Surprisingly Stable Rockets - Your source for aeronautic and avionic needs!

[wildkittyv1]

Surprisingly Stable Rockets

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Mission Statement

Welcome to Surprisingly Stable Rockets, where our confidence is high and our use of SAS modules is low. We\'ve recently bought out Wobbly Rockets Inc., and are in the process of retooling and outfitting their old craft to fit the needs of generations to come. This means more random parts tacked together in outlandish configurations that somehow manage to get their job done. We\'ve already got a few things outer spacing, and a few more things inner spacing. Keep an eye out on this news feed for the latest news on our missions off this horribly blue and green planet of ours, and check the feed directly below this for information on the craft that are trying their damnedest to escape, but just can\'t quite get out.

Mods, Difficulty Scale and other general stuff:

Hey guys, this is going to be my v.16 thread, and I am the same person who had the Wobbly Rockets Inc. thread. I changed the name after it was brought to my attention that the first Sunday Punch pack was called Wobbly Rockets and I didn\'t want to infringe on anything there, even if SP didn\'t care (not that I asked).

I\'m going to be doing a pseudo-RP here with missions to all the planets, Kerbin exploration and base creation, orbital rendezvous, EVA stuff, and other things of that nature. I\'m going to skip the beginning stages of what most RPs do as far as putting small rockets into orbit and things like that because it\'s pretty damned simple. I\'m going to do my best to make the crafts that I create interesting and somewhat outlandish, but my heavy payload lifters are going to have to be more basic as there\'s much more room for error with those things, but I\'ll give it a good shot.

Also willing to accept requests for craft designs and mission challenges.

I will be uploading all of the craft files this time around as attachments to the post. If it gets to be too big for the board, I may make zip files of the 'groups' of crafts and upload them to a hosting site. Be aware that I use many mods, but I will list them below and will shortly update the list to include links to the threads which contain more information on them. I will do my best to list the mods used on each craft to make it easier on people who wish to download them.

I will also be putting a scale of difficulty to pilot/land/complete the mission I set for each craft, but be aware that I\'m decently skilled at the game, but don\'t use a joystick. I will also list the problems/difficulty with each craft so you know what to expect. Please notify me if I miss/forget a mod for the craft.

Anyway, here\'s a list of the mods I currently use:

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Assorted Hardware from Captain Slug (Wing Loads, Explosive Bolts, Landing Pegs/Legs, etc.)

Damned Aerospace

Damned Robotics - Plugin

Deep Space Mission Pack (partially)

DYJ Crew Tank

Gaby\'s Quick and Dirty Miscellanea

HSTW (Tosh) Rovers/Carts and Amphibious Gear - Plugin

ISA MapSat - Plugin

JAWRD\'s (Jellycube\'s Advanced Weapons) Plane Parts and Missiles

Katerpillar Wheels - Plugin

Kosmos Pack (makes up most of my large stations and I love its connecting pieces)

Mechanical Mouse (partially w/ .cfg edit so 2m/3m radial decouplers do not fuel feed)

MuMech/Mech Jeb - Plugin

Nova Punch Pack

Probobodyne Probe Kit

Paper Planes Parts that might fly

Power Tech - Plugin

Rescaled Plane Parts

Truss Pack

I plan on adding ZOxygen, Bigtrak, Multi-joint, and Electrical Energy at some point in the near future.

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Difficulty Scale - Easiest to Hardest

- Even a babby could do it

- Happy times flying this rust bucket

- Was that turbulence, or did engine 3 just fall off?

??? - Engine 3 definitely just fell off. Disclaimer: Engines should never fall off my craft.

8) - Jeb level required

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Latest News

Added information on the Nebo Orbiter/SS under Munar Vehicles - 2 free seats in 1m Crew Tank

Added information on the MD Uwizz-R in Avionics - VTOL(ish) craft

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Next Mission

Since we offered the engineers over at Wobbly Rockets a .05% increase in pay with only 20 hours of mandatory overtime each week, they all decided to come over here and work with us. With this pool of knowledge, we were capable of skipping all the beginner stuff like learning how to shoot tin cans through tires with slingshots and get to the fun stuff. We recently put up a low-orbit space station (KLOSS IV) and landed a crew habitation/sleeping module on the Mun. There were some problems with the habitation module\'s landing gear, so we\'re sending some parts up to the boys to remedy that.

