Jump to content

Kerbfleet: A Jool Odyssey-CHAPTER 21 pg 18--He's a docking wizard! (there had to be a twist?)


Mister Dilsby

Recommended Posts

3 hours ago, Farex said:

Sarge Kerman, oorah? Really? Ok then, where are his friends called apone kerman, hicks, hudson, drake and vasquez?

I wonder if you are aware that the movie you refer to and this comic are both drawing from the same source material?

1 hour ago, Sanic said:

Why aircraft fuel tanks? You always seem to use them for your giant rockets. 

Obviously I wanted to put the Longboat in a cargo bay, and cargo bays interface nicely with Mk3 parts. Also I like the large slanted adapters for aero, looks and extra fuel storage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Kuzzter said:

I wonder if you are aware that the movie you refer to and this comic are both drawing from the same source material?



 

I can't write a post with usng quotes? What?

@Kuzzter no i do not, please enlighten me :) Will this be a ridley cameron kuzzter novel now? I am confused. Btw, the transdporter looks reaaly cool. totally simple, and this makes it look so cool. loving it.


oh, it merged my two posts. clever girl!
 

Edited by Farex
this new software....
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Farex said:

@Kuzzter no i do not, please enlighten me :) Will this be a ridley cameron kuzzter novel now? I am confused. 

Sure, the Colonial Marines of Aliens are pretty much the US Marine Corps in space. US Marines actually do yell "ooh rah!", NEVER to be confused with the Army's "hoo ah!" unless you want to have the difference explained to you at length by a man with a very short haircut. Sarge Kerman and the KSMC also uses USMC tropes as source material, but since this is Kerbfleet it's only mildly military. :)

12 hours ago, Sanic said:

There are fuel filled 2.5m adapters now.

Yes, and they're adorable. You can see I've used them on the side boosters of the Longboat lifter, above the Mk3 slanted adapters.

Shall we move on?

k4Nf038.png

lZ4hZPx.png

81ifnz8.png

Yes, it's true. My intent is to carry all the craft you've seen, plus a couple of minor crewed/uncrewed vessels, inside the [REDACTED]. And that, kids, is why the Longboat didn't launch inside a fairing (besides the fact I can't be bothered with those darn things) Chapter 2 will be all about testing and constructing the carrier. I don't expect to have an interlude, we'll get right to it once I have some testing done.

On 12/6/2015, 3:11:56, Angel-125 said:

ow, looks like fun! Interesting to see that KSCM rover drivers (a.k.a. hotrods? Kind of like jarheads are Marines) are pilots as well.

That was a good idea--I went with 'wheelheads' :)

And props to @nightingale, the 'sad Mort' face comes from a screengrab of an animation he sent me!

Edited by Kuzzter
Spelling correction of large German noun
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weltramfahrzeugtrager!  That's a keyboard full.  :)
Oh, I hope they don't let Wernher name it that officially.

Once again Mort gets the best lines.  And Sarge is a lot of fun.
I'm enjoying getting to know the character very much.

What was the ore concentration where you ended up mining?

I see you're planning to use the Longboat for the three smaller moons.  I can understand why Mort was pleased about that.  I've never tried to build an ion-powered lander, but I suppose power requirements would make it somewhat tricky out at Jool.  Probably good to take some load off the engineering staff, too.  It sounds like they've been working overtime.

You've even got me anticipating a look at the mock-up of the hangar deck. :D

Happy Concerned landings!

Edited by Starhawk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be worried about having that ISRU as a structural component, I have noticed that their joints tend to be pretty weak.

I put them inside Mk3 cargo bays whenever possible both for radial attachment and for structural reinforcement.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Scotius said:

"Weltramzgfrszh..." Quick! Somebody hire a translator for Wernher! :D And a bodyguard for Mort, before he develops haphephobia!

I had to look up haphephobia! But no, it's nothing like that--anybody would dislike being poked like a computer keyboard. I don't even want to know where Gus thinks the DEL key is located!

42 minutes ago, Starhawk said:

Weltramfahrzeugtrager!  That's a keyboard full.  :)
Oh, I hope they don't let Wernher name it that officially.

[snip]

What was the ore concentration where you ended up mining?

I see you're planning to use the Longboat for the three smaller moons.  I can understand why Mort was pleased about that.  I've never tried to build an ion-powered lander, but I suppose power requirements would make it somewhat tricky out at Jool.  Probably good to take some load off the engineering staff, too.  It sounds like they've been working overtime.

I hope not either, since I can't even spell it! @Mikki was kind enough to send me a correction earlier :)

Ore concentration at that spot looks to be 7.25% based on back-calculation of drill production rates. I did not put a surface scanner on the Longboat (oops) so I don't have a direct measurement. Don't worry, the final ship will have a scan rig, plus full science suite and comms. 

I still might bring a small lander for the two little moons; no harm having a backup, and it'll be fun to fly. Come to think of it there will be a lot of load on the engineering staff--Bill and Clauselle are really the only ones I can take (not that I don't have another engineer, but none are developed characters and I don't want to try introducing another right now...) and I know I'm going to need one of them on board any ship that's doing ISRU--possibly multiple mining/refining operations simultaneously around the Jool system. If windows and timing line up, Clauselle might get a quick ride somewhere so she can level up before the Jool mission launch, she's *** now and I might want her to get to ****.

Edited by Kuzzter
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Terwin said:

I would be worried about having that ISRU as a structural component, I have noticed that their joints tend to be pretty weak.

