It's fun experimenting with random things in this game occasionally, but I think for my next video I'll try running a somewhat normal mission. What else do you want to see me make?
There is a KSP youtuber called Bradley Whistance and he was able to make a functioning ion engine plane. His solution for the height issue was simply to transport the plane to tall mountain then roll down the mountain for some free delta v.
@@clayel1 It was definitely Bradley. Stratzenblitz made a giant flying swing. Both of them succeeded but Bradley did it "legit" way (with insane part clipping).
I remember seeing someone go to orbit on ions only. It was a really funky contraption using ion-powered propellers for the start, then spinning up a spin launcher in mid-air to get over that dead zone before finally using the engines as intended. And all of that before proper joints were added, so they had to make due with wheels holding a fuel tank in place. I thought it was Stratzenblitz75, but I can't find it now, so it may have been someone else.
Hey Reid, you mentioned that you ran out of PB2 material challenges, but i thought up of another one: beating levels using only 1 of each material (so 1 road, 1 reinforced road, 1 wood, 1 steel, 1 rope, 1 cable, 1 hydraulic, and 1 spring). If that is too extreme then increase the number to 2.
Reid: Just a tip: KSP wings are poorly optimised for level flight, rotating them 2-5° backwards is actually the optimal angle of attack for wings at level flight, and it's not a small difference, just angling wings back slightly will make them create a lot more lift and give them a better lift to drag ratio in horizontal flight
This is exactly why i subbed to this channel. Stupid challenges? Check Creative and smart solutions? Check Cheesy jokes and sarcasm? Check Ksp? Check. Keep going rc! Your channel is awesome!
I have tried this before. The key is to find a glitchy wing that produces more lift with very little drag, drag glitch the entire fuselage, use the lightest possible construction and get a nuclear reactor for energy.
Very fair way to do it, I wanted to try not glitching things too badly, but with this game it can be difficult to draw the line at what is fair and isn't
Back before you whippersnappers had DLC and motorized joints, ion engines and reaction wheels were the only things we had to turn electricity into thrust, and our “all electric” planes were essentially this.
Hey Reid, if you need to do a challenge like this again, why not use a second, larger and more powerful plane to get the mission craft up to operational heights? A real world example would be like what they did for the X-15. Just make a big ol' plane with rapier engines and enough fuel, and detach the mission craft when ready.
i think the propellers are limited by angles, having them set to a HAL1000 really helps in tuning the required angle per speed/height. when i made a helicopter i realized that they only work within a frame of speed per angles and outside they either slow down the plane/helicopter or fight the air and slow them selves down. also the turning thing might be the gyro effect acting like a reaction wheel. (1 engine or 2 turning on the same side creates a rotating force, on opposing force it is like 90/-90 degrees shifted... so instead of rolling left/right it tilts up/down.)
Climbing up a tall mountain works as a way to start an ion plane. I happen to know the location of every peak over 6000 which has a pretty easy ramp all the way up. Although the route to get to that mountain isn't easy.
Hey Reid, I just wanted to mention I’ve been watching your channel since it was peewee, I dropped off for a while in college and I was pleasantly surprised to see you’re still going strong. Now that I’ve caught your attention; please don’t tell me you’re an aviation engineer in the real world D: Great to see ya again :)
You can use action groups to make motors even easier to use, toggle motor torque on/off with a press of 1 button... rather than going to each 1 individually and turning them on which upsets thrust balance
Ive gotten this to work by using a single ion engine. the trick is using a probe core and detachable landing gear while keeping weight to an absolute minimum. the landing gear is actually shockingly heavy
Just some advice, but on staged planes of any type always have the stage on the bottom. It keeps you from wrecking yourself during the stage. For added safety make the staged parts have a aerodynamic downforce so that the air itself will pull the parts away for a clean motorless staging. I use this when i need to give my SSTO's a little boost (yes i know it isn't an SSTO now, but sometimes you just need more Dv to get heavy objects, like a large fuel tank for my orbital fuel station, into orbit).
pretty neat idea, but for the next time you have stability issuses: use autostrut, it would probably have helped allot, same thing could be said about your nuclear orbiter
I think you can do this, I would try making another plane and launching it from that. Or making a Russian-Bear like aircraft with lots of ion engines crammed in a small space.
This is... pain, I remember trying to use these engines in atmosphere and it’s... good god it’s so difficult. The most useful thing I could find for them is to make them into auxiliary or just backup power/boost for a rover, a REALLY lightweight small rover, and essentially all they do is lighten the load on the wheels so they’re not using as much power... I’ve them in space and yeah they’re much better, for patience based very slow interplanetary orbit sling(guess that’s what it’s called) travel... I love the Ion engines for their idea and concept but they’re just so hard to work with
You could have carried the aircraft under a larger launch-plane and dropped it once at altitude and saved you a whole lot of trouble with the propellers.
