Raptor9

Raptor Aerospace has returned from the Rocket Builders subforum in advance of the forum migration. Kasper reported the Rocket Builders subforum will be going away during the migration. I will be posting craft files back here once more.

That's outside the scope of the EV-4. To keep from making a massive ship (and high part count), the EV-4 is simply a crew transfer vehicle and mobile lab. It's designed to meet up with pre-staged equipment, such as landing vehicles or surface modules, and then return the crew and science to Kerbin (while conducting additional study and research on the data while in return transit). These prepositioned modules and other equipment can be sent ahead of this ship in long-duration/slower trajectories that require less delta-V to slow down at the destination. To see the concept in action, click on the Red Planet Rivals video link in my signature.

For those of you that wanted the craft files, I've started posting them in my designs thread. As stated above, I'm still improving some of the designs from the prototypes. So far, I've only posted the LV-N powered transfer ship (and variants) and the EV-2C crew vehicle. As I get the rest posted on KerbalX, I'll add them to my designs thread.

EDIT: Redacted

I use these sometimes on atmo landers/ascent vehicles, and as my OMS engines on my Space Shuttle. But I agree with GoSlash27 (Slashy) about the math, sometimes the numbers tell me to use something else. But on the other hand, sometimes I'll make a concession on the engine's stats if other considerations are in play; such as engine dimensions, required mounting locations, compactness, gimbal range, etc. While an engine's performance on my landers are a huge consideration, it does need to be balanced with other contributing factors.

Just downloaded, can't wait to try it out. Very cool!

LOL!...of course

Yeah, it was Kerbal Inventory System. I usually don't run parts mods, just a few basic info plugins like Kerbal Flight Data, KAC, Docking Alignment. But I toyed with it a little a couple weeks ago, and it gives so much depth to EVA activities. The clamshell rover shelter next to the small science lab was built by an engineer Kerbal on site by pulling individual parts from the cargo containers. The two Hitchhiker containers I was using for habitation on each side of the horizontal habitat lander were installed using KIS as well. This is what made me want to use it:

While I'm still not the best space-capable plane designer, I've designed many atmo-only aircraft that are fun to fly on my casual KSP time (I call it kerbalnaut flight training, lol). But the reason I build atmo-craft in career mode is to accomplish science & survey contracts on Kerbin. It's a technique to build some funds, science and rep without having to go into orbit. That way you can get a few more nodes available on the tech tree before going to the Mun or Minmus for example. This Su-33 analogue for example is very fun to fly. It can takeoff and land in a short distance, can fly high and fast, and still rock solid stable in high-G flight.

And keep playing When I look at screenshots of my craft files from just last year, I shake my head. The more you play and experiment with different design techniques, the better you'll get. Can't tell you how many of my designs went to the recycle bin.

Ha ha, that is a heck of a coincidence. I had just designed these craft files in recent weeks, so the first time I used them in a full up Duna mission was for this video. While filming various parts of the missions, I discovered a handful of design defects or areas that could use some improvement. One such example is the atmospheric deceleration of the aeroshell-enclosed landers. Since the drogue chute deployment is dependent on air pressure, landing at higher elevations resulted in "less than optimal" approach speeds, and gauging when to enter atmo to land the second lander next to the first was very difficult. Instead of using drogue chutes, I refitted them with airbrakes. Airbrakes can not only be opened and closed whenever you want obviously, this allows you to dynamically increase and decrease your drag to adjust your ballistic trajectory into the approach cone for the landing site. Bottom line, let me fix some things on these craft to make them less reliant on luck to accomplish the mission. I'll write a post-it note to send you a PM when they're done. And thanks for the compliments guys This was the most ambitious and complicated video I've done.

A space race between two companies for a contract to supply propulsion systems for missions to Duna. Which do you prefer when traveling beyond Kerbin's sphere of influence? Nuclear Thermal Rockets (LV-N "Nerv") or Solar Electric Propulsion ("Dawn" Ion Engines)? Design Influences: Constellation DRA 5.0 Mars Mission (cancelled) Boeing's Path to Mars & Documentation

I don't worry about transit time either. The bad thing (IMO) about high-speed transfers to Duna is it results in a steep approach angle into the Duna orbital path. If you approach at a more shallow angle into the Duna orbital path, it requires much less delta-V to slow down to insert into Duna orbit. Otherwise you'll shoot right through the SOI without enough time to slow down. Not too critical with normal LF+O rockets, but using electric engines like the Ion's, it becomes more of an issue due to the longer "burn" times. If you're a more advanced player and can time an aerobrake or gravity capture just right, this might not be a problem of course.

