K474

K474 Kerbal Minds Corporation K474
Airliner
K474-200 'Airborne Command 1' photographged on its maiden flight to Owlia.
Role		Wide Body Jet Carrier
National Origin		New Grestin
Production History
Designer		Kerbal Minds Corporation
Unit Cost		31,8785(√)
Number Built		250
Service History
In Service
2064 - 2098
Used By		New Grestin Air Force Association of International Medical Support GrestAir
Aircraft Characteristics
Maximum Velocity		230 m/s
Operational Range		250 km
Crew		Two Pilots 96-192 passenger capacity
Variants		K474-100 K474-200 K474-300 K474-400 K474-200M K474-200AC

The Kerbal Minds Corporation K474 was an airliner originating in New Grestin in the 2070s, and is popularly known for it's use as the Airborne Command executive transport for the New Grestin government transporting the heads of state. The vehicle was also used by the Association of International Medical Support (AIMS) to provide medical relief efforts.

Design

In 2048, there was speculation by those in New Grestin as to the need for a large-sized wide-body airliner based on the continued growth of airline travel through the 2000s. As a result, the CEO of Kerbal Minds Corporation set the goal to create a wide body airliner that could carry at least 100 passengers. 

Initial concepts drew from earlier narrow body airliner designs, however development was slow due to the issue of structural strength within the K474's massive wings. The K474 was first released with a thin delta wing shape, however ,this later adapted to an angled supercritical wing to provide better lift & stability. It was quickly accepted that the design would need to multiple decks to carry the required number of passengers. This posed the challenge of trying to create sufficient strength between decks, an issue that plagued early concepts & designs of the K474 in small scale. In 2055, a design for multiple decks was proven to be feasible.

Variants

K474-100

First design iteration created, consisting of 2 decks, powered by 4 Goliath jet engines. With lengthened delta wings. This version was the design that first flew in 2062, but by the end of 2064, a new version was shown to be needed. The wings had a high lift capability but wasn't optimized for long-duration flights that the vehicle was intended to operate in.

K474-200

First major overhaul to structure & wing design, including a new supercritical wing swept back to increase transonic performance & increase range. This version was first flown in 2065 & remained in service throughout the rest of the century, being the most built variant of the K474.

K474-300

A modification that adds a third deck to the existing design, for the purpose of increased passenger capacity. Capable of carrying 288 passengers. The design shared a similar core design to the K474-200 however the K474-300 had 6 Goliath engines instead of 4 with other variants. This was to provide the additional thrust to support the increased weight. Only 3 vehicles of this variant was made, with all 3 being delivered to GrestAir to expand their lineup of airliners.

K474-400

A conceptual design that would've flown with 4 decks, further increasing the passenger count to 384 passengers. The design was again, similar 

K474-200M

A modified K474-200, overhauled to carry additional medical supplies, medical equipment & the inclusion of a biomedical containment hold, & 4 surgical suites. This was purchased, designed, & modified by the Association of International Medical Support for the purpose of providing medical relief & aid to areas in need.

K474-200AC

The highly modified K474-200 created & operated by the New Grestin government, renamed "Airborne Command 1",