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Kerbin Orbiters, Satellites and Others

KLOSS IV

KLOSS IV

Kerbin Low-Orbit Space Station

KLOSS IV is a re-outfitted version of the WRI vessel. We tossed some ladders on there so our Kerbonauts could pretend they were at a jungle gym just in case they got bored doing science\'y stuff. Also added was a mapping satellite and Muon detector, so we could slowly get a better understanding of what oddities we have kicking around here planet-side, and an extra crew module so we could fit more adventurous Kerbonauts inside - total capacity 8. This baby is orbiting at around 90km up with plenty of fuel to change trajectories, and it could easy get itself to the Mun, and likely to Minmus as well.

Bonus points if you spot the Kerbin having some EVA fun.

Difficulty: - Pilots fairly easily, plenty of fuel. Should be able to reach Mun and Minmus as well. Fixed the upload - staging is correct now. Initially go full throttle, then back 1 tick to avoid overheating the central engine. Orbit as usual.

Mods: Kosmos, Nova Punch, ISA MapSat, Muon Detector, Probobodyne, Gaby\'s Miscellanea (change 2m radial decoupler to FALSE cross fuelfeed in .cfg)

Download at the bottom of the post (reuploaded - had old version up)

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Munar Orbiters, Landers, Bases and Rovers

**NEW** Nebo Orbiter I --- IB Gecko-BBSM

Nebo Orbiter I --- 2 Empty Seats! - Read notes before downloading! Crew Tank .CFG edit info (new part, but it\'s simple to do, please read ALL)

The Nebo Orbiter is SSR\'s remake of Wobbly Rocket\'s old model. It\'s now outfitted with a Muon detector and satellite mapper, along with a tank to hold additional crew, as it was piloted up by a single Kerbonaut. Nebo is a long-term research vessle, and was therefore equipped with lots of early stage boost and fuel to minimize the amount of on-board propulsion that had to be used once its destination was reached. It\'s currently gathering important information for SSR in orbit 45km above the Munar surface.

Just catching some rays after reaching a stable Munar orbit.

Difficulty: - Very easy, plenty of extra fuel. This can easily orbit the Mun or Minmus. I built my space stations/orbiters with so many extra stages because when I get them into orbit, I like to have plenty of fuel to make orbital changes, change orbiting bodies, etc. With optimized burns, you should be able to reach a stable Munar orbit by just barely dipping into your on-board fuel. Feel free to use RCS to rotate in early stages as there is plenty on board. If you find the rocket unwieldy, take off the second set of smaller boosters and/or one of the second stage tanks. Throttle full-on, straight up at ignition, then after the first stage LFE runs out, decouple and begin steering towards 45 degrees off the horizon. Ignite second stage, full on until the SRBs burn out, decouple and cut the engine. Slowly aim towards the horizon during the SRB burn and you should have a Kerbin AP of around 100k and a whole tank or so left for the second stage to make Kerbin orbit and TMI.

Was really pleased with this craft as I got it to orbit Mun on the first launch. Normally these space stations can be a pain to balance and determine how much thrust I need, but I got it right the first time and it didn\'t snap off or tilt wildly towards the ground. I put more ladders on this one and in different spots compared to KLOSS to give whoever d/l\'s it some stuff to play with. Crew capacity = 1 main pod, 2 in .CFG edit Crew Tank.

Mods: .cfg Edit for Crew Tank, Kosmos, Nova Punch, Probobodyne, Deep Space pack (centrifuge), Muon Satellite, ISA MapSat

Crew Tank .cfg Edit info - Copy the DYJ CrewTank part folder, rename the copy version, and replace the contents of the part.cfg with the spoiler. If you put a Kerbin in the crew pod and don\'t have one in the command pod, you won\'t be able to exit the crew pod.

