[1.12.5] Cormorant Aeronology - Mk3 Space Shuttle

[Z3R0_0NL1N3]

There needs to be a .craft file included with this mod, including the DIRECT parts perhaps. It'd be nice since I keep building shuttles and I can't get them to fly.

[MrMeeb]

1 hour ago, Z3R0_0NL1N3 said:

There needs to be a .craft file included with this mod, including the DIRECT parts perhaps. It'd be nice since I keep building shuttles and I can't get them to fly.

I think I'll make a craft to go with mine over in my thread, after I get the bugs fixed  

[StevieC]

@MrMeeb do you think you can check with @Pak about permission to bundle a lifting-body underside fairing in your mod, that's a custom-length to match your payload-bay?

[MrMeeb]

Just now, StevieC said:

@MrMeeb do you think you can check with @Pak about permission to bundle a lifting-body underside fairing in your mod, that's a custom-length to match your payload-bay?

There is already a custom length piece - if you right click on either of the lifting body fuel tanks there is an option to switch variants and there's one for the CRG-150

[StevieC]

Well, when I ask a silly question…

[Shield88]

There is a ''stock'' craft i did. Hope you enjoy it!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lmnzl29sjedsshe/Cormorant Aeronology.craft?dl=0

[Z3R0_0NL1N3]

What's the trick to flying these? Either it's impossible, or I'm incompetent. Every one I fly ends up looking like this, even when I'm pulling up: 

Spoiler

 

For an unrelated question, I want to put the shuttle names as alternate textures, but opening the .dds files in paint.net makes them fairly transparent. What should I be doing to edit these?

EDIT: After opening it in Photoshop, it appears that the textures are mirrored across the part, so text wouldn't work. However, is there a way to open the part in Unity and retexture it to make this work? It's probably more trouble than it's worth, unfortunately.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Z3R0_0NL1N3

[ComatoseJedi]

1 hour ago, Z3R0_0NL1N3 said:

What's the trick to flying these?

Are you launching in that direction? Or turning the shuttle in the VAB 180 degrees so it faces east upon load?

[Z3R0_0NL1N3]

7 minutes ago, ComatoseJedi said:

Are you launching in that direction? Or turning the shuttle in the VAB 180 degrees so it faces east upon load?

Both. I tried to launch it and rotate it in-flight like I believe the real shuttle does, but I did rotate the shuttle too, and if I don't correct its pitch immediately after releasing the clamps, that happens. There's no stable flight, anyway, and I've had numerous problems. I'm launching with no cargo, if that explains anything, but is there something I should have the throttle set to to make it more stable? Additionally, I've been having problems with the wings just ripping off on their own, and also when the SRBs detach. When it's just the orbiter and the ET, it can barely keep its heading.

I'm not even going to mention landing, because I can't do that at all.

[macc92]

15 minutes ago, Z3R0_0NL1N3 said:

Both. I tried to launch it and rotate it in-flight like I believe the real shuttle does, but I did rotate the shuttle too, and if I don't correct its pitch immediately after releasing the clamps, that happens. There's no stable flight, anyway, and I've had numerous problems. I'm launching with no cargo, if that explains anything, but is there something I should have the throttle set to to make it more stable? Additionally, I've been having problems with the wings just ripping off on their own, and also when the SRBs detach. When it's just the orbiter and the ET, it can barely keep its heading.

I'm not even going to mention landing, because I can't do that at all.

what is your staging like, for mine I stage the SSME's then let the shuttle twang, and when it is upright again stage the clamps and SRB's others may be slightly different as I use Space Y ET and SRB's

[Z3R0_0NL1N3]

5 hours ago, macc92 said:

what is your staging like, for mine I stage the SSME's then let the shuttle twang, and when it is upright again stage the clamps and SRB's others may be slightly different as I use Space Y ET and SRB's

I start all the engines before releasing the clamps, but I've tried it both ways and it doesn't work.

[Z3R0_0NL1N3]

Though I may not be able to fly these shuttles, I have created some flags for them. I wanted to texture this onto the shuttle nose itself, but after looking at the textures, it mirrors, which would make it impossible to make it look right.

Instead, taking advantage of the flag module on the Mk3 cockpit, I put the names with the flags. Here are both the names for the real shuttles, as well as the names from KSOS.

Also included is the Kermerica flag in a 2:1 size, which is both the resolution of the real American flag, as well as for if you want to put your own names.

@Pak, feel free to put this in the OP or include it in the download.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/kj3osi1f6vs5wi9/Cormorant_Additional_Shuttle_Names.zip Download link broken. Check below.

