We Can Game's Functional Sci-Fi ships, SSTO's and more!

[Rufledt]

Greetings! I'm making a few spacecraft from science fiction movies/shows! I'm making them entirely with stock parts, as simple as possible, and also functional.

Contents (click for the post):

Viper Mk.2 from Battlestar Galactica: this post, below

X-Wing from Star Wars!

Starfury from Babylon 5

VTOL-Pontoon-Triplane *NEW*

First up, a Viper Mk.2 from Battlestar Galactica!

This is my first attempt recreating a ship from a show. it works as an SSTO, though it doesn't have enough dV to get to the mun without needing a fill up. Now that I look at it, i wish i had moved the airbrakes into the tanks a bit, but it works well nonetheless. It's a bit hard to keep the nose up at low speeds, but otherwise it doesn't fly too bad. 3 rapiers, and that top fuel tank on the back is liquid fuel only.

Here's a vid of 2 versions, the first being overly simplified (and much cheaper to build), the second being pictured above. the last part of the video shows some important details for building the viper, mainly down to engine placement (geting them so COT aligns with COM) and use of building tools:

And now, i have craft files available! http://kerbalx.com/wecangameifwewantto/Viper-complex only the more complex, cool looking one, though.

The next one will be an X-wing that also functions as an SSTO with functional weapons, i also have a request for a starfury from Babylon 5, though that one probably won't be an SSTO.

I hope you enjoy

Edited November 15, 2015 by Rufledt

[Rufledt]

New ship! this time it's an X-Wing! it works as an SSTO and has functional weapons, made using small decouplers and the seperatrons! see video below for more details and some shots of me flying/shooting things/crashing and dying!

At the end of the video i show how to make it using the advanced building tools.

This one has less delta V when it gets into orbit than the Viper above, in part because this one doesn't have liquid tanks, only rocket fuel. you could easily replace the long front tank with a short LFO tank and a liquid fuel tank, but i like the stripe

you could also probably stack more than 8 'shots' on the ends of the wings and stage them to your liking.

Here's the .craft file: http://kerbalx.com/wecangameifwewantto/Xwing

Let me know what you think and if you have any other suggestions Starfury is probably next, then i might start going through more star wars fighters since those look so cool!

Edited August 20, 2015 by Rufledt

[mrmcp1]

Both ships look good and it good that they look good but are also functional SSTO's. If you want the Starfury to be an SSTO then the thunderbolt version may be better as it looks like it would work better in the atmosphere.

I am looking forward to seeing more of your spacecraft.

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

Nice! Want a 600 part Y-Wing? I thought not.

[Rufledt]

Yeah thats what I was thinking with the starfury, too. I think ill do the normal one first but just as a space ship not atmospheric flight. The ships in the show have some pretty intense RCS that I was able to replicate using vernor thrusters in a test rig along with some pretty high deltaV so i have high hopes for a finished version, maybe ill try both in separate videos.

Mad rocket scientist: thats awesome!! It looks perfect! With mine im trying to keep the part number low so they dont lag and dont cost much. So far the 2 ships above dont lag at all and dont require fuel cheats, I think they were both well under 100k funds, too. They dont look as accurate but im hoping to use them in career mode at some point.

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

[...]

Mad rocket scientist: thats awesome!! It looks perfect! With mine im trying to keep the part number low so they dont lag and dont cost much. So far the 2 ships above dont lag at all and dont require fuel cheats, I think they were both well under 100k funds, too. They dont look as accurate but im hoping to use them in career mode at some point.

Thanks, and I assumed that the part count was a *bit* high.

[Rufledt]

I forgot to include a shot of my very first SSTO!

It's a bit clumsy (as all 1sts are) and there is nothing hidden beneath it or inside, the top view shot really shows everything involve in making it (except for maybe a couple thrusters underneath). can achieve orbit and re-enter safely, though airbrakes would've been nice... i don't know why the rear wheels aren't retractable, i think i had a mindset going in to use parts you unlock early, but for some reason i thought a rapier was a reasonable engine choice LOL Forgive me, i was 2 months younger and reckless! The docking port was never tested, though i would need to adjust the thruster locations a bit for it to actually dock easily (some idiot forgot to put thrusters shooting to the sides)

Here's a vid to prove it's SSTO-ness:

This was in 1.0.2 as the thumbnail shows, i haven't tested it again in 1.0.4 but i suspect it could still get to orbit. the 'simple' viper mk2 above has a similar engine/fuel load/weight and it made it (barely) in 1.0.4.

Still haven't done the starfury, i've been away on a wedding for the past week, didn't have time to do any kerbal killi....i mean rocket building... My next video will probably be a career mode one anyway (i try to alternate) but i'll be back to these ships soon enough. (that's not soon enough!)