Ik this is VERY late, but for the propellers u should make them more parallel with thw shaft the faster u go so u can go even faster, hope it makes sense. EDIT: i mean the angle of the blade, relative to the motor shaft
can you get into orbit with no engines? (no liquid fuel engines, liquid or jet engines) this might be possible with propellers+electric motors and some way to store energy to fling the spacecraft into orbit once it has reached height (but like 100 times more complicated)
Your issue with both planes was lift-to-drag ratio - the wing surface area was far too high relative to their length! I look at real-world examples of vehicles when designing - in this case, something like a glider would be a good inspiration. They have extremely long, very thin wings, which come out from the fuselage at an angle of 90 degrees. This gives them an extremely favourable lift-to-drag ratio, but severely limits their maximum speed. In contrast, on both of your planes you used large swept wings which were almost as wide as they were long. This design is far more suitable for high-speed aircraft - look at the wings on a fighter jet, for example. They produce little lift, but are stable at very high speeds.
Technically, you can, just not conventional. You can't really take off like normal planes can, you have to be launched or be brought to thinner atmosphere where there is less drag and the ion engine can do more.
It's fun experimenting with random things in this game occasionally, but I think for my next video I'll try running a somewhat normal mission. What else do you want to see me make?
make a car lol
FURTHEST PLANET WITH TUTORIAL ROCKET
Get to Eeloo and back without using struts or auto strut. Or a planet that's also challenging, if Eeloo's too hard.
Don't forget, use G to retract landing gear, it helped me out a ton. :)
Something involving BDA!
There is a KSP youtuber called Bradley Whistance and he was able to make a functioning ion engine plane. His solution for the height issue was simply to transport the plane to tall mountain then roll down the mountain for some free delta v.
Not only did he make a plane, but a mission to duna, really impressive channel
@@bastion_108 that was strazenblitz i believe
@@clayel1 It was definitely Bradley. Stratzenblitz made a giant flying swing. Both of them succeeded but Bradley did it "legit" way (with insane part clipping).
@@clayel1 stratzenblitz made another ion plane but I think bradley's was a bit more like an actual plane, both videos are really cool!
The "So I tried making a trebuchet" really caught me off guard.
Hi Dpad. Weird seeing you here.
Note to self: Reid makes his own lemonade.
Very important info
Obviously
I would like to taste a lemonade made by a such wise person 😀
@@ReidCaptain video idea: make a lemonade machine and proceed to make another machine to make the lemonade *reallity*
life gave him lemons
I remember seeing someone go to orbit on ions only.
It was a really funky contraption using ion-powered propellers for the start, then spinning up a spin launcher in mid-air to get over that dead zone before finally using the engines as intended.
And all of that before proper joints were added, so they had to make due with wheels holding a fuel tank in place.
I thought it was Stratzenblitz75, but I can't find it now, so it may have been someone else.
It was Bradley Whistance iirc, although he used only ions to get to duna im pretty sure.
@@Voyager2509 nah bradley whistance made a legit ion plane to duna
@@chadfalkin6850 and without any motors
Hey Reid, you mentioned that you ran out of PB2 material challenges, but i thought up of another one: beating levels using only 1 of each material (so 1 road, 1 reinforced road, 1 wood, 1 steel, 1 rope, 1 cable, 1 hydraulic, and 1 spring). If that is too extreme then increase the number to 2.
Note to you: learn how to use action groups
Reid: Just a tip:
KSP wings are poorly optimised for level flight, rotating them 2-5° backwards is actually the optimal angle of attack for wings at level flight, and it's not a small difference, just angling wings back slightly will make them create a lot more lift and give them a better lift to drag ratio in horizontal flight
This is exactly why i subbed to this channel.
Stupid challenges? Check
Creative and smart solutions? Check
Cheesy jokes and sarcasm? Check
Ksp? Check.
Keep going rc! Your channel is awesome!
Not properly reading or understanding the parts half the time - Check
Not having any idea what autostrut is - Check
Not knowing what mods are - check
I have tried this before. The key is to find a glitchy wing that produces more lift with very little drag, drag glitch the entire fuselage, use the lightest possible construction and get a nuclear reactor for energy.