Edited August 2, 2016 by Z3R0_0NL1N3

[StevieC]

@Z3R0_0NL1N3Nice! If I may suggest a couple additional orbiter names? The prototype orbiter Enterprise originally was to be named "Constitution". A few other names that would be apt for orbiters include "Victoria", "Mayflower", "Calypso", "Endurance", "Beagle", and "Pathfinder".

Perhaps you could also make flags with the Russian-flag and the names (in Cyrillic lettering, naturally) of the Russian shuttle orbiters Буран (Buran), Птичка (Ptichka), and Байкал (Baikal)

Edited August 1, 2016 by StevieC
Added a suggestion for including names for the Russian orbiters

[Z3R0_0NL1N3]

2 hours ago, StevieC said:

@Z3R0_0NL1N [≈ The weight of an average apple]3Nice! If I may suggest a couple additional orbiter names? The prototype orbiter Enterprise originally was to be named "Constitution". A few other names that would be apt for orbiters include "Victoria", "Mayflower", "Calypso", "Endurance", "Beagle", and "Pathfinder".

Perhaps you could also make flags with the Russian-flag and the names (in Cyrillic lettering, naturally) of the Russian shuttle orbiters Буран (Buran), Птичка (Ptichka), and Байкал (Baikal)

Well, I included the flag with a blank space so you're free to make your own. All you need is Helvetica and a decent paint editor. I set the font size to 26, and of course, centered the text. Seeing as how I probably won't get a lot of requests, I'll make those too.

As for the Buran, I didn't know they had names! Where'd you find that information? But I will definitely do those, if I find the right font.

[StevieC]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_(spacecraft)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptichka

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2.01_(Buran-class_spacecraft)

Also, the Russian shuttle names use a different style of font than Helvetica for their names. Looking for a font that will pass for it.

Paraphrasing the relevant bits from the above Wikipedia pages,

For the record, the name "Buran" means "Blizzard" in Russian. Buran was the only one of the 3 Russian shuttle orbiters to fly in space, and appropriately for its name, its one and only launch took place in the middle of a blizzard. Buran lifted off from launch-pad 37 at Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 110 (aka Pad 110L or 110 Left) in the Kazakh SSR at 9:00 AM launch-site local-time on 15 November 1988. It had no life-support systems installed. It lifted off, unmanned, went into space, made two orbits, and then re-entered the atmosphere. Exactly 206 minutes and zero seconds after liftoff, Buran's wheels made touchdown on the runway at Baikonur, rolling to a smooth stop without incident. Despite landing in a 38 mile-per-hour crosswind, Buran's wheels touched down on the runway only 3 meters laterally and 10 meters longitudinally off the target mark. Again, this flight was controlled entirely by Buran's own onboard flight-control computers, with zero help from the ground. The American space-shuttle orbiters would not gain autonomous landing capability until after the tragic loss of orbiter Columbia at the end of STS-107, and even then, only had that capability added as a contingency measure. In 1989, it was projected that Buran would make a second unmanned flight by 1993, and that its second flight would have a duration of 15 to 20 days. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union means that there were no funds to finance any further launches of the Russian shuttle. In 2002, the hangar containing the mothballed Buran collapsed, destroying the orbiter.

The second of the Russian space-shuttle orbiters, Ptichka (that name translates to "birdie" or "little-bird" in English), was somewhere betwixt 95% and 97% completed when the Russian space-shuttle-program was cancelled in 1993. Like Buran before it, Ptichka was slated to make its first flights without life-support systems installed. Ptichka was initially intended to make an unmanned 1-2 day first-flight in 1991 followed in 1992 by an unmanned 7-8 day second-flight. Those plans were altered with the intention to move the unmanned second-flight from 1992 to December of 1991, and still have it be a 7-8 day unmanned flight, during which it was planned to:

• autonomously dock with the Kristall module of the Mir space-station
• Crew transfer from Mir to the shuttle to test some of its systems over a 24 hour period, including the remote-manipulator system (which was not ready in time to be installed on Buran for its maiden-flight) before closing out the shuttle and returning to Mir,
• Unmanned undocking from Mir, followed by autonomous flight in orbit
• Docking of the manned Soyuz TM-101 spacecraft with Ptichka
• Transfer of crew from onboard the Soyuz to the shuttle and onboard work over the course of 24 hours before closing out the shuttle and returning to the Soyuz capsule
• Automated undocking, deorbit, and landing of Ptichka

Alas, none of those plans came to fruition.

