[1.2/1.3] Real Scale Sea Dragon 0.3.4 (2016-07-12)

[captinjoehenry]

Ok this is awesome but how do I get to launch this from the ocean? 

Also is there any way you can make the first stage recovery work with the stage recovery mod or something else like that?

Edited May 12, 2016 by captinjoehenry

[NecroBones]

48 minutes ago, captinjoehenry said:

Ok this is awesome but how do I get to launch this from the ocean? 

Also is there any way you can make the first stage recovery work with the stage recovery mod or something else like that?

 

For ocean launches, you can probably use VesselMover, or something like that. I hyper-edited it out into the ocean for testing. Otherwise you'd probably need to build a boat or something to take it there from the runway.

 

StageRecovery, that's a good question. It probably doesn't support inflatable drag systems built into engines. I wonder if something can be done from their side, or something.

 

[captinjoehenry]

4 minutes ago, NecroBones said:

 

For ocean launches, you can probably use VesselMover, or something like that. I hyper-edited it out into the ocean for testing. Otherwise you'd probably need to build a boat or something to take it there from the runway.

 

StageRecovery, that's a good question. It probably doesn't support inflatable drag systems built into engines. I wonder if something can be done from their side, or something.

 

I am not sure as the way it works is by looking at parachutes or if it can control itself to land so I don't think it cares about deployable drag systems.  Also it seems to assume you need to be under 12 m/s for a safe landing but if there is another way to recover the first stage without that mod that would be great.

As the whole rocket cost 6 million alone and in career mode that is a hell of a expensive rocket.  Admittedly it has an insane launch capacity which is great but it is not amazingly useful in career mode if you can't recover most of the rocket.

Edited May 12, 2016 by captinjoehenry

[NecroBones]

1 minute ago, captinjoehenry said:

I am not sure as the way it works is by looking at parachutes or if it can control itself to land so I don't think it cares about deployable drag systems.  Also it seems to assume you need to be under 12 m/s for a safe landing but if there is another way to recover the first stage without that mod that would be great.

 

I asked in the StageRecovery thread, but I believe that's the case-- that it won't work with it.

 

It's tricky to do, but you could probably treat it like the SpaceX powered-landing missions that people do. That is, get the upper stage going into a high enough trajectory that you have time to land the first stage yourself, then switch back to the upper stage. If you're using RSS, it probably doesn't have the delta-V budget for a long coasting period though.

[captinjoehenry]

Ok well after some quick testing you can indeed get the second stage into orbit and then fly the first stage back down.  The only issue is that the first stage fuel tank over heats and explodes on reentry.  This is with the stock kerbal aerodynamics and such.  But the engine is recovered just fine!

Ok if you can get control of the first stage and get off a retrograde burn you can definitely recover the whole thing just fine after getting the upper stage into orbit.

Edited May 12, 2016 by captinjoehenry

[magico13]

11 hours ago, captinjoehenry said:

Ok well after some quick testing you can indeed get the second stage into orbit and then fly the first stage back down.  The only issue is that the first stage fuel tank over heats and explodes on reentry.  This is with the stock kerbal aerodynamics and such.  But the engine is recovered just fine!

Ok if you can get control of the first stage and get off a retrograde burn you can definitely recover the whole thing just fine after getting the upper stage into orbit.

May I also suggest FMRS?

 

[NecroBones]

11 hours ago, captinjoehenry said:

The only issue is that the first stage fuel tank over heats and explodes on reentry.  This is with the stock kerbal aerodynamics and such.  But the engine is recovered just fine!

 

I'm slightly increasing the heat tolerance of both the tank and the engine, in the next update. That should help a little.

 

[captinjoehenry]

I can confirm that this can launch a 1000 ton payload into orbit easily with over 4,000 m/s of delta v left in its tank with a stock kerbal aerodynamic model and solar system!  That means this can launch an entire launch system with ease!  Heck you can launch a fully assembled space station to orbit or heck to orbit around the mun or minmus if you wanted to! 

I must say this is my favorite launch vehicle mod that I have.  The whole thing looks awesome and I love how it performs!  Just a tad to costly to be useful in career mode unless you can launch a whole heap of contracts at once.  Which this thing definitely can do!

On a side note the whole system works at 200% scale.  I cannot conceive of a use for a 46 meter rocket but it works!  You can also still safely recover the first stage!

Edited May 12, 2016 by captinjoehenry

[KerbonautInTraining]

@captinjoehenry

You know this is designed for real solar system right?

....athough using it in the stock system sounds pretty interesting 

[captinjoehenry]

11 hours ago, KerbonautInTraining said:

@captinjoehenry

You know this is designed for real solar system right?

....athough using it in the stock system sounds pretty interesting 

Oh yeah I know it is for the real solar system but as I do not have that mod installed I am reporting on it for the stock system.  Also the tech for the sea dragon rocket is on top of the tech for antimatter 

Well I just made the most awesome rocket I have ever made.  It is a 500 person colony mission to Jool to settle on each of the moons launched on top of a 200% scale sea dragon.  Just look at how small the KSC is!

 

Edited May 13, 2016 by captinjoehenry

[NecroBones]

 

Originally I was sitting on this tweak, to see if I wanted to add anything to it. Since I haven't worked on it for a while, I figured I'd go ahead and push this update.