Very fair way to do it, I wanted to try not glitching things too badly, but with this game it can be difficult to draw the line at what is fair and isn't
This game is basically glitch or it wont happen tbh
What wing is glitchy
Heat shields.
hold alt + rotational key to add trim. good for planes. you wouldve been able to set it to a rotation where you gain height and altitude
It would be really cool to see a longer flight!
Back before you whippersnappers had DLC and motorized joints, ion engines and reaction wheels were the only things we had to turn electricity into thrust, and our “all electric” planes were essentially this.
Don't forget, use G to retract landing gear, it helped me out a ton. :)
I always forget the keybinds, thanks!
Ngl your my favorite TH-camr rn because of how humble you are about how long it takes to even makes the video.
Today: "Ion engimes"
..."but i actually build a propeller plane"
The delta wing biplane is wild lmao
powered by propellers*
1:40 Kraken attack
For the debug menu, you can set physics easing off when you do the set craft position thing
Omg, finally released. Been waiting for this since you announced it in the community tab. 👌👍👌
Yeah I was a day late because I was burnt out from a midterm, but I finally wrapped it up!
@@ReidCaptain keep the grind up,
brother 👍👌👍
Ok, but that mechanism in the beginning is actually genius
Looks like a flying windmill
Reid: "I'm gonna build a plane with ion engines only!"
The actual plane: "I'm a prop plane now."
Da fuq man?
In this episode, Reid makes an intergalactic flying windfarm
"compresses as it comes down".... uh... chief? thats.... decompression
Hey Reid, if you need to do a challenge like this again, why not use a second, larger and more powerful plane to get the mission craft up to operational heights? A real world example would be like what they did for the X-15. Just make a big ol' plane with rapier engines and enough fuel, and detach the mission craft when ready.
14:30 am i the only one who noticed the propellers flying awkwardly and dying?
i think the propellers are limited by angles, having them set to a HAL1000 really helps in tuning the required angle per speed/height. when i made a helicopter i realized that they only work within a frame of speed per angles and outside they either slow down the plane/helicopter or fight the air and slow them selves down. also the turning thing might be the gyro effect acting like a reaction wheel. (1 engine or 2 turning on the same side creates a rotating force, on opposing force it is like 90/-90 degrees shifted... so instead of rolling left/right it tilts up/down.)
today ive discovered several new parts, such as the controller and the engine plate
Climbing up a tall mountain works as a way to start an ion plane. I happen to know the location of every peak over 6000 which has a pretty easy ramp all the way up. Although the route to get to that mountain isn't easy.
now you just need to slap some reaction wheels on there and you'll have a tiny ion SSTO
this is the second ksp video we've been jumpscared by seeing you in the comments
This must be what the wright brothers were thinking at the time.
As long as it holds up for 5 seconds we are flying
i love this content sooo much i really wish you had infinite ideas
About spring, so you jump using springs mass hitting your spaceship , to get more power, you need to use spring as a spring as you did at 2:00
Do something with exactly one of every fuel tank
0:43 I call this one the “Wobble Wobble V1”.
"minor problems"
[face rams a fuel tank]
The title: KSP with ion engines
The video: can we make siege weapons in ksp
I've always wondered this, I never even got my plane of the ground XD. Great video! :D
adjusting the angle of the propeller using a controller mid flight is a great way to boost your speed
Me with a KAL 1000 controller exploit: You under-estimate my power.
Another day, another plane without vertical stabilizers.
A typical Reid Captain video.
I did something, but forgot to reinforce. So I reinforced it. Every single time he does something. xD
babe wake up new reid ksp video
no cockpit, just a seat on a square wing with propeller in front and a few ion engines on back. Lack of energy is biggest problem though.
Note to self #2: Steal Reids lemonade
Hey Reid, I just wanted to mention I’ve been watching your channel since it was peewee, I dropped off for a while in college and I was pleasantly surprised to see you’re still going strong.
Now that I’ve caught your attention; please don’t tell me you’re an aviation engineer in the real world D:
Great to see ya again :)
Someone took an only ion engine plane to orbit 3 years ago
Tip: use a lot of battery so it will be enough for you to fly. They are quite lightweight
You should do only those solid fuel seperators
11:22 "looks like its a little unstable
The plane: i only have 2 back wheels pls help
reid’s friends before he builds this monstrosity: *look closely hes gonna do something stupid but works*
Man, this video made me realize im an extreme pendant
another game that i think you would like is simplerockets 2
its like ksp but with procedural parts
Interesting, will look into it
the King is back
Reid shows us the importance of vertical stabilizers
i didnt even know what ion engines were before i saw this video, yet i watched it anyways because this is Reid Captain
You can use action groups to make motors even easier to use, toggle motor torque on/off with a press of 1 button... rather than going to each 1 individually and turning them on which upsets thrust balance
First part of the video bro's trying to make a slingshot
Ive gotten this to work by using a single ion engine. the trick is using a probe core and detachable landing gear while keeping weight to an absolute minimum. the landing gear is actually shockingly heavy
Everyday, he's voice slowly becomes more and more similar to nile red's one lmfao
Just some advice, but on staged planes of any type always have the stage on the bottom. It keeps you from wrecking yourself during the stage.
