Wingtip Vortex

A lightweight Kerbal Space Program mod that adds dynamic, physics-inspired wingtip vortices using a smooth ribbon-based system instead of traditional particle effects.

Overview

This mod generates visual wingtip vortices that respond to real flight conditions such as:

• G-force
• Airspeed
• Altitude

Unlike particle-based approaches, this implementation uses Unity’s TrailRenderer to produce continuous, smooth airflow streaks with minimal performance impact.

Features

• Dynamic vortex activation based on:
• G-force ≥ 3
• Speed ≥ 60 m/s
• Altitude between 8,000 m and 15,000 m
• Smooth ribbon trails (no pixelated particles)
• Automatic detection of aircraft wingtips
• Real-time scaling of vortex intensity
• Low performance overhead compared to particle systems

How It Works

The mod:

1. Calculates the aircraft’s outermost bounds
2. Determines left and right wingtip positions
3. Attaches trail renderers at those points
4. Scales trail intensity based on flight conditions
5. Aligns trails with airflow direction (velocity vector)

Installation

1. Download the latest release
2. Extract into your KSP directory

Usage

Vortices will appear automatically when:

• Speed ≥ 60 m/s
• G-force ≥ 3
• Altitude is between 8,000 m and 15,000 m if not pulling any heavy G's

Intensity increases with higher G-forces and speed.

Known Limitations

• Wingtip detection is based on overall vessel bounds (not individual wing geometry)
• Trail placement may require tuning for unusual aircraft shapes
• Visuals are approximations and not directly tied to true aerodynamic lift calculations

Roadmap

Planned improvements:

• More accurate wingtip detection per part
• Vortex swirl effect (spiral motion)
• Aircraft size and mass scaling
• Atmospheric density influence
• Custom shader for improved visual fidelity

Compatibility

• Kerbal Space Program 1.x
• Does not require additional mods
• Compatible alongside visual mods (e.g., Scatterer, EVE)

License

MIT License

Author

PogKai