Volkswagen Type 2 Microbus Replica with Amphibious Assault Craft for island hopping vacations!

[Guest]

Gonna derail the thread a bit here, nice tank, better than my Boar.

It´s actually not my favourite tank, but the one with the most Howitzers. . Here´s a link, if you want.

Oh. My. God. That pun makes me to throttle you through the internet. I'd grab at the chance.

- - - Updated - - -

Anyway:

http://i.imgur.com/L3i0cqf.png

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

http://i.imgur.com/wJj0a8q.png

Oops. Totally wasn´t meant so. Really. You can trust me, it´s not as I was a brutal weapon engineer.

Anybody want some Icecream so I can prove my peaceful nature?

(That solar panels are supposed to be ice cream containers, and the other thing is a coffee machine!)

Here you are!

[Majorjim!]

Castille has a point actually, ultra dense objects can float on Kerbin due to the jell-o like water physics, including steel boxes or massive Mk3 parts which normally, would be expected to sink like lead.

I float around perfectly safely every day in my steel box due to a lovely facet of physics known as displacement!

Oh, and lol at the ice cream van!

[Goddess Bhavani]

OMG yesh I always thought the seismometers looked like cups, and that big box thingie is a drinks dispenser

Very creative using the solar panels as containers, and aeroplane control surfaces as counter tops and window blinds.

[Majorjim!]

OMG yesh I always thought the seismometers looked like cups,

LOL yup! those are the 'go to' part for cups! So whats next? Someone SSTO this thing!

[Castille7]

Craft File added for that Island Vacation with your friends!

Craft File Here

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

[...]

As a side bonus I believe the Bus is airworthy. Most of the body is built with airfoils for weight saving, and jump tests exhibited a peculiar ability to stabilise itself in mid air.

I'm thinking a few test launches atop an SRB is in order. What kind of engines are used in the hover version? Top Gear would go bonkers over a HoverVan if Clarkson's gang were still in business!

[...]

Basic jets.

[BlueCanary]

Basic jets.

But what's keeping it hanging in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't?

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

But what's keeping it hanging in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't?

Kerbal foundries repulsors.

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

Airtrip!

[Castille7]

LOL yup! those are the 'go to' part for cups! So whats next? Someone SSTO this thing!

If someone doesn't put it on the Mun soon i will!.....lol

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

Congratulations, your VW bus has crashed my game twice, made me force stop it because of the kraken 3 times, and corrupted at least 2 craft files. Actually, maybe it has to do with my incredibly buggy missile subassemblies... nah.

[Goddess Bhavani]

Congratulations, your VW bus has crashed my game twice, made me force stop it because of the kraken 3 times, and corrupted at least 2 craft files. Actually, maybe it has to do with my incredibly buggy missile subassemblies... nah.

What exactly were you doing with those missiles lol. I'm curious to see how complicated they are. BlueCanary could use some missiles for his Mad Max version. And my suspicions are confirmed - the VW Bus is a "lifting body" design. No wonder Volkswagen put in like 21 windows for optimal airflow. Considering how overweight and bloated some of the real life 5th generation fighter aircraft I'm not surprised even a Bus can fly

@Castille7

I will be updating the OP with your amphibious landing craft when time allows.

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

What exactly were you doing with those missiles lol. I'm curious to see how complicated they are. BlueCanary could use some missiles for his Mad Max version. And my suspicions are confirmed - the VW Bus is a "lifting body" design. No wonder Volkswagen put in like 21 windows for optimal airflow. Considering how overweight and bloated some of the real life 5th generation fighter aircraft I'm not surprised even a Bus can fly

@Castille7

I will be updating the OP with your amphibious landing craft when time allows.

Trying to arm the flying version. The missiles are pretty simple, but has some problems with symmetry stuff.

