I know that the Kerbal solar system is loaded with little easter eggs, and I want to make a big point of never passing up an opportunity to find one if I spot it. In that nature, tonight we're going to launch a hopefully short mission to get about 50km away and check out what appears to be the first easter egg! It's sounds like a simple task, but remember, this is Kerbal, laced with bad decisions, ineptitude, and anything can happen!
Before we do anything, let's plot this out. Circled in red in the floating reminants of the KSS Doogey, where the KSS Maybe Not picked up Jebediah Kerman after he succesfully became the first Kerbal into orbit. Whatever it was I saw was on an island about halfway between where the Doogey landed and the Kerbal Space Center. I know the Doogey was 50km out, so the island is about 25km away and south-west of the KSC. Normally, I would just fuel up the KSS Maybe Not again and fly it out there, but I want to be able to land and explore the island a bit if something turns up out there. The Maybe Not would be a good choice, as I designed it to be able to land about anywhere, but it's still a little large and unmaneuverable, which would not be optimal for a quick landing on a tiny island.
Introducing the Robin class expeditionary aircraft! On the runway we have the first serial production Robin, the KSS Shoddy Work. The name stuck after the lead engineers insisted on using it to point out that the plane has never been flight tested. Piloting the Shoddy Work is our loyal friend Bob Kerman, ready to take to the skies and explore. The Robin class is hopefully designed to be able to take off at insanely low speeds and land just as slow, allowing it to take on exploring tiny islands with rough terrain without needing to send a seaplane to land in the ocean, leaving a long swim for the Kerbals.
Indeed, the Shoddy Work is a nimble little craft! In no time at all, the Shoddy Work is cruising along at nearly 100m/s and steadily climbing past 1500 meters. We've got a ways to go, however, most of it a bleak and boring flight over monotonous ocean.
After a while, our brave pilot spots our mystery island and turns in. My suspicions are correct, there is indeed some sort of man made structure on the island, and quite a large one as well! Originally, I had some doubts that perhaps what I saw was the debris of the lower stage of the Doogey, washed up on shore. However, as Bob draws closer, it's pretty clear that the object in question is quite a bit larger than a thought and it appears to be a facility of some sort, with a road and buildings!
Fascinating! It appears we've found our self a little deserted airport on the island. After conferring with the Section Heads, Bob Kerman is radioed orders to go ahead and try to land at the airport and see what's there.
Well, good news- the thoroughly untested Shoddy Work landed neatly on the runway at a stellar speed at 19m/s thanks it's it's high amounts of lift and ultra-light construction. However, poor Bob just isn't THAT good of a pilot and forgot that airplanes such as the Robin class with all of their weight in the heavy engine in the nose tend to pitch forward when the brakes are applied. Irregardless, happy with his landing, Bob strides away from the Shoddy Work ready to report back with his findings.
Next to the tower lies three mid sized hangers, all empty save for a pile of crap in the corner of one. Again, there are no markings or any indication of what the hell this place is.
Upon closer examination of the crapheap, Bob discovers that it contains several old rusty rocket parts, apparently an old rocket motor, fuel tank, and crew capsule. While there are no markings on the parts, it's obviously the remnants of some previous actions of the KSP.
Satisfied with exploring the abandoned airport, Bob slowly realizes he's got to figure out a way home, which means getting his plane's ass on the ground so he can get home without calling for a ride and avoid having to explain to his superiors that he binned another landing. We've got a couple options, first and probably easiest, the Shoddy Work is light enough that climbing the plane and standing on the tail may cause it to cantilever down and back on the ground, but the tail is rather high and Bob will fall in the process, and we shouldn't risk injuring our only pilot.
In a stroke of brilliance, Bob gets a decent idea that doesn't involve bodily harm. By poking and prodding and generally mucking about, giving the landing gear a good stern kick, Bob is able to get the landing gear to retract to flight position, hopefully allowing Bob to hop back into the cockpit, and lower the gear again and allow the Shoddy Work to take off.
Success!! A smug smile sneaks across Bob's face as the hydraulics groan and heave the Shoddy Work back onto it's ass. Confident that he won't have to let the higher ups know anything went wrong, Bob fires up the engine and lines up again on the runway for takeoff.
As Kerbol begins to dip below the horizon and the dark of night creeps in, Bob and the Shoddy Work begin to raise into the air, slipping off towards base. Really, the Shoddy Work is a great plane and quickly becoming one of my favorites. It's very stable, decently quick, and can land in tiny places. If you want me to send you the craft file, email me!
After another immaculate landing, Bob Kerman reports backs to the break room and debriefs his superiors. I'm not sure what to make of the little airport. It's entirely possible that perhaps it's some failed previous venture of the Kerbal Space Program, but as soon as I voiced that possibility large men in suits told me it couldn't possibly be and that I shouldn't send anyone back, so who knows. Either way, another success in the books!
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