Need help with movement, controls, and following

So, I'm trying to code the input for a game where the player is able to fly around, like a plane, and is also followed by other objects, like a snake, and I'm encountering a number of issues.

I've tried 2 different approaches, one with kinematics (transform.translate(transform.forward * speed), and one with physics (rigidbody.addforce(transform.forward * speed). For the script attached to the followers, I move forward the same way. The problem is that if I use kinematics, the player does not collide with the scenery, and can pass right through it, but if I use physics then it introduces a significant amount of jittering. For the purpose of it feeling right, I would rather use the physics approach, so the player feels appropriately "heavy".

Additionally, when I use physics to push the follower objects forward, they collide with their leader and push it forward, causing the player to move forward when they shouldn't be.

Is there a better way to do this that I'm not aware of?

Here is the script attached to the front object in the "train":

Code (csharp):

1. {
2.  
3.     public float speed = 1;
4.     public float verticalTurnSpeed = 1;
5.     public float horizontalTurnSpeed = 1;
6.  
7.     // Use this for initialization
8.     void Start ()
9.     {
10.    
11.     }
12.    
13.     // Update is called once per frame
14.     void FixedUpdate ()
15.     {
16.         if (Input.GetMouseButton(1))
17.         {
18.            
19.             rigidbody.AddRelativeForce(new Vector3(0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f) * speed);
20.  
21.             float tiltUp = Input.GetAxis("Mouse Y") * verticalTurnSpeed;
22.             float tiltSide = Input.GetAxis("Mouse X") * horizontalTurnSpeed;
23.  
24.             //transform.Rotate(new Vector3(0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f), tiltSide);
25.             //transform.Rotate(new Vector3(1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f), tiltUp);
26.  
27.             rigidbody.AddRelativeTorque(new Vector3(0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f) * tiltSide);
28.             rigidbody.AddRelativeTorque(new Vector3(-1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f) * tiltUp);
29.         }
30.     }
31. }

And here is the script attached to everything else:

Code (csharp):

1. {
2.         /* The object that this segment is following.  Doesn't have to be a SnakeBody. */
3.     public GameObject leader;
4.         /* How close to the leader we should try to get. */
5.     public float clearance;
6.         /* The fastest we're allowed to move towards the leader. */
7.     public float speed;
8.  
9.     // Use this for initialization
10.     void Start ()
11.     {
12.    
13.     }
14.    
15.     // Update is called once per frame
16.     void FixedUpdate ()
17.     {
18.         transform.LookAt(leader.transform.position, new Vector3(0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f));
19.  
20.         Vector3 target = transform.position - leader.transform.position;
21.         target.Normalize();
22.         target *= clearance;
23.         target = leader.transform.position + target;
24.  
25.         //transform.position = Vector3.MoveTowards(transform.position, target, speed);
26.         rigidbody.AddRelativeForce(transform.forward * speed);
27.     }
28. }

 

bumpity