[0.22] Ion Hybrid Electric Pack 30.08.13 --- Soon FKSP!!! See Development Monitor

[EPD]

The only change I'd suggest is to have the legs extend just a little farther, so that the engine is slightly higher off the ground when landed, but that's just an aesthetics thing on my part.

Sure, i need to fix something in textures, and yeah i was thinking the same...

Also with new release i will make parts "stronger" so you wont need any structs to keep it together.

[Neutrinovore]

Sure, i need to fix something in textures, and yeah i was thinking the same...

Also with new release i will make parts "stronger" so you wont need any structs to keep it together.

Kewl!

The more I think about it, the more I think we REALLY need more VTOL specific engines like what's being developed here. When these are released, there will be a grand total of TWO choices for dedicated VTOL engines, these and the B9's. And the B9 ones are messed up now, IMO, because of their latest update adding too many variables to set in assembly, and then the engines rotating the wrong way when you go to launch. I just want engines that rotate 90 deg. down for vertical takeoff, then go to level for forward flight. And also maybe can be set at 15 degree increments in between, and that's it. Well, the fact that you've integrated landing feet into them is awesomely cool, too, saves on part count.

Will these be available in multiple sizes? In your video you're using 1.25 meter fuselage parts. I think a larger version, with more thrust, obviously, would be great for even bigger ships, again like 'Prometheus'. Not that I'm obsessed with replicating that ship, but I would like to make something big enough to carry a fairly large amount of cargo.

Keep up the great work, and I look forward to being able to try out your new parts!

[Xentoe]

A thing to think about:

Hmmmm at the moment (from realistic point of view) it makes not mutch sence to use the Hybrid engene.

Why should I use a Engene that needs 3 Propelants (Liquid Fuel, Oxidiser, Xenongas) + Energy, but with lesser porpulsion effect, insteat of a normal liquid fuel Engene?

Perhaps it would be cool to add a "toggel Proppelants" function, that the Engene can switch between LFO Modus and Xenon Modus.

I mean, that you can get strong porpulsion (with LFO) Modus (for takeoff) and later in space you switch to Xenon Modus when notmore need so mutch Power to save LFO Fuel for landing later.

[EPD]

For "toggle proppelant" engine would need a plugin, which i can't you deliver right now. The most probably is that hybrid engines will use Liquid Fuel, Oxidiser and Energy. I will need some time to test it, but right now i don't have it, im focused on new parts.

Speaking of new parts: Cargo Struct

[wasmic]

Wow, awesome! By the way, the front engines of that VTOL in the video should be turned off when pointing horizontal, as pointing thrusters at the craft they're placed on will null out any propulsion. By the way, those solar panels, will they be made of hexagons?

grand total of TWO

Four, actually. BobCat has made a vtol jet engine, but it might need to have PART{} wrappers added to work in the newest versions. Snjo has also made some propeller-based VTOL engines, for use in quadrotors and stuff like an Osprey clone.

Edited October 1, 2013 by wasmic

[Crashonaut]

Sweet, love the cargo parts, this will make my tugs look almost real

[Mekan1k]

For "toggle proppelant" engine would need a plugin, which i can't you deliver right now. The most probably is that hybrid engines will use Liquid Fuel, Oxidiser and Energy. I will need some time to test it, but right now i don't have it, im focused on new parts.

Speaking of new parts: Cargo Struct

Actually, you could just make a duplicate of the thrust vector in unity, and change the fuel values in the cfg toggle. Or you could use the firespitter plugin like Bac9 did.

Oh, and brilliant new cargo strut- I LOVE IT!

I request, however, that the next update be a bit more... Resource conservative. If you can optimize the pack a bit, it would be nice.

[Scotius]

Cargo strut + KAS attachable containers = awesome interplanetary cargo carriers Oh, the possibilities...

[EPD]

Hmm, quick update and some answers.

Actually, you could just make a duplicate of the thrust vector in unity, and change the fuel values in the cfg toggle. Or you could use the firespitter plugin like Bac9 did.

Snjo was so kindly and give us permission to use Firespitter.dll plugin, with it we can create awesome stuff:

As i mentioned before - WE ARE using Firespitter plugin. It's used for VTOL, and... something ^^ For switching Aero/Rocket mode we need different plugin

I request, however, that the next update be a bit more... Resource conservative. If you can optimize the pack a bit, it would be nice.

