I love this game, bought it back in January for $7. I haven't had time to try out 0.18 yet, but this weekend should see that remedied. In the mean time, stories from previous versions.
I've been playing around with the Spaceplane builder.
http://i45.tinypic.com/svjt5g.pngHere's my first attempt at a plane, which actually flew remarkably well. I'm used to my first attempts at things in this game going up in flames, but this actually took off, flew and landed just fine! Even when I lost half a wing! Note the reasonable, realistic construction of the plane. You won't be seeing that again.
http://i49.tinypic.com/1z2qe4p.pngNext, I tried making a VTOL (Vertical TakeOff and Landing) jet. Here's my first attempt. The tiny bumps on the bottom are RCS thrusters, which use seperate fuel from the main engine, and are independently controlled. This one flew just fine, but the VTOL thrusters couldn't lift it. I decided to add a couple more thrusters...
http://i49.tinypic.com/2liu9nl.pngHere we are several iterations down the line, with the Seagull MK5. This has seven times the RCS fuel of the MK1, and 235 RCS thrusters. It has barely enough RCS fuel to do both a takeoff and landing. Note the absurd wing configuration, with eight main wings (the back four are in an X-wing-like configuration, to save space.)
http://i48.tinypic.com/107w1oz.pngHere's the MK5 taking off, note how the entire plane flexes quite dramatically from the upward thrust.
http://i49.tinypic.com/21295cn.pngHere's a rocket that landed at the north pole. Note how the advanced SAS module has exploded, but left the capsule intact. Also, ice!
http://i50.tinypic.com/1pwcnl.pngBack to planes, I set out to attempt an around-the-world flight, and here's my first try: The Jorneyor (typo mine). With 4500kg of fuel (ten times that of an average plane, such as the Seagull), a top speed of 700m/s, and a flight time of over an hour at max throttle, this is an endurance plane. Remarkably stable despite its insane wing configuration, this thing, flown from full to empty, goes...
http://i50.tinypic.com/iyosn4.png...between a third and a half of the way around the world. (about 150° longitude traveled) I know I can do better.
http://i48.tinypic.com/29en19w.pngThis is the finished Journeyer MK2, with 7500kg of fuel, 3000 more than the previous version. It also has added wings and tailfins for more lift. Despite that, it still has severe attitude problems, needing to be flown at a 50° angle just to maintain altitude.
http://i50.tinypic.com/28sx213.pngI sure do love these dawn shots. It's just so... majestic.
http://i46.tinypic.com/fk4nyq.pngOut of fuel, nearly two hours in, the Kerbals spot a tropical island. Commander Kenton decides to set down there. His crew are not so pleased with his decision.
http://i48.tinypic.com/fjm369.pngKerbals land on the tropical island's beach. Time for a beach party. But how far have they gone?
http://i46.tinypic.com/2sbap7a.pngHalfway around the world! Kerbals everywhere rejoice, but there's gotta be more we can squeeze out of this plane.
http://i50.tinypic.com/sb6gs1.pngThe Journeyer MK3. One of the biggest, stupidest planes I have ever constructed. Third time's the charm, apparently.
I'm just going to say this now:
This is the best plane I have ever made.
It's stupid. It doesn't work under time compression, and it's not very fast, but everything else is
perfect. Better than perfect, even.
http://i49.tinypic.com/2moxkie.pngHere's it taking off. Notice that when it's under time compression, as in this picture, the wings bend up and the whole thing goes to ****. This means the whole flight you are about to see was done in real-time.
http://i45.tinypic.com/2vsozo4.pngHere we are passing the first Journeyer...
http://i49.tinypic.com/307rvxd.png...and the second. Note the fuel used on the left. In order to get this far, using the same basic parts, and one less engine, the MK2 took 15 fuel tanks to reach this point. The MK3 took... just over 3 tanks. I don't know why. More lift, a better flight attitude, and a lower cruising altitude? Maybe. I don't particularly care. What is clear by this point is that I have
way more fuel than needed.
http://i47.tinypic.com/1zchdo6.pngThe dawn of a record-breaking day.
http://i48.tinypic.com/33ljs43.pngPassing the Kerbal Space Center. Just over four hours in, I finally accomplish a round-the-world nonstop atmospheric flight. The worst part? I used just under 6 tanks in those four hours. That means that the total full-throttle flight time for this plane is somewhere around 20 hours, and given the nature of diminishing fuel tank returns, has a good chance of going around the world at least five times. Insanely impressive, considering no other plane either I or my friends have made comes anywhere close to this.
I've already landed successfully on Eve, Duna, and Jool, although "landing" on Jool isn't really possible. You just kind of sink through the soup-like atmosphere until you get to like 98m above the "sea level", at which point you just float there, buffeted about by the winds.
Here's some pics:
Eve LandingDuna LandingJool "Landing"