Hotel26

I know. Or compensation for designing the devices to auto-depress W (usually starting out with just a stack of pennies (with a bottle opener on top as base for a weight above) but then turning into heavy M$ investment, always with the lure of IPO); the interminable series of devices that didn't work... or didn't sell (too small a market, KSP???)... Dashed hopes. I will never get back those lost years of my life!

Manta Craftyard Gryphon Pandora Description Hotel26 is most happy and proud to publish Manta, which is the result of a collaboration between the illustrious FleshJeb and myself. Manta is a super-heavy, fuel transporter that accomplishes a "pop-up" fuel depot at any airport/operations site on Kerbin, for the purpose of refueling many client aircraft/rovers. Please do note that this craft, as posted, has been completely/expertly remade over by FleshJeb and is now faithfully published here, untouched by other, grimy hands [e.g. those of Hotel26]. A stock transporter called Manta, designed and implemented by FleshJeb, and based on a crackpot idea conceived by Hotel26. Built with 62 of the finest parts, its root part is mk3Cockpit.Shuttle. Manta employs its front claw (combined with retraction of its nose gear) to dock with client craft. Do also be advised, that a parallel, related engineering effort is ongoing to devise a Gryphon III, which will slip into Manta's cargo bay and provide ensured capability for truly universal docking. Please do note that Manta is no toy aircraft. Whilst engineered for reliability/accuracy (e.g. CoM/CoL do not shift co-relatively, wet to dry), Manta is a super-heavy/super-powerful machine packing a giant wallop. Getting it to cruise altitude/speed requires a deft hand, like guiding a pod of beached whales back into their natural element; but once feeling that thin/cold air of the upper atmosphere, Manta revels in cruising effortlessly at speeds in excess of 1.1 km/sec. May I remark that Collaboration may be one of the few "final frontiers" of KSP and there is nothing quite like the enjoyment/satisfaction of working in concert with another like-minded, but also talented, engineer! Verily: "I have learned a thing or two"! Grazie, FleshJeb! Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.6.0.

Which brings me to: I love my team here in the VAB. They are great guys. They work hard, they're happy, they play together, often pong-ping or make-shift sokka, when I'm in a meeting (and they should be working). I catch myself wondering if they're all so close-knit because they're all named Kerman? They love pranks and are good-humored about it. (I often wish they wouldn't waste company time that way.) I yell; I'm unreasonable; I have to keep them on their toes, else they'd get nothing at all done. It's lonely, being the boss; having all the responsibility... none of the fun. But if I don't do it, who will? Did I mention they love pranks? They know I have a bee in my bonnet right now about Mobile Refueling Sites... Recently, someone put the following series of screenshots (like a comic strip) up on the bulletin web site here in the VAB. ...hacked through the security firewall to do it... no trace left... clever little boffins... Ja. Effery vun knowz zat Wernher von Kerman ist ze biggest prankster uv zem all... <fin>

Totally intrigued by this aircraft because, (having done some flying on Duna), I can't get how you can make it perform there as it does. My hat off, mate!! Some late nights in the lab for me, then...

