AxleMC131

Made my day.

Thanks! I used the 1.25m decouplers for a reason I'm afraid; I agree it would look far better with the smaller ones, but even with the first-stage engine's 85kN of thrust, from standstill the missiles don't get enough speed fast enough to clear the guide rail (as it was the rails were initially parallel with the missiles, but I lowered them to give them room). The decouplers give the missiles a little extra kick on launch, with the 250 "Decoupler Force" on the 1.25m model. The 0.625m ones only have 15 force, not quite enough to clear the guide rail, hence the choice of part.

Man, this is incredible! And only 562 parts for that? Wow. It's a shame it doesn't have the dV to get to Jool - Jolly_Roger is right, doing a grand tour in something this size would be a truly epic venture. Still, awesome work! Love the ingenuity with the docking ports, and it's not a bad looking craft either.

Good to hear. I very much like those sort of names for spacecraft, especially since I watched Interstellar. "Endurance" is still a great ship name. Halo is good inspiration too: "Forward Unto Dawn" might be my very favourite ship name ever. Oops, I'm starting to ramble...

So, today my project was building a stock semi-truck and flatbed trailer in KSP. It actually worked pretty well, and I'm considering using it in future for something cinematic... Anyway, I realised that - having made it a flatbed to put something on - I didn't actually HAVE anything to put on it! So, I hatched a cunning plan... To turn it into a mobile missile launch base! This is where it becomes no longer stock, because the bright red-and-yellow, 0.313m rocket parts come from my mod "Backyard Rocketry". The colour may be a little conspicuous for a missile launcher, but hey, I think they look damn cool! The flatbed carries two missiles, each independently controllable. The missiles are two-stage, fully liquid fuelled rockets with a stupid amount of power. If you want some stats, here are the launch events in terms of approximate time: 00:00 - Decoupler fires, first stage engine fires. 00:25 - Mach 1 achieved. 00:48 - First stage burnout. 00:50 - First stage separation. Second stage engine fires. 00:57 - Mach 3 achieved. 01:12 - Mach 4 achieved. 01:43 - Second stage burnout. (These are in real-world stopwatch time, rather than from the game's MET clock, because my KSP lags a lot, and the game clock runs slow.) Both engines are from my Backyard Rocketry mod; the first stage (which looks like a tiny RAPIER) is the 'Hydra' Scale Engine Cluster, a 0.625m engine with about 85kN of thrust at launch; the second stage is the smaller 'Dragon' Scale LfOx Engine, a scaled-down LV-T30 with 25kN of thrust. By the time the second stage runs out of fuel, the missile has reached an [orbital] velocity of 2050m/s, has almost broken out of the atmosphere and is heading for a 300+ km Apoapsis. With practise, you can probably hit any target on the ground from about 20km away or more - I practised a little by aiming for the Island Runway, and managed to hit the buildings half the time. Not sure how accurate this system would be against airborne targets, or even as an anti-orbital weapon, but you never know! Anyway, that's what I did today in KSP! If anyone wants to make me a target for my SCUD launcher, let me know, and I'll be sure to send a missile your way. Happy Rocketeering!

I tend to have a list of names I re-use for various spacecraft, both stations, ships, satellites and launch vehicles. Here's a couple of my better ones: - Intrepid - Ambition - Outreach - Ranger - Horizon - Idyll - Enigma ^ Majority of these are real words, feel free to look them up in a dictionary.

Dude, I love your work! I really wish I could do artwork this well... I think the Kraken Attack one is my personal favourite. Keep it up!

A little update guys! I've made a few additions to the story above, and posted some screenshots along with it too. Do go back and read again, as I have changed one or two things from the initial write-up as well. Hope you enjoy! PS: More story and images for this little practise mission coming soon!

Haha, awesome, I'll be waiting! I'll admit I'm only 18 myself, but I've certainly been getting busier and busier the last year or two, so props to that. Also, you can find the "practise" bit of my own story here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/133842-A-KSP-Solar-War-Concept-Opinions-wanted%21 It'd be great if you could tell me what you think.

