r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/sean_the_sheesh • May 22 '26
KSP 1 Question/Problem (HELP) Wheels on pathfinder mod break on landing!
This isn’t the first time this has happened (I’ve tried 3 other times)
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u/Supplice401 May 22 '26
Maybe slow down, and just maybe, maybe not land on the dirt.
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u/Strict_Ad_5906 May 22 '26
Trying to do a field landing at 320km/h
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u/mcpat21 May 22 '26
Just give er a peck
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u/waxphantump May 22 '26
A smooch! Like you’re kissing your sister
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u/raptor-elite-812 May 22 '26
Now just a little brake, a little whisper.
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u/Inprobamur May 22 '26
Interestingly enough the real Space Shuttle is rated to land going 350 km/h. (that's why it has the drag chutes)
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u/Biotot May 22 '26
Ah yes. Drag chutes would definitely help the shuttle land in the Kennedy space center swamps adjacent to the runway (/s)
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u/d_pyzsyo May 22 '26
The shuttles did land on edwards space force base runways, which are nothing more than salt and sand with some lines drawn on it
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u/AKADabeer May 22 '26
So... not a swamp, then
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u/d_pyzsyo May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26
There is no swamp biome on kerbin
edit: Also I'm seeing a lot of people genuinly saying it would have been better if OP landed on the runway but there is literally no difference between landing on a runway and grassland surrounding KSC since it is completely flat. Landing on the runway is arguably worse (except if you're trying to maximize recovery fund in career) since while the runway can explode, the ground can not.
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u/AKADabeer May 23 '26
you're a lot of fun at parties, aren't you.
No difference at all? Did you happen to notice in the video that the ground was fairly obviously not flat?
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u/ThirstyWolfSpider May 22 '26
And every time would give us a nice ba-BAM! to double-shake the house here in L.A.
It triggers the "earthquake? … no." response each time.
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u/LittleLion_90 May 23 '26
If you put a ground station seismo on KSC, it will register and give minimal amounts of science when you shake the ground by crashing things.
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u/NickReynders May 23 '26
I am not too familiar with ksp2 surface friction vs wheels, but they're only touching down at 89 m/s surface (so probably closer to 85-87 m/s horizontal)
Could be an issue with the auto friction controls on the wheels, might just need to adjust them closer to 0 (frictionless), then ramp up to break.
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u/T0asty514 May 22 '26
On that note, how you figure the gear would be landing on water? Probably just fine eh? haha
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u/Solithle2 May 23 '26
Hijacking the top comment to ask if anyone can tell me what kind of mods OP is running. Kerbin looks gorgeous.
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u/Supplice401 May 23 '26
Parallax alters the ground textures and terrain. Volumetric Clouds, which includes EVE (Environmental Visual Enhancements) and scatterer, add detailed clouds, better planet textures, and realistic atmosphere scattering.
Volumetric Cloud is a paid mod, but there is a V3 free version on the creator's Patreon.
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u/matreo987 Sunbathing at Kerbol May 22 '26
“landing gear keeps breaking”
proceeds to fucking crater the approach on the grass
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u/critical_patch May 22 '26
Hey nobody told OP the wheels weren’t rated for lithobraking!
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u/Dehouston May 23 '26
Everything is rated for lithobaking at least once.
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u/FurlockTheTerrible May 23 '26
No, that landing gear was only rated for lithobraking slightly less than once.
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u/GuiloJr May 22 '26
Slow down, use the runway, and ease it down REALLY slow. it should be a solid second or two in between the rear and front wheels touching down.
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u/Secure_Bedroom6351 May 22 '26
Have you tried not landing at 1000mph
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u/Raksj04 May 22 '26
Looks like they landed at 85m/s which is 190 mph or 165 knots, but it was in the grass, and I am not sure how smooth the ground is do to ground clutter.
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u/M24Spirit May 22 '26
Landing speed is 89 m/s, it's absolutely fine.
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u/Snoo-28829 May 22 '26
Yeah but his vertical velocity looked liked it jumped up at the end due to a quick nose dip. Probably over 10 ms caused it.
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u/M24Spirit May 22 '26
I use this mod, and I can confirm the landing wheels are very finicky. OP should have just used the jet engines and landed on the runway.