 

0.3.4 (2016-07-12) - Tweak.
 - Slightly increased heat tolerance of first stage parts.

 

[kermit kerman]

Nice mod, I just want to know if the TWR should be 0.41 with a full tank?  I can't get it off the ground unless I go half tank full.

RSS/RO mods installed

Edited July 12, 2016 by kermit kerman
addendum

[NecroBones]

15 hours ago, kermit kerman said:

Nice mod, I just want to know if the TWR should be 0.41 with a full tank?  I can't get it off the ground unless I go half tank full.

RSS/RO mods installed

 

It's probably something that RO is doing then. I don't know if they're fully supporting it or not. In an otherwise stock game, it'll start out with the correct stats, using the stock fuels.

 

[Well]

@NecroBones Thank you for the realization of this crazy rocket! 

[NecroBones]

23 hours ago, Well said:

@NecroBones Thank you for the realization of this crazy rocket! 

 

My pleasure.

 

[Bloojay]

It appears that the forum kraken has decided to break your album

[Bit Fiddler]

When this is finished will you make a Kerbal scale version of it?

[NecroBones]

On 10/23/2016 at 7:20 AM, Bit Fiddler said:

When this is finished will you make a Kerbal scale version of it?

 

Maybe, but the ridiculous size is also part of the fun. Heh

 

[Douglasw]

hey, necrobones i here's a launch vehicle that i believe would be a fine adition to your real scale boosters or even a separate mod!

behold the RITA C: http://www.astronautix.com/r/ritac.html

[Krazy_Kerbal]

On 7/12/2016 at 5:25 PM, kermit kerman said:

Nice mod, I just want to know if the TWR should be 0.41 with a full tank?  I can't get it off the ground unless I go half tank full.

RSS/RO mods installed

I'm having the same issue at the launchpad, but I am also using Real Fuels and SMURF in addition to the recommended mods. Would those mods be the reason why my TWR at liftoff is not correct? Ironic, if I assume that my mods are giving it the realistic weight.

[NecroBones]

On 6/4/2017 at 7:42 AM, Krazy_Kerbal said:

I'm having the same issue at the launchpad, but I am also using Real Fuels and SMURF in addition to the recommended mods. Would those mods be the reason why my TWR at liftoff is not correct? Ironic, if I assume that my mods are giving it the realistic weight.

 

It's probably some bad mod interaction somewhere. The mod comes with realistic mass and TWR, using the stock fuels, so if you have a mod that changes the fuels, it will throw everything off. I don't remember if RO has patches for the Sea Dragon, but I think it does mess with the stock fuels. It probably needs a custom patch, but this is typically handled on the RO side.

 

 

[影之瑒]

may I ask that this mod support ETT and RP-0?

[NSEP]

Can i make a Realism Overhaul patch for this? (Or at least a Real Fuels Patch) I still have to learn how to make MM patches, but i have alot of free time, and i have nothing to really do.

Anyways, no promises are made here, just an idea.

[NecroBones]

3 hours ago, NSEP said:

Can i make a Realism Overhaul patch for this? (Or at least a Real Fuels Patch) I still have to learn how to make MM patches, but i have alot of free time, and i have nothing to really do.

Anyways, no promises are made here, just an idea.

 

Sure, feel free to take a stab at it. You might want to check with the RO folks too though.

[DerGolgo]

Hiya,

firstoff, love it. Really, really love it.
I had had Sea Dragon at the back of my head for a long time. Now that SpaceX are working on their adorable little BFR, it came to the fore, so I tried building and flying one.

Problems occur when the first stage is done. I gather the first stage is its own decoupler. But there is an indubitably trivial and fundamental error I'm making.
If I attach the tip of the first stage to the lower node dangling underneath stage two, it won't separate, it'll just remain stuck to the 2nd stage when I hit my "decouple" action group. With the huge gap between stages one and two I get when using that node to attach stage one, that's obviously not the right node.
When I attach it to the next node up, deep in the 2nd stage engine-bell, though. Where the 1st and 2nd stage fuselages match up nicely. And then I try and decouple.
The 2nd stage engine separates right along with the first stage and I'm left with only the four auxiliary engines on the 2nd stage.

I apologize for wasting everybody's time, as I'm sure I am doing here. But I searched this thread and couldn't find the string "decouple", nor was I able to find description of such issues when staging.

A hint what I'm doing wrong, or where I can find an answer, would be much appreciated! I'm really looking forward to launching my direct-ascent, 491 ton Dunar-lander ...

EDIT: Okay, I've worked out what I was doing wrong. I was attaching the first stage with the node on its nose, rather then the correct one.
Alas, I must use a tweakscale to make me a 2nd stage engine that doesn't overheat the moment I activate it, regardless of thrust setting. I first thought "Surely, I'm cheating. The whole assembly weighs a bunch more than the 2nd stage SD engine, but I must be getting higher ISP ..."
I was rather surprised at the 2nd stage engine's respectable 382s.
The Sea Dragon I end up launching looks less than elegant, but it does its job.
If I may suggest. I'm sure that Mr. Truax would have come up with such himself. The extended hull that's shielding the 2nd stage engine. Should be a deployable fairing, or for keeping stuff reusable, a petal sort of affair. Just IMO.

Thanks for a great mod, regardless!

Edited October 5, 2017 by DerGolgo
Figured out what I was doing wrong.