I am aware of some misscalculations, and balancing stuff, for this i suppose to "hire" one, two guys for testing and giving balancing ideas. If someone is interested in this, and got brain for such things - PM me.

Have you thought about hexagonal panels?

Again someone is asking for hexagonal solar panels... You rly want them don't you . I will post some picks today later...

[TUFOM]

When this will be ready? Must have!

[wasmic]

I am aware of some misscalculations, and balancing stuff, for this i suppose to "hire" one, two guys for testing and giving balancing ideas. If someone is interested in this, and got brain for such things - PM me.

I think he meant RAM conservation, not in-game balance. You can safely cut down to one fourth of this mods current RAM usage by simply resizing all 1024*1024 textures to 512*512 textures. It'll affect the looks of the pack a little, but not too much, and it will make people able to install more mods.

[Helix935]

any progress on this mod so far because the last update on progress was 2 weeks ago.......

just wondering

[p1t1o]

You can safely cut down to one fourth of this mods current RAM usage by simply resizing all 1024*1024 textures to 512*512 textures. It'll affect the looks of the pack a little, but not too much, and it will make people able to install more mods.

My faithful old machine would definitely thank you.

[Helix935]

as i repeat has there been progress for this so far

[Surefoot]

I love this mod for the inline generators. The engines though are too heavy (if we add up everything, power generation and xenon tanks included) to give any significant deltaV advantage over nukes or even some good ISP rocket engines. Or did someone manage to make a really useful design out of them ?

[EPD]

I'm still here, however I don't have as much time as before, but next release is coming ^^

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I think he meant RAM conservation, not in-game balance. You can safely cut down to one fourth of this mods current RAM usage by simply resizing all 1024*1024 textures to 512*512 textures. It'll affect the looks of the pack a little, but not too much, and it will make people able to install more mods.

It was about in-game parts balance. I don't have enough time to "play" and test everything, or i make some mistakes in calculations (but I'm trying to fix it as soon as possible, like previous release)

as i repeat has there been progress for this so far

Yes, there is progress in next release, however several parts are suspended because I haven't found someone to help with plugin. Next release wont come tomorrow, however I see release date...

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/50690-Looking-for-plugin-or-someone-who-can-make-a-plugin-(controling-loop-animations)

I love this mod for the inline generators. The engines though are too heavy (if we add up everything, power generation and xenon tanks included) to give any significant deltaV advantage over nukes or even some good ISP rocket engines. Or did someone manage to make a really useful design out of them ?

Engines will be rebalanced, Hybrid wont use Xenon any more, and will be more similar to stock nuclear engines. Also balancing VTOL engines with legs will take some time, also some resize matter, so they will fit bigger and smaller ships.

[basdxz]

This thread has been idle for more than a month, hows it going? Is it somehow possible to get this ported to 0.22 or does it take a lot of work to do so?

[EPD]

It is working with 0.22.

[wasmic]

It is working with 0.22.

How are you planning on placing the engines in the tech tree?

[basdxz]

It is working with 0.22.

Well it works, but there is no tech tree integration yet, not too much of an issue since I can do it myself.

[EPD]

Next release will contain new solar panels, with many different sizes and shapes, hybrid engines changes, and all will be in tech tree.

[Surefoot]

Very nice. The idea of a ion heavy hauler still has a place in my mind.. Keep up the good job :-)

[Yorik]

I just talked with EPD, he's quiet busy right now. I on the other hand are going to my end-of-season celebration today, which means I have time now to go back to modding tomorrow. After I check out v21 and KMP of course ^^

[wasmic]

Of course. Also, these engines might be quite a good idea for use with this mod, I believe some of the things could be a little hard to reach without high-ISP engines.

EDIT: Oh, and Yorik, what happened to your heatshield mod? It included some very cool parts. Any plans on tech-tree integrating it?

[Makeone]

Hopefully there's no really big changes on the hybrid engines, as i use them a lot because of their great Isp. Only thing for them is their bit low attachment force, when the game physics initialize, hybrid engines tends to separate them selfs...very annoying. Also powering them is bit hard, but thanks to KSP Interstellar mod, we have nuclear reactors and generators...

My spherical tanker has 8 of those 250KN engines and it's launched with some solid boosters, but it still can't get to orbit without 'conventional' rocket engine to boost.