Wow, finally I remembered to write something here! I've been reading your missions report saga for the past month or something (on my iPod, hence no comments), and so far they've all had me hooked to the last word! I stumbled upon Ad Lunam completely by accident first (funny story about finding it), and hard-read it in about a week; My word, it was amazing. Then I found Null Cycles and enjoyed it just as much, and now this! Seriously man, KSP writing doesn't get much better than this. I adore your craft designs, how you put regular parts of the game like Survey and Part Test contracts into the story so naturally, and all the conspiracy of the "Other" space programs. Never a dull moment! Absolutely amazing work. You're even most of my inspiration for my own attempt at KSP mission report / fan-fiction writing, which I've been having a go at the last few days. Got a few ideas written down, a basic premise, and some cracker screenshots from a test mission. Anyway, can't wait for the next instalment of Kanawha SP! Best of luck out there!

Very glad you like it! As you say, two factions or alliances is definitely cliché, but I'm trying to amp it up a little by not having two big alliances, but about eight smaller groups, each with their own opinions, friends, enemies, and goals for their own space programs. There are some main groups who will be referenced more often ("SLC" for instance is the abbreviation for 'StarLines Commercial', one of the larger organizations) as well as other smaller contributories who pop up now and then. Hopefully that way I'll be able to shy away from the usual "One versus one" battles, and make engagements a little more interesting. Also I'm going to be focusing on the logistics (and hopefully politics) of war just as much as the actual battles, because I find that stuff absolutely fascinating. About what started the skirmishes that led into the original war? Not sure yet, but I'm thinking something along the lines of rights to space travel and launch sites; I don't really know yet. Perhaps we'll find out as the story unfolds...!? - - - Updated - - - Not sure what you mean by "Kethan Station"... Is this a YouTube or AAR series I should know about? Either way, glad you like it so far! It's not going to be a full-blown military story as you say, although there will be military aspects. I'm hoping to focus more on the logistics and strategies and 'behind the scenes' stuff. Don't worry though! There definitely will be some thrilling battles and shocking moments!

