Using Planetary Braking -- Need tips

I've seen videos in which commanders are supercruising to a station very fast, and then they swoop by the nearby planet to slow down enough to disengage at the station. I've tried to replicate this move myself and failed.

If you know how to to this consistently, would you share how you go about it? How much throttle do you use, how close to the planet do you get, stuff like that.

It looks kinda fun.
 
Its something you get a feeling for after a while.

i do it all the time, leaving the RES later than my wing but being the first at the dock.

it helps allot if you know the system and the body next to the station.

and the 75% throttle technic goes out of the window. Just smack that trottle in the corner.
 
I only do it if I'm going to overshoot my target. I'm assuming you know about the 6-second rule with Supercruise. If I hit 4 seconds, I'll swing by the planet real quick to slow down.
 
I only do it if I'm going to overshoot my target. I'm assuming you know about the 6-second rule with Supercruise. If I hit 4 seconds, I'll swing by the planet real quick to slow down.
you dont need the 6 second rule, the planet braking can replace it.. its only not as relaxing :p
 
There are much parameters (number of bodies around, inital speed, etc) to bother with. It's really a feeling, as say above. Smacking the throttle in the corner seems about right :D

It's the most exciting thing about SC, dropping at the very possible last moment while your FSD is screaming... and be there in no time is priceless (or maybe if you're in a hurry to cash in some reward)!
 
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I have never understood this Planet Braking.... A planetary body that has Gravity will speed you up as you approach it and slow you down as you go away from it. When i approach a planet or moon in SC it will always slow me down for a short while until you are away from the gravitational effect?

Or am i seeing this wrong?
 
Its not gravity, and you can't explain it with currently understood physics. It's the effect that mass has on the frameshift drive, so purely a game mechanic
 
I have never understood this Planet Braking.... A planetary body that has Gravity will speed you up as you approach it and slow you down as you go away from it. When i approach a planet or moon in SC it will always slow me down for a short while until you are away from the gravitational effect?

Or am i seeing this wrong?

Well, obviously there's a lot of handwavium here, given we don't actually have a FSD in real-life.

But presumably the FSD is based in theory on warp / Alcubierre drives; which would work by compressing space in front of the ship's bubble/frame and expand space behind it. This compression may work better in empty space than in close proximity to large masses such as planetary bodies, hence the ship slows and the FSD 'races' when passing close to any planet. Hence their potential use as braking assists.
 
Cool, thanks for the tips! Is it possible to destroy your ship if you mess up?
There is just the loop of shame.. you wont blow up hitting a planet from SC. you will just disengage tumble and take some damage.. the pedantic out there will probably say it is technically possible to blow up hitting a planet if you've got low enough health.
 
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Damage maybe if the planet is not landable and you are yanked out of supercruise like close to a star....if landable, you'll just shift to OC.
 
Cool, thanks for the tips! Is it possible to destroy your ship if you mess up?
Depends on your speed and remaining hull upon emergency exit.

Damage maybe if the planet is not landable and you are yanked out of supercruise like close to a star....if landable, you'll just shift to OC.
You also emergency exit when you try to enter orbital cruise too fast.
 
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My method to travel fast around planetary station.

You can always keep full trust with this method. Find your cape during the raise (90°) to 100-200km altitude. Try Keep your slope to -1°/+1° during the travel (100-200 km alt) that make it very fast (Around 100km/s and more). When you're are less than 1000km from target begin your way down to slow your speed. At 500km from target you must be lower than 100km altitude. Leave supercruise, and begin gliding (<25 km alt) between 90-40 km from your target is right. Target always a bit more far than the station when gliding. And normally you stop gliding just above station less than 10km.

When you want to speed up supercruise around planet put slope to -1°/+1° that speed up in relation to your altitude.

If you gonna go away from planet keep slope to 90° then when your gaining speed leaving the gravity well you can find your cape. If planet is obstacle to your destination use method to travel between station to have target on sight faster. remember that you can jump from surface without obstacle.
 
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It's really bloody tricky. I know how to do it and even I just adhere to the 6 second blue zone rule most of the time.

But basically, you keep the throttle at full speed until it reaches 5 seconds. Then cut it down completely and dive towards the planet the station orbits. Once you get there, you want to hug the body exclusion edge as tightly as possible as you do a sharp orbit around the planet towards the station. This is tricky as often, you might be coming in so hot, you won't be able to hug the planet and will fly past. Either way, the planet mass will act as a space break.

P.S: Hug the body exclusion barrier. Don't crash into it ;)
 
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