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Star Wars: Now THIS is Podracing! One Stop for All Your Podracing Needs!


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Welcome to my Podracer Page!  After quite a long hiatus I’m pleased to bring you the ONLY legitimate and functional Podracers from a Galaxy Far Far Away complete with demonstration videos and some light commentary on certain aspects.

First is the father of my podracer line: the aptly named MK I:

Craft File: https://kerbalx.com/GillyMonster/Star-Wars-Podracer-Mk-I

The Mk I was a concept I had to make a podracer with loosely connected engines and a command pod that could move freely, it is the first successful combination of balancing drag, weight, thrust, and some mild control surfaces.  It’s maneuverability is relatively limited, HOWEVER it is so far the fastest pod I’ve made topping out at 592mph!  

Edited by GillyMonster
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As for the first “Production” run of Podracers I introduce a total of 3 new vehicles.

First:

The Vulptereen Hatchet Fish!

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Craft File

https://kerbalx.com/GillyMonster/Star-Wars-Podracer-The-Hatchet-Fish

This pod was a simplistic attempt at creating a classic Star Wars pod design, large, bulky engines trailed by a comparatively small cockpit.  It wound up being a middle of the road vehicle, being of average speed, maneuverability and stability, and so I think a respectable first production vehicle!

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Voltek Inferno 4x

The second vehicle is a personal favorite of mine, taking heavy inspiration from Star Wars’ quad pod.  Thankfully there are no legitimate power couplings to fail.  That being said it’s disintegrations still look spectacular.  Very maneuverable with above average speed, high center of mass lends to some instability especially on rough terrain.

Craft File: https://kerbalx.com/GillyMonster/Podracer-Voltek-Inferno-4x

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Ord Turbo T-1

A more simplistic and skeletal approach (minimalist cockpit) the Ord is built to be as fast as a two engine pod can get.  I think I mostly succeeded as its lightweight(ish) and fast and stable.  Maneuverability goes up when using the roll keys in concert with yaw, however stability goes down.

Craft File: https://kerbalx.com/GillyMonster/Star-Wars-Podracer-Ord-Turbo-T-1

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Edited by GillyMonster
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So I figure I’ll keep this thread as kind of a running design process journal in case anyone is interested, eventually I hope to have a tutorial on building Podracers but as it is I barely have any time.  That being said I’m always on the lookout for cool designs and I’ve broken them up into some different categories like sleek/modern, unconventional (odd configuration of engines or other features), steampunk/mechanical mess.  So far this is what I’ve got for sleek/modern.  What do you guys think?

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A couple days ago (before the mod took it down) I posted the above picture to reddit and asked you guys to pick which one I should build first.  I got a few responses and everyone wanted the lower pod built, generally because of the cockpit I think.  That said I got to work and so far this is what I’ve come up with.a2762752285956fb8e74d6b125c0d623.png

Given KSP has simplistic yet relatively effective physics, the average podracer simply isn’t aerodynamically (kerbodynamically?) stable.  While I also have kerbal foundries for the repulsor field, it doesn’t work to stabilize a craft the way it does in Star Wars so I had to add a couple “strake-like” surfaces to make the engines and pods move in the desired direction.  

Generally speaking while on the ground, this pod works quite well coming in between 11 and 12 tons, and is able to achieve a maximum speed of 250m/s in a straight line, with 120m/s in a max rate turn (not the most maneuverable thing yet). That’s nearly 25% faster than previous first production run pods.  The only major issue (aside from some visual  details I want to clean up) the control pod has a tendency to “flap” like a flag in a strong breeze when fully airborne.  After I get those issues sorted it’ll be ready for public release.  

Last note: I actually recorded most of the building process as well as some of the early test runs and I’ll cut that together as a speed build video soon.

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Just a quick update, I reduced the length and mass of the engine pods and gave the control pod a better set of airfoil surfaces to increase drag and stability.  The lessened mass raised the top speed to 280m/s (630 mph).  Another feature included are a couple of separately toggled control surfaces that give a little more control when airborne, and when both are toggled, generates downforce for more stability over rough ground.  Even after including the above improvements I still wasn’t happy with the resulting maneuverability so I reattached the engines without mirror symmetry and set up their afterburners to separate action groups.  The speed build video, craft file and demo videos should be up by Christmas.

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  • 1 year later...
On 12/11/2018 at 12:27 PM, GillyMonster said:

I’m pleased to bring you the ONLY legitimate and functional Podracers from a Galaxy Far Far Away

What? The only?

Dream on.. we were doing podracers bigger, better and badder years before you...

 

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