Landing Skids, Pontoons, and More

[JMBuilder]

We got high-friction grip pads for staying in one spot, but why not low-friction skids? Better yet, why no pontoons with better buoyancy than other parts for water landings? What else is there?

[Geonovast]

I couldn't care less about the pontoons and skis, but I wouldn't mind some stock airbags.

[The Dressian Exploder]

I think some floats could be in order too, just to make landing things in the sea that much nicer...

[Guest]

You can make all of these (except the inflatable pontoons) already. I don't see the point.

[JMBuilder]

2 hours ago, Brikoleur said:

You can make all of these (except the inflatable pontoons) already. I don't see the point.

We don't actually have any proper low-friction skids. We can improvise with structural parts, but they're flimsy and quite ugly.

As for seaplane pontoons, we can also improvise these, but their buoyancy is terrible.

Edited July 21, 2019 by JMBuilder

[kerbiloid]

Can't the airbags for landing be the same as inflatables for splashing?
They just shouldn't deflate until status=landed.

Low-friction skids would be nice not only for landing, but also for slalom from Keverest after climbing and for this

Spoiler

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by kerbiloid

[KeranoKerman]

Inflatable splashdown bags for capsules would be cool. Only problem is KSP’s density model would make this useless for flotation because everything floats. Anyways, they would look cool. I would like this added, but maybe after other things.

[Shadowmage]

On 7/21/2019 at 12:42 PM, kerbiloid said:

Low-friction skids would be nice not only for landing, but also for slalom from Keverest after climbing and for this 

 

On 7/21/2019 at 11:11 AM, JMBuilder said:

We don't actually have any proper low-friction skids.

 

I know this is a 'want things in stock' post.... but Kerbal Foundries has your low-friction skid needs covered already (right side, near the top; sorry, no images of the skids specifically).:

 

[Incarnation of Chaos]

Tbh i was really sad when i realized in Stock KSP that landing skids seemed to be neglected entirely; though i suppose i could make something with structural parts resembling a landing skid but it wouldn't be retractable like a gear. (At least in 1.6.1 which i'm currently on) Pontoons i don't have much use for since water in FAR seems to be practically a halo-like kill box that will wreck practically anything it touches even gently touching it once or twice. Inflatable balloons would be cool for some limited rover recreations but tbh i don't seem them having much use outside of that (And if you're wanting to use them as lifters then that's an entire other class of vehicles in my mind)

Now water in stock isn't as lethal, but still no slouch when it comes to causing RUD. And balloons have limited usage; so retractable landing skids seem like really the only thing that would be beneficial for stock (Mind you i'm not against implmenting any of these). But i also feel like outside of very general items (Fuel tanks, Landing Gear etc.) anything more specialized would be better served by mods. That's my 2 cents.

[Loskene]

Let's not toss out the pontoons without second thought now. Those were always the biggest impediment to making a good seaplane that keeps its fuselage out of the water without having really awkward mass distributions, since all we've had to work with so far is fuel tanks made from WW2 tank armour. A lightweight (hollow fibreglass) pontoon/float would be lovely, ideally modular pieces in 2-3 standard sizes, for fuselage and wing supports. High crash tolerance and low water drag too please, for obvious reasons.

Skids are actually the parts I'd have the least use for, after airbags, which would be handy for low altitude abort systems.

[Incarnation of Chaos]

17 minutes ago, Loskene said:

Let's not toss out the pontoons without second thought now. Those were always the biggest impediment to making a good seaplane that keeps its fuselage out of the water without having really awkward mass distributions, since all we've had to work with so far is fuel tanks made from WW2 tank armour. A lightweight (hollow fibreglass) pontoon/float would be lovely, ideally modular pieces in 2-3 standard sizes, for fuselage and wing supports. High crash tolerance and low water drag too please, for obvious reasons.

Skids are actually the parts I'd have the least use for, after airbags, which would be handy for low altitude abort systems.

 Don't mistake me i wouldn't mind for it to be possible to make a proper flying boat in the first place without too much hassle (Where the fuselage is actually boat-shaped in the bottom half) and then have retractable pontoons for stabilzation on the water; it would end up looking something like the PBY catalina. 

The pontoons on the Catalina retract onto the wingtips; which would be ideal but they could be made with a fairly generic attachment point so they can be used for fixed/underslung mounts also.

Spoiler

So i like the idea of modular fuselage with a boat shape and higher crash tolerances, in the standard sizes; 1.25, 1.75, 2.5, 3.75M. Along with modular pontoons in those same standard sizes; along with some matching cockpits. This would preserve the utility of the parts like i want; so solid suggestion. And the airbags i just really wanted some clarification since "Balloons" can describe anything from a party balloon to a non-rigid airship. But i wouldn't mind some bouncy abort systems lel.

[AHHans]

58 minutes ago, Loskene said:

since all we've had to work with so far is fuel tanks made from WW2 tank armour.

Ah! Come on. That's WW1 tank armor at best.