trying to build?
@Treadmill103 I know the feeling, I used to be a big tea and coffee addict...
@Treadmill103 Thanks, your designs are very original too. More tea?
@MrMecha Like this one?
@MrMecha A glider wouldn't work with this style of construction -- the drag would be too great. I could build a slow-flying plane, though, but I find slow planes really boooooooringgggggggg, so I'd probably have to be completely out of other ideas to build one... maybe I could build a plane that looks slow, like the U-2, but goes 3000 mph anyway.
@Captain123 Sure. Up until "Silver Eagle" I was editing XML files manually, typing in the values for frontScale, rearScale, and offset for each block, calculating the values in my head. Starting with Metabomber, I wrote a script to generate the XML directly from code. At the moment the scripts aren't usable by anyone but a programmer, but when/if I get around to giving them a usable interface, I'll release them.
@MrMecha Glad you like it. I wanted it to evoke a crouching beast, ready to spring. The central section is supposed to be like a head jutting forward on a thick neck, and the side sections like limbs. Oh, and thanks for the spotlight!
@TheBroadside Hmm, I might do it tomorrow, but don't hold me to that. Definitely this week.
@FlyingThings Excellent effort. That's more or less how I started. You just need to get smoothly blended curves. Here's how I used to do it:
your central section's frontScale and rearScale is, say, 60 x 10
For the next section, subtract 0.1 from the height, getting 60, 9.9
For the next, subtract 0.2, getting 60, 9.7
Next, subtract 0.3, getting 60, 9.4
Next, subtract 0.4, getting 60, 9
This will give you a smoothly increasing slope, i.e. a curve. Then at some point you'll want to reduce the slope again to blend into the wing. So start decreasing the decrement. Let's say you want to start reducing the curve when your decrement is 0.9:
For the next section, subtract 0.8
For the next section, subtract 0.7
For the next section, subtract 0.6
and so on. This will give you a nice S-shaped curve wherever you use this technique.
To recap: the decrements you're applying to successive sections will look like this:
0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, .... 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1
I might make a tutorial on how to make planes fly well, if enough people are interested. It's actually quite simple, once you understand the (very few) rules.
@TheGabster64 Glad you like it.
Thanks, @TheGabster64
Thanks @armstrongaviationgroup, I'm glad you like it.
Thanks, @Aeroman77
@FlyingThings If I ever get my scripts to have a user interface that's usable by laypersons, I'll release them. Meanwhile, here's a primer. A fuselage block has five factors affecting its shape:
frontScale and rearScale (width, height)
offset X (sweep or horizontal curve)
offset Y (vertical curve)
offset Z (length)
cornerType (smooth, circular, square, curved)
I suggest you create a new airplane, and add a single fuselage block. Use OverloadXML to set its frontScale and rearScale to (50, 10), and offset to (0, 0, 1). Now rotate it 90 degrees around the Y-axis, and you have the type of basic building block that I use. Now clone it, say ten times, and stick all the cloned sections together, so you have a straight "wing."
Now start at one end and change the values one by one, using OverloadXML. You could start with width. For the first section, set the frontScale to (49, 10). For the next section, set the rearScale to (49, 10) and frontScale to (47, 10). Then (47, 10) and (44, 10) and so on, increasing the difference by one each time (50-1, 49-2, 47-3 and so on). You'll end up with a wing that smoothly tapers down in width. Next you can play with the height: (49, 9), (47, 7) and so on.
Once you get the hang of that, try playing with the other values. I'm always happy to answer questions, so feel free to ask.
@KSPFSXandSP Yes, I wasn't trying for that intentionally, but it did end up looking a lot like the SR-71.
@recker422 The basilisk myth has been around for at least two thousand years.
@TheBroadside If I did, would you upvote it? :)
@Solarisaircraft Why, thank you. Hope you had (are having?) fun flying it around and bombing things.
It's just fuselage blocks turned sideways, and the various values (width, height, run, rise) set to mathematically-calculated values. It would be very hard if I were doing it manually, but I've created scripts that let me generate shapes mathematically. So I'm not laboriously dragging in fuselage blocks and setting the values for each manually, I just put in some numbers and tweak the calculations a bit, and the scripts generate the shape. Then I just have to tweak a few things, add wings and engines, etc. @FlyingThings @Aeroman77
@MrMecha Yeah, using subdivisions of 0.5 units has that effect... you should see what happens at 0.1 units.