Another F-18 Space Adventure

[lowellyerex]

When I last posted some screenshots of my thrust-modified F-18 high (90000+ feet)above Wellington I used some artistic license and called it "F-18 in Space", because that's what it looked like. Of course some pedant (Jimmy) complained that it wasn't really in space. Well, I repeated the venture again, and this time I'll brook no such criticism.

Taking off from Wgtn Rwy 16, I performed an Immelman turn over the Strait, and dived back towards NZWN, reaching mach 2 over the runway. Then with afterburners on, pulled into a vertical climb over the harbour. Up she went, finally reaching 0 KIAS at 603,000 feet! Now if that's not space, nothing is.


View over the South Island from about 400,000 feet.



Looking out the side of the canopy.


The F-18 slid backwards to about 380,000 feet, then got stuck for a while in an end-over-end tumble, dropping a little, then climbing a little. Finally, it stabilised into an extremely rapid dive:



Diving back towards NZWN. About 200,000 feet, and speed showing mach 4.3


Pulling out at about 20,000 feet over the Hut Valley, I threw out the speed brake and turned back towards NZWN. A safe landing was made back on rwy 16.




Yeah, I'm officially an astronaut!

[Charl]

Overclocking again...
Matter of interest, since you are into extreme mods, what's the limit of the FSX flight engine?
Can your F-18 go Mach 1 gazillion?
Could it launch itself on a Mars trajectory?

[Jimmy]

Is that a freeware aircraft? Id love the the air file and ac.cfg

Did you get the "overspeed" warning on your somewhat rapid descent?

With a correctly modeled aircraft is it actuly possible to monuver up in space? can fsx simulate the extreme skill youd need to correctly fly somethign down from space threw the atmosphere?? I slewed a 738 up into "space" , it just sorta hanged there, of course controll inputs had no effect.. and the engins died lol

[lowellyerex]

Charl, you're quite right, can't help myself. I even run my espresso machine with the pressure gauge in the red zone - waiting for it to explode one day.

I don't actually know what the limits are. Slewing seems to stop at 99,999 feet, to go higher you need to fly there. Strange things start to happen, as you'd expect with an aircraft in space I suppose. As you say, Jimmy, the controls have no effect, which is not surprising as there's no air for them to act on. The rate that the aircraft speed slows dramatically decreases above a certain altitude, such that it coasted rapidly from about 400,000 to 600,000 feet before finally losing all forward momentum.

As for top speed - the controls start getting pretty twitchy around mach 4. Don't think you could control it much past that. I altered the aircraft.cfg file to avoid the overspeed warning.

[lowellyerex]

Here's a challenge: try and put a Cessna 172 in space (we'll use the NASA definition of 50 miles, or 264,000 feet).

[ardypilot]

Now that reall is an adventure, great flight report

[Charl]

[lowellyerex]

A result of NASA budget cuts?

[Charl]

Yes they were so stung by Burt Rutan, and now Richard Branson, too, that they rent out the crawler to anyone with a 6-figure cheque.




UHF contact temporarily lost at 263,900 ft.
Cloud has obscured radar contact (budget cuts).
Updates will follow...

[lowellyerex]

"Huston, this is Spaceship One-Seven-Two, I think I can see my house from here"

[lowellyerex]

"Copy ya down, Spaceship One-Seven-Two"



"Ah, Huston, I don't think this is Mars"

[Ian Warren]

Ripper Charl , ........ I want my $ from CapSim

Hey Dave I remmeber that flight to the moon , Nelly Armpits was the pilot .. quote " Houston"Stink landing MAN ! bloodie rocks in the way "

[Charl]

I remmeber that flight to the moon , Nelly Armpits was the pilot .. quote " Houston"Stink landing MAN ! bloodie rocks in the way

Yeh...and we all know that pic was a fake, right?
Well we're not falling for that old NASA trick again, no sirree!
Right, here's the nub of it.
Close inspection has revealed that the thrust requirement was slightly over-estimated.
Fortunately separation was initiated before the trial Mars shot became the real thing.



Closer inspection still, has unfortunately revealed a small issue with the extremities of wing and tailfin.
"Mars Ship 1 calling NZFF: we have found a piece of No.8 wire under the seat.
Any advice on re-entry procedure??"

[lowellyerex]

Damn, you noticed the lack of shadows.


"Mars Ship 1, we're recalling Colonel Armpits from the moon. You'll be able to transfer to Ship One-Seven-Two and continue to Mars.



8,860 feet above the lunar surface, Colonel Armpits carefully guides Spaceship One-Seven-Two towards the orbiting Command Module.

[Ian Warren]

THIS IS HOUSTON ... We have an idea to Get Charl and Colonel Armpits home

ZZZphhhrrrrhshccccZZZ Roger



Going to Try the Slingshot Solution ?

[Charl]

Hahaha Aaagh! Please, mercy!
Not Whataroa!
Once spent a Tuesday evening in Whataroa!




Late Edit: just say this out loud a couple of times: ZZZphhhrrrrhshccccZZZ Roger
Oh my aching sides...