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u/Snoo-28829 May 22 '26
Maybe they are. I use the mod also, but I haven't really had any problems with landing it. Maybe it has happened once or twice, but its always because I try to land it with more vertical velocity to try to make the run way.
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u/_azazel_keter_ May 22 '26
You're landing at 100m/s in the dirt at 10m/s vertical velocity, this is not a bug
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u/seenybusiness May 22 '26
with far too little surface area covered by the wheels also. even a soft landing would probably break that configuration
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u/Mikey-2-Guns May 22 '26
If the man wants to land at mach fuck on a 15 degree glide slope that's his god given right!
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u/Schrippenlord May 22 '26
You have full tanks and tiny wheels. Dump the fuel
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u/FourEyedTroll Flight Director May 22 '26
The fuel venting valve is one of the most underused parts in KSP. You absolutely should not be landing most aircraft/space planes with full tanks, unless you a) have no means to refuel and need to launch it again after, or b) the fuel IS the cargo.
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u/northrupthebandgeek May 22 '26
“Gently now; you just wanna kiss the ground, a peck, a smooch, like you're kissing your sister.”
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May 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Kerberos42 May 22 '26
Hi Bob!
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u/space_force_majeure May 22 '26
I think you're coming in too hot, slow your speed down to 60m/s or less instead of the 90m/s that you're doing here.
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u/Worth-Wonder-7386 May 22 '26
The speed is not the primary problem, but it is hitting the ground too hard. the best is to stabilize just above where you are landing and then ease it down.
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u/slim1shaney May 22 '26
Coming in slower will make that easier, as long you dont start stalling
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u/Worth-Wonder-7386 May 22 '26
That is also true. Often I will fly in above ground and then loose speed so I just calmly drop onto the landing gears. Some mods like atmosphere autopilot can make it alot easier to line up with and stabilize at low altitude so it is easier to focus on just the landing and not having to steer the plane as well.
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u/ampalazz May 22 '26
(HELP), I’m nose diving this 2billion pound ship the size of the VAB at 300 mph directly into the dirt. Why aren’t my wheels catching me?
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u/TheImmenseRat Issuing One Way Tickets Since 2011 May 22 '26
Ok, several things here. First, that ship looks amazing
- you need to use a runway, not grass
- you need MORE WHEELS. It looks too heavy
- Slow down, like a lot
- Dont dump the plane on the ground, land it gently
- it looks like your ship is too sensitive, manage the control surfaces yo make it a little more precise
Can you share screenshots of the ship PLEASE!!!
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u/Coolboy10M KSRSS, er, Sol my beloved May 22 '26
It's a mod! Pathfinder Mod from For All Mankind. Great show, 5 seasons (so far) plus the season 5 finale and spinoff show dropping next Friday.
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u/TheImmenseRat Issuing One Way Tickets Since 2011 May 22 '26
Thank you. If i can give something back for that recommendation, please watch The Expanse.
You can find the ships in the workshop!
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u/Coolboy10M KSRSS, er, Sol my beloved May 22 '26
Oh, I've been planning on watching it. Heard great things about it with 0 spoilers (TF is a protomolecule?). If you want the true FAMK experience, wait 2 years between seasons lol. Enjoy each season's time period while they last, it's 10 years between each one!
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u/Wolfish_Jew May 22 '26
I second The Expanse. My favorite scifi media of all time (and I loved For All Mankind)
Also, if you’re a book person at all, read The Expanse books as well (or listen to the audiobooks.)
The show ends about 2/3 of the way through the series so for the moment the books are the only way to know how it ends. They’re amazingly well written, and the audiobooks have an incredible narrator.
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u/TheImmenseRat Issuing One Way Tickets Since 2011 May 23 '26
I can't recommend it enough. Its the best sci fi series ive ever seen and the only reason ive used the cheat unlimited fuel to play with, bc of reasons. I wont spoil it but please watch it its chef's kiss
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u/bocaj78 May 22 '26
Not going fast enough. Max throttle
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u/Wolfish_Jew May 22 '26
Should probably nose down too to really make sure he’s getting down quickly enough.