[Castille7]

What exactly were you doing with those missiles lol. I'm curious to see how complicated they are. BlueCanary could use some missiles for his Mad Max version. And my suspicions are confirmed - the VW Bus is a "lifting body" design. No wonder Volkswagen put in like 21 windows for optimal airflow. Considering how overweight and bloated some of the real life 5th generation fighter aircraft I'm not surprised even a Bus can fly

@Castille7

I will be updating the OP with your amphibious landing craft when time allows.

Looking forward to it, I would also like to see others join in and put on a few planets!

[Goddess Bhavani]

Working on Castille7's LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanized), making it smaller, reduced part count and providing enough reduction in hydrodynamic drag to speed along at 29.4 knots with just basic jet engines.

The off-loading ramp now detaches upon landing with a display of pyrotechnics for that authentic D-Day re-enactment feel, and the vehicle can now drive off the landing craft after undocking from the boat. The docking mechanism is not intended to be reused so another staging sequence destroys the chassis to vessel support rig to avoid high centering the vehicle during offroad driving.

Now we just need a Mad Max version to put on the LCM and we have a worthy contender for Jeremy Clarkson's Royal Marines beach assault exercise where a then-new Ford Fiesta was used in place of an amphibious armored personnel carrier.

Although I made adjustments to nearly all the structural panels of the craft to attain customary precision fit and finish, I am not yet done with detailing the ship and might take a day or two to release a fully polished version and make some supporting media / artwork for it. Maybe esinohio would like to do a D-Day scene?

If I take too long with this Schwimmwagen / LCM I will go ahead and put up the hilariously fun ice cream truck on the OP first, but sadly I'll have to catch up on sleep before doing another 12 hour work day tomorrow.

Edited August 25, 2015 by pandoras kitten

[Castille7]

Working on Castille7's LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanized), making it smaller, reduced part count and providing enough reduction in hydrodynamic drag to speed along at 29.4 knots with just basic jet engines.

The off-loading ramp now detaches upon landing with a display of pyrotechnics for that authentic D-Day re-enactment feel, and the vehicle can now drive off the landing craft after undocking from the boat. The docking mechanism is not intended to be reused so another staging sequence destroys the chassis to vessel support rig to avoid high centering the vehicle during offroad driving.

http://i.imgur.com/qQQqGum.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ArJnxx0.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ji32Vss.jpg

Now we just need a Mad Max version to put on the LCM and we have a worthy contender for Jeremy Clarkson's Royal Marines beach assault exercise where a then-new Ford Fiesta was used in place of an amphibious armored personnel carrier.

Although I made adjustments to nearly all the structural panels of the craft to attain customary precision fit and finish, I am not yet done with detailing the ship and might take a day or two to release a fully polished version and make some supporting media / artwork for it. Maybe esinohio would like to do a D-Day scene?

If I take too long with this Schwimmwagen / LCM I will go ahead and put up the hilariously fun ice cream truck on the OP first, but sadly I'll have to catch up on sleep before doing another 12 hour work day tomorrow.

The Craft is looking sweet Pandoras Kitten! I have an idea for a less damaging door release if you would like to try this one? I have to admit I had some little help in the shop...lol

http://i.imgur.com/40Gb7Ho.png' alt='40Gb7Ho.png'>

[Goddess Bhavani]

Yours is definitely much more gentle than my approach of blowing off the entire front of the ship like a giant Claymore mine

The method I used to decapitate the ramp was exceedingly simple - just two radial decouplers attached to 3 2x2 panels, they come off neatly and with a minimum part count.

I am currently trying to improve the debarkation process - I got the game to let the wheels and suspension ride on the landing craft itself and move quasi realistically with the motions of the ship, but I think I can reduce the part count on the coupling between bus and ship further. To get it to work right I simply used a junior docking port and pre-attach the landing craft to the bus.

Btw, I love that the entire landing craft can be used as one huge sub-assembly - we can send a lot of different vehicles or payloads over water with your setup, and you can feel free to use my reworked design as your own if you so desire, in a separate craft or subassembly release. The way your ship works is splendid in its simplicity and I just made it smaller for better balance and to reduce the part count a bit.

