Rune

I already made the comment before the "great crash of '13", but I should put it here for posterity: the Nova is awesome. I recreated it (personal preference, not using other people's files), and it is proving invaluable as my super-heavy lifter of choice. If you head to the KIDI thread, you will see one of the uses I have put it to.

Hehehe, yup, all stock unless I missed something. Try it and tell me! If it misbehaves, please post here the message so I know what I'm looking for. It is kind of difficult to handle close to 700 parts, even on the hangar. It is actually very close to the height limit, while I was messing around with the adapter I found out just one more meter, and you can't launch it without the engines clipping the runway, it just won't go high enough on the SPH. Which may be visually impressive, the whole thing collapsing and exploding, but wasn't what I was going for. ^^'

Does it come with an ejection seat? Otherwise, Neil Kerman is going to have a bad time... You have to put one in there ASAP if it doesn't!

Hey, you linked my thread! (Feels overly proud of himself) That is the Wedge you are talking about, and it was half an experiment to see if it could be done, I have absolutely no idea how much delta-v you can get out of it on ions. But I have done other SSTO's that can go to Mun, land, and then get back, so you can definitely get over 6.5km/s (specifically, the Grasshopper, a VTOL, but the great crash ate it and I haven't put it back up yet, it should come back soon). The trick is to max out the airbreathing engines (get to at least 2,000m/s on atmo), and then using nukes for circularization and in-space propulsion. Of course, all the fuel you can take while still being able to climb. So basically, spam intakes to get there. Taking with you kethane equipment means quite a huge SSTO, though, all of that counts as payload, and it is quite heavy, so maintaining the mass ratio is challenging. Perfectly doable still, or at least math tells you so (the rocket equation with 800s isp says mass ratio ~2.5 to get 7.2 km/s). Rune. Probably has been done before, though, few things haven't.

Ok, I have updated the Dreadnought file after cleaning out the mods (hopefully) and solving the adapter issue (again, cross your fingers, the new one is untested), and fixing the staging so you don't have to. Visually it's pretty much the same thing. It should be the same link, but just in case: http://www./?fqrclq6g5f44gjb If you find any problems, as always, let me know and I'll see what I can do. A note on the (included) fighters: they come attached by the nose with decouplers, but they have a nice big docking port on the back that is the one intended for the ship end. That way you can arm them with missiles from the carrier on the nose before they head out. But, that port with covers won't attach while building, hence the strange arrangement. Also, the decouplers don't make decent weapons unless you edit the part to give it at least 10x the ejection force (I have them at 20x normal), and even then their destructive power is untested. However, I can guarantee you nice, visually pleasing, explosions, and they look like cannons, so what more could you ask of them? Once you expend them, though, there are docking ports where you can attach more conventional missiles behind them. Rune. Have fun blowing stuff up!

Ok, I see what you did now. See, you can't detach a part and the re-attach it using another a different attachment node. It will only stick with the one that was connected before (the one in the part you are trying to connect, of course, it can attach to any other, but only that one will). That's your problem. But there is a way around anything: What I did is detach everything from the node, turn it around so it faces the proper direction, and reattach afterwards. Took me like 10 seconds... and months playing this game. Don't feel bad, you just lack the experience making KSP behave. Edit: if you want the craft file, I could give it to you, but I think you will learn more if I just show you how it's done. Rune. For saving parts, I have to heavily recommend the subassembly loader. That mod is genius.

Hum. You acknowledge the targeting issue, but you don't explore the ramifications: if I blind your ship's sensors (which have to be unprotected if they are to work) with a high-power laser, how are you going to connect your kinetics/lasers? How are you going to get out of the way of mine? And at orbital velocities, there is no such thing as "low" kinetic impacts, even motes of paint make decent projectiles. As to nukes (which make very poor space weapons IMO), they kill by radiation up there, so they actually propagate much better than in atmosphere, and armor at less than tons per square meter is useless. Rune. Still a case of one shot, one kill.

Yup. Also, another common misconception: nuke-induced EMP's only happen inside the atmosphere. So nukes blowing in space don't fry electronics... unless they fry them with sheer radiation, and then they also fry the people close to them. Just in response to the "nuke at 400kms" comment.

Have you tried putting it somewhere else first, then move it without dropping it? That way you and usually cheat the game into thinking it is not clipping or whatever it thinks it does. Almost as good as activating part clipping (which you should try if everything else fails). Also, you won't be able to do the lower part in one connected piece. Just build to halves and strut them together at the middle. No way around that, you can't place a part joining two others. Rune. Don't think of it as cheating, think of it as getting around a (currently) buggy UI.

Well, Nibb31, I also can't believe I'm sounding like a SpaceX fanboy . But seriously, I think we are both right in our own way. Which is weird, because I think we also have a very similar point of view. You make perfectly valid points, and I also make perfectly valid points (IMO, of course). Orion is better for a Constellation-like lunar mission than Dragon (it's what it was designed to do, after all), Dragon makes a better crew taxi (same thing). We both agree a taxi is probably what's needed. So we'll have to agree to... well, agree I have a feeling if we kept at it we would just repeat ourselves. But nice point about depressing requirements, I hadn't thought that through properly. Just one tiny thing: Orion and its radiation protection. As far as I understand it, it's just a measure of how much the existing design protected the astronauts, and how much it would need to be beefed up to provide survivable protection. A proper radiation shelter capable of enduring serious flares it is not. Rune. Nitpicking is fun, wouldn't you say?

