XR Flight Operations Manual Version 3.0
Copyright 2006-2018 Douglas Beachy. All Rights Reserved.
20
Cheat Codes
For more adventurous pilots, XR vessels include a
CHEATCODES
section in their
configuration files that allows users to directly set certain ship parameters such as
ship mass, fuel capacity, engine thrust, etc.
Note that these values are not range-
checked in any way.
Please be aware that although setting a
CHEATCODE
value
incorrectly will not harm your Orbiter installation, it could
in theory cause Orbiter to
CTD
(Crash-To-Desktop)
if some values are set incorrectly. Refer to the comments
in your
vessel’s configuration file
for more information.
Flying your XR Vessel
Note: as stated in the standard Orbiter documentation:
•
You may switch between different instrument panels (docking, upper,
payload, main, lower) using the CTRL-UP / CTRL-DOWN / CTRL-LEFT / CTRL-
RIGHT keys.
•
To rotate knobs on the 2D panels, either use the shortcut keys or, if you
prefer the mouse, left-click to turn them left and right-click to turn them
right.
•
You may switch between instrument panel modes (2D panel -> Virtual
Cockpit -> Glass cockpit) via the F8 key. [Note that the XR5 does not have a
virtual cockpit.]
•
In Virtual Cockpit mode you may move between seats via the CTRL-arrow
keys.
•
You may toggle external view with the F1 key and then pan around by holding
right-mouse button or page up/page down/CTRL-cursor keys.
For more information about standard Orbiter flight keys, view controls, and standard
ship controls please refer to the standard
C:\Orbiter\Doc\DeltaGlider.pdf
and
C:\Orbiter\Doc\Orbiter.pdf
files installed with Orbiter.
Although not required, the key to efficiently flying your XR vessel into LEO ("Low-
Earth Orbit") is to use your air-breathing SCRAM engines for as long as possible
before using your main engines for orbit insertion. A SCRAMJET is a variant of the
conventional RAMJET engine (
Supersonic
RAMJET). Unlike jet engines, RAMJET
engines have no compressor to compress the incoming air -- air is "rammed" into the
diffuser where it is compressed and ignited with injected fuel. As such, SCRAM
engines are ineffective at low velocities or even high velocities if the atmosphere is
too thin.
If you fly too low you will waste fuel by generating excessive heat, possibly even
damaging the ship if hull temperatures get too high. On the other hand, if you fly
too high you will decrease SCRAM engine thrust and efficiency because there will be
insufficient oxygen being rammed into the SCRAM intakes. The key to efficient flight