Baikal (named after Lake Baikal, in Russia, the world's deepest freshwater lake) would have been the first of the Russian space-shuttle orbiters to have its own life-support-systems installed. It was 30-50% completed when the Buran program was cancelled in 1993. It was projected in 1989 that Baikal would have its first manned space test flight in 1994, with a duration of twenty-four hours. The craft would have been equipped with a life support system and two ejection seats. Crew would have consisted of two cosmonauts — Igor Volk (commander) and Aleksandr Ivanchenko (flight engineer).

Edited August 2, 2016 by StevieC

[Z3R0_0NL1N3]

Okay! Here is the latest round of flags. The download includes the earlier versions as well. Included in addition to the Russian flags are "Soviet" variants, based on a flag by UAL002.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/58fc3u2xpt65z9m/Cormorant_Flag_Names.zip

(I don't know why mediafire links don't work on the forum, or is that just me?)

Because the KSOS names are fictional--which are the ones I use myself--could you suggest some similarly fictional names, but ones fitting for a KSP Russia?

 

About the Duran info, that's quite astounding and unfortunate. It's interesting how a lot of Russian spacecraft were more dependent on computers (even the docking systems for the Soyuz still), while the American counterparts are always focused on the pilot. However it's unfortunate that we never got to see two shuttle craft from both nations fly together. Imagine if they were both docked at Mir or the ISS. Quite a sight!

[lrd.Helmet]

3 hours ago, Z3R0_0NL1N3 said:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/58fc3u2xpt65z9m/Cormorant_Flag_Names.zip

(I don't know why mediafire links don't work on the forum, or is that just me?)

 

this:

 

[StevieC]

A few plausible names for additional russian space-shuttle orbiters could include:

• Чайка (Chaika, translates in English to "gull")
• Беркут (Berkut, translates in English to "golden eagle")
• Стриж (Strizh, translates in English to "swift", as in the type of bird)
• Стерх (Sterkh, translates in English to "Siberian Crane", a species of bird native to Russia)
• Фи́лин (Filin, translates in English to "Owl")
• Беринг (Bering, after Vitus Bering, the explorer who led the First Kamchatka Expedition and the Great Northern Expedition)
• Лазарев (Lazarev, after Mikhail Lazarev, co-leader of the expedition that first discovered the continent of Antarctica)

[NeoFatalis]

1 hour ago, StevieC said:

A few plausible names for additional russian space-shuttle orbiters could include:

• Чайка (Chaika, translates in English to "gull")
• Беркут (Berkut, translates in English to "golden eagle")
• Стриж (Strizh, translates in English to "swift", as in the type of bird)
• Стерх (Sterkh, translates in English to "Siberian Crane", a species of bird native to Russia)
• Фи́лин (Filin, translates in English to "Owl")
• Беринг (Bering, after Vitus Bering, the explorer who led the First Kamchatka Expedition and the Great Northern Expedition)
• Лазарев (Lazarev, after Mikhail Lazarev, co-leader of the expedition that first discovered the continent of Antarctica)

what about "ураган" (Uragan) which translates into "hurricane" 

[StevieC]

there's already a Russian spacecraft by that model-name.

[Pointblank66]

On 20-7-2016 at 3:27 AM, Pak said:

 

Update 1.1.3 posted on Spacedock

• New Part - External Tank Decoupler added. - Texture is mostly a placeholder until I know what else is sharing a map with it.
• SAS added to MMU
• Shuttle body node changed to hopefully resolve some issues.
• A bunch of small edits/tweaks that I don't really remember!

 

 

Yeah I'm looking at other mounting options

Okay so you made the back decoupler of the big fuel tank that the shuttle uses, but how about the front decoupler?

Like I know that struts also do the trick but like they disappear into nothing when you decouple something.

[Avalon304]

55 minutes ago, Pointblank66 said:

Okay so you made the back decoupler of the big fuel tank that the shuttle uses, but how about the front decoupler?

Like I know that struts also do the trick but like they disappear into nothing when you decouple something.

The only problem I could see with this is that its only possible to attach one thing to one decoupler at a single point... so youd only be attached to either the front or rear decoupler, and not both...

[Pointblank66]

31 minutes ago, Avalon304 said:

The only problem I could see with this is that its only possible to attach one thing to one decoupler at a single point... so youd only be attached to either the front or rear decoupler, and not both...

well, then maybe it can be a cosmetic part that should be put on the tank I guess, or extend the back piece with the front piece, just like he did with the orbital manuevering pods. Idk how that will turn out tho but using the stock struts don't make it really realistic imo

[NeoFatalis]

Look what I found... it' s not practical,huge and ugly but I love it!

 

[Pointblank66]

12 minutes ago, NeoFatalis said:

Look what I found... it' s not practical,huge and ugly but I love it!

 

FAT SHUTTLE!! It is so ugly but at the same time kinda cute