Flight Officers Aldeny & Tedman give the Dhumla its second shakedown flight, testing how changes to the balance of the aircraft affect takeoff, basic handling, and landing
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Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
the Dhumla will shortly be parked back in the HAB and have engineers and mechanics swarming all over it. Sometime tomorrow we should know more about its condition and how pleased designers are (or aren't) with its flight performance after reviewing the test data
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
C7 & Genesis have finished their initial review of the Dhumla and its flight data. Gear is damaged, but thankfully can be repaired without needing to be replaced. Greater concern is lack of pitch authority at landing speeds making the aircraft tough to settle on landing
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
bounciness on both landings was due to Tedman holding so far back on the yoke at touchdown to keep the nose up even a little bit. The vertical strake will be modified to hold weights that will shift CoM further towards the rear. Can be removed if needed when carrying cargo loads
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
modifications and repairs to the aircraft are expected to take 2-3 weeks so hopefully we can get in another test flight before the end of the month. In better news, the overall flight data was extremely satisfying to engineers & the aircraft looks solid when aloft
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
report from the HAB is Dhumla repairs/modifications are finishing up and it will be ready for more flight trials early next week. Meanwhile the Deuce is also wrapping up its engines overhaul and general servicing to return to flight readiness the following week
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
HAB crew is wrapping up Dhumla repairs & modifications from the last flight test and the aircraft will be rolled out by the end of today. Forecast for tomorrow indicates a chance of high winds & rain but flight crew will be ready to go if conditions turn out to be favorable
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
winds this day cycle are actually stronger than predicted, so much so that the Dhumla couldn't even taxi safely thanks to the huge amount of surface area making up its vertical stabilizer. Flight crew hoping forecast for the next day cycle is also wrong - but for the better
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
weather continues to fail to cooperate and torrential rain is now moving through the area as expected. Conditions tomorrow are looking better but still not 100% and everyone wants to remove as many potential issues from the testing as possible. Still, fingers crossed!
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
FOs Tedman and Aldeny are finishing up their briefing to continue flight testing and will soon be heading out to begin preflight. We will be looking first to see how the Dhumla performs on takeoff/landing with the new ballast weights in the tail before moving into further tests
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
Tedman has called in for taxi/takeoff clearance. Aldeny will be in command this flight. Although both pilots can control the airplane its always important to specify who actually will have control. If they need to switch roles during flight, a verbal exchange is required
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
a little bit of trouble turning about at the end of Rwy27, nothing a bit more experience with the big plane will solve. No problems reported at taxi - tail weight is well short of being able to lift the nose while on the ground. Aircraft is lined up & has clearance for take off
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
after a smooth roll and rotation the Dhumla has climbed out with no issues, already approaching 1.5km ASL and Aldeny is beginning to come around to setup for an approach pattern, being mindful on the turns as CoM has been moved upwards almost atop CoL
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
passing abreast of KSC to the south on downwind leg Aldeny reports the aircraft feels much more naturally stable in pitch - nose still wants to drop (good!) but not nearly as much as before. No unbalance noticed during banks as steep as 30°
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
beginning the turn onto final, 16km out, Aldeny will first perform a touch & go to see how well the aircraft settles on the runway to ensure they would have room for a full stop landing on the next attempt
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
aircraft is climbing back out after a successful T&G but there was a scary swerve off the side of the runway as the plane took back to the air that has everyone concerned. Crew and controllers are still discussing options
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
if needed the rear cargo ramp can be opened, the aircraft will pitch up and some or all of the ballast weights can be jettisoned if we come to the conclusion that aircraft stability is an issue. Engineers are running some quick numbers right now
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
already descending on downwind, final decision was made to leave everything as-is, Aldeny says he can try to make a better approach and that the problem wasn't evident early in the landing. If it happens again they'll just do another touch and go
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
so focused on speed, altitude, throttle and being so low for a flat approach both crew lost orientation out over the water and missed the turn to final, now making a slow circle in the opposite direction to reset for final approach
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
gear down, flaps at full, airspeed dropping to 80-90m/s and just under 10km out has the aircraft lined up for short final. Aldeny reports things are still stable and has some pull left on the yoke to get the nose up for the landing flare
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
touching down heavy in the first 1/4 of the runway still gave the crew plenty of distance to roll and come to a stop with reverse thrust. Tedman raised flaps right after touchdown to ensure the nose settled properly and no swerving was evident. Aircraft is taxiing back to HAB
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
despite his best attempt and time in the sim, Aldeny still brought the aircraft down pretty roughly. Aircraft maintenance crews already say they want to have a look at the undercarriage today into tomorrow before she flies again
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
we forgot to make note yesterday that with the added ballast weight and a greater load of fuel the takeoff mass of the Dhumla set a new bit.ly/KSARecords for Heaviest Aircraft Flown (14.493t - over twice what was previously set by the Deuce) and it's not done yet!
Kerbal Space Agency
@KSA_MissionCtrl
our week of operations has concluded, be sure to check out our Weekly Ops Report to get all the information on what has transpired: kerbalspace.agency/?p=8769 (BTW new altitude record is 8.683km ASL)
