Simple Stock Extraction Helicopter

[MiffedStarfish]

First of all, I would like to credit @Azimech for the inspiration to build helicopters, and luigijitsu 1 whose rotor shaft design I built and modified off his tutorial. Thanks!

Yesterday I was thinking about a book on helicopters in vietnam I'd read, and this gave me an idea for a challenge that I'm working on right now. I needed some form of VTOL transport as a sort of "stock" vehicle for the challenge, and though I had LOADS of jets lying around, I had just read azimech's incredible Titan helicopters post, and the challenge would be styled like a military mission and would be generally cooler with helicopters. I downloaded azimech's Selene, and after skim reading the manual, I eventually managed to get it of the ground. However, I found it incredibly hard to control, especially without my joystick. I wanted a simple, stock helicopter for my challenge, and though it was a kerbal engineering marvel, it just wouldn't fit the challenge. (Also using someone else's craft for my challenge didn't seem right) 2 hours and more testing than I had ever done on a craft,enter the Extraction helicopter:

It has a simple startup routine:

1: DO NOT TURN ON SAS. Control your primal instincts.  Stage once and THEN turn on SAS.

2: switch to the rotors and hold down Ctrl E. (if you don't hold down Ctrl it doesn't work) after around 5 seconds you will see the main body rise slightly of the ground. Hold for another 3 seconds and then let go and switch back to the main craft. 

3: You are flying! Helicopters are very different from conventional VTOLs though, so don't try to fly under the KSC bridges just yet. You will crash ALOT the first few flights, (unless you've flown ksp choppers before) but after getting a feel for the craft you will be doing extraction missions under fire all the time.  SAS slows and eventually stops the rotors, so hover quite close to the ground, switch to the rotors and turn it on to land. To take of again just turn it back off.

Action groups:

1: toggle forward jet

2: toggle ladder

Stage: fire missiles

Depending on how long you kept the rotor spinning, you can nearly perfectly hover by holding down B. To fully change elevation you must switch to the rotors and by tapping F. 

The missiles are incredibly weak due to trying to keep weight down, though they will probably destroy wing plates.

Through testing I have found that the rotor is 100% reliable if you don't do anything to silly with it.

"Come back!"

Don't come down to hard on landing though, as the tail can catch on the ground and occasionally the battery holding the rotor  in place can be destroyed.

Parts: 90

Mass: 7.77 tons

Crew: 1

Delta-V: Infinity and beyond! But only in atmo.

Download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4jiyhgdu65b6c6z/Extraction helicopter.craft?dl=0

Feel free to use this in anything as long as you give me credit.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

[Vanamonde]

It's so cute! 

[MiffedStarfish]

I just rebuilt and uptdated the extraction helicopter, adding space for two soldiers and a stock tail rotor. Observe, the Extraction helicopter 2.0:

Download: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4jiyhgdu65b6c6z/Extraction helicopter.craft?dl=0

I will properly uptdate the post later, but the launch procedure is basically the same, except you turn on the tail rotor first.

 

 

[SG Aero]

How the heck do these things work)

[Azimech]

On 1-4-2017 at 4:21 PM, MiffedStarfish said:

"Come back!"

Hilarious!

"No, I won't!"
"Why not?"
"Having way too much fun watching you beg!"

Anyway ... any chance you might try a turboshaft helicopter?

Quote

I found it -Azi20 Selene- incredibly hard to control, especially without my joystick.

Quote from my manual:

 

Quote

Whatever you do, remember massive control inputs are disliked by these giants. These are not airplanes, they're not suitable for aerobatics.

Often you'll feel you're fighting with it, It takes time to learn what they like and don’t like.

Primary control is through a big number of reaction wheels. Secondary control is using the jet engines on the tail and the control surfaces. If possible it's best to use the stock autopilot as often as possible and fly using trim.

Control input in a helicopter differs from airplanes in a special way: every input has to be combined on all axis. If you pitch up, expect the helicopter to yaw and roll. If you roll, it will pitch and yaw etc. A change in power setting or a change in forward speed has the same effect, the helicopter wants to go in every direction except what you planned to do. It takes time to learn and you’ll be following its actions instead of leading it for a while.

A lighter helicopter will always be quicker to respond. My helicopters aren't hard to control if you take the time, follow the flight instructions and get familiar with them

Edited April 14, 2017 by Azimech

[MiffedStarfish]

I might do that, turboshafts are rotors blown by jets right? I would like something with variable thrust without switching, for mine I have bound half the reaction wheels to 1, so to land I quickly switch to the rotor, press 1 and the rotors lose spinning power, meaning I lose height at a comfortable speed. I'm thinking of trying something bigger, and making it a turboshaft is becoming more and more appealing. I'll definitely try out that advice, thanks! 

Edit: thinking of this one:

Edited April 15, 2017 by MiffedStarfish

[klond]

On 4/2/2017 at 6:49 AM, MiffedStarfish said:

 This is a good looking machine right here.

[EpicSpaceTroll139]

On 4/15/2017 at 2:35 AM, MiffedStarfish said:

I might do that, turboshafts are rotors blown by jets right? I would like something with variable thrust. <Snip>

Perhaps you could make a hybrid helicopter? Reaction wheels could spin the rotor enough to provide 90% of the lift needed to hover. Then possibly even a single small blower could provide the extra bit of thrust needed to fly, as well as throttling to allow climbing and descending without switching. 

I've experimented with such a design and it appears to offer efficiency improvements, however I haven't put it in any of my main designs as I like being able simply hit a button and start flying.

 

[VeryShyProxy]

Why are there two suns? 

 

[MiffedStarfish]

Haha, they're the missiles!

You can see them clearly in this picture.

Edited May 22, 2017 by MiffedStarfish

[Matuchkin]

On 2017-5-22 at 9:46 AM, VeryShyProxy said:

Why are there two suns? 

 

I don't think those are suns...