The head researched came to me with a brilliant new invention. He calls it the "Jet Engine". Astounding stuff. Rather than lighting a fire underneath a rocket and blasting off with pure force, this was more elegant. An intake in the front of the engine would take in air and mix it with our kerosene to power the engine. With this thing we wouldn't need to haul along the liquid oxygen. At the same time, he realized we could also use air to our advantage in providing thrust and direction.
The downside was his new engines had no real strength, and didn't function outside the atmosphere, but they'd make some of our aeronautics contracts easier. Better yet, Capt. Kiwi could fly them! He swore off rockets, but jet planes are another story.
The prototype was ready and the pilot eager to begin flying. Now we only needed some contracts.
The science boys back home wanted some surface temperature readings. Some on the ground near the compound, and some across the mountains to the west.
While I'd prefer to use a car for the nearby readings, Fishman the lawyer reminded me that company policy prevents me from attaching experimental equipment like the thermometer to company cars. Furthermore, the kerbonaut union policy prevented them from carrying anything more than their suits and a single flag. Carrying the nearly weightless thermometer was too much for them.
Instead, we'd use our new airplane as a jet-powered car.
The surface readings taken, it was time to see if this baby could actually fly. Capt. Kiwi turned up the throttle to max.
10 m/s
20 m/s
30 m/s
40 m/s
Liftoff!
It worked, and the plane was remarkably stable. Perhaps putting fins on our rockets would be a good idea? Crazy, I know. But maybe.
Kiwi was in the air, but now it was time to see how fast this thing could go. Wind screaming against the windshield, he got it to max speed...a measly 330 m/s. (715 mph) Pathetic when you've already gone at orbital speeds of 2200 m/s (~5000mph) Ah well, it was a start.
Capt. Kiwi grabbed the next readings in the air, and went in for a landing. He found a clear, smooth location, and drifted in. This was the fun part, as the plane didn't use parachutes to land. Another oddity.
The landing was safe and successful. Just look at how happy he is being able to fly again! The crew pick him up, and we suit him up for one more mission, to give the craft a more thorough test.
The egg heads wanted some temperature readings of the south pole. Something about not believing that it's cold enough outside to freeze ice.
The flight was far. Across our widest option, halfway across the world. The flight was long. While we could go at our top speed, we'd run out of fuel doing that. Instead, we'd fly high and a little slower. Taking longer, but we'd be sure to get there.
After nearly an hour of straight flight, he was approach the polar ice cap. Now the interesting part: landing on ice and maintaining control.
But there's no problem with it, and he finds himself skating across the ice in his jet-car at 40 m/s (90mph)
Fun times. Capt. Kiwi returns ecstatic, the first pilot of a new brand of flyer.
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