Laythe floating VTOL base (1.0.5+ remake)

[1greywind]

 

Year ago I've made VTOL Floating base, 1.0 release made it obsolete and it is now time to present updated version.

New design have 4 large landing pads (made from 3.75 m fairings) instad of single flight deck. Base floats are real, not pre 1.0 nonsence made from structural plates.
New jets are weaker than old so this version ahve 12 big gets with integrated air intakes. TWR is ok for Laythe, but barely enough for Kerbin.

Base comes with launch kit included which consists from 2 stage lauch vehicle and 16xLV-N transfer stage. Total dV is enough to reach Low Laythe orbit from launch pad in KSC without aerobreaking.

Launch recommendations: fly string up to ~10 km, then start "gravity turn" until you are at ~30 degree pitch at 30-40 km, detach first stage and burn until orbit.
TWR of transfer stage is as low as 0.25, so Jool transfer burn at ~2000 m/s may be a pain. I recommend to use Mangalyaan approach - setup your transfer node well in advance (15-20 kerbin days before departure)
Then raise your apoapsis to ~20.000-30.000 km (with PA at position of node) in series of relatively small burns that get most of Oberth effect.
When planning Jool arrival aim for Laythe intercept with PA ~100 km. Capture to 100x100 low Laythe orbit will cost ~2000-2200 m/s.
Landing is easy: make deorbit burn, detach transfer stage, set SAS to follow retrograde marker. Wait until you are deep enough in atmosphere to activate jets. Control throttle to achieve vertical speed of 3-4 m/s at water contact. You have some chootes in case of panic.

Enjoy!

 

 

>>>> Download <<<<

Edited February 8, 2016 by 1greywind

[Majorjim!]

This looks amazing! I applaud that launcher too!

[RixKillian]

I love the use of fairings as landing pads, they're very low part and look great! Keep it up!

[Raptor9]

@1greywind Huge props.  The concept of a floating base on Laythe with landing pads has been something I've been wanting to do for a long time.  I just haven't really gone beyond Duna yet.  That base looks not only looks good, it has a futuristic feel to it.  Awesome job!.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Raptor9
typo

[1greywind]

2 hours ago, RixKillian said:

I love the use of fairings as landing pads, they're very low part and look great! Keep it up!

@RixKillian Unfortunately they have downside: landed crafts don't cast shadows on fairings

 

2 hours ago, Raptor9 said:

@1greywind Huge props.  The concept of a floating base on Laythe with landing pads has been something I've been wanting to do for a long time.  I just haven't really gone beyond Duna yet.  That base looks not only looks good, it has a futuristic feel to it.  Awesome job!.

@Raptor9 Thank you for replay! If you get it to Duna you already have grip on interplanetary travel - give Laythe a try . Jool and system of it's satellites is most interesting place in Kerbol system (aside from IMHO)

 

6 hours ago, Majorjim said:

This looks amazing! I applaud that launcher too!

@Majorjim Thank you! Build rocket around payload is my beloved design pattern. It worked like a charm in pre 1.0 times and still work with new aero. Can't resist to show that you can launch into space using this techique:

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2016 by 1greywind

[Majorjim!]

@1greywind

 WOW! Those are stunning!

[Dafni]

Very nice stuff you got there! I just dont know about that little VTOL craft... is that the stock one?

The floating base is awesome, and those launchers are very cool too.

[Monsterlunch]

I think I know whats going on in there...

 

Spoiler

 

[1greywind]

30 minutes ago, Dafni said:

Very nice stuff you got there! I just dont know about that little VTOL craft... is that the stock one?

The floating base is awesome, and those launchers are very cool too.

@Dafni Yea - it is stock rocket VTOL that was hyperedited to make some fancy pictures   I don't have my own VTOL deisgn for 1.0 aero - they all fly like a brick, all this lift from any part + new balances of jet engines - after year of experimentation I don't have design I like.

 

 

12 minutes ago, Monsterlunch said:

I think I know whats going on in there...

 

  Hide contents

 

@Monsterlunch Yea, unfortunately we don't have dramatic Kamino 's storms and lightnings on Laythe. Waves from scatterer's ocean shaders are purely decorative.

Edited February 8, 2016 by 1greywind

[Monsterlunch]

21 minutes ago, 1greywind said:

[...]

@Monsterlunch Yea, unfortunately we don't have dramatic Kamino 's storms and lightnings on Laythe. Waves from scatterer's ocean shaders are purely decorative

Not YET....

[blackrack]

Beautiful.

Now if only these things served a purpose in-game...