I am cautiously excited. I flew a test flight this evening. The experimental airplane weighs 125t, fully-laden at take-off. It carries a total of 15,325 LF and 1,815 OX (ignoring what the Gryphon carries). Within its tail cargo ramp, it transports a Gryphon II universal refueler. It's able to dock with rovers, with small airplanes, with medium airplanes and with heavies. For me, this system has been the Holy Grail. The duo constitute a pop-up mobile fuel depot to be used to establish/supply outlying airports. If this works, the following vessels of mine will become obsolete: Pegasus 1, 2, 3, 3G and 4, Chrysalis, Aquarius, Gryphon 1, Harp Gryphon, Vodka, Vodka Daiquiri, Vodka Lite, Vodka Pterodactyl, Valkyrie Daiquiri, Valkyrie Vodka and Daiquiri Poseidon. It's a regular MASS EXTINCTION. It's making me feel quite verklempt thinking about it... UPDATE: I was keeping it under wraps for a bit, but since you asked, @MisterKerman, here is the experimental and a reprint of Gryphon II: Note that this is a collaboration and more details (including credits) will be published when the project is fully concluded. So, behind the cockpit is a Mk3 rocket fuel short fuselage. Next back is a Mk3 jet fuel long fuselage. Then the cargo ramp into which the Gryphon packs. The Big S wings each carry 300 LF. A couple of strakes at the back, 100LF each. And the engine stack tanks are T400s (I theenk?) with the OX empty, thus allowing OX in the center fuselage to be pumped backward for fine trim. Rotation is after 40 m/s although with full fuel, very little climb rate will be available at that low speed. I flew a predecessor version of this level, speed diminishing to slightly above 20 m/s and then touched down at 18! (NOT my design!) This one (code-named "Manta") might touch down a little faster but it floats like Mohammad Ali and has to be aimed at Terra Firma in order to get there. A better pilot than me could probably land this thing on top of the VAB except it's too long to fit... Cruise is around 1,100 m/s but some gentle coaxing required to get there. Range is... Range... Well, range... How do you define range? The Vee-hickle in question is intended to deliver 65t of fuel somewhere, so if it just stays up, circling the block looking for the delivery address... well, it could probably circle Kerbin 80 times, you see.

(For others), this is @FleshJeb's Aerocon Wingship Short: and it has plenty of wing area which ought to assist it with out-landings (i.e. away from KSC). It looks significantly more attractive than my poor attempt at a transporter!! Thanks, FleshJeb!

That's a really good (and difficult) question! With the amount of fuel such a transporter it carries, range shouldn't be a problem. But, yes, I think it should be able to come back. So, the 1,500km was chosen as, "should be able to get [nearly] to the other side of Kerbin", and come back. Which would make the desired range more like 3,000km. The difficulty is: how much of the payload fuel should it "pirate". And that becomes subjective. It refers to this idea: So, it's 1,500 km out and then back AND have enough excess fuel at the destination site to be able to conduct "many refueling operations". I can't put a number on that, but no matter. I'm hoping other people might find this fuel base idea useful and can select submissions that look good and useful to them. Certainly, useful to their authors! The feasibility is HIGH, I'd say, from my prototype. And of course, as Wernher would say, "the MOAH the BETTAH!"... Thanks for this and I'll look at it with interest! The part I did a really bad job on was putting wings on the transporter to carry that load and I simply slapped three different kinds of (fuel-bearing) lift parts on it almost at random. It looks really BDA! (bad) About Gryphon, the challenge I've experienced in the field is having a system that is flexible enough to dock with ANYTHING to transfer fuel. Anything means from rovers to small thru midsize to the largest of craft. Gryphon has a lateral dock mounted as low as possible for rovers and the noses of very small craft that can be swung sideways into it, and a vertical claw (also mounted as low off the ground as possible) so that bigger craft can drive over it and then retract the nosegear to "sit on" that vertical claw. I think this is the most flexible scheme I've experimented with so far (see Chrysalis for my penultimate concept). The one difficulty with Gryphon is that you have to line up your entry direction to dock with it such that you approach uphill if possible. Otherwise a craft can find itself trapped on top of Gryphon and unable to get off!! This was the case with Gryphon I, anyway, since that attempt was not mobile. Gryphon II is mobile mainly to assist with undocking but also to return to the mother ship for more fuel (instead of the mother ship having to taxi). Anyway, take a look at the OP schreenshot of the Mink seaplane docked on the vertical claw and the Invader rover docked on the horizontal claw. Also this, exhibiting the nosegear retraction method:

And here's the video of the loading procedure:

@Flixxbeatz He he heh; I've always wanted to do that. Karma! (My first time in here unbidden, too.)

