[Minimum KSP: 1.12.2] Heisenberg - Airships Part Pack

[Angelo Kerman]

Starting to work on the Passenger Gondola. There are two in this shot.

I'm trying to design a common exterior with a basic layout for the interior, that I can then use to make other gondola parts with. The Passenger Gondola, for instance, is mostly like the Mk3 passenger cabin in that it holds seats. Time permitting I might have a GondoLab as well that uses the same 3D model but with minor texture changes. I'd then swipe some stuff I did for MOLE and outfit the lab. Likewise for the GondoHab. We'll see how it goes, if it proves too time consuming then I'll just go with the Passenger Gondola.

My other inhabited part is either a rover cab or a cupola so that the gondola parts will look good attached to the flight deck. The rover cab is further along (even if people hate it, which is too bad for you, I like it), and I'd have to make a cupola from scratch. Carriers need conning towers...

Edited December 10, 2016 by Angel-125

[Angelo Kerman]

Got the Passenger Gondola done:

It holds 16 kerbals in relative discomfort.

Edited December 11, 2016 by Angel-125

[Drew Kerman]

I ran out of likes and its all your fault

[adsii1970]

1 hour ago, Drew Kerman said:

I ran out of likes and its all your fault

Hehehe... I didn't!

[Angelo Kerman]

And here is the GondoHab:

It helps that I can swipe stuff I did for MOLE.

[sirrliv]

I actually rather like these new gondola modules. I admit I wasn't too sold on them at first, particularly with such broad gaps between the windows and the windows themselves seeming too big and rectangular. But upon closer inspection they really do work for me. They rather remind me of double decker railway carriages, particularly with the rounded off corners on the roof. And considering that these will ultimately double as modules for a new series of larger rovers, the railway car comparison feels even more apt. And now that I've got that thought lodged in my head, 1. nice touch with the yellow line on the habitation module since yellow markings traditionally denote first class on trains, and 2. possible idea for when you get around to making cargo/hangar rover modules, giving them big sliding side doors like on boxcars or luggage vans.

Anyway, great work, sir. Many congratulations. Very much looking forward to giving it a try.

[Angelo Kerman]

1 hour ago, sirrliv said:

I actually rather like these new gondola modules. I admit I wasn't too sold on them at first, particularly with such broad gaps between the windows and the windows themselves seeming too big and rectangular. But upon closer inspection they really do work for me. They rather remind me of double decker railway carriages, particularly with the rounded off corners on the roof. And considering that these will ultimately double as modules for a new series of larger rovers, the railway car comparison feels even more apt. And now that I've got that thought lodged in my head, 1. nice touch with the yellow line on the habitation module since yellow markings traditionally denote first class on trains, and 2. possible idea for when you get around to making cargo/hangar rover modules, giving them big sliding side doors like on boxcars or luggage vans.

Anyway, great work, sir. Many congratulations. Very much looking forward to giving it a try.

Thanks.  Nice that you see the railway reference. I also did some research on gondolas and they have lots of windows. I think they were influenced by railway cars too. It's hard to see it in the pictures, but there is a piano in the lower level.

We'll see about the cargo modules, sliding doors makes sense. Given that I can swipe IVA stuff that I did for MOLE, I should have a lab module before too long. Almost there, it's taking longer than expected because I'm making phase 2 and phase 3 simultaneously.

[Angelo Kerman]

More progress:

That's the new GondoLab (with the blue stripe) and GondoGarden (with the green stripe) forming part of the Gondo Bus. It lines up nicely with the Buffalo chassis. Those stock TR-2L wheels fit perfectly too.

This is what I'm looking at standing in the way of Heisenberg's release:

Convert to DDS textures

Move decal code to WBT

Bison Command Cab

Gondola Fairings

GondoLock: Airlock 2u with kerbal elevator and ladder

Cargo Gondola: Doors Flip down and extend ramps. Alternately they slide horizontally and a ramp extends from the floor.

Gondola Service Module: half-unit length SAS, VTOL probe core, docking port

 

Almost there..

Edited December 13, 2016 by Angel-125

[RoboRay]

Might I suggest additional windows for the greenhouse? 

[Angelo Kerman]

2 hours ago, RoboRay said:

Might I suggest additional windows for the greenhouse? 

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I did actually try that and while it gives more windows to the greenhouse, it breaks up the lines of the gondola as a whole, and doesn't look right.

[sirrliv]

3 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

Thanks for the suggestion. I did actually try that and while it gives more windows to the greenhouse, it breaks up the lines of the gondola as a whole, and doesn't look right.

With respect, I'm inclined to disagree about it not looking right. Breaking up the lines like this isn't necessarily a bad thing as it helps the vehicle as a whole to look less boring and same-ish; look at the Amtrak Superliner lounge cars for example and how their design with an upper level that's nearly all windows breaks up the otherwise plain lines. Plus, it makes more sense for a greenhouse module to get as much natural light as possible. Maybe one might compromise around the door/hatch, but otherwise I think Roboray's photoshop looks pretty good.

