Trimodal NTR [KSP V 1.02]

[Jovus]

This 'add-on' is a pair of simple ModuleManager configs; one makes sure that all the stock liquid-fuel tanks have a wet/dry ratio of 9:1, and the other sets the LV-N with a switchable LOX-augmented mode with a vac I_sp of 533 seconds and 90kN of thrust. The values are chosen to balance precisely against the stock LV-N.

Why would you want this? Maybe you want to use chemical rockets and the LV-N on the same rocket. Maybe you want a higher-thrust alternative for moving heavy stuff around and don't care about the drop in specific impulse because you're using it as a Mun shuttle, not an interplanetary probe drive.

To Install:

1. This requires Module Manager to work. Go download that, unless you already have a copy from another mod.

2. I highly, highly recommend also installing either Liquid Tanks, which creates a bunch of new LF-only tanks with rocketry dimensions, or Modular Fuel Tanks, unless you just want to build rockets out of jet fuel tanks. The stock rocket fuel tanks have a wet/dry mass ratio of 9:1, which is why I chose that ratio for the jet fuel tank readjustments. However, if you just drain the oxidizer out of them, they end up with a wet/dry mass ratio of 4.5:1, which will make the liquid-fuel-only mode on the LV-N useless by comparison with the LOX-augmented mode.

3. Copy and paste these configs into a .cfg file anywhere within your Gamedata directory or a subdirectory. Name them whatever you like. Be sure you're just copying and pasting and saving text, not some fancy-schmancy formatting with meta-data or whatever. (Don't use Word, mmkay?)

@PART[radialEngineBody]

{

@mass = .1

@RESOURCE[LiquidFuel]

{

@amount = 50

@maxAmount = 50

}

}

@PART[nacelleBody]

{

@mass = .1

@RESOURCE[LiquidFuel]

{

@amount = 50

@maxAmount = 50

}

}

@PART[MK1Fuselage]

{

@mass = .09375

}

@PART[mk2Fuselage]

{

@mass = .5

}

@PART[mk2FuselageShortLiquid]

{

@mass = .25

}

@PART[mk3FuselageLF_25]

{

@mass = 1.5625

}

@PART[mk3FuselageLF_50]

{

@mass = 3.125

}

@PART[mk3FuselageLF_100]

{

@mass = 6.25

}

// MM Configs for changing the stock LV-N to switch between LiquidFuel and LFO

// LV-N (stock)

@PART[nuclearEngine]

{

!MODULE[ModuleEngines] {

}

MODULE

{

name = MultiModeEngine

primaryEngineID = LFO

secondaryEngineID = LiquidFuel

}

EFFECTS

{

empty{

}

burn_hydrogen

{

AUDIO

{

channel = Ship

clip = sound_rocket_hard

volume = 0.0 0.0

volume = 1.0 1.0

pitch = 0.0 0.2

pitch = 1.0 1.0

loop = true

}

PREFAB_PARTICLE

{

prefabName = fx_smokeTrail_light

transformName = smokePoint

emission = 0.0 0.0

emission = 0.05 0.0

emission = 0.075 0.25

emission = 1.0 1.25

speed = 0.0 0.25

speed = 1.0 1.0

localOffset = 0, 0, 1

}

MODEL_MULTI_PARTICLE

{

modelName = Squad/FX/shockExhaust_blue

transformName = thrustTransform

emission = 0.0 0.0

emission = 0.05 0.0

emission = 0.75 0.25

emission = 1.0 1.25

speed = 0.0 1.98

speed = 1.0 1.22

}

}

burn_lfo

{

AUDIO

{

channel = Ship

clip = sound_rocket_hard

volume = 0.0 0.0

volume = 1.0 1.0

pitch = 0.0 0.2

pitch = 1.0 1.0

loop = true

}

PREFAB_PARTICLE

{

prefabName = fx_smokeTrail_light

transformName = smokePoint

emission = 0.0 0.0

emission = 0.05 0.0

emission = 0.075 0.25

emission = 1.0 1.25

speed = 0.0 0.25

speed = 1.0 1.0

localOffset = 0, 0, 1

}

MODEL_MULTI_PARTICLE

{

modelName = Squad/FX/ks1_Exhaust

transformName = thrustTransform

emission = 0.0 0.0

emission = 0.05 0.0

emission = 0.75 0.25

emission = 1.0 1.25

speed = 0.0 0.5

speed = 1.0 1.2

}

}

engage

{

AUDIO

{

channel = Ship

clip = sound_vent_medium

volume = 1.0

pitch = 2.0

loop = false

}

}

disengage

{

AUDIO

{

channel = Ship

clip = sound_vent_soft

volume = 1.0

pitch = 2.0

loop = false

}

}

flameout

{

AUDIO

{

channel = Ship

clip = sound_explosion_low

volume = 1.0

pitch = 2.0

loop = false

}

}

}

MODULE

{

name = ModuleEnginesFX

engineID = LFO

runningEffectName = empty

directThrottleEffectName = burn_lfo

thrustVectorTransformName = thrustTransform

exhaustDamage = True

ignitionThreshold = 0.01

minThrust = 0

maxThrust = 90

heatProduction = 489

fxOffset = 0, 0, 0.25

PROPELLANT

{

name = LiquidFuel

ratio = 0.9

DrawGauge = True

}

PROPELLANT

{

name = Oxidizer

ratio = 1.1

}

atmosphereCurve

{

key = 0 533

key = 1 223

key = 2 0.1

}

}

MODULE

{

name = ModuleEnginesFX

engineID = LiquidFuel

runningEffectName = empty

directThrottleEffectName = burn_hydrogen

thrustVectorTransformName = thrustTransform

exhaustDamage = True

ignitionThreshold = 0.01

minThrust = 0

maxThrust = 60

heatProduction = 432

fxOffset = 0, 0, 1.6

PROPELLANT

{

name = LiquidFuel

ratio = 1.0

DrawGauge = True

}

atmosphereCurve

{

key = 0 800

key = 1 185

key = 2 0.001

}

}

}

Licensing and Support

I don't care what you do with these configs. Download them, change them, include them in another mod, print them out and wallpaper your room with them. Claim them for your very own for all I care. I won't come after you; you'll just have to live with the knowledge that you're a liar. Of course I make no claims on ModuleManager or any of the other mods recommended in this post.

I also make no offers of support. If this doesn't work for you, solve it yourself. If you can't, then you're SOL. If you can't figure out how to install it, I don't want you to install it. That said, feel free to report typos in the configs or suggestions for changes. I might have misplaced a bracket or something that makes it so it doesn't work. I'll fix or change stuff if I feel like it.

Known Issues

Right now, the rocket exhaust effects overlap the bell of the LV-N something fierce. I can't fix that, because the fundamental problem is that Squad still hasn't fixed fxOffset to actually do anything. That said, if you want to model two new exhaust effects and donate them to me so that it doesn't look like crap anymore, I'll be happy to update the configs and wrap it all up in a zip file while giving you credit.

Be aware that if you install the stock tanks rebalance config, it will make your spaceplane tanks lighter when empty. This will change their performance in the atmosphere. I did this instead of giving them more fuel because a) the alternative method ends up with all kinds of weird, odd fuel amounts like 622.237 units, and stock airplanes are already way more dense than their real-life counterparts. I have little idea exactly how this will change things, but don't go bothering people about weird aero- or thermo-dynamic behaviour without at least telling them you have this installed.