Hail! all talented KSP aero designers!! The following challenge is actually more like a Commission to Design... But, if you like designing airplanes for KSP, you will have fun with this. I'll spruce this front page up with some screenshots and a short video, as well as add some reference material, but I'd like to post the Specifications now so that you can get started thinking about it. I have actually made an attempt and built a Silly Prototype that works as a Proof of Concept but the transporter aircraft itself is pretty shameful. I freely admit that I am a carp desinger... [had to get that past the censors somehow! you'll know what I mean when/if I post a screenshot of that first transporter...] OK. Here is a link to the Gryphon II fuel rover, which is the payload for this mission... This is a shot of Gryphon I (prior version) refueling two other craft, illustrating the "universal" docking method: Mission Objectives: Transport is effectively a mobile fuel base that can fly to land in a remote field and then provide fuel (both LF and OX) to client craft. It should be able to conduct many refueling operations before having to return to KSC for more fuel. It should also carry a mobile surface unit (Gryphon II) to the destination and deploy it to directly refuel the client craft, returning to the transporter to 'milk' more fuel as required. Specifications: range of 1,500 km should transport at minimum 1x Mk3 LF fuselage (5,000 LF) plus 1x Mk3 LF/OX short fuselage (1,125 LF & 1,375 OX) -- or equivalent use a Mk3 cargo ramp for transportation and deployment of Gryphon II. (This machine, weighing 5t, will be provided (shortly) via KerbalX.) KSP version 1.6.0 or earlier cruising speed in excess of 750 m/s demonstrable capability to absorb slow and rough landings extra kudos for demonstrable capability for aerial discharge and safe landing of the Gryphon II payload (I have been unable to pull this off, myself) Further Instructions loading procedure for Gryphon II should be as follows: raise landing gear to sit Transporter on its belly lower the cargo ramp to just touch the ground drive Gryphon II onto the cargo ramp and set the park brake begin raising the cargo ramp and switch to Gryphon II to release its brake the Gryphon II should dock with a claw set in the wall to which the cargo ramp is attached lower the gear in preparation for departure Transporter and Gryphon II should now be a single craft and nothing or very little of Gryphon II should protrude outside the cargo ramp submissions should include a link to KerbalX or some other electronic conveyance for craft files, as well as plenty of screenshots, to be posted in this thread Commissioner (c'est moi) reserves the right to publish any submission, with or without further modifications, on his KerbalX/Hotel26 site with a name of his own choice, but fully represented and attributed as the original work of the author (c'est vous) if you have to use KSP later than 1.6.0, don't let that stop you, but the earlier the version, the wider your audience! no mods. none. sorry. loading Gryphon II is a time-consuming procedure, so you might be well advised to "bolt" it into your cargo ramp so you can deploy and flight test pronto. don't forget to perform feasibility first and last after all the flight testing my silly prototype uses 4x Panthers. Let's not rule out Whiplash et al or anything that would inhibit creative solutions, though please have fun with this: remember it's not a competition, but a commission and a chance to learn and benefit from each other Good luck! Here's a shot of Gryphon II to whet your imagination...

I built (= slapped together) a silly prototype of Pegasus IV, a mobile fuel base. It carries 54t of fuel, mostly LF, flies at 21km and 1,300+ m/s. I packed a Gryphon fuel truck into the cargo ramp. No cargo bay; just the ramp. I also figured out that if you sit the airplane on the tarmac -- gear retracted -- with the ramp opened 55% -- just enough to touch the runway -- it's easier to drive the truck in. I park it with the brakes on; then switch to the transport and raise the bay. Immediately back to the truck and release its brakes so that it begins to roll down the rising ramp toward its docking claw. The goal is to get the Klaw to lock into position only after the payload has been raised up close to its snug position, so that wheels and other protrusions don't, you know, stick out of the fuselage like, ehm, broken limbs at a skiing accident. Really snug in there!! Couldn't get an airdrop to work but Peg IV is easy to land, although it wanted to sit on its tail due to the weight of the truck in the caboose; so I moved the main gear back further behind the CG. Now comes the hard part: the silly prototype is so ugly I don't want to show any screenshots of it. And the worst part is that it is growing on me, so I may keep it. The fuel truck is as snug in that cargo ramp as a Joey [baby kangaroo] in its mother's pouch...

Happy to oblige! Maybe @MisterKerman ...

