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AlphaMensae's Saturn Mobile Launcher Standalone BDB Version 20Feb18


AlphaMensae

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Download From Spacedock 

Because a Saturn V needs its ever-present companion, the Launch Umbilical Tower, I created a working replica of the Saturn Mobile Launcher.  It's not 100% exact, far from it, and has been simplified to eliminate detail that would be tedious to make without any real benefit.  It does fetaure retracting swing arms and tail service masts, plus two working elevators to allow crew boarding of the command module from the ground.  There is also a hammerhead crane on top that can decouple and rotate using the Q and E (roll) keys.

This is a standalone version of the Saturn Mobile Launcher from my Simple Overhaul Project.  It has been configured to work with the default Saturn/Sarnus 5 from the Bluedog Design Bureau mod.  

The mobile launcher was designed for the Saturn V from my Simple Overhaul, which is at 64% scale. It however works rather well with the BDB Saturn V,  it just meeded a few tweaks and adjustments.

The BDB Saturn V is at a smaller scale, and I didn't rescale the tower, so it's taller than the BDB Saturn V than the real one was.

It also can be used with other rockets, there just needs to be a free stack attach node at the bottom of the first/core stage.  An engine would work, but it's best to make a Module Manager patch to add a size 5 node to whatever part will be used to attach the launcher base to.

The tower and swing arms can be moved using the offset gizmo to adjust the positioning.

The Mobile Launcher pack contains the following parts:

The Mobile Launcher Base
The Launch Umbilical Tower (or just "tower")
The Tail Service Mast (three were used on the Mobile Launcher)
Nine swing arms representing the actual Saturn V tower arms
The hammerhead crane (no hoisting capability).

The launcher base attaches to a size 5 node at the bottom of the BDB Saturn V S-IC via another size 5 node in the flame hole.

The tower then attaches to the other size 5 node on the base.

Three tail service masts and the nine swing arms attach to the other nodes on the base and the front-right vertical beam of the tower.

The crane attaches to a node on top of the tower.

Both the base and tower include a working elevator for crew access to the the Command Module from the ground.

The elevators, swing arms and tail service mast move/retract by an animation; the arms and tail service masts will need to be action-grouped during a launch.

Liftoff demo:


This mod is being shared under the CC-BY-NC-SA license:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

 

Installation:

Open the .zip file, and copy the AlphaMensaeMobileLauncher folder to your KSP Gamedata folder.  

All the mobile launcher parts are put into the "Heavier Rocketry" tech tree node (same as the BDB Saturn V parts) for Career/Science mode.

NOTE:  The mobile launcher parts were developed and tested with Kerbal Joint Reinforcement installed, so I recommend that KJR be installed if it isn't already in your KSP.  I make no guarantees that these parts will work with the stock autostrutting.  That being said, I did set the breakingForce and breakingTorque values of the launcher base to 500,000, and those of the tower to 250,000.  That alone probably prevents any wobble, but why take chances? :)

 

Assembly Guide:

To make it easier to find the mobile launcher parts, enter "Saturn" in the part list search window, and they will all appear in the part window.

First, click on the root part of the BDB Saturn V (usually the Command Module) and using the offset gizmo move it up well above the floor of the VAB

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Next, click on the S-IVB stage of the Saturn V and rotate the rocket 45 degrees in either direction (can use shift-Q or E) to properly orient the F-1 engines:

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Next, select the Mobile Launcher Base from the parts list and attach it to the size 5 stack node below the S-IC stage via another size 5 node in the flame hole of the base:

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Next, use the offset gizmo again and move the whole assembly via the root part so the front legs of the launcher base (farthest away from the VAB door) sit within the white part of the big circle on the VAB floor; this is to properly position the base over the KSP launch pad:

Spoiler

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Next, select the Launch Umbilical Tower from the parts list and attach it to the other size 5 node on the launch base:

Spoiler

 

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Next, select the Tail Servive Mast from the parts list and attach three of them to the small nodes on two sides of the flame hole; they have to be attached separately.  Rotate them so the arm points directly at the S-IC stage:

Spoiler

 

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After placed, use the rotate gizmo and rotate the tail service masts 5 degrees to correctly align the arms with the stage (just for aesthetics):

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Next, select the swing arms from the parts list and attach them to the nodes on the front-right vertical beam of the tower.  Arm 01 goes at the lowest node, and they then go in order of 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 from bottom to top.  Arm 9 is the Crew Access arm.