That's a good call--I noticed this when I tested the Longboat Mk1 on the launchpad. If you look carefully on the Mk2 you can see that I reinforced the connection with a pair of I-beams. They extend towards each other from the two ore holding tanks, meet over the ISRU and are joined with struts. That structure also provided the attachment point for the shielded docking port. Without those beams and struts, the whole thing flexes like crazy whenever the engines fire.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Chemp said:

Well, there's always Kerbal Joint Reinforcement. I remember somebody saying that he refuses to play without it because KSP can't handle joints. I wouldn't go that far, but I've come to rely on it quite a lot, especially as it helps preventing unplanned disassembly when coming out of timewarp.

Then again, it's not everybody's cup of tea... :)

There is no shame using KJR,... if there was, well... I refuse to play KSP without it. :D

Really, this game forces me to use it...:wink:. Hey Kuzzter, are you gonna drop a Sub in the sagen sea? Since we can do so, i would think about it...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Mikki said:

There is no shame using KJR,... if there was, well... I refuse to play KSP without it. :D

Really, this game forces me to use it...:wink:. Hey Kuzzter, are you gonna drop a Sub in the sagen sea? Since we can do so, i would think about it...

I like the 'no wacky physics load' feature of KJR, but not the 'make the joints always stronger' part. For me, making heavy stuff stable with stock parts and physics is just part of the challenge. I don't think it necessarily should take a graduate degree in mechanical engineering to be able do design a launch-able 1000 ton stock ship for a video game, but I've got one and I may as well use it :D (and yes, I know I could probably configure KJR to give me one without the other, I still don't want to play with it. :))

As to the submarine idea... ooh, that could be fun! It might need to be a single-pilot craft that stays behind. I'll have to think about it. I haven't even played with subs on Kerbin yet.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me the biggest problem with stock joints is not joint strength (it's a legit challenge, isn't it?) but some Kraken summoning combinations. Like BigS wings attched to Mk3 parts may cause structural failures all over the craft (yes, the first reported failure is often half the craft away from that!) if you touch them (I've tried putting landing gear on them - couldn't land the plane. But it was perfectly rigid when the gear was moved to another part)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Kuzzter said:

I like the 'no wacky physics load' feature of KJR, but not the 'make the joints always stronger' part. For me, making heavy stuff stable with stock parts and physics is just part of the challenge. I don't think it necessarily should take a graduate degree in mechanical engineering to be able do design a launch-able 1000 ton stock ship for a video game, but I've got one and I may as well use it :D (and yes, I know I could probably configure KJR to give me one without the other, I still don't want to play with it. :))

As to the submarine idea... ooh, that could be fun! It might need to be a single-pilot craft that stays behind. I'll have to think about it. I haven't even played with subs on Kerbin yet.  

If you're going to do orbital assembly or launch the carrier from the ground, you might want to use KJR.

Also, wouldn't using a carrier actually be cheaper than sending the whole flotilla? Maybe he went sad because he realized the amount of part count lag that would happen.

Of course though, there could be some orbital assembly involved first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, nightingale said:

Nice!  I'll have to see if I can modify it to size up those portraits so you don't have to rely on something so blurry.

Thanks! Yeah, a few stills of the various expressions would work best for me. No hurry--actually it's kind of fun to use the same shot for Mort almost every time, never changing expression. As with most things in this comic, there's a trope for that. (and if you like tropes, head to the Canon page--link is in the sig on the word 'Kerbfleet'--I am working on a list and could use reader input :))

1 hour ago, Alchemist said:

For me the biggest problem with stock joints is not joint strength (it's a legit challenge, isn't it?) but some Kraken summoning combinations. Like BigS wings attched to Mk3 parts may cause structural failures all over the craft (yes, the first reported failure is often half the craft away from that!) if you touch them (I've tried putting landing gear on them - couldn't land the plane. But it was perfectly rigid when the gear was moved to another part)

Hm. Well, if things get unfairly buggy/krakenny maybe I will have to do this. I have had issues in the past with Micarooni Station shaking itself apart as the active ship gets into physics range (always recovered with F9, of course). If I'm trying to operate a velt-- I mean, ein weltraum-- that is to say, a spacecraft carrier with multiple landers/ support craft all docked in various bays I don't think I am going to want to put up with any errors not of my own making :)

1 hour ago, smjjames said:

Also, wouldn't using a carrier actually be cheaper than sending the whole flotilla? 

Not if you take the entire flotilla, and rather than send them to Jool on their own engines (which, by the way, I am pretty sure each lander is capable of doing) pack them all into a multi-million fund capital ship and send them in that!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5q3D2Y2.png

So yes, I'll be installing USI Life Support by the great @RoverDude! This is going to add some challenges, and it's the real reason (explained in the comic by Mort's cancellation of crewed flights) that I pulled everyone back to LKO during the return trip from Eve. I'll probably have a couple of large NOMS tanks, greenhouses and some fertilizer aboard the [REDACTED] to make sure everyone is happy for the whole trip to and from Jool: at some point I'll also have to get some NOMS up to Micarooni Station as well.

ETA: You just tried to click on all the links in the image, admit it. :)

Edited by Kuzzter
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That new version of the forum is great!

Yes, I really want to click on that 'Running Gags' link. :D

I'm impressed that you decided to add life support.  It definitely gives another very interesting layer of complexity.
Also it makes a good justification for the Weltraumfahrzeugtrager. (No, I don't know how to make an umlaut.)

Hmm.  I would think the Kerbulans would consider such research 'soft and decadent' and not have their ships bogged down by such luxuries.

Thanks Kuzzter.

Happy landings!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...