Convair NEXUS - super heavy Historical Launch Vehicle

[TiktaalikDreaming]

I've tentatively started a new thread for the Gas Core rocket engine here, 

 

 

[TiktaalikDreaming]

I started lookig at redoing the ED (Expansion Deflection) engine, and while looking at that, decided to migrate the LOX lines from the engines to the propellant tank.  This of course means the engines all need redoing, at least a bit.

New tank butt

With a slightly fixed up plug engine;

I also noted that Unity still had default max sizes for the tank textures.  So I changed that and the new tank has the texture density I thought it did.

I'll be finishing my modifications to the Plug (needs retexturing some bits) and completing the ED engine next.

The ED Engine update is mostly about the pumps.  And I have a basic mesh done, but not a lot else;

I also want to look at the thrust structure on this.  Now that the tank has a butt, I can be a bit more sensible with it.

[TiktaalikDreaming]

ED Engine has a shape and I've started on the bump maps;

[TiktaalikDreaming]

I was about to post that the ED engine is basically done, then I noticed I forgot to do the inside of the engine bell.

Anyway, here's a KVV shot of it not showing the inside of the bell;

And in flight showing a slightly coppery inside, that's devoid of detail and spec mapping.

 

I also need to work on the FX and add an FX for the gas generator exhausts

[TiktaalikDreaming]

The Nexus revamp now has at least one variant of each major part, except the legs.  So, my plan now is to aim at doing up a set of legs for the second stage, then release as v2.0.

Current revamp branch looks a bit like https://skfb.ly/6Qynp

 

https://github.com/TiktaalikDreaming/Nexus/releases/tag/1.9.1416

 

[TiktaalikDreaming]

I pretty much have one full stack of Nexus ready to roll.  It's "just" the kerbal scaled version of the smaller 1 million pound to orbit version, not the 2.  There's only the one second stage so far.  That thing was a pig to do normals on.

So, I'm warming up to replacing the old Nexus, which had both main sizes, and at least 3 second stage options, with the revamp.  It is better balanced, it's scaled better for kerbals, it looks nicer.  There's a bit less choice so far, but it's already hard to come up with excuses for the smaller Nexus, so the use case for the larger one is pretty much limited to "I want this Orion Battleship in orbit without starting a nuclear exchange".  And we all know Kerbals would be totally fine with old Boom Boom, what's not to love?

Anyway, release candidate https://github.com/TiktaalikDreaming/Nexus/releases/tag/1.10.0523

And a flight test for the first stage launch, orbit, deorbit, and splashdown is here (some crashtolerance adjustments have been made since)

 

 

Edited May 23, 2020 by TiktaalikDreaming
github redrafted an old release somehow

[MKSheppard]

Here's a CFG file to add NEXUS to whatever tree. Just do a FIND-Replace and replace the node with one of your choice.

@PART[NexusFuelTank]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[Nexus25mShell]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[LF70f-B]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[NexusEnginePlug]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[NexusRCS]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}


@PART[supermaxiLandingLeg]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[NexusL30AHExpansionDeflection]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[Nexus150fInterstage]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[Nexus150fHeatShield]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[airbrakeNex1]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[fairingSize15]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[fairingSize11]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

 

[TiktaalikDreaming]

2 hours ago, MKSheppard said:

Here's a CFG file to add NEXUS to whatever tree. Just do a FIND-Replace and replace the node with one of your choice.

@PART[NexusFuelTank]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[Nexus25mShell]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[LF70f-B]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[NexusEnginePlug]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[NexusRCS]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}


@PART[supermaxiLandingLeg]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[NexusL30AHExpansionDeflection]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[Nexus150fInterstage]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[Nexus150fHeatShield]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[airbrakeNex1]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[fairingSize15]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

@PART[fairingSize11]
{
%TechRequired = advanced_liquid_rockets
@description = #$description$ <color=#FF0000>[Tiktaalik's NEXUS]</color>
}

 

The main requirement for building a Nexus craft is a huge budget of course.

[captinjoehenry]

@TiktaalikDreaming There are two nodes in the wrong spot.  Seems like there are two instances of nodes with the same transform.  One on the shell layer

And one on the Secondary Engines

[TiktaalikDreaming]

On 9/28/2020 at 10:34 AM, captinjoehenry said:

@TiktaalikDreaming There are two nodes in the wrong spot.  Seems like there are two instances of nodes with the same transform.  One on the shell layer

And one on the Secondary Engines

Oh.  How did I never spot that? (Spoiler alert: rotational symmetry is the answer)  I'll take a look.  Thanks.

 

OK, the control rocket nodes doubled up around 16, with 23 at 16, and then 17-24 being off.  Fixed.

I'm not entirely clear what was going on with the shell attach nodes.  In Unity you can't see more than one transform at a time generally, and each of those were child objects to their own centrally located empty transform.  I suspect something with the stacking of transforms, because I changed the hierarchy to better step through them to see what was out of place, and then they weren't out of place.  I've had transforms not apply before from Unity, so it may have just been too many stacked layers of transforms.

 

And... imgur isn't currently letting me upload images.

 

Actually, the Beta won't... why was I on the beta?  Anyway, in game;

 

It's syncy synced on github, this file is the only one that changed  https://github.com/TiktaalikDreaming/Nexus/blob/master/GameData/Nexus/Parts/Tank/NewModel.mu

I'll sort out updating the release shortly.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2020 by TiktaalikDreaming

[captinjoehenry]

4 hours ago, TiktaalikDreaming said:

Oh.  How did I never spot that? (Spoiler alert: rotational symmetry is the answer)  I'll take a look.  Thanks.

 

OK, the control rocket nodes doubled up around 16, with 23 at 16, and then 17-24 being off.  Fixed.

I'm not entirely clear what was going on with the shell attach nodes.  In Unity you can't see more than one transform at a time generally, and each of those were child objects to their own centrally located empty transform.  I suspect something with the stacking of transforms, because I changed the hierarchy to better step through them to see what was out of place, and then they weren't out of place.  I've had transforms not apply before from Unity, so it may have just been too many stacked layers of transforms.

 

And... imgur isn't currently letting me upload images.

 

Actually, the Beta won't... why was I on the beta?  Anyway, in game;

 

It's syncy synced on github, this file is the only one that changed  https://github.com/TiktaalikDreaming/Nexus/blob/master/GameData/Nexus/Parts/Tank/NewModel.mu

I'll sort out updating the release shortly.

 

 

No problem man!  I was able to fix from just getting the previous version of the model file you had posted.  That one had no issues with nodes overlapping.

[TiktaalikDreaming]

3 hours ago, captinjoehenry said:

No problem man!  I was able to fix from just getting the previous version of the model file you had posted.  That one had no issues with nodes overlapping.

Damn...

When I was updating, I noticed I've disconnected github desktop from my active copy as well, not sure when that happened, but it looks like when I merged the revamp branch and the core.  I did have 2, and then the gamedata linked to the revamp, I must have disconnected in prep, merged and never got back around to re-linking.  I suspect I stuffed up something in that.  But also, it was actually (for half the issue, definitely, and probably the other) wrong in Unity.  So, I just don't know what went wrong when.  

[Sesshaku]

1º: I am stalking your mod creations, and I have to say you have some pretty interesting mods. So, congratulations man, this is very good work.

2º: Quick question, Is the revamp compatible with RO? I see you have RO configs (two of them actually, don't know which one is newer), but I don't know if those were updated with the revamp, specially regarding scaling.

3º: Is it compatible with RP1? Or does it still need to be integrated into the tech tree and parts list?