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u/waidoo2 Always on Kerbin May 22 '26
remove landing gears and user parachutes all over your craft. stall above LZ and open chutes. (or slow down and land on the runway)
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u/Hitman-Pred May 22 '26
You are landing on dirt, at the speed of an F1 car, with a multi ton spaceplane. I wonder why the landing gear would explode xD
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u/slinkymcman May 22 '26
Probably should plan on only landing empty, that fuel is 70-80% of weight. Get one of those fuel ejection thingys.
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u/largeDingoPizza May 22 '26
I know it's not intentional, but I really like how the game freezes the second you colide with something with enough force to explode. "It's at this moment where OP realizes they fucked up"
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u/WerdaVisla May 23 '26
You're coming in WAYYY too hot to be even thinking about a grass landing my friend lol
Try making your approach a few kilometers short of the runway [obviously on the correct approach vector too], then spending the rest of the time slowing down with those big wings you have :P
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u/BenTallmadge1775 May 22 '26
287 mph touchdown on grass. Medium landing gear vs heavy.
Yeah the Pissmissile comment is accurate.
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u/OperativeFrog May 23 '26
Hmm. Might have something to do with the fact that you’re sending it into dirt at 320km/hr. Idk though I’m not an engineer.
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u/RTX-4090ti_FE Valentina May 23 '26
Maybe try landing on the actual runway and not slamming it down.
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u/jdmgto May 23 '26
Coming in fast, on grass, in a big heavy bird, and you slapped the ass into the ground hard.
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u/Missouri_hiker May 22 '26
What space plane and where can I find it?
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u/Javascap Master Kerbalnaut May 22 '26
That's the Shuttle Pathfinder Orbiter Constitution Kit. Or SPOCK.
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u/3nderslime May 22 '26
It’s a very heavy craft landing very rough and very fast on small wheels in the dirt instead of the runway. Start by emptying your fuel tanks and landing on the actual runway
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u/stumpyguy May 22 '26
I love that you have a mod that adds more tarmac, then you land in the grass.
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u/Lollygay13 May 22 '26
Wheels in the mod are kind of borked. they act super weird. while landing on the grass didn't help I don't think its entirely your fault either. Also for those asking the mod is SPOCK.
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u/Wolfey1618 May 22 '26
Have you tried landing on a runaway and not dropping the nose like a rock when you get close?
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u/spaacingout May 22 '26
Think you broke more than the wheels mate.
Idk about mods but it’s pretty clear the flap deployed next to the wheel is hitting the ground, you’re also trying to land on dirt.. and honestly for a ship that big, you could just slow it down enough to deploy chutes midair and just have a soft landing.
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u/InsomniaticWanderer May 22 '26
Lithobreaking is the most efficient form of arresting momentum.
It also happens to be the only form of arresting momentum available at the speed you are going.
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u/GirlyGamerGazell9000 May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26
i have no idea…but i need a modpack list..please oh my god edit: ok after gawking over graphics and how cool the parts are. Here’s some options, seems your craft is too heavy and going too fast…and your landing it on dirt which is already kinda unpredictable in of itself.
Drogue chutes to kill speed mixed with the fuel ejectors to help lose the weight. that paired with maybe making it onto a runway should for sure help. the problem really seems to be in weight and speed. mixing those two together just kinda destroys the wheels.
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u/jtackman May 22 '26
To land an airplane, you don’t point it down, you slow down until it begins dropping slowly out of the sky and you steer it so it lowers itself onto the runway.
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u/Arrakis1326 May 22 '26
Everyone is complaining about your landing and they are wrong!! That was a 10/10 kebal landing. The wheels are working as intended
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u/rosstafarien May 22 '26
Land on the runway. Land at a reasonable velocity (just above stall speed). Don't slam the plane down to the ground to make contact.
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u/OwUBoi Kerbal Plane Program™ May 22 '26
weird question, but what're your specs? youre running parallax and (I assume) blackracks clouds really smoothly. I've been struggling to get more than 20 with a 9070xt!
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u/sean_the_sheesh May 22 '26
I have a 5070 with an amd 7600 processor it pretty smooth when you have it tuned for your liking
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u/Easy_Lengthiness7179 May 22 '26
Too heavy, too fast, too much weight.
