Aerospike Nozzles

[Whirligig Girl]

Perhaps instead of having the Aerospike be its own engine, (which much like the jet engines are trucated a bit too much), have it be a nozzle that you place on other engines. This would change the Isp of the engine its placed on, so it doesn't have to be an "overpowered" engine, but a modifier for other engines. It would take up the bottom node and add weight.

At any rate, the Aerospike as an engine is just too underpowered for the one case where it should be most useful, on the surface of Eve.

(And thank you so much everyone for telling me about how bad and senseless this idea is. I feel so happy right now.)

Edited May 20, 2015 by GregroxMun

[Tay_T]

... have it be a nozzle that you place on other engines. This would change the Isp of the engine its placed on, so it doesn't have to be an "overpowered" engine, but a modifier for other engines. It would take up the bottom node and add weight.

To me, this is actually an amazing idea. Not just for a re-purposed Aerospike, but this brings up a very valid concept of custom engines. What if this was how it worked for every engine? Maybe allowing nozzle adjustments and therefore efficiency changes, like a balance for air or space travel "Isp" wise, kind of similar to the modeller for the fairings would be amazing. However! That's drifting off subject, I do agree with your idea, it would be very fascinating to see your idea imported into KSP somehow.

So in other words, I second this notion. Great idea.

[Vaporo]

But the aerospike isn't a nozzle that you can just stick on any old rocket engine. It uses a completely different design from regular engines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerospike_engine

[Guest]

Yeah, sorry, this just makes zero sense.

[Murph]

Yeah, I'm not buying this either. Swapping nozzles around on engines just seems too fiddly, and particularly not viable to use the Aerospike as an alternative nozzle for a conventional bell engine. Even swapping bells around on bell engines seems dubious to me, as the bell has to be matched to the other parts of the engine, as I understand it, it's a complete package where the size and design of the bell has to be closely matched to the turbo pumps, etc. The nozzle is actually part of the fuel system as well, with fuel circulating around pipes integrated in the nozzle, to cool it, before it goes to the combustion chambers.

Not convinced at all by this, or that a whole custom engine system would really be worth the effort. The game might benefit from some more choices in engine, but I don't think we really need the vast array of choice from custom mix and match building.

[Kegereneku]

Sorry, but that's a very bad idea.

The Aerospike isn't an overpowered engine, at least it doesn't have to be if its stat were balanced correctly. And even if it were, it would be a FUTURE engine, with logical improvement.

The whole point of their radically different design is to keep more thrust at any pressure, making them ideal for SSTO rocket or spaceplane.

If the stats reflected that, they wouldn't be underpowered Bell-engine or overpowered Bell-engine.

So in my opinion we will need more Aerospike for all size.

[Whirligig Girl]

The Aerospike isn't an overpowered engine, at least it doesn't have to be if its stat were balanced correctly. And even if it were, it would be a FUTURE engine, with logical improvement.

The whole point of their radically different design is to keep more thrust at any pressure, making them ideal for SSTO rocket or spaceplane.

If the stats reflected that, they wouldn't be underpowered Bell-engine or overpowered Bell-engine.

So in my opinion we will need more Aerospike for all size.

I agree.