For added safety make the staged parts have a aerodynamic downforce so that the air itself will pull the parts away for a clean motorless staging.
I use this when i need to give my SSTO's a little boost (yes i know it isn't an SSTO now, but sometimes you just need more Dv to get heavy objects, like a large fuel tank for my orbital fuel station, into orbit).
in today's episode: reid makes way more than a plane
A pusher-puller ion engine-propellor aircraft is really cool
This episode brought to you by the Wile E. Coyote School of Aviation
Now make a rocket go to space using the spring mecanism.
Reids secret: MOAR BOOSTERS
pretty neat idea, but for the next time you have stability issuses: use autostrut, it would probably have helped allot, same thing could be said about your nuclear orbiter
Seeing this channel makes me appreciate my horrible skills
Looks like a flying solar farm
Im glad that i actually own this, cause when i was younger my dad just pirated it lol
I would just play the demo, but that was very limiting
based dad
Bro was using physics and gravity to move
9:32 Renewable energy
I think you can do this, I would try making another plane and launching it from that. Or making a Russian-Bear like aircraft with lots of ion engines crammed in a small space.
The whole "vertical stabilizers are optional until proven otherwise" design of aircraft is killing me.
12:00 the reason for why is it so unstable is because of the centrifugal force the rotors are causing
I really like the big wings on this aircraft.
Me who can bearly get to space using a massive rocket
This is... pain, I remember trying to use these engines in atmosphere and it’s... good god it’s so difficult. The most useful thing I could find for them is to make them into auxiliary or just backup power/boost for a rover, a REALLY lightweight small rover, and essentially all they do is lighten the load on the wheels so they’re not using as much power... I’ve them in space and yeah they’re much better, for patience based very slow interplanetary orbit sling(guess that’s what it’s called) travel... I love the Ion engines for their idea and concept but they’re just so hard to work with
MORE TREBUCHET PLEASE GOD YES
Fun Fact: you can break everything by using KAL1000 controllers to change the throttle of any engine to stupid speeds.
Didn't that get patched?
@@mach5620 No still works.
Next video: can you get to space with only nuclear weapons in kerbal space program?
what mods do you play with? or this DLC content
7:13 - Use propeller blades and use a collective to manage pitch.
Robotics are complex in ksp.
@Reid captain Pc Version of SFS is out 😮😮
When do we get a lemonade making challenge video? Something like:
**Can you make lemonade using only cardboard and coins?**
You should try mindustry! I think you'd like it a lot
He accidentally built the Arsenal Bird
You could have carried the aircraft under a larger launch-plane and dropped it once at altitude and saved you a whole lot of trouble with the propellers.
Ik this is VERY late, but for the propellers u should make them more parallel with thw shaft the faster u go so u can go even faster, hope it makes
sense.
EDIT: i mean the angle of the blade, relative to the motor shaft
PLAY SPACE ENGINEERS PLZ! Its amazing!!!!
can you get into orbit with no engines? (no liquid fuel engines, liquid or jet engines)
this might be possible with propellers+electric motors and some way to store energy to fling the spacecraft into orbit once it has reached height (but like 100 times more complicated)
Bread 👍
👍
You should play stormworks
How about only fuel dispensers (i forgor 💀 name)
next: go to Jool with Kraken drive.
Your issue with both planes was lift-to-drag ratio - the wing surface area was far too high relative to their length!
I look at real-world examples of vehicles when designing - in this case, something like a glider would be a good inspiration. They have extremely long, very thin wings, which come out from the fuselage at an angle of 90 degrees. This gives them an extremely favourable lift-to-drag ratio, but severely limits their maximum speed.
In contrast, on both of your planes you used large swept wings which were almost as wide as they were long. This design is far more suitable for high-speed aircraft - look at the wings on a fighter jet, for example. They produce little lift, but are stable at very high speeds.
Technically, you can, just not conventional. You can't really take off like normal planes can, you have to be launched or be brought to thinner atmosphere where there is less drag and the ion engine can do more.
i could have a ''thrust'' issue if my spacecraft explodes even if they said if its safe