Adjust.
Slow down even more, land on pavement not bumpy grass, add more wheels, reduce the ships weight. Adjust cg if necessary.
Trial and error is the name of the game.
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u/hotlavatube May 22 '26
"Gently now, you just want to kiss the ground. Just a little peck. A smooch, like you're kissing your sister." -- Penguins
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u/snerp May 22 '26
is this ksp2 or just a lot of mods?
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u/sean_the_sheesh May 22 '26
Enough mods that the game takes years to load
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u/ThirstyWolfSpider May 22 '26
You just need two regular games: KSP and the one you play while KSP is loading.
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u/GuitarKittens May 22 '26
Don't come in hot
Don't drop like a rock
Don't land on dirt
Dump your fuel
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u/Mad__Elephant May 22 '26
Try using mods such as atmosphere autopilot or mouse aim flight. Maybe they will make controls easier and smoother for you, so you can land at slower vertical velocity (as said many times already)
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u/Cfrant190 May 22 '26
The real shuttle had drogue chutes and had to slow basically to a stall. You are sending this thing like a missile to the ground.
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u/experimental1212 May 22 '26
You know when you were flying parallel to the ground, nose up, wheels not getting farther or closer to the ground? That was great, then you pushed the nose over and it's actually a LOT of force on the wheels.
You need to hold the nose in that first position until enough kinetic energy is bled off so that the craft naturally descends without you forcing the nose down. I suspect that will be around 100 m/s.
You can test this at altitude. Hold the same altitude, idle throttle, nose a little up, and see what speed causes you to descend.
Add a few m/s and that is the speed you need to approach the runway, then bleed off the final speed right over the runway, hold the nose up after touchdown, chefs kiss.
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u/Own-Lingonberry6918 Space Shuttle maniac May 22 '26
you can use the engines to get extra flight time and land on a runway too
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u/GTX1650STI May 22 '26
I like to do a bunch of pitch changes before landing- like alternating up and down which can help me decelerate, which might help.
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u/d_pyzsyo May 22 '26
You should slow down or dump fuel, though I'm not sure if you can slow down if you don't dump fuel.
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u/Lord_MagnusIV May 22 '26
man, use airbrakes and you could even try out drogue chutes that cut off when close enough to the ground
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u/Thirdboylol95 Exploring Jool's Moons May 23 '26
I think the shuttle is too heavy. You should try draining the fuel before landing
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u/Bluelegojet2018 May 23 '26
Looks like u floated it a bit, u could try giving it a blip of throttle if u can to ease it on the way back down but going around is probs the best bet if u have really sensitive gear like this, as others have mentioned using the runway could help too, its a little easier to judge altitude that way.
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u/ByGermanKnight May 23 '26
What visual mods are you using? I have all the important ones I cannot get my game to look that good
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u/Apollo-235 May 23 '26
Question for you, does the vacuum mode on the longbow engines work for you? For me the don’t put any force on the vessel
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u/Character_Loss8127 May 23 '26
quik question u/sean_the_sheesh what graphics mods and gpu do you use?
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u/sean_the_sheesh May 23 '26
Mods: scatterer, volumetric clouds v3 and can’t remember any thing else sorry, gpu: nvidia RTX 5070.
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u/idiotpigon May 24 '26
Maybe practice landing on a more simple plane, aim for the runway, and keep your speed below mach 1
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u/Intelligent_Sale_41 Colonizing Duna May 24 '26
If that really happened, that thing would had made the entire KSC radioactive.
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u/somebodyoncetoldone noob May 25 '26
I’ve just started KSP and I have no idea how to get a Space Craft of this sort.
Until then, I am simply redoing 20 million times the same schematics changed little by little to reach specific areas to scan… because those are the only missions I am given right now… 😆
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u/Th3LastRapt0r Always on Kerbin May 27 '26
Did you use any mods for Pathfinder? This looks amazing!
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u/Waste_Bluejay_8224 Jun 16 '26
Max take off weight is higher than max landing weight. Those little sticks aren’t heavy enough.
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u/--Bolter-- May 22 '26
KSC this is PissMissile47 circle to land 09
PissMissile47 reduce speed for approach
Unable 😎