// --- general parameters ---
name = Crewmodule1m
module = FuelTank
author = DYJ

// --- asset parameters ---
mesh = model.mu
scale = 1


// --- node definitions ---
node_stack_top = 0.0, 1.21825, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0
node_stack_bottom = 0.0, -0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0, 0.0
node_attach = -1.01, 0.0, 0.0, -1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1


// --- editor parameters ---
cost = 500
category = 6
subcategory = 0
title = CM-T200 Crew Tank
manufacturer = Kerlington Model Rockets and Paper Products Inc.
description = Cleverly named 'tank' to keep eager Kerbonauts from sneaking aboard before launch but is in fact intended to be used to rescue stranded kerbals from extraterrestial accidents. Due to 'the law' it\'s also filled with fuel to keep us from being sued for false marketing.

// attachment rules: stack, srfAttach, allowStack, allowSrfAttach, allowCollision
attachRules = 1,1,1,1,0

// --- standard part parameters ---
mass = 4.75
dragModelType = default
maximum_drag = 0.2
minimum_drag = 0.3
angularDrag = 2
crashTolerance = 45
breakingForce = 50
breakingTorque = 50
maxTemp = 2900
rescaleFactor = 0.63

// --- fuel tank parameters ---

fuel = 150.00
dryMass = 2.50
fullExplosionPotential = 0.9
emptyExplosionPotential = 0.1


// --- internal setup ---
CrewCapacity = 2

INTERNAL
{
name = GenericSpace2
}

// 

I am not responsible if you break your game or parts - this works. I don\'t know if it will work when the model code is released so we can make our own hatches/crew pods. If it breaks the craft, I will fix it and upload a new .craft file.

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IB Gecko-BBSM

Initial Base Gecko-Bunk Bed Sleeping Module

Enough acronyms? This little guy is the 'Initial Base Gecko - Bunk Bed Sleeping Module', a retooled model of the Gecko Precision Lander from WRI. We took the concept and went a bit further with it, stripping an old fuel tank of its innards and equipping it with 4 sets of bunk beds, meaning the landing vessel can house 8 Kerbonauts total. This is meant as a vehicle to setup an initial base on the Mun (probably Minmus as well) and give us a landing target for our bigger Munar habitation that will be launched shortly.

The Gecko was also a prototype design with the empty area between the stage 1 and 2 thrusters. This will allow for future missions with a similar design to carry a payload beneath it, drop the payload, and a set of retro boosters fire to remove the payload delivery vehicle from the surface of the body which it dropped the payload upon.

We ran into a problem with the landing gear, but we\'ll let the photos explain that.

Uh, guys? I don\'t think our engineers measured the size of the landing rockets or the landing gear. (Fixed and download updated)

Difficulty: - Possibly tight on fuel if your burns aren\'t optimized. DO NOT move it in the VAB or you risk it falling off the launch pad and exploding.However, optimized burns should be able to land on Minmus and/or return from the Mun.

Mods: Nova Punch, Probobodyne, Crew Tank, Kosmos (ASAS module on the command pod)

Download below (landing gear issue fixed)

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((all uploads are correct))

((please read all of the information in the Nebo Orbiter I spoiler before downloading and trying to use the .craft - I did a .cfg edit of the Crew Tank so it fit below the 1m pod and has two free seats inside. Did my best to balance fuel/mass/etc - feel free to offer suggestions. The craft file will not work unless you do the .cfg edit! It is easy though, and worth it - just copy/paste.))

[wildkittyv1]

Surprisingly Stable Rockets

Avionics Department

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Latest News

Added information about the MD Uwizz-R - a VTOL craft

Working on tweaking a few aircraft, having a bit of trouble with high cross-winds near our runway, delaying launches

((read: rebuilding some of my old craft and they seem to not be working - new physics stuff??))

Next Mission

Our KLOSS IV has reported sighting a sparkling bit of land somewhere in the mountains of the continent directly to our west. We will be sending the MD Hammerhead on a scouting mission to see what all the hub-bub is about.

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MD Class Vehicles

**New**MD Uwizz-R --- MD Hammerhead

Marathon Distinction Class

MD Uwizz-R

The MD Uwizz-R was a