[Wjolcz]

Nice. Keeping the part count low while still having the full functionality and looks is always my main goal when designing my crafts. Good to see someone else thinks the same way.

[Jett_Quasar]

I've got a stock Millennium Falcon that flies and shoots, but it only get's into orbit in KSP version 0.90. You can click on the picture below to get to the thread:

JR

[Rufledt]

I finally got around to signing up for KerbalX so now the .craft files are available! (and for all future vids as well)

X-wing: http://kerbalx.com/wecangameifwewantto/Xwing

Viper: http://kerbalx.com/wecangameifwewantto/Viper-complex

They have been added to their posts above as well

[Rufledt]

Behold! the latest craft! a Starfury, from Babylon 5!

Featuring 2,600 deltaV (in vacuum use only), functional weapons:

(10 rounds, shooting 2 at a time)

And show-accurate thrusters using vernor engines:

The part count is on par with the xwing at 127 or so, but removing the weapons and mounts drops this to 89. The cost with weapons is 50k, without is 45k, so it is reasonbly cheap enough to use in a career mode game as well. The thrusters offer fantastic control and agility, try it out today!

.craft file is available on kerbalx: http://kerbalx.com/wecangameifwewantto/Starfury

Here's a video showing it in action (all pics are screencaps from the vid) as well as more detail of how i built it:

[Logan.Darklighter]

Very nice! I always thought the Starfury would work nicely in KSP, since it was based a little more towards "realistic" space combat.

I'll never forget the first time I saw a few in action - the first regular episode. Commander Sinclair is flying with his fighter group hunting some pirates and one of them gets on his tail. I was expecting a "Star Wars" type battle with turning and burning, trying to do more curving "aerodynamic" fighter combat.

Nope! He spins the ship on it's axis while still on his original vector of travel, and blasts the pirate out of space!

And I swear on my brothers CHILDREN I actually did the following for real...

I jumped up off the couch, pointed at the TV and SHOUTED -

"PHYSICS!!! Actual real honest to God Newtonian F*&^%$ing PHYSICS in a sci-fi television show!!! Okay guys - You've got me SOLD now!"

Turns out B5 would have a LOT more to sell me on it than just their somewhat more realistic take on space combat, but that was A MOMENT OF PURE GEEK JOY! Heh.

[Rufledt]

Yes!! i didn't have to add any crap to it like i did with the X-wing to make it work like it was supposed to! even in Battlestar Galactica the vipers had thrusters that you could see when they did stuff, but the fighters still flew like atmospheric jets. I guess people can't wrap their head around how things move in a vacuum so they sacrifice physics for a little familiarity? i dont' know. either way, the starfury works great!

[StainX]

oh man, that stuff is amazing!

i need to unlock those rapiers in career asap, so i can fly that viper

i would love to get excited about a colonial raptor, any chances!?

Edited August 28, 2015 by StainX

[senoiurkabls]

I know this is a hard one but can do build a swordfish II? Or direct me to an already existing build? Plan to couple it with the torch drive

[Logan.Darklighter]

I know this is a hard one but can do build a swordfish II? Or direct me to an already existing build? Plan to couple it with the torch drive

Swordfish II and Faye's Redtail.

And there ya go.

[senoiurkabls]

Thanks!

[Rufledt]

oh man, that stuff is amazing!

i need to unlock those rapiers in career asap, so i can fly that viper

i would love to get excited about a colonial raptor, any chances!?

THanks! glad you enjoy I'll add the colonial Raptor to my list! I have some ideas already ;D

[Rufledt]

Greetings! new plane time! I used the new parts/physics with 1.0.5 to create one heck of a fun contraption:

Behold!

It's a super-sonic, VTOL, Pontoon Tri-plane! I made a couple configurations, one using the SR71-looking jets that can exceed mach 3 easily, and the one in the picture that allows for some pretty insane acrobatics as see in this video:

Engines are set to action groups:

1- Toggle rear engines

2- Toggle rear engine afterburners

3- Toggle bottom engines

4- Toggle bottom engine afterburners

Dowload here:

http://kerbalx.com/wecangameifwewantto/Hypersonic-Tri-plane-gimbally-wpontoons

Basically the thing is ridiculous to fly, and the pontoons are not required. You may drop them if you want it to be lighter and more ridiculous! In fact, in the configuration shown in that picture (which is the one i'm uploading to kerbalX), the pontoons are detachable, and it has landing gear on the plane. If you don't want a sea-harrier-FokkerDR1, feel free to remove them before launch, they are just included in case you want them. It's an absolute hoot to fly, i kinda wish it could make it to space! This is the only non-space capable plane in this thread, but it could be retrofitted i'm sure.

Let me know what you think!

(also sorry i know people had made requests and i'll get to those but this was too awesome to not make a video from )

Edited November 15, 2015 by Rufledt