selfish_meme

I am turning my turboshaft engine testbed into a replica Dornier Do335 (it's the only plane that sort of matches the layout and features I want to incorporate). I am home sick so expect to enjoy all my little victories.

New speed record for me, dual twin Junos reaching 56ms in stock, 57+ in adjusted, and it can turn!

That's a pretty heavy plane too

100ms is good, I'm still around 50ms with my little twin Juno engines. Yours are good enough for the stock aero dogfight challenge @Azimech is thinking of running. I have a fair way to go yet in bearing stability.

I think that one thing that may help you improve the speed is put nose cones in front of those fairing bases, they would be huge drag sources.

Haha, after a fevered dream last night, seriously I've got the flu, I present to you the Microturbo in a box! That's right a Turboshaft engine in a 1.25m service bay, completely shielded from aero Here are the inner workings, the shaft is a probe core covered in RCS balls Yes it can lift a small chopper This was my first try and it needs a bit of tweaking, but it holds great promise for all sorts of craft, this should easily power a plane or a few in the sort of space reserved usually for just spinning props! Height record so far, over 700m If you want to play with it you can get it in the usual spot. https://kerbalx.com/SelfishMeme/Microcopter

quitessa I meant, I will edit the original Oh, one other thing, the heatshield might be the most efficient transfer disk, but the fairing bases have an added advantage that you can attach the blades directly to them. This makes a more solid and stable engine, the heat shields tend to wobble more and break easier.

I decided to do some questionable science experiments around turboshaft? engines in an effort to reduce the size and increase the efficiency of my build. I think there may be something here for all of us. The smallest motor I have made is just able to get a small helicopter in the air using 3 Junos, using what I know now I could make that a bit more efficient. I put together a frame and tested my most recent engines side by side All engines have 2 junos and three 45' blades. As you can see the one on the far right has the advantage in thrust, it is also revolving fastest I don't have an explanation for this as its shaft is much heavier than the other engines, and has a spare heat-shield doing nothing also on the engine. Two of the bearings, the heat-shield and the one next to it, are pretty much the same as the untrasmooth bearing by quitessa, the other two are my own concoctions. The smallest motor is next with the best thrust per weight, it doesn't provide as much thrust as the bigger motors but weighs a lot less. My conclusion, the heat-shields make good turboshafts

Clip a couple of rudders upside down just inside the bottom hull, as long as they poke out just a little they will work and keep your shuttle from spinning and provide needed drag at the tail. You can see them in my build. Also if you use two tail sections merged together and have the control surfaces split in either direction for a rear air brake.

Stock, I used a module manager script to change the fairing texture, and NEBULA decals for the decals, I had to make the decals. The Launchpad comes from The real KSC in KSP mod, and the Mobile Launch Platform was from an old mod that I hacked to sit underneath the shuttle that was actually mounted on stock launch clamps. You can download and fly that shuttle in stock from the links I provided. This is another view I used for comparison to an actual photo for accuracy

I have just created a new arrangement of RCS balls that has given me at least better manoeuvrability. Thought this version is heavier and more capable, but with less fuel, speed record set just before it ran out. a short range fighter

Problems with the last model experimental fighter prompted a redesign to improve several areas, two engines at the front was problematic because of weight distribution and wing placement. The fuselage became long and the cockpit was right at the back. The wings were very far forward, essentially floating in air because of the engines. Two engines placed serially also produced a prop that was displaced very far from the bearing, this caused issues with the light RCS bearing and made them fail easily. A twin outboard engine mounted design like a DeHavilland Mosquito was considered but would increase complexity and probably be larger and have a slower roll rate. Instead a Push/Pull design like the Dornier Do 335 has been adopted. This was the fastest piston engined German fighter produced before the end of WWII. Only a few were supplied before the end despite being given priority over many other production planes. This test aircraft is using a 4 bladed prop which has limits on it's extension and must be angled quite severely to stop over-speed on the engine. It is much better behaved, and the part count is quite low for a twin engined aircraft. The next version will move to a 5 blade design like a Griffon engined Spitfire to allow for less angle and greater deflection when deployed. Top speed undeployed is 53ms (in level flight) and the bearings do not self destruct during small maneuvers. I have some ideas on how to make the engines more durable for the next version. - Stock Aero

Making progress slowly, not up to fighting speed or reliability yet, new RCS bearing design test.

Read the books, the start of the TV series is a bit slow and confusing for those not familiar with the content. Adam Savage is actually in the show in one sub plot, he is a tech on the Earth ship at Venus

I will, I am working on making it into a contender for @Azimech's Stock Turboprop Dogfighting challenge. I may have reached the torque tolerance of the RCS ball bearings and I am having to dial it back to stop it exploding. It's a fair bit faster than that version currently with stock aero but explosive at maximum RPM. It is based off this design, which I think @Azimech is using as well https://kerbalx.com/quitessa/Ultrasmooth-Microbearing

One of the big things no one takes into account when building STS shutlles is the SRB's So 83% of the sea level thrust came from the SRB's, our replica STS-88 here has about 16 SRB's, and this was for a Kerbal Scale ISS build replica, not an RSS size build.

The road to 100ms, 2 blowers and vicious torque

I think I have it almost right but the last little bit eludes me, it is to use the Firespitter texture switcher on the stock fairings. The buttons show up, but applying the change to the actual fairing module of the part is being tricky, the Module name is right I think it is just my hacky attempt at calling that module for the texture switch that is failing. I have an example that works for just switching the texture at start up from another mod that works. example of code for mod @PART[fairingSize1]:NEEDS[Firespitter] { MODULE { name = FStextureSwitch2 moduleID = 1 objectNames = Fairing MODULE[ModuleProceduralFairing] { textureNames = Squad/Parts/Aero/fairings/fairings_diff;DCK/Camo/fairings_diff_white } textureDisplayNames = Stock;White nextButtonText = DCK Next prevButtonText = DCK Previous statusText = Current repaintableEVA = true showPreviousButton = true updateSymmetry = true showInfo = false debugMode = false showListButton = false } } Working cfg that switches texture at start up @PART[fairingSize1]:FOR[KSA] { %name = fairingSize1_Black %title = AE-FF4 Airstream Black Protective Shell (1.25m) @MODULE[ModuleProceduralFairing] { %TextureURL = KSA/BetterFairings/Texutres/fairings_diff_Black } } Maybe ask @SpannerMonkey(smce) if he knows how to fix it

Tank tracks again? They tried that with the thermometer bearings.

I could do that, this was sort of a thought experiment if I could do it with an STS style launch stack

I improved the fuel flow and handling on my shuttle, it now has 4600dV in 100km+ orbit. I intend to land it in the water on Laythe and then roll ashore somewhere flat, it will have a base with refueling capabiltiy onboard (not built yet) and rover, possibly an aerial scout vehicle as well.

I'm more thinking about the physics limit and it's only 66 parts!

@EpicSpaceTroll139 how did you build this? https://kerbalx.com/EpicSpaceTroll139/Space-Elevator you magnificanet b$$#%@d

Very tricky!

Woohoo! 4600 dV in a huge orbit! Mainly fixed fuel flow, made it much more controllable, still a handful, might need to change the mammoth out for some vectors so I can disable them as the fuel runs out rather than playing with the thrust.