AO Installation Guide

Installation Guide

New to modding your KSP save but want the Aircraft Only pack?
Follow this walkthrough with a brand new KSP install (never had mods installed before).

Detailed Walkthrough for Complete Beginners to CKAN

  1. Download and install CKAN if you haven't already.
  2. Ensure you have a clean installation of KSP 1.12.5 (no mods previously installed) and know its location (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Kerbal Space Program).
  3. Open CKAN.exe and click "New game instance" → "Add instance to CKAN". Locate your KSP install, open the folder, then double click KSP_x64.exe.
  4. When the CKAN popup appears, you should see your KSP install in the list (usually named "Kerbal Space Program"). Double click it.
  5. Click "Accept" on the popup, then:
    • Click "Yes, check for updates".
    • Click "Yes" on the final popup.
    • You’ll now see a long list of available mods.
  6. Now download the .ckan modpack file below (or any other pack you might want).
Download Modpack File
  1. In CKAN, go to "File" → "Install from .ckan..." and locate the file you just downloaded (usually in your downloads folder). Double click it.
  2. When a compatibility popup appears, click "Add compatible versions".
  3. The Aircraft Only mod list should now appear. Click "Apply" in the bottom right of the window.
  4. On the next page, click the "Uncheck All" button in the top left, then click "Continue" in the bottom left; the pack will begin downloading and installing.
  5. Once installation is complete, you'll see the main CKAN page again. Click "Play" in the top left to launch the game.
  6. When the game opens, you may see three popups:
    • Allow Zero MiniAVC to restart the game quickly.
    • Click "Ignore" on the Parallax Warning.
    • Click "Yes" on KSP Community Fixes.
    The game should now load.
  7. Verify the game loads to the main menu as expected, then close the game.
  8. Download and install the following manual mods by dropping their GameData folders directly into your KSP install (merge with the existing GameData folder):

    - Quickly find your KSP installation folder in CKAN by going to "File" → "Open game directory".

    • TURD (Press "Skip These Files" if prompted about duplicates)

      - This is because the included TU version is older than the one in the .ckan.

    • DLCs Recolor

      - Specifically, get "TURD_MH-BG_stable_002" if you have both DLCs.

    • TLW TUFX Config (Drop this directly in GameData by itself)

      - This is the TUFX profile used in videos.

  9. Launch the game again and verify everything is working. Then, adjust your main menu settings as desired.
    • Tip: To confirm the pack is working correctly, try downloading one of my aircraft-only crafts from #smooney-crafts, drop it into your save file, and ensure it loads correctly with the proper colors.

!! IF THE GROUND AROUND THE KSC IS BRIGHT GREEN, SET THE TERRAIN RENDERING IN THE MAIN MENU TO HIGH/ULTRA !!

Optional and Paid Graphics mods
For over-the-top visuals, install these according to their instructions after completing the above steps: