Explore Laythe with Triton Mk-IV

[Dr Wily]

~ Triton Mk-IV ~
224 Parts, Stock, Version 1.3.1

Ever wanted to check out the seas of Laythe with a speed boat? How about some off road dune action? Perhaps an enjoyable flight past picturesque mountain peaks? Using the Triton Mk-IV, you can do all 3 with 1 launch. Establish an adventure colony on Laythe today!

THE ROCKET

Triton Mk-IV rocket: Designed to deliver a small 4 kerbal exploration team and 3 vehicles to Laythe (one way). Straight forward stage progression and generous delta-V values make getting to Laythe an enjoyable experience. After you drop the first stage, slowly push forward a full 90º until you are parallel with the surface. This should put your apoapsis at around 80~90k. Keep your remaining stages right on the horizon and if you do it right, your nukes will only need to use about 100dV or so to put the periapsis at 80~90k and all the prior stages will de-orbit properly. This will leave you with an orbital craft sporting just over 8,200dV, plenty for the journey to Laythe. Once there, simply de-orbit over the ocean and let the parachutes do the work.

THE VEHICLES

Trident: A jet boat and vehicle carrier. It's purpose is to transport the Beast from island to island, unloading and reloading it from beaches. It can achieve speeds over 42 meters per second and has reversible jets that act as brakes. It has good steering and enough fuel to reach land from nearly any landing location in the ocean. Always open and close the loading ramp slowly using the percentage slider. If you are stuck on a beach, you can reverse full thrust and use the ramp to dislodge. (packed on the Triton Mk-IV)
PRESS "1" to toggle thrust direction.


Beast: A mining and fuel refinement truck. The truck can be used to explore deep inland and produces fuel for the other two vehicles. It has a narrow wheel base to allow for unloading and loading on to the Trident. Always slow down below 10 meters per second for turns or steep hills. If you start to tip over, counter steering can often save you. In flatter areas, you can safely go 20~35 meters per second without tipping over. (packed on the Trident)
PRESS "2" to toggle solar panels when on land.


Firebolt: A very small and highly maneuverable jet weighing less than 900kg! It is capable of flying medium distances and is perfect for surveying the surrounding area. Even with a kerbal in the seat it has zero torque, allowing maximum benefit from the SAS. It is very easy to land, but care must be taken to prevent crashes. Using the brakes it can take off and land using a very small area. Keep SAS on at all times. It is the fastest of the 3, allowing for horizontal flight speeds of over 160 meters per second. (packed on the Beast)

DOWNLOAD THE CRAFT FILE HERE!

IMAGES OF A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH!

Design Notes:
*Craft is turned 90º left on launch pad to accommodate unorthodox payload shape, just press up/forward instead of right when turning into orbit. 
**Once deployed, the Firebolt cannot be combined with the Trident and Beast again for sea transport. However, the Firebolt has enough range to follow the Trident most places and can be flown separately.

Edited January 7, 2018 by Dr Wily