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[TheBlueKerbal]

30 minutes ago, RedSun Rocketry said:

I can't wait to put a space catupult on the mun to save fuel on orbital launches to a Mun Station

Genius!

[MechBFP]

13 minutes ago, Streetwind said:

Because someone has to be that guy...

A catapult is any apparatus designed to hurl an object with mechanical assistance. Ancient greek: kata peltes = "downward" "hurling". Unfortunately the term is often misused as a specific name for what is actually called an onager. Which to be fair is a kind of catapult. Just not the catapult.

Trebuchets, mangonels, onagers, ballistas, crossbows, aircraft carrier launch rails, and hand-held slingshots are all catapults. Railguns are not catapults, as they use electromagnetic force. Cannons, rifles and pistols are not catapults, as they use chemical energy.

 

 

*gets pulled offstage by a long hook*

What about a bow and arrow?

[sh1pman]

Is there a limit to hinge power? Can I build a working helicopter rotor with it?

[MechBFP]

I was not expecting a Saturday post either. Very nice.

[RedSun Rocketry]

32 minutes ago, MechBFP said:

What about a bow and arrow?

that, is an elasticity based projectile launching system, while Catapults use inertial energy to propel things things (like a seesaw or a person throwing something),

 a bowstring uses elastic energy to propel things (like snapping someone with a rubber band)

a bow and arrow doesn't count because it uses a different system to propel things while all the examples of catapults do

 

After that short physics rant I need something funny to clear my head, how about a CATapult

Edited May 18, 2019 by RedSun Rocketry

[Superfluous J]

2 hours ago, Xurkitree said:

Trebuchet throwing Catapult to orbit when?

You joke but now we actually CAN get things to orbit with 0 fuel usage.

Granted we could do it before with decouplers but that was an edge case. now you can get as many (reasonable) m/s as you want with careful planning and execution.

[RedSun Rocketry]

1 minute ago, 5thHorseman said:

You joke but now we actually CAN get things to orbit with 0 fuel usage.

Granted we could do it before with decouplers but that was an edge case. now you can get as many (reasonable) m/s as you want with careful planning and execution.

catapult launching catapult launching catapult launching catapult?

Edited May 18, 2019 by RedSun Rocketry

[Superfluous J]

3 minutes ago, RedSun Rocketry said:

catapult launching catapult?

Yup!

Though practically speaking I doubt it would work, There's a LOT of air resistance low down and you'd need to somehow generate .... geez I bet over 4000 total m/s in your catapults throwing catapults contraption. You'd likely need more than one, and soon you're getting into the tyranny of the catapult equation, where you need ever larger catapults to throw the current catapult any appreciable m/s forward.

Or, to paraphrase, It's catapults all the way down.

Edited May 18, 2019 by 5thHorseman

[Guest]

hmm... answers my question for sure

[Xavven]

9 hours ago, Snark said:

This is KSP.  When in doubt, over-engineer.  MOAR WEIGHT!  

Not a true Kerbal trebuchet, as counterweight lacks downward-pointing boosters.

[KerikBalm]

9 hours ago, sh1pman said:

Is there a limit to hinge power? Can I build a working helicopter rotor with it?

Judging by the very first set of promotional images they released, it seems that the obvious answer is yes:

[Rejected Spawn]

One thing I've been wondering ever since @GoldForest asked in another robot thread is about fuel crossfeed of robot parts, does anyone know more about that? I already have a substantial list of crazy contraptions to build, however many of them would have their fuel tanks and engines on separate sides of hinges... and I can't say a tilt wing looks quite as nice with fuel lines all over its exterior.

[sgt_flyer]

8 hours ago, 5thHorseman said:

Yup!

Though practically speaking I doubt it would work, There's a LOT of air resistance low down and you'd need to somehow generate .... geez I bet over 4000 total m/s in your catapults throwing catapults contraption. You'd likely need more than one, and soon you're getting into the tyranny of the catapult equation, where you need ever larger catapults to throw the current catapult any appreciable m/s forward.

Or, to paraphrase, It's catapults all the way down.