I've been watching Triop's latest madcap adventures (and he won't mind me saying that as long as I give him a plug... ) ...and suitably inspired, I've been flying a Mink XT around the equator. Mink has the range for about 60 deg on Kerbin, so it's a good yardstick to measure out fuel depots for short-range craft migrating to their intended theater of duty... Well, I have to say that Mink's quad-cycle gear coupled with the long tail boom (XT = "extra tail") is a real hazard for unaware pilots (like me). It just needs love, though, and the key is to touch down at exactly 45 m/s, which is also Vr (rotation speed). I really have not wanted to tinker with such a delicate package... Then, it hit me ("what would Triop do??"): Mink XTD!! (XTD = "extra .. tail .. dragger ..) In one stroke, I have solved all the problems of nailing a quad-cycle (with a high CG and very small base) onto Mother Terrain -- and replaced them with the legendary challenges of tail-draggers!! But avoiding the main problem, under heavy braking, of flipping over, Mink is now a JOY to land and even touch-down (way back on the power curve) seems even slower than it was. By the time it's performed the standard three-pointer, Mink has NO further inclination to fly. A reliable delight! Vr is now 50 m/s simply because the CG is bracketed so rigidly and XTD depends on the angle it sits on the ground for lift-off. (Some further tuning here, but I have to protect that big boom...) That's not the only benefit accruing from "cheering Triop onward". I think a Pegasus IV is in the works. A fast, long-range, heavy, mobile fuel base that will bring its own "fuel truck", based on a kind of cross of Chrysalis and Gryphon. I fear I'm going to obsolete a big swath of my fleet -- but it will be worth it.

Remember when jalopies had fins and spoilers? Improved handling and does 100+ m/s, straight & level. Toll bridges backed up? Take the express lane... (Wernher couldn't resist this one... (This is all reverse engineered, btw))

Still experimenting with fuel carriers - this one is Aquarius, using a double Mk2 cargo bay. It's lacking in range yet, however.

NerfJet 2019 Craftyard Four Of Diamonds Salamander Description 1: engines 2:dock 3:ladder 0:gimbals An executive spacejet called NerfJet 2019. Built with 90 of the finest parts, its root part is mk3Cockpit.Shuttle. The all-new, 2019 model of NerfJet is here! 50% less engines for better m.p.g., lower emissions and replete with cockpit airbags/oxygen masks for pilots taken by surprise by NerfJet’s eco-friendly, reduced power. The major feature of the redesign is the elimination of the Mk3 cargo bay. NerfJet comes herein, packaged atop a Zephyr booster to get you into space pronto (but, certainly, remount it on your own, preferred delivery vehicle). NerfJet is equipped with leather seating, plush wall-to-wall carpeting, smoke suppressors and a fully-stocked bar. It was designed to roam the orbital lanes carrying top space agency executives in comfort and provide in-flight conference facilities. Its perfect also for navigating the inner Kerbin system (Mun, Minmus). Land gear-extended on the tail on a lunar surface and then tip it down onto its gear for easier pax egress. (Just ensure there is a nearby hill/incline to use for departure…) Built in the VAB in KSP version 1.6.0.

I *heart* this idea! Wow. Very, very nice. Particularly since the unavailability of a particular docking aid has forced me to learn how to dock using a method other than the "fire pole" method, and one that is very MP-efficient, so needs only the smallest corrections. Also, like that it is so unobtrusive, particularly for e.g. spaceplanes.

A very practical question on a useful topic. As mentioned, the only truly level sites will be: KSC (green) the Island 'drome Baikerbanur the poles (on the ice) the oceans/lakes Nevertheless, finding sites that are straight and level enough for airplanes, potentially heavies, would seem like a pretty important subject for pilots/explorers. I thought about a mod that offers a device carried on a low-flying plane that scans the terrain and applies an algorithm to identify/indicate potential landing sites... I don't think mods such as Scansat can render the kind of resolution required to keep a finicky pilot satisfied. However, a mod like Kerbal Konstructs might be able to artificially construct artefacts such as large aprons on which you could work. I don't know much about its capabilities.