Just my thoughts. As always, take/mod/leave as you will.

[Angelo Kerman]

1 hour ago, sirrliv said:

With respect, I'm inclined to disagree about it not looking right. Breaking up the lines like this isn't necessarily a bad thing as it helps the vehicle as a whole to look less boring and same-ish; look at the Amtrak Superliner lounge cars for example and how their design with an upper level that's nearly all windows breaks up the otherwise plain lines. Plus, it makes more sense for a greenhouse module to get as much natural light as possible. Maybe one might compromise around the door/hatch, but otherwise I think Roboray's photoshop looks pretty good.

Just my thoughts. As always, take/mod/leave as you will.

Thanks for the suggestion, but no. I showed the proposal to my girlfriend and she couldn't figure out which way was forward. When I mentioned that the parts were modular and the cabins could be placed in any order, she found it even more confusing. So the greenhouse stays as is.

[Mekan1k]

As soon as the Heisenburg had internals for its cabins, I know exactly how my EVE landers are going to be built...

Seriously though- I want to play around with this SO BADLY.

Edited December 14, 2016 by Mekan1k

[StevieC]

*stumbles into thread*

*stares, drools*

must...have...bison...yesterday

[PyjackMeat]

Can we have a 1.1.3 version? I'd convert it for my setup but I don't know how.

Edited December 14, 2016 by PyjackMeat

[Angelo Kerman]

2 hours ago, PyjackMeat said:

Can we have a 1.1.3 version? I'd convert it for my setup but I don't know how.

Sorry, but no. There are significant differences between KSP 1.1.3 and KSP 1.2.2.

[Angelo Kerman]

Made some adjustments for the release and decided that building two sets of rover components, one for the Buffalo and one for the gondola/Bison, was just too much for me to do right now. So for now, the gondola parts are mostly going to remain gondola parts without the extras that the Buffalo has (jump jets, a dedicated airlock, and the like). You're still getting the hab, lab, and greenhouse. They effectively give you "MOLE on wheels." Of course that also means I can revisit the idea of a larger rover in the future, but I have other projects awaiting attention, including one that is top secret. Anyway, I finished the cupola/rover cab, and that finishes up the initial gondola parts with crew capacity (I could keep going but I'm just as eager to play with these parts as you are). It doesn't slope upward so that it'll also work as a rover cab and as an observation cupola for the flight deck.

I'm also starting in on the Cargo Gondola. Here you can see it holding Buckboards. You can store up to 6 of the Buckboard 3000s or 9 of the Buckboard 1000s. It will have boxcar-like sliding cargo doors and an extendable ramp. Once I get this done, I just need to make a couple of gondola fairings, convert the textures over to DDS, and some bug stomping in WBT. I'm in the home stretch now, and tentatively aiming for a weekend release.

Edited December 14, 2016 by Angel-125

[Angelo Kerman]

And here's the Cargo Gondola:

The ramp is independent of the doors.

[Angelo Kerman]

Last images for the night:

Edited December 15, 2016 by Angel-125

[Shnyrik]

11 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

Last images for the night:

I just have no words to say how cool this is

[Mekan1k]

22 hours ago, Angel-125 said:

Last images for the night:

I. Want. THIS.

[Angelo Kerman]

7 minutes ago, Mekan1k said:

I. Want. THIS.

Shooting for sometime this weekend. Working on the last part, then some coding to do and then I'm done. :)

[Mekan1k]

8 minutes ago, Angel-125 said:

Shooting for sometime this weekend. Working on the last part, then some coding to do and then I'm done.

Great! Screw boats. This is how kerbals land their aircraft! ON AIRSHIPS.

Edited December 16, 2016 by Mekan1k

[colmo]

I started blabbering about floating Eve bases in the HL thread:

I love the gondola design - it's generic enough not only to create rovers, but trains. I reckon with the right bogey parts (see KSPWheel mod), rail statics and use of Smart Parts, it would be possible to create a train that runs like clockwork, within the confines of physics range limitations (so circuits and short hops).

I note your mod isn't on CKAN - I often find mods for the first time there.

Edited December 16, 2016 by colmo

[Angelo Kerman]

33 minutes ago, colmo said:

I started blabbering about floating Eve bases in the HL thread:

I love the gondola design - it's generic enough not only to create rovers, but trains. I reckon with the right bogey parts, rail statics and use of Smart Parts, it would be possible to create a train that runs like clockwork, within the confines of physics range limitations (so circuits and short hops).

I note your mod isn't on CKAN - I often find mods for the first time there.

Thanks. That was the general idea, to be a reasonably generic design to fit both the airship and the rover/train role.

I got the drill done today, then took a break and flew a test mission:

The Valkyrie, sister ship to the Heisenberg, comes in for a landing. For some reason, she doesn't have her gear down. What are the vonKermans up to?

Uh oh, this doesn't look good.

Nope, not good at all!

I'm finding that the airship is a stable weapons platform.