It's even worse than that  you're turning the lower catapult into reaction mass !  catapult rocket !  the first one will be able to pass almost all energy to the second catapult (because it's standing on ground) - however, once inflight, you're going to face newton's second law ^^ (guess after the initial launch, matrioska ballistas would be better ^^ (less rotational forces to deal with ^^)

[Star-Eagle]

@St4rdust @Snark

Will there be any extending booms or rams in the new parts set?

[Emperor of Ilve]

Will there be a winch part or do I still have to have that from Kerbal Attachment System

[OrbitsR4Sissies]

True skycranes for Duna rovers appears a bit closer, although some creativity in design may be needed. 

Which is why I play KSP. I can’t wait!

Edited May 19, 2019 by OrbitsR4Sissies

[Snark]

7 hours ago, Xavven said:

Not a true Kerbal trebuchet, as counterweight lacks downward-pointing boosters.

Well, yeah.   I did want to see what I could do with something that had absolutely no sources of power other than gravity, though.  Kinda the point of the exercise.

5 hours ago, sgt_flyer said:

It's even worse than that  you're turning the lower catapult into reaction mass !  catapult rocket !  the first one will be able to pass almost all energy to the second catapult (because it's standing on ground) - however, once inflight, you're going to face newton's second law ^^ (guess after the initial launch, matrioska ballistas would be better ^^ (less rotational forces to deal with ^^)

Pretty crappy Isp though, if you do the math. 

[Jimmidii]

I bet with some big enough tweaks to offsets in a craft file I’ll be able to get a catapult to put something directly into orbit. Or summon a kraken. Or both.

[kerbiloid]

18 hours ago, Xurkitree said:

So it threw a 90kg projectile over 300m?

Spoiler

By chute. To fly over the fortress wall.

 

Next challenge: an orbital rotovator.
https://www.moonwards.com/rotovator_old.html
https://www.moonwards.com/learn.html

Edited May 19, 2019 by kerbiloid

[Xavven]

16 hours ago, RedSun Rocketry said:

that, is an elasticity based projectile launching system, while Catapults use inertial energy to propel things things (like a seesaw or a person throwing something),

 a bowstring uses elastic energy to propel things (like snapping someone with a rubber band)

a bow and arrow doesn't count because it uses a different system to propel things while all the examples of catapults do

 

After that short physics rant I need something funny to clear my head, how about a CATapult

Close! Bows store energy in the limbs. When you draw, the limbs flex, and when you loose, the limbs return to their original position. NUSensei explains it better with visuals here: https://youtu.be/A9mr66222tA?t=175

 

 

For those of you familiar with compound bows, they also actually store energy in the limbs, incorporating a pulley system to utilize mechanical advantage. Despite the string appearing to lengthen, it is due to it running the pulley (through the cams), and the string's elasticity is quite negligible to the whole system. (Picture of a compound bow below)

 

 

Edited May 19, 2019 by Xavven

[RedSun Rocketry]

I used to shoot, i guess i just never thought about the physics of it that much

[Kerbart]

22 hours ago, Streetwind said:

Because someone has to be that guy...

A catapult is any apparatus designed to hurl an object with mechanical assistance. Ancient greek: kata peltes = (...)

My goodness. Pedantry, on this forum. What have we come to?!

Keep up the good work. Correcting @Snark is no easy feat but you pulled it off!

Edited May 19, 2019 by Kerbart
Fixing a typo

[StrandedonEarth]

I guess great minds think alike, eh @Snark? Or are Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman (Kirkman is close to Kerman, hmmm) secret KSPers and forum lurkers? Things that make you go hmmm....

Spoiler

 

[RedSun Rocketry]

On 5/18/2019 at 5:05 PM, 5thHorseman said:

the tyranny of the catapult equation

when the DLC comes out someone should make a challenge thread about catapulting to orbit called that

[warrior606]

Is no one going to mention Stratzenblitz75's jets to orbit? Just figure out a way to launch it with a catapult and keep it oriented; it probably wouldn't work for atmospheric bodies, but maybe for something like Minmus...