Mobile Flying Mining Operation

[StacheBelt]

Are you tired of having your mining operation next to your base? I know I was. Why should we be limited to having our bases near ore? Well my friends, those scenarios are no longer a problem. Now you can build your bases on mountains, the ocean, or just hanging in the middle of the sky without being limited by the presence of ore! Once we decided to just slam all that silly mining stuff up into a plane, a whole new world opened up for potential base locations.

"This is the single greatest idea ever green lit by the Kerbal engineers" -Bill Kerman probably

This fully fueled and ore'd 100 ton behemoth provides long range stable flight and the ability to convert ore into fuel or just carry ore back home. It also has a large cargo bay which allows you to add lights to the inside, making it pretty with various colors. It also comes equipped with a Mk3 to Mk2 adapter with fuel and a mainsail on that badboy, to allow for shorter take off during instances of runway scarcity. 6 large fuel cells and 8 large solar panels allow for maximum power generation to allow you to run drills and the ISRU converter simultaneously. Just be sure to land facing east or west to let your panels follow Kerbol all day.

A few eagle eye'd users might notice the location of the Narrow Band Scanner. Keep in mind to not have it active as you deploy your drills as it could make your flight suddenly "interesting" by Firefly standards.

Finally you can build that aircraft carrier for your ocean base so that you can land your brand new mining plane on it! And they said you were crazy for building a base on the Sagen Sea....

craft file here

[Crocket]

Do the drills deploy through the bottom of the cargo hold?

[StacheBelt]

The drills deploy once the cargo hold is open. You can see it in the first picture.

[kiwi1960]

Do the drills deploy through the bottom of the cargo hold?

(glug glug glug)

[Crocket]

The drills deploy once the cargo hold is open. You can see it in the first picture.

Ah! I didn't notice that! Thanks, and you will soon get rep!

[Swing_kid50]

Why do you have the brakes activated in the first picture if you have the drills deployed? Drills digging deep into the ground should keep that craft from moving, no need for brakes.

[Frank_G]

Do they? I have never tested, if they attach the craft firmly to the ground...

[StanE]

No, they don't. You can drive with them around, even if they are fully deployed and working.

[Crocket]

No, they don't. You can drive with them around, even if they are fully deployed and working.

And they don't break if you do so?