Unfortunately I forgot to load the craft file in dropbox so I'll have to wait about 12 hours before 'working' on it in KSP again.

[Castille7]

Yours is definitely much more gentle than my approach of blowing off the entire front of the ship like a giant Claymore mine

The method I used to decapitate the ramp was exceedingly simple - just two radial decouplers attached to 3 2x2 panels, they come off neatly and with a minimum part count.

I am currently trying to improve the debarkation process - I got the game to let the wheels and suspension ride on the landing craft itself and move quasi realistically with the motions of the ship, but I think I can reduce the part count on the coupling between bus and ship further. To get it to work right I simply used a junior docking port and pre-attach the landing craft to the bus.

Btw, I love that the entire landing craft can be used as one huge sub-assembly - we can send a lot of different vehicles or payloads over water with your setup, and you can feel free to use my reworked design as your own if you so desire, in a separate craft or subassembly release. The way your ship works is splendid in its simplicity and I just made it smaller for better balance and to reduce the part count a bit.

Unfortunately I forgot to load the craft file in dropbox so I'll have to wait about 12 hours before 'working' on it in KSP again.

Thanks for the compliments, and I will definitely be looking to take the craft for a spin when it becomes available

[Goddess Bhavani]

Good news everyone!

I finished the mod max project on castille7's landing craft, taking it from island vacation configuration to full D-Day amphibious assault getup.

Download the 100% Stock Type 2 Amphibious Assault craft here

[Castille7]

Good news everyone!

I finished the mod max project on castille7's landing craft, taking it from island vacation configuration to full D-Day amphibious assault getup.

Download the 100% Stock Type 2 Amphibious Assault craft here

Very nice, I like how you increased the buoyancy and the Wagon released smoothly!

[Goddess Bhavani]

I just heard via youtube comments that structural intakes no longer contribute to flotation but they're nice decoration nonetheless. The top of the intakes look like planks under the wheels when the Bus is being transported.

The docking port was added to the separation devices so as to make KSP turn on physics on the tyres and suspension, without telling the game it's a separate docked craft, the wheels would just clip through the floor.

Even so, separating the two is only possible when the landing gear on the landing craft is retracted, as there are major physics glitches otherwise.

[BlueCanary]

I just heard via youtube comments that structural intakes no longer contribute to flotation but they're nice decoration nonetheless. The top of the intakes look like planks under the wheels when the Bus is being transported.

The docking port was added to the separation devices so as to make KSP turn on physics on the tyres and suspension, without telling the game it's a separate docked craft, the wheels would just clip through the floor.

Even so, separating the two is only possible when the landing gear on the landing craft is retracted, as there are major physics glitches otherwise.

I find post 1.0 intakes do contribute to floating but also contribute to bouncing around wildly and being eaten by the kraken.

[Castille7]

I just heard via youtube comments that structural intakes no longer contribute to flotation but they're nice decoration nonetheless. The top of the intakes look like planks under the wheels when the Bus is being transported.

The docking port was added to the separation devices so as to make KSP turn on physics on the tyres and suspension, without telling the game it's a separate docked craft, the wheels would just clip through the floor.

Even so, separating the two is only possible when the landing gear on the landing craft is retracted, as there are major physics glitches otherwise.

Apparently the increased buoyancy is coming from the weight reduction, my craft was not so buoyant

[Goddess Bhavani]

Apparently the increased buoyancy is coming from the weight reduction, my craft was not so buoyant

Its definitely the radial air intakes giving buoyancy, as I used them extensively to achieve proper trim. Removing the intakes at the rear will cause the jets to fatally contact water and explode, for instance.

Just don't tell the passengers, they don't like exploding

[Castille7]

Its definitely the radial air intakes giving buoyancy, as I used them extensively to achieve proper trim. Removing the intakes at the rear will cause the jets to fatally contact water and explode, for instance.

Just don't tell the passengers, they don't like exploding

Thanks for the tips!