I've been looking for an update to Docking Port Alignment Indicator, too. It's been the last hold-out mod for 1.6. Well, guess what? I've learned to dock without it! I've been using Snark's favorite/recommendation: I had this one installed side-by-side for some time, anyway. Now that I have to use it, it's revolutionized my docking procedure and in such a way that very little thrust correction is required. It's easy to "drive around" to the dock face side. I just let the nose swing to the target and then stop short or go on to the "space side" of it (rather than the "vessel side"). Once parked "in the funnel", the following approach picture is possible (because the angle between dock axis and required motion is not so great it won't fit onto the visible part of the navball]: You can see the docking Sparrow (top) is not on the Krux space station dock axis (partially shown) -- that is to say, it is approaching on an oblique line. As long as the mustard 'V' attitude marker is in the red dock axis symbol and the target-relative motion (yellow circle) is kept on the pink target indicator and some forward motion is shown -- it's gonna dock. [Yes, I know 50% of everybody already knew this, but 50% still don't and I only just got the memo, so my question is "why didn't I get the memo either then, hey?!" Anyway, you can tell I'm excited and just had to tell someone! ;)]

(The narrator does feel compelled, however, to mention that Tanul forgot to repack the device chutes on the ground before attaching it to the transporter. Even if they had been packed, there would have been no clean way to trigger them after cutaway, not without a probe controller -- nor a Kerbal -- onboard the gadget. The chutes had been automatically triggered when the Harp deposited it on the green, next to the runway... oh well; (one more charred, smoking crater in the KSC green.) No one cared, though, and everyone still bought Tanul round after round that evening in the staff lounge! Hurrah for beer!!

"...BUT why wouldn't it work?!", snorted an indignant Tanul Kerman for about the thirteenth time. "You simply taxi a Peg 2 over the device and then... well... just sit on it!" In the end, the boys in the hangar had to give Tanul the keys to a Pegasus 2 parked out on the apron just to quieten him down. It didn't quite work out the way Tanul imagined... The Gryphon attached itself to the underbelly of the Pegasus like a limpet mine; however its weight made the Pegasus sit back on its tail when Tanul re-lowered the gear... But the smoothly co-ordinated application of heavy brakes and heavy thrust, gingerly juggled, put the Pegasus back on all three -- which the triumphant Tanul quickly converted to a take-off and a victory lap around the KSC precincts. Hurrah for Tanul Kerman!! Hurrah for Gryphon and Pegasus!!

Ha ha, good question! When 1.4 came out in March 2018, I was on 1.3.1 and predicted then that it would take me until the end of 2018 to upgrade. Well, it finally happened, January 2019 and I skipped 1.4.5 straight to 1.6. I guess I'm just a slow learner!! [And I recall that it was actually @RealKerbal3x who gave me the final shove to upgrade. Thank you very much. It has been OK, so far.] In any case, one thing about publishing craft from 1.3 is it gives access to a wider audience. But I am on 1.6 (.0) now. I think you might know that KSP will happily convert older craft versions for you. So I haven't set a schedule for the next upgrade. I guess all the mods that work for 1.6 will also work for 1.6.1. I did actually download it a few days ago...

and we shall call it ... Medusa ... !! yeah?

Gryphon Craftyard Aquarius Manta Description 1:engines 2:chute 3:ladder 5:release/chutes A stock transporter called Harp Gryphon. Built with 42 of the finest parts, its root part is probeStackSmall. Gryphon is an aerial fuel resupply device, bearing 445 kallons LF and 55 OX; perfect for resupplying rovers on long-distance treks; the initial, long-range deployment of short-range aircraft; or simply to aid distressed aircraft, stranded outfield, but still with sufficient fuel to taxi to a Gryphon dropped nearby for fuel resupply. The chutes and claws will deploy upon release from the transporter. The HORZ claw is useful for rovers, while the VERT claw can be used with almost any size aircraft. If necessary, park a larger craft over the VERT claw and then simply retract its nose-gear. Gryphon comes packaged herein with my trusty Harp transporter, but you may easily, of course, detach the two and use either as you will. I trust they will be useful in your adventures!! Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.6.0.

That's what you call a "JUMP SCARE!!" (Serves you right, by the way: always keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel -- and put that cell phone away!)