That is really, really "cool".... (I'll let myself out)

Love the combination of music and camera angles during the weapon launch, turn and supersonic dash away...very edgy and cool

The SR-21 Pegasus. Designed to ferry cargo and modules from Laythe orbit to the surface, it was a pre-1.0 design. It had four embedded J-33 Basic Jet engines providing VTOL capability on Laythe's various islands, the J-X4 Turbo Ramjet in the back could provide enough thrust for normal flight in Laythe's atmo, and the four RAPIER engines could easily sling it back into orbit. Only mod part was Lack's Mk3 Ramp. The ramp was big enough to roll a rover down, but if I had to drop a module, I opened the ventral doors aft of the cockpit and dropped the module straight to the surface. On a suborbital test-flight over Kerbin. It was a few hundred delta-V short of circularizing the orbit around Kerbin, but the SR-21 worked great around Laythe due to the slightly lower gravity. I could easily load cargo through the ventral or dorsal bay doors in orbit around Laythe, and then shuttle it down to the surface and roll it down the ramp, or out the ventral doors. With the new engines and Mk3 tail ramp that Porkjet is making for KSP 1.1, this design is about to get brought back from the boneyard.

This mod is awesome...bookmarked!

Wishes really do come true New "Panther" engine Porkjet is working on for v1.1. The caption below this reads: "Your typical fighter jet engine. Features a wide thrust vectoring range, variable geometry nozzle and an afterburner! Fills the performance gap between Turboramjet and Basic jet engine and is more acrobatic than both! Visually it somewhat resembles the old Basic jet engine and its performance prior to 0.90"

YouTube comments have their uses...like the comic strips in a newspaper. Daily dose of entertainment and amusement.

+1 I use part-clipping to an extent when I'm trying to get a specific shape on a section of an atmo aircraft. But beyond that, I only use it for precise placement of parts, like embedding a battery or solar panel a little into a hull so it doesn't protrude quite so far, that kind of stuff. I draw the line at using a bunch of fuel tanks clipped together to form an almost perfect cylinder of larger diameter, with a much higher fuel capacity than what *should* be able to fit into that small space. Having said that, I agree with the argument that if it's fun for you, do whatever you want to your heart's content . You paid for your copy of KSP (hopefully not pirated), use it however you want.

EDIT: Misread, sorry. That is a good idea, but since the R&D-based office's purpose is to keep aprised of new materials (ie unlocked parts ha ha), I'd rather assume the wind tunnel is kinda like any other lab space. It can be scheduled for use by Raptor Aerospace, but still belongs to the Kerbal Space Agency. I never really put that deep of consideration into it. Regarding the second point, never heard of Old Man's War. The KAF is the air force component of the Kerbin DoD, and the KDF is the ground force component. Using the assumption that Kerbin is one unified nation, there's not much use for a terrestrially-based army in my opinion. The KDF is more akin to a National Guard for disaster relief, with a secondary armed conflict role just in case. EDIT 2: Just for clarification, the "role play" aspect of this thread is really non-existent. The backstory, however fictional, is simply for immersion and context. There is no actual "staff" of KSP players in various positions of the RAC cell. This is just me adding a little flavor to this thread, which is meant as a craft file showcase.

I can think of plenty of uses for it. Example: say u want to carry a large base module down to Laythe, along with a small rover and some passengers. Throw the rover under the pax section, and the module in a pure cargo bay section aft of that, and then the tail ramp. That way you dont waste large cargo bay space on a small rover. Or maybe someone wants to keep some KIS containers down there, who knows. Point being that KSP players have all sorts of play and design styles and techniques. There are lots of players that will find it useful.

Lmfao!

If a player only uses stock to begin with, they're nowhere near the RAM limit, so there's plenty of room for this addition. With this mod, my Gamedata folder jumps from 342MB to 344MB...I don't think a wait for 64-bit is necessary at all.

Good lord man.... Seriously, those are amazing looking.