Year 1, day 81. Calculated Risk Space Program.
Last time I landed at an airport that was closed and promised to come back and open it. This week: promise kept. Mostly. Okay, there's a second airport in the story, and that one I could not afford.
Atacama, round two. I took Jeb and the repaired Air III out for a contract and another try at Atacama. Then the right engine quit on me, and then it exploded, because quitting wasn't dramatic enough. With one engine, I flew by hand and played the part (you have to get into character): Bill was on the radio telling Jeb to change the elevons and the winglet settings, until finally Val, between her training sessions, reminded him that the SAS exists. The radio was imaginary. The SAS, thankfully, was real, and the plane became flyable again.
Then the fuel ran out. I had spent a while looking for a leak that wasn't a leak. I just hadn't planned the mission. That's on me, not on the plane, and not on OhScrap.
I made it to Atacama anyway. The Base Boss turned out not to be a person I had to find: in Kerbal Konstructs there's a KK button, and it opens a window where you click to open the base. That's it. Last week I was looking for the boss, and this week I clicked a button. The airport is open, and it cost zero, exactly my price.
Jeb took the selfie. Of course he did.
Cove, and my center-of-mass problem. I also launched from the Cove Launch Site for the first time. The first rocket did not go up. It went sideways, then down. I had put a parachute on it and moved the center of mass. I never thought about it in the design, and I never tested it properly. I only noticed when the rocket started heading the wrong way. That one is on me. (again)
The second try had two parachutes, the center of mass was where it should be, right over the thrust center. It reached space and came back in one piece. First recovery in the campaign. I realized, spinning up there, that I should have brought a Goo. Next time, let's collect some science and bring it back home.
The Air is not a good name. I flew the Air-IV with a Goo on board to earn money to pay back Val's training. It took off with a bad air intake, the right engine failed again, the elevon failed, and the fuel tank started leaking (this time for real). I'm starting to think "Air" is not a good name for this kind of planes. On the way, I saw a runway that was not the Island Airfield, with a huge Brazilian flag on the hangar. (The Air-IV flies the Brazilian and Dutch flags on its wings, thanks to FlagPack.) I went around once, went around again, and landed with very little fuel. Selfie, as usual.
It's the Kola Island Helipad. Opening it costs 100,000 funds. I had 95,726 in the bank. So close, and so not happening. I hope your training is going well, Val.
Next time: repair the Air-IV (really), find the money for Kola, and bring a Goo to the next launch. The Aviation node in Kerbal Construction Time is about 75% done, so soon I'll be able to build something bigger. I'm calling that plane Duct Tape Dream. Yes, I know. Let me see if it survives the name.
Meanwhile, through all of this, Bob keeps collecting science around KSC and learning to drive. He has a Short:
The toys in this log: Kerbal Konstructs (the button that opens the airports), Kerbal Construction Time (the Aviation queue) and FlagPack (the Brazilian and Dutch flags on the wings). Thanks to their authors. Please keep the toys coming. I'll keep breaking them.
Em português: Flight Log #002 da campanha Risco Calculado. Prometi voltar e abrir o Atacama, e abri: depois de um voo com um motor só (o direito falhou e explodiu, Bill e a Val ajudando o Jeb pelo rádio com os elevons e o SAS) e de ficar sem combustível por falta de planejamento, pousei. A abertura da base é o botão do KK (Kerbal Konstructs), o custo foi zero. Também lancei da Cove: o primeiro foguete caiu por erro meu de projeto (o paraquedas deslocou o centro de massa e eu não pensei nisso). O segundo, com dois paraquedas, chegou ao espaço e foi recuperado pela primeira vez (faltou levar um Goo). No Air-IV tudo falhou de novo e achei outra pista, a Kola Island Helipad, com a bandeira do Brasil; abrir custa 100.000 e eu tinha 95.726. Próximo: consertar o avião, juntar o dinheiro e, quando o Aviation sair da fila, montar um avião maior (Duct Tape Dream).