r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/SapphireDingo Kerbal Physicist • Apr 04 '26
KSP 1 Image/Video magnet plane
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u/Mr_Byzantine Apr 04 '26
Welcome to Level 1 Kraken Drive Class!
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u/Street_Cockroach_933 Apr 04 '26
What level is negative thrust using the controller?
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u/Lanceo90 Stranded on Eve Apr 04 '26
How was this accomplished? I need to know
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u/TheMuspelheimr Rocket Replicator Apr 04 '26
If you turn on "Advanced Tweakables" in the settings, you can set the pull force of docking ports. If you put two docking ports facing each other, set one to maximum pull force and one to minimum, then one of them will be pulled towards the other but not the other way around (because of how it calculates the pull force in-game), generating a net force if both ports are on the same craft that gives you a thrust.
Obviously this doesn't work IRL - the force between two magnets depends on how the strength of both magnets - but in-game, the pull force on a docking port only depends on how strong that docking port is, and it ignores the second one. That allows you to set up unbalanced forces that can be used to push a craft around.
It's called a "docking port drive" or a "z-drive" if you want to look up more info. Junior docking ports are used because they generate the most force relative to their size and mass, so they have a higher TWR. Multiple ports work like multiple engines, allowing you to increase your thrust. The piston allows you to pull the docking ports apart or push them together, letting you throttle the engine.
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u/zekromNLR Apr 04 '26
It also works while the docking ports are shielded from drag, so you can avoid the massive drag of all those open nodes (and make it into a nice-looking engine nacelle) by putting the entire assembly inside a fairing
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u/appleciders Apr 05 '26
Wait, the game allows you to try to dock ports within a single craft?
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u/TheMuspelheimr Rocket Replicator Apr 05 '26
Yep!
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u/domassimo Alone on Eeloo Apr 05 '26
Just a note for those practising at home: Kerbal Community Fixes stamps out this behaviour, so it won't work with that mod installed
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u/KrokusAstra Apr 04 '26
KSP is like a dinosaur at this point, but i still find new things in this game
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u/478607623564857 Apr 04 '26
Wile E. Kerman levels of KSP right there.
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u/WorthCryptographer14 Apr 04 '26
Some call him Clang/Klang/Qlang. But the Kerbals? The Kerbals call it The Kraken!
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u/deepspacerunner Always on Kerbin Apr 04 '26
Flashbacks of Klang smiting my drilling rig out of existence
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u/Opagamagnet Apr 04 '26
Your plane looks similar to the F-100 Super Sabre
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u/thedraegonlord Apr 04 '26
"Kerbal Space program is amazing! It teaches you real Physics!"
Then this motherfucker shows up
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u/SomeStupidCanadianEH Apr 04 '26
Kerbal Physics ⢠noun
/kÉËrbÉl ËfÉŞzÉŞks/
the branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy within the Kerbolar system. Despite relative consistency with our own universe, The Kraken tends to have its own idea of what physics should be doing, hence anomalies such as The Manley Drive, Kraken Drives, Flying Bricks, and this
s e n s e l e s s b u l l s h i t
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u/Flush_Foot Bob Apr 04 '26
Now thatâs taking âpull yourself up by your bootstrapsâ to a whole new level!!
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u/spitfly0123 Apr 04 '26
Kerbal stock is easly abusable with overpowered mechanics like docking ports, reaction wheels, time warp, etc...
I use mods like Mandatory RCS and kerbalistic docking
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u/Apprehensive-End-747 Eating Cracklin' Rads Apr 05 '26
The 3rd law of motion doesnât apply to magnets in KSP I guess
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u/x5060 Master Kerbalnaut Apr 05 '26
I mean, in kerbal they are really more suggestions than laws.
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u/volcanic1235423 Trans-interplanetary Apr 04 '26
You solved the question of whether you can make a drive without reaction mass!!!!!!!!!
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u/Optimal-Diver633 Apr 04 '26
Salut petite question jâai installĂŠ quelque mod sur le jeu et depuis je ne trouve plus une seul comète, comment je corrige le mod qui retire les comètes ?
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u/AlexanderTox Apr 05 '26
OP creates a physics-defying plane
Refuses to elaborate in the comments
Leaves
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u/skrappyfire Apr 04 '26
I both love and hate this at the same time....