Harlequin - Modular Mothership

[Cupcake...]

CRAFT FILES:

https://goo.gl/J1dHym

 

Well folks it's my great pleasure to present the Harlequin family of modular mother-ships, designed to get drop-ships and their crews to the furthest corners of the Kerbol system.

Built to fit inside Mk3 cargo bays these plucky little ships will put out between 7k and 16k of Delta V depending on the configuration. Somehow those Moho missions don't look so scary anymore.

All models come with powerful, easy to fly launch vehicles that'll get you to orbit with plenty of juice left over.

The design comes with a choice of three drop-ships, all of which can be easily swapped out thanks to a modular design system.

All told this Matryoshka doll design will give you a ship, within a ship within a ship.

 

CONTROLS (Dropships):

1 - Primary  Engines
2 - Secondary Engines
3 - Deploy Solar Panels (Shrimp Only)
5 - Undock Top Port
0 - Toggle Cockpit Doors
ABORT - Undock Dropship Cargo Port

CONTROLS: (Mothership & LV):
8 - Toggle LV-N
9 - Cargo Bay Doors

 

OPERATORS MANUAL:

Load craft file (C models come with space for two crew members) and attach desired drop-ship module then delete any unused modules and close all cargo bay doors.

Set full throttle and switch control to either the docking port on top of the rocket or the command pod. Activate SAS then launch.

Eject the SRBs and secondary rocket stacks as soon they become empty.

Once the needle reaches the end of the light blue strip start pitching over on a 90* heading.

By the time the needle gets to the dark blue section you want to be at a 45* angle.

Hold this heading till your apoapsis reaches 40k then gently pitch over and hold course about 5* above the horizon.

Once you apoapsis reaches 80k cut the engines and coast out of the atmosphere.

Extend solar pannels on the LV to allow for probe core control/de-orbiting.

Once in a stable oribit open the MK3 cargo bay and stage to release the mother-ship.

 

IMHO all the included dropships are compact and agile enough not to need mono propellent/RCS for docking, however I do recommend reducing the engine thrust to 1% on the Siren/Mindy.

The crew modules come with parachutes for safe landing back on Kerbin or alternatively the Siren/Mindy have anough thrust to do powered landings once docked to the docking port at the top of the module.

The front docking port should be selected for proper piloting axis.

 

Enjoy!

 

Cupcake...

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2016 by Cupcake...

[DMSP]

Incredible! Brilliant work once again! 

[Zucal]

It's very pretty, but I feel sorry for the poor Kerbals that have a single Mk1 crew cabin to huddle in.

[otblock]

Nice. I've been looking at most of your posts, and this one is exceptional! Keep up the good work!

[Mjarf]

Fancy stuff, I like the idea of modular spacecrafts, makes for simpler logistics.

[Yukon0009]

I smell the Tantive corvette on one of these designs.

[Corona688]

What do all the jet intakes do?

[Cupcake...]

On 26/06/2016 at 6:36 PM, DMSP said:

Incredible! Brilliant work once again! 

 

On 27/06/2016 at 8:45 AM, otblock said:

Nice. I've been looking at most of your posts, and this one is exceptional! Keep up the good work!

 

On 27/06/2016 at 9:45 AM, Mjarf said:

Fancy stuff, I like the idea of modular spacecrafts, makes for simpler logistics.

Thanks guys!

On 27/06/2016 at 6:44 AM, Zucal said:

It's very pretty, but I feel sorry for the poor Kerbals that have a single Mk1 crew cabin to huddle in.

The design would look a bit strange with a MK3 crew cabin stuck on the end.

15 hours ago, Yukon0009 said:

I smell the Tantive corvette on one of these designs.

I'm gonna have to look that one up. 

10 hours ago, Corona688 said:

What do all the jet intakes do?

Look pretty.

 

Cupcake...

[Gilph]

Hi, just downloaded...really wonderful stuff.

I was looking at the dropships.  Are they all unmanned? Tough to see in the editor.

[Cupcake...]

9 hours ago, Gilph said:

Hi, just downloaded...really wonderful stuff.

I was looking at the dropships.  Are they all unmanned? Tough to see in the editor.

They're all designed to be flown manned and feature command chairs. Just so you know there's a bug in 1.1.3 that doesn't shield the Kerbals from aero/heat forces while inside the materials bay. This will affect the dropship's performance on places like Duna, Kerbin and Laythe.

 

Cupcake...

[Gilph]

On 7/23/2016 at 8:48 PM, Cupcake... said:

They're all designed to be flown manned and feature command chairs. Just so you know there's a bug in 1.1.3 that doesn't shield the Kerbals from aero/heat forces while inside the materials bay. This will affect the dropship's performance on places like Duna, Kerbin and Laythe.

 

Cupcake...

Hi...just flew the long range one to Moho and wanted to try the ion lander.  Cant EVA out of MK1.  No option to transfer to the command chair.  No menu option to EVA if I right click crew hatch.  EVA button says "Automatic EVA disabled. Activate a hatch". Any Ideas?

[Frozen_Heart]

That is the cutest mothership I've ever seen!

[SingABrightSong]

1 hour ago, Gilph said:

Hi...just flew the long range one to Moho and wanted to try the ion lander.  Cant EVA out of MK1.  No option to transfer to the command chair.  No menu option to EVA if I right click crew hatch.  EVA button says "Automatic EVA disabled. Activate a hatch". Any Ideas?

Sounds like you've got a mod issue.

[Cupcake...]

8 hours ago, Gilph said:

Hi...just flew the long range one to Moho and wanted to try the ion lander.  Cant EVA out of MK1.  No option to transfer to the command chair.  No menu option to EVA if I right click crew hatch.  EVA button says "Automatic EVA disabled. Activate a hatch". Any Ideas?

There's good news and bad news I'm afraid. The good news is to EVA your Kerbals you simply have to click on the hatch door itself outside the craft (where the tiny window is).

 

The bad news is the Shrimp hasn't got enough grunt to handle a Moho landing, a Mindy dropship will do it with ease however.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Cupcake...

[Gilph]

16 hours ago, Cupcake... said:

There's good news and bad news I'm afraid. The good news is to EVA your Kerbals you simply have to click on the hatch door itself outside the craft (where the tiny window is).

 

The bad news is the Shrimp hasn't got enough grunt to handle a Moho landing, a Mindy dropship will do it with ease however.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Cupcake...

D'oh...i was right clicking hatch...needed to left click it. Thanks

Wasn't sure about the shrimp, but it was in a test instance.  Time to delete and redo.

 

Many Thanks