Spoiler

 

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The hammerhead crane is attached to the top node on the tower.  It has a built-in decoupler, and after decoupling can freely rotate 360 degrees using the Q and E (roll) keys.

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Crew boarding is done by taking the elevator up to the crew access floor, then entering the crew arm via the small walkway extension:

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Edited by AlphaMensae
Added the download link...derp!
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As an example of the height difference between my Saturn V and the BDB one, the crew access arm had to be moved down two levels to align it with the BDB command module...which isn't where it was on the real tower. :sticktongue:

That also required the biggest modification, adjusting the elevator shaft columns and two colliders on the tower in Unity to create a new crew access level and elevator stop.

I may, when I have the time and I feel like it, later rescale the tower to BDB proportions; this version was mainly to get it out quick without too much fuss. :)

 

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Yeah, it would be really cool to have the crawler, but it isn't needed right now, so that's why it's a future project.

Also, you'd either have to spawn it from the SPH, which would be real silly, or launch it from the VAB....then use VesselMover to put it close to the VAB...then have it move back to the pad.  Takes away some of the effect, and also why it's a future project.

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8 minutes ago, AlphaMensae said:

Yeah, it would be really cool to have the crawler, but it isn't needed right now, so that's why it's a future project.

Also, you'd either have to spawn it from the SPH, which would be real silly, or launch it from the VAB....then use VesselMover to put it close to the VAB...then have it move back to the pad.  Takes away some of the effect, and also why it's a future project.

Or ask @SQUAD to make the VAB able to open up so that it can crawl to the pad...Plus kerbal foundries mole tracks work fine under the platform XD

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3 minutes ago, Abpilot said:

Or ask @SQUAD to make the VAB able to open up so that it can crawl to the pad...Plus kerbal foundries mole tracks work fine under the platform XD

 

 Squad isn't going to do this since it really adds nothing to the game.  But having a crawler would be really nice for people who make videos

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Just now, linuxgurugamer said:

 

 Squad isn't going to do this since it really adds nothing to the game.  But having a crawler would be really nice for people who make videos

It was a joke but still maby there will be a add on for kerbal konstructs and yes making vidios will be awesome!!!

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7 hours ago, Abpilot said:

My Saturn V ain’t fittin on the pad... @CobaltWolf i need help...is there a non RO config...just so u know i have the ksp texture (the one that makes it say KSP not the engine plate instead of USA)

@Abpilot Yeah, the my mobile launcher isn't meant for a real-scale Saturn V (way too big), just ones at 64% scale (which is what mine is, coming soon) or a little less, like the BDB one (both default and using the rescale .cfg in BDB Extras).  

It is important to note that the launcher was designed as part of my Simple Overhaul project to work with the Saturn V that will be part of it.  I only made this standalone version configured for the BDB Saturn V since it worked better than I thought it would, only needing some minor adjustements and tweaks, and since BDB is pretty well-established by now, I felt that its Saturn V needed a mobile launcher. :)

Now, a real-scale Saturn V won't fit, but smaller rockets at real-scale should...if look a little weird.  Think Falcon 9, Atlas V, etc..

I'll be remaking my Saturn IB next....along with the milkstool.  When that is done, I'll add the remade milkstool to the standalone mobile launcher. :)

 

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3 hours ago, AlphaMensae said:

@Abpilot Yeah, the my mobile launcher isn't meant for a real-scale Saturn V (way too big), just ones at 64% scale (which is what mine is, coming soon) or a little less, like the BDB one (both default and using the rescale .cfg in BDB Extras).  

It is important to note that the launcher was designed as part of my Simple Overhaul project to work with the Saturn V that will be part of it.  I only made this standalone version configured for the BDB Saturn V since it worked better than I thought it would, only needing some minor adjustements and tweaks, and since BDB is pretty well-established by now, I felt that its Saturn V needed a mobile launcher. :)

Now, a real-scale Saturn V won't fit, but smaller rockets at real-scale should...if look a little weird.  Think Falcon 9, Atlas V, etc..

I'll be remaking my Saturn IB next....along with the milkstool.  When that is done, I'll add the remade milkstool to the standalone mobile launcher. :)

 

How do i make it default scale?

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2 minutes ago, AlphaMensae said:

@Abpilot  Just use BDB as-is without any scale-changing or RO .cfgs or such.

The picture I have at the top of the OP, that's the default "out of the box" BDB Saturn V, i.e. just copied out of the .zip and put into Gamedata.

Can i just say will these retexturs affect it?huiJidM.jpg

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