Question Where to learn?

AndriiKOSMONAVT

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Hello, I am back here. I forgot about orbiter for a year.
And i have three questions.
1 ) Where to learn orbiter?
2 ) Orbiter 16 or 10?
3 ) What are the best vehicles for a newbie?


Thanks for answers.
 

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1 ) Where to learn orbiter?
I learned by just loading up a spacecraft and trying stuff.
That's the slow way to learn for sure though. There are plenty of youtube tutorials out there.

2 ) Orbiter 16 or 10?
2016. Unless you want to use an addon that's only for 2010.

3 ) What are the best vehicles for a newbie?
I'd say learn orbital maneuvers with the DeltaGlider.
Then move up to something like Crew Dragon or DarkEnergy to learn reentry once you get a feel for the basics.
Trying to practice reentry in the DeltaGlider will do you no good.
 

AndriiKOSMONAVT

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I learned by just loading up a spacecraft and trying stuff.
That's the slow way to learn for sure though. There are plenty of youtube tutorials out there.


2016. Unless you want to use an addon that's only for 2010.


I'd say learn orbital maneuvers with the DeltaGlider.
Then move up to something like Crew Dragon or DarkEnergy to learn reentry once you get a feel for the basics.
Trying to practice reentry in the DeltaGlider will do you no good.
Thank you very much.
 

Boxx

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Then move up to something like Crew Dragon or DarkEnergy to learn reentry once you get a feel for the basics.
Trying to practice reentry in the DeltaGlider will do you no good.
For me too, your point of view is interesting (and surprising about DeltaGlider)... can you elaborate a little for this "training sequence"? Maybe also suggest some key-Addon for new comers...

@AndriiKOSMONAVT, also, I suggest you read the 2016 manual for your first flights, there is a "quick start" section
 

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Try also XR Fleet ships XR1, XR2 and XR5 (google Altea Aerospace).
And Blixel's YouTube videos.
 

Max-Q

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For me too, your point of view is interesting (and surprising about DeltaGlider)... can you elaborate a little for this "training sequence"? Maybe also suggest some key-Addon for new comers...
Sure.
The DeltaGlider is great for practicing just about everything in space, up to and including interplanetary trips.
Plenty of fuel, maneuverable, loads of dV, docking port pointed forward, etc.
Example, if you mess up a rendezvous, there's plenty of capability to fix things with brute force.

However, the aerodynamics model is not good for reentry. Certainly not in any way realistic.
Addons like DarkEnergy or Crew Dragon, depending on the user's preference for capsules or winged vehicles, work for reentry in a realistic manner and they come with autopilots for reentry so you can learn by watching an autopilot fly before trying to fly a 5000 km hypersonic glide yourself.
However, they have realistic dV budgets and relatively low thrust, so they're not the best vehicles to learn orbital maneuvers on.

I think for newcomers, I'd suggest avoiding loading up on a bunch of addons at first.
However, some stuff is almost a must-have: (All found here on OF)
  • D3D9 graphics client
  • Lunar Transfer MFD
  • IMFD
  • BurnTimeCalcMFD
  • Some kind of launch vehicle (Falcon 9/FH, Ion LVs family)
  • Crew Dragon or DarkEnergy spaceplane for learning reentry
  • I'm sure someone will tell me I missed something important on this list... ;)
 
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Boxx

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Sure.
The DeltaGlider is great for practicing just about everything in space, up to and including interplanetary trips.
Plenty of fuel, maneuverable, loads of dV, docking port pointed forward, etc.
Example, if you mess up a rendezvous, there's plenty of capability to fix things with brute force.

However, the aerodynamics model is not good for reentry. Certainly not in any way realistic.
ok, I noticed as well it is tricky (for me)... but I guess you mean it is too easy compared to a realistic approach, don't you?

Addons like DarkEnergy or Crew Dragon, depending on the user's preference for capsules or winged vehicles, work for reentry in a realistic manner and they come with autopilots for reentry so you can learn by watching an autopilot fly before trying to fly a 5000 km hypersonic glide yourself.
good advise... as long as you want to practice re-entry (which is among the hardest things, IMHO)

However, they have realistic dV budgets and relatively low thrust, so they're not the best vehicles to learn orbital maneuvers on.

I think for newcomers, I'd suggest avoiding loading up on a bunch of addons at first.
However, some stuff is almost a must-have: (All found here on OF)
  • D3D9 graphics client
  • Lunar Transfer MFD
  • IMFD
  • BurnTimeCalcMFD
ok, here we are in Hohmann and similar transfers, I guess. Meaning that if we change the Isp paradigm (highly questionnable topic) we can imagine new approaches...

  • Some kind of launch vehicle (Falcon 9/FH, Ion LVs family)
  • Crew Dragon or DarkEnergy spaceplane for learning reentry
  • I'm sure someone will tell me I missed something important on this list... ;)
I like so much the Arrow Freighter (especially since its 2016 version).
Maybe let's play with new (futuristic) Isp also.
Thank you so much!!
 

Max-Q

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ok, I noticed as well it is tricky (for me)... but I guess you mean it is too easy compared to a realistic approach, don't you?
Well, if it's about learning, the DG is not good for reentry at all. The aerodynamics model doesn't allow reentry at a proper AoA for a winged vehicle, any ship trying to reenter like the DG would be toast.

good advise... as long as you want to practice re-entry (which is among the hardest things, IMHO)
Exactly. That's why I picked two addons that have fully automatic autopilots from deorbit burn through subsonic. So you can watch the autopilot do it hands off a few times.
 

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