Actually, space battles would probably be high-speed interceptions, preferably on orbits retrograde to each other. Considering how little sense armor makes (one shot is usually one kill, even with kinetics), and that computers can make an eternity out of one second, staying on the same orbit would guarantee a very bloody outcome with only one side walking away, and very badly mangled at that. You want to have the chance to avoid the confrontation if things are looking to go the other guy's way, and regroup/run away before the next pass. 99% of the time maneuvering/targeting/preparing, then a few milliseconds of stuff blowing up, then count your losses and get ready for the next one. Rune. The old hurry up and wait thing.

Well guys, it seems we are in distinguished company here! Seriously, Nyrath, I've spent a lot of hours on your page, and it is bookmarked for future reference. Your drive table is what I use as isp reference. Keep up the good job! Rune. When you think about it, it makes sense you would play this game.

Sure! You can't imagine how many good ideas I "inspired", hehehe . In fact, multiport docking is one of those. Just one thing, though: make sure both ports are docked by right-clicking on them to check their status, and take care so that the bicoupler is firmly strutted: no point taking out a single-point attachment to put another one part away. Oh, and the Hopper handles like a gazillion times better than the Global Explorer, there are a couple months between them, and it shows. And Pirate, failing is half the fun! Makes success much sweeter. Rune. I've had my share of "fun", believe me.

Yeah, but then you have to have a system to keep your craft cool without using ablatives. Which means radiators, and a lot of coolant. The same amount of energy has to be absorbed and dissipated, only you can't burn your heatshield to do so. Plus, when you slow down in orbit, you fall, so you have to counteract with lift. Turns out that is difficult to do in such thin air. Also, yeah, the height of your reentry is a factor of your ballistic coefficient, Skylon would reenter far higher than the shuttle, because it is bigger and lighter. It would also stay on reentry regime far longer. Rune. Burning away ceramics takes a huge amount of energy, while heating people to death takes very little in comparison.

Looks way better with the fairings. Good job! Always loved the R-7 family. Korolev was a genius, IMO, the design is just awesome. Rune. Definitely one of my personal heroes.

It looks good, just a suggestion: if you are after torque, stacking the smallest probe is both more aesthetically pleasing (IMO), and effective. Also gives you an increased electricity usage, which is kinda realistic.

Because, if you chase after attention, you are bound to end up with none. Bumping it and crying is only going to turn people away. Let it come patiently, I actually had the thread open to comment on the Ares V when I had the time. It took me ages to get R-SUV up and running, the main point is not to rush it. Rune. Good things come to those who wait.

Whoops! That's the toggle-capable ASAS mod. Awesome to take care of station wobbles, but honestly don't know why I put it there. See, I have to start paying more attention, or do a clean install to check this stuff before I upload. Here it is on the spaceport. Rune. Damn, you guys all seem to like it, but I've released in the most crappy way imaginable. Seriously, this is getting a mark two with the bugs ironed out, I promise!

Thanks for the positive feedback! It really makes you want to give out more stuff

Thanks! Considering who it comes from, I feel rather proud. Same goes to you, erendrake And I'm close to releasing a new version of the Aurora, capable of Munar flights landing included (hopefully). Still have to finish the test mission, though, and lately I haven't been playing much, so it might take a while. Rune. Damn RL, it keeps on interfering with my spaceflight .

I'd say not with payload, but if you put an extra tank on the payload bay (so crew transfer only), it should do it without issues, even circularize into Keostationary proper. Rune. Glad to be back myself! Edit: Yet another repository, this time of the 1.0 version of R-SUV.

It is certainly possible with a lot of airhogging, check the "Wedge" SSTO on my thread. Not that I have been the first person to do that by a long shot, I seem to remember a thread pre-crash about going to Laythe and back without oxidizer, or staging.

Yet another SSTO Shuttle, courtesy of yours truly. It is pre-crash, but google didn't save it, so I'm re-creating the thread. It's small, it's cute, and it carries a more than decent payload and three kerbals to orbit. It is actually volume-limited, since I'm pretty sure it can lift considerably more than what you can stick in the payload bay. The sample payload in a Munar lander/rover, but you could take it out and put anything else in there you want, or just a plain fuel tank to turn it into a long-range ship/tanker. And why should I explain how to get it into orbit, when I have a video of me doing just that, and commenting a lot of stuff about it: IMGUR ALBUM: http://imgur.com/a/SrQBO DOWNLOAD: http://www./?q9a86ujb4t943ag Rune. Because small is cute.

Rune. Edited as a repository, for... I really don't know why. But it took a lot to do in the first place.

Yet another SSTO Shuttle, courtesy of yours truly. It is pre-crash, but google didn't save it, so I'm re-creating the thread. It's small, it's cute, and it carries a more than decent payload and three kerbals to orbit. It is actually volume-limited, since I'm pretty sure it can lift considerably more than what you can stick in the payload bay. The sample payload in a Munar lander/rover, but you could take it out and put anything else in there you want, or just a plain fuel tank to turn it into a long-range ship/tanker. And why should I explain how to get it into orbit, when I have a video of me doing just that, and commenting a lot of stuff about it: Update! New shuttle version to commemorate a true best-seller. Glad you guys like it! Not much changed, but it looks good: IMGUR ALBUM: http://imgur.com/a/SrQBO DOWNLOAD: http://www./?q9a86ujb4t943ag Update! New crew shuttle version: http://www./download/zxu4wi0pvcl48ry/Gladius_%28Crew%29.craft Rune. Because small is cute.