Firebird: Versatile rover dropship

[Dreadthrone]

A mid-sized Dropship, the Firebird is designed for transporting Rovers to and from the surface of Duna.

Thanks to the "Moar Vernors!" strategy used by it's creators, it is extremely agile, stable and ideal for carrying oversized or lopsided cargoes. 

 

Imgur album that shows more of the features: http://imgur.com/a/CqfDp

Download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5k4ufjyp1r4v4ok/Firebird x2.craft?dl=0

Features:  

• Descent Autopilot: With an experienced pilot, the Firebird can be landed simply by setting the SAS to keep it retrograde and adjusting the throttle.
• Claw: Since it has a Claw instead of a docking port, the Firebird can attach to just about anything that can fit underneath it.
• Vertical and horizontal flight modes: Two Thuds and two Terriers on the bottom for VTOL, two Thuds between the tail booms for horizontal flight
• Crew transport capability: Space for two Pilots and Eight passengers,
• A metric kerbton of Vernors: Can do sick barrel roles with ease
• Two service bays on the top: Currently just used to store Monoprop and fuel cells, but they could easily be modified to store a couple small probes
• Aerodynamic VTOL engines: The Poodles are stored inside two service bays on the bottom, which can open or close to make it more aerodynamic
• Hidden top docking port

Action groups:

1. Toggles bottom service bays, when they are closed it cannot VTOL but is more aerodynamic.
2. Toggles VTOL engines
3. Toggles horizontal flight engines (I recommend using these while in space, slightly less Delta V but it doesn't need to use the Vernors)
4. Toggles Claw
5. Toggles fuel cells

Notes:

• Comes in pairs for balancing reasons
• With 1850 delta V, it's not ideal for going between planets.
• Decouplers get stuck to the hidden docking port when you separate the Firebirds from the transfer stage. This will be fixed soon
• Lots of aesthetic bits that don't contribute to function
• Still being tested. I wouldn't be surprised if the current version is incapable of docking.
• Rover not included

 

Edited November 3, 2016 by Dreadthrone

[Kaiser82]

I love this thing

[Matuchkin]

It actually reminds me of a bird. I like this; a heavy-lifting, compact but agile dropship.

EDIT: God, I love the little niche the two radial mk2 fuselages create. Looks perfect while carrying small rovers.

Edited November 3, 2016 by Matuchkin

[Dreadthrone]

 

The download in the OP has been replaced with one that has fixed decouplers. 

14 hours ago, Kaiser82 said:

I love this thing

 

Thanks  

 

8 hours ago, Matuchkin said:

It actually reminds me of a bird. I like this; a heavy-lifting, compact but agile dropship.

EDIT: God, I love the little niche the two radial mk2 fuselages create. Looks perfect while carrying small rovers.

Thanks  Didn't even notice that niche while building it, but I imagine it'll be useful when carrying rovers with antennas or other things that poke upwards.