[Dafni]

9 hours ago, 1greywind said:

@Dafni Yea - it is stock rocket VTOL that was hyperedited to make some fancy pictures   I don't have my own VTOL deisgn for 1.0 aero - they all fly like a brick, all this lift from any part + new balances of jet engines - after year of experimentation I don't have design I like.

May I suggest a Cupcake Lander? His designs are nice, they make for nice screenshots, and the low part counts are easy on your computer too

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/25343-cupcakes-dropship-dealership/

That stock VTOL really is hideous (no match for your floating base) and flies rather poor IMHO

[swjr-swis]

Impressive constructions, all of them.

Very reassuring to know that if ever a Class E slips through our defenses and Kerbin faces total destruction, the technology and capability already exists for a mass exodus into space.

[Cupcake...]

I may have to er... borrow the landing pad idea, that really was a stroke of genius!

 

Cupcake...

[WhiteKnuckle]

On ‎2‎/‎8‎/‎2016 at 5:50 PM, 1greywind said:

Yea - it is stock rocket VTOL that was hyperedited to make some fancy pictures   I don't have my own VTOL deisgn for 1.0 aero - they all fly like a brick, all this lift from any part + new balances of jet engines - after year of experimentation I don't have design I like.

Check out the Ibex:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/97782-whiteknuckle-aerospace-spaceplanes-vtols-more-new-ships-for-105/&do=findComment&comment=2395464

Even if you don't use it, it should give you some ideas about how to use the new engines (frankly, the Panther is a godsend for VTOL builders) and aero.

 

BTW I love your big ring stations. By far the most impressive ones I've seen. Just beautiful.

[1greywind]

@WhiteKnuckle, @Dafni  

Cupcake's landers are state of the art. But require quite a skill to fly and use too many part clipping for my taste. As of airplane-style VTOLs (basically a planes or spaceplanes with VTOL engines) - I don't like separate march and lift engines. My target is something like this lander but with Jets instead of Poodles:

 

Also I'm not very good pilot and rely on VVC (auto vertical speed control mod) mod to control vertical speed - unfortunately it works very bad with add jets (Juno, Wheesley and Goliath) because their very slow spin up/spin down speed. But I diffidently should look into using turbojets in my designs - quick test shows that VVC likes Panter and Whiplash much more than jets.

 

@Cupcake... you're welcome I like to watch your videos and it will be great to see some magnificent base with many landing pads in them.

4 hours ago, WhiteKnuckle said:

BTW I love your big ring stations. By far the most impressive ones I've seen. Just beautiful.

Thank. I'm very proud of this design. It was made in pre editor-gizmo era and aligning things to make perfect circle was a tough task. I have video of big one in space:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJHSLuNglng

 

[WhiteKnuckle]

19 minutes ago, 1greywind said:

Cupcake's landers are state of the art. But require quite a skill to fly and use too many part clipping for my taste. As of airplane-style VTOLs (basically a planes or spaceplanes with VTOL engines) - I don't like separate march and lift engines. My target is something like this lander but with Jets instead of Poodles:

 

Also I'm not very good pilot and rely on VVC (auto vertical speed control mod) mod to control vertical speed - unfortunately it works very bad with add jets (Juno, Wheesley and Goliath) because their very slow spin up/spin down speed. But I diffidently should look into using turbojets in my designs - quick test shows that VVC likes Panter and Whiplash much more than jets.

 

I'll let you in on a dirty little secret: No one is a good enough pilot to reliable make vertical landings on jets alone. The spool time is too much to deal with.That's why I recommend using the Panther for all your VTOL needs. It can switch between wet/dry modes instantly, no spool time. Other options are to use a combination of jets and LF/O engines like this:

Where the small LF/O engines are tied to an action group that can be quickly toggled on and off to control vertical speed. Very small jets can use Vernor engines tied to the RCS action group and the K-key to do the same thing.

But really, the Panther is the engine you want to use. It cuts down on partcount by only using one engine, and it cuts down on weight by only needing LF. It should be pretty easy to make a lander like the one you posted using Panthers, although you may need to turn down/off their thrust vectoring if you're putting them inside a service bay like that. I can whip up a prototype tonight if you're interested.

[1greywind]

27 minutes ago, WhiteKnuckle said:

But really, the Panther is the engine you want to use. It cuts down on partcount by only using one engine, and it cuts down on weight by only needing LF. It should be pretty easy to make a lander like the one you posted using Panthers, although you may need to turn down/off their thrust vectoring if you're putting them inside a service bay like that. I can whip up a prototype tonight if you're interested.

Panther rocks. I've just made this baby:

 

It works pretty well. Flies stable, turns fast.