Your techniques for 2-Kerbal Pods

[klesh]

So, you want to get 2 Kerbals from here to there. How do you do it?

Do you go 1.25m and make it tall, or perhaps 2.5 with some room to spare? I'd like to see some of your designs.

Since the introduction of the offset tool, I have been using this arrangement:

It works great in a 2.5m situation because you can fit it all inside a fairing with some room to spare. Its light. It works great as an ascent stage for an Apollo style setup. Works great as a 2-Kerbal escape pod from a Space Station.

The downside is that it will somewhat mess up your IVA views, but that is relatively minor. If you go to the guy in the right can and IVA with him, your view is from the left can.

I don't know if it is offensive to some due to the minor clipping, but I envision Werner simply telling Jebediah Kerman's Junkyard and Spaceship Parts Co. to make the the Mk I Lander Can "a double model."

[Skorpychan]

I just use a 2-kerbal can. If I need to go bigger, it's worth stacking a basic lander can atop a hitchhiker container for a slight discount versus the 3-kerb pod. And it gives more room for lights and stuff. I'd be going up to 1.5 for the science bay/materials bay anyway.

[Requia]

I normally don't like part clipping but that's pretty sweet looking.

Normally I just go for bigger pods. I prefer the three kerbal capsule to a two kerbal can unlike Skorpy, because of the variety of stuff it provides (high torque, monoprop tank, a slant to hide radial parachutes behind on reentry, and with one mod I use integrated RCS thrusters).

[Gaarst]

I am not really imaginative, if I need two Kerbonauts, I just stack two Mk1 Command Pods, it is the easiest, lightest way to "store" two kerbals.

[Foxster]

If I want to squeeze a couple of guys into a tiny space and/or keep mass to a minimum then...

[damerell]

I use a Mk I command pod and a Mk I inline. Not so, ah, imaginative as that above, but it gets the job done and if you fluff the landing the inline's high crash tolerance gives you some chance of getting away with it.

[Superfluous J]

I do something similar to the OP but don't clip them. Makes stuff wider but wider isn't always bad, especially on a lander.

[Signo]

Last time I had to design a 2 kerb pod I went "vertical". It was intended as a return ship and it was supposed to reenter atmosphere too. Back in 1.0.2 it did work, I did not try in 1.0.4.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Signo
typo

[Wemb]

Last time I had to design a 2 kerb pod I went "vertical". It was intended as a return ship and it was supposed to reenter atmosphere too. Back in 1.0.2 it did work, I did not try in 1.0.4.

http://i.imgur.com/WltUZNd.png

Ooo - I like that - it doesn't matter which way it re-enters the atmosphere, 'cause if the parachute burns off on one end, the other will survive. Maybe.

Wemb

[Signo]

Ooo - I like that - it doesn't matter which way it re-enters the atmosphere, 'cause if the parachute burns off on one end, the other will survive. Maybe.

Wemb

Well, the idea came from a few experiments I made working with bell shaped fairings to divert the aero flux from the back of the pods where I usually put stuff like chutes and airbrakes.

Both the chutes here are supposed to be outside the plasma flux if you keep an attitude between +5°/-5° related to the retrograde mark.

[klesh]

Well, the idea came from a few experiments I made working with bell shaped fairings to divert the aero flux from the back of the pods where I usually put stuff like chutes and airbrakes.

Both the chutes here are supposed to be outside the plasma flux if you keep an attitude between +5°/-5° related to the retrograde mark.

Nice! I was using something simmilar pre-offset tool, putting 2 Mk-command pods together at the .625 top, like a butterfly or dumbell, with the science goodies in between safe from the plasma.

[Mars Mullo]

I have top and tailed Mk1 command pods for ages.. it gets very hard to have a cost effective version for tourist so taht your making a small profit.

I have achieved it but now I use the K2 command pod from jfjohny5 available through CKAN ... it looks great and it works.

[Bev7787]

Mk1 pod and mk1 inline. Need more kerbals in early career? Add more mk1 inlines!

[damerell]

Mk1 pod and mk1 inline. Need more kerbals in early career? Add more mk1 inlines!

Also rotate the orientation 90 degrees each time so everyone can see where they're going.

[kurja]

If I want to squeeze a couple of guys into a tiny space and/or keep mass to a minimum then...

http://i.imgur.com/84wJT7V.jpg

lol, that is *genius* =D

[cantab]

The double lander can in the OP is pretty nice, but I've learned the hard way that those things are fragile, so I'm less willing to use them if I plan on making a landing under parachutes. Same goes for the 2-Kerbal can.

In the past I've just stacked 1-man pods the same way up, like so: https://flic.kr/p/qco5ih Not had any problems but then that was before 1.0 brought re-entry heating.

More recently I tried the pod+inline approach

The service bay holds the main parachutes and a probe core. The fins on the pod ensure that even in an uncontrolled tumbling re-entry it will orient heatshield-first and be survivable. The drogue chutes probably aren't needed but I felt like putting them on.

[Sharpy]

MK2 crew cabin for almost everything. Mere 2 tons for 4 seats, a very good crash resistance, pretty lean shape.

All my orbital stations are MK2 style. Cockpits, cargo bays, lab on mk2-rockomax adapter.

Note it's in all respects better than MK1 Lander Can. Lighter, double the capacity, high impact resistance, more streamlined shape - the only shortcoming is the lack of command pod functionality but I've got probe cores for that. And yeah, it can perform crew reports and store science.

[Frank_G]

Here is an early day rescue pod, built back around .23... But i really like the OPs variant with the two lander cans.

[Goddess Bhavani]

I went all out and made a micro-shuttle out of parts available in an early career game then marketed it as a maneuverable re-entry vehicle. It works well and can conduct Munar re-entries without a heatshield, thanks to it being aerodynamically stable enough for flight, and having a radiator on the 'cold' side of re-entry to prevent BBQing.

I get a lot of questions how can such a dainty little flower fly, so here's a video of a simple orbital rescue mission, re-entry and (full manual!) landing.