Hello again fellow rocketeers! So, recently I've been looking around at a few KSP 'fan-fiction' type creations on this forum, and I have to say I'm extremely impressed by most of what I've seen and read! As a (hobby) writer of fiction myself, including a small number of science-fiction works (), I decided I might have a go myself, and I already have a little written down from a decent premise. I'm not sure where I'm going with it yet - the main idea is a form of 'Solar War' between two or more organizations with different opinions on the practical use of Rocket Science and space travel. Yes, I know, it's a cliché premise that's been hammered into the ground already, blah blah blah. Get over it, it's an easy premise to write from! If this goes ahead, I will be working from a (almost) stock Sandbox game save, where I will be building and launching ships, running various missions, and letting little skirmishes start as they want. Like on Cydonian Monk's "Ad Lunam" (which I strongly recommend you go check out, it's absolutely brilliant!) I will therefore be posting screenshots and other images alongside the writing to give readers a better understanding of what's going on. And to show off a little. To give you guys a little taste of what I have in mind, I present to you the Prologue and a trial chapter, both of which I spurted out last night. I certainly hope I can fish out a few opinions with this tasty bait! Enjoy! Prologue - A little backstory It seems so many years ago when Kerbalkind was just able to touch the frontier of space travel for the first time. Back then no Kerbal had ever left Kerbin's atmosphere, never seen the stars or the planets or even the Mün up close. Sure, they had technology. They understood physics and chemistry and mathematic principles. They had electricity and cars and boats and even aircraft. But never before had they built a device that could fly up, up, up so high as to escape the thick atmosphere and ever-present force of gravity that gave Kerbin such widespread life in the first place. Until the Space Program began. It was all for good causes in the beginning. Everyone supported the program's ventures, and they launched many rockets into space, some crewed, some not, much to the delight of the public and the scientists. And for several years the program flourished; missions gleamed new scientific discoveries, which led to new missions to gleam even more science... And so on. But even though all things seemed peaceful, there was unrest between some groups and organizations. Initially there were a few scuffles and skirmishes between countries with opposing ideals of space travel and rocket science, but those soon turned into dangerous battles and eventually, all out war across all the states of Kerbin. The only thing that brought a complete (if fragile) peace to the planet was the notion of total nuclear war. That was something everyone agreed would destroy the planet's wellbeing for good, and no-one would profit, so a treaty was signed that would restrict hostilities between the warring states for many years to come... ... But not forever. ~~~~~ SLC 'Slipstream' Low Kerbin Orbit "Main engine cut-off in T-minus thirty seconds.†Bill clutched the foam armrest next to him as Jebediah's voice emenated out of the speaker in the cabin ceiling. He could barely hear what he was saying, what with the roaring of the single LV-45 engine just a dozen meters behind him. The G-forces were forcing him back into his seat, and his breathing was coming short and rapid. CAPCOM replied shortly amongst an ear-splitting burst of static. “Copy that Slipstream, we have a good trajectory plotted at our end.†Not long now, Bill thought to himself, his teeth gritted too tightly to let him speak aloud. Just a few more seconds and the orbital insertion burn would be complete. The intercom clicked again, from the cockpit forwards of the vessel's passenger compartment. “Not much longer boys,†came Valentina's voice this time, guessing Bill's thoughts. “Engine cut-off in T-minus ten seconds.†Bill glanced over at the other passenger, Bob, his good friend and fellow member of the original Space Program. Bob was staring straight ahead, looking even more terrified than Bill felt, but that was normal. Jeb and Val had always been daredevils, and likewise, Bill and Bob had always been... A little more refined, to say the least. Another click from the speakers in the ceiling. “Engine cut-off in T-minus five, four, three, two, one, mark. Main engine cut-off.†Instantly the deep, throaty roar from aft ceased to exist, and Bill was flung forwards towards the bulkhead; his safety harness thankfully stopped him short before he could leave his seat. Jeb called ground control again. “Capcom, Slipstream. Orbital insertion burn complete, how's our orbit looking?†"Copy that Slipstream, we have you in a 105.1 by 104.9 kilometre orbit, zero inclination. Looking good.†"Thanks Capcom,†Val replied. “Ready to perform standard-procedure maintenance checks before we line up for an encounter with the Object.†CAPCOM was lost briefly in another flurry of static, but the telemetry connection was quickly re-established. “Copied. She's all yours from here on folks. Have a nice flight! Capcom out.†The intercom went silent. After a few moments, the airlock in front of Bill cycled open with a sharp hiss, and Jeb's face peered through, grinning like a cat. “Alright back there, humble passengers?†Bob gave him a slightly sour look as the engineer and the scientist undid their harnesses and floated free from their seats. “You know you don't have to run the engine at full throttle just to get into orbit,†he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. “It's an LV-45, not an LV-N.†Jeb just grinned even more and pushed his way into the passenger cabin. “Ah, quit your whining. You've done it before.†Bill kicked gently off the bulkhead and followed him into the aisle. “You've done it before Jeb,†he retorted, though not unkindly. “Neither Bob nor I have flown in StarLines' fancy shuttle.†“Well, you have now,†replied the veteran pilot nonchalantly. The engineer shook his head and decided to change the subject. "Jeb, help me crack open the cargo bay. We should make sure our batteries are overflowing before we lose the sun." "Righto Bill," Jeb answered. Together they operated the control panel at the back of the compartment. With a whirr and a buzz, the bay doors opened wide and the pair of solar panels stretched out, reaching to grab the last bits of sun before it went behind the horizon. Bill waited until the whirring stopped, then glanced through the cargo bay video feed to verify that the panels had indeed extended. "Alright, that should keep us from running dry before we reach our destination." He turned to Jeb. "How long until we get there by the way?" Jeb pushed backwards in the microgravity towards the front bulkhead again and gestured his head towards the airlock. "Val's working on it. We're a little ahead of the target, so she's gotta plot a small manoeuvre to bring our AP up a little. Shouldn't be more than a few metres per second." "Righto," Bob nodded in response. After a few moments the scientist said, "Any ideas what the object might actually be?" Bill glanced a Jeb, who shrugged. "Beats me," he admitted. "Radar says it's a small object, small enough to fit inside our cargo bay even, so I'm not sure. Dilapidated satellite maybe?" "Probably a rock," Bill interjected, with a wink at Bob. Val stuck her head into cabin suddenly. "Could be aliens!" she suggested with a laugh. "Oh for goodness sake," Bob exclaimed, reaching over to a storage cupboard and removing a packet of snacks. "It could be a Kraken egg for all we know!" Jeb glanced at Val and made another famous grin. "A hundred Roots says it's from Kerbin, Bob." Val shook her head in exasperation. Bob didn't even pause in his munching of snacks to point at Jeb. "You're on," he said determinedly, and stuck his hand back into the packet. "So, Val," Bill piped up, changing the subject again. "How's our intercept looking?" Val grimaced. "Not great. Don't ask me why, but the best encounter path I can do consists of three minor manoeuvres over the course of an entire orbit, to a 900 metre intercept." "Doesn't bother me," Bob said, reaching for another handful of snacks. "As long as we're not being forced through our seats for an orbit, I'm comfortable." He sent another venomous look at Jebediah, then glanced out the nearest window. "Hey, look! Minmus!" "Either way," Valentina interrupted, after taking a look through the glass herself, "It'll be a good half hour before we get anywhere close, so you boys might as well break out the playing cards.

A little information for the upcoming, updated version of Backyard Rocketry: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/133742-Backyard-Science-Coming-Soon%21?p=2184076#post2184076 Gonna be adding some more science parts at you lots' request, so stay tuned!

Howdy folks! Huge thanks to all those who caught the trial release of my first ever mod for KSP, "Backyard Rocketry"! If you didn't catch it, you can get the latest version from the thread here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/133162-Backyard-Rocketry-For-all-your-homegrown-space-program-needs%21 The overall feedback for the mod was great, but one of the requested features for upcoming versions was more science experiments. Well, I've been brainstorming for the last week or so about what sort of science parts I could add for model/sounding rockets, and I think I have a few neat ideas you guys will love. I haven't made any more part files yet, but I'm going to start working on them very soon, so stay tuned for Backyard Rocketry v1.0.2 - Backyard Science!

Wow, can't wait for the next instalment then!

Dude! I completely agree!

This is actually a very intriguing way of playing KSP. Definitely something I should try in the future, especially since I'm considering adding Kerbal Space Program to my YouTube repertoire. I assume you do this all in Sandbox mode? Anyway, I'm interested in the storyline so far, and I like the design of the little fighters. If you DO restart this from the beginning, I'd definitely like to see the logistics of the war efforts, and what goes on behind the scenes; not just the actual battles, but WHY as well. Either way, I'll try and stay posted for when (if) you do continue!

Ah, thanks heaps. I wasn't actually sure what I had done with it, and whether it was only me who couldn't see it... As I said, I'm not experienced with forums at all. How exactly do I get the image to appear like that in the post? I originally used the "Insert Image" button at the top of the text box, and linked the Imgur URL; is there more too it than that? Either way, thanks! It looks much better now.

Oh yeah! I'll do that right away.

Ah, gotcha. Thanks! - - - Updated - - - Done! I think what I've put up covers all the basics... Anything I've missed?

Oops... Yeah, just discovered the thread explaining the add-on license. I'll get on that right away. I'm assuming it should be put in the mod folder, so you get it when you download the mod. - - - Updated - - - Thanks! I've given it some thought, and I think I will go ahead and make an Imgur account. If I'm thinking of sharing more KSP stuff online, it's gonna come in handy... - - - Updated - - - Thanks for the feedback! I understand what you mean about needing more parts - I think there are only about a dozen that I've made? More science experiments in the 0.313m scale would be nice; I do hope you noticed the 'Duster' Aerosol Scanner under the Science tab though! It's the only existing science experiment so far, and just looks like the ISRU. About the manufacturer, as I said I'm new to modding and setting up configs, and I'm not sure how I would go about putting "AxleMC131's Backyard Rocketry Co." as a new company under said tab. Any help would be hot. - - - Updated - - - Having said that. Define "OP"? I'm not an experienced forum user... - - - Updated - - - Finally setup. Enjoy the first image of what to expect from this mod! (Click here if image doesn't work: http://imgur.com/BqyaUcR)

Yeah, sorry about the lack of images. XD I don't know how to put an image in a post without needing a URL link to it... I'm guessing that I need to have an Imgur account or similar, where I can upload images and link them from there.

Hello again fellow KSP players! After much work and deliberation, I am proud to announce a test version of a new mod: Backyard Rocketry! Backyard Rocketry is my first ever attempt at modding Kerbal Space Program. It includes no new part models as I don't know how to use Blender and/or Unity, but adds new parts by referencing existing Squad models and adding new configs (and occasionally, retextures) to them. The mod focuses on adding basic 0.313m parts, loosely in the form of model rockets, and is designed to add a little extra fun and flair to early career mode and sandbox. This is my first KSP mod, and I know there isn't much depth to it, but I'd love to know what you think of it! If you can take the time, put any feedback or commendations in the thread down below. Don't hesitate to criticize either; I love hearing what people think, not just what they like, but also what they don't like and think should be added, balanced or removed altogether. This pack will most likely be updated and changed as new ideas arise. You can also post in the thread with questions on how to use each of the parts. Once I am able to record videos of KSP, I will probably do a brief tutorial series for this mod, but until then, I'm only too happy to answer your questions! ____________________________________________________________ Release Notes - Version 1.1.0 "Backyard Science!" Huge thanks to all those who gave me great feedback and tried out the first release version of my mod! This has been my first proper introduction to the KSP community, and it's a truly friendly and helpful group. You guys are all awesome. I had a lot of comments back on the first version of Backyard Rocketry asking for more science experiments to go with the 0.313m parts, and I can only comply with my audience. So, I am proud to announce the first big update, v1.1.0 "Backyard Science"! Several new parts have been added for this version, including a 0.313m reaction wheel, inline battery bank, and three - yes, three - new science experiment parts! Here's what to expect in the new version: For a full list of the added/edited parts, be sure to check out the Changelog in the mod folder! ____________________________________________________________ Get the latest version of the mod here! http://www./download/zdvbo9ysbcf8y64/BackyardRocketryRemastered.zip This version is compatable with KSP v1.0.2, but should also work with all newer versions. When installing, be sure to remove any older versions of this mod first. ____________________________________________________________ License (Because apparently I need one of those): 1. You are completely free to use the content of this mod in your publicly released videos, streams, images, or other forms of gameplay sharing, as long as you credit the creator (AxleMC131) and/or link back to the mod here. 2. You may not claim or redistribute this mod as your own work under any circumstances. That's called Intellectual Theft, and is punishable by law. 2.5. You are allowed, of course, to take inspiration from the content of this mod for your own creations. 3. You may edit the config files within this mod to suit your own preference; however, you may not then redistribute the edited mod as your own work. (See point 2.) 4. This mod is created for the enjoyment of KSP players, not to make money. If however, you wish to use the content of this mod in a business situation (i.e. Charity streams, paid YouTube videos, etc.), you must credit the creator (AxleMC131) and/or link back to the mod here. (I think that just about covers all the basics. Anything else, you should be able to use your common sense!)

Man, I was pretty damn close. Still an awesome vehicle, and actually really easy to build too. Thanks heaps for sharing this Slashy, I'm probably gonna use this sort of design from now on...

Yeah, it flies horizontally. I think the basic principle of it is that the jet engine is angled downwards, which provides some downwards thrust, but causes the vehicle to tip forwards. The parachutes (yes, they're stock) pull it back and keep it level, letting it rise into the air. I flew this around the KSC for a bit and reached a maximum horizontal speed of about 12m/s - not much, but Slashy did say this was just for jumping around the buildings, which it definitely does well. Either way, if you understand how to work it, it's a ton of fun to fly! Just throttle to about 2/3 and start down the runway as you usually would, then deploy the parachutes once you reach about 30m/s. Let them deploy to the point that you start slowing down again, then throttle up to maximum and pull back a little. The vehicle should pitch back and start to climb - from there it's pretty self-explanatory! To land it again, just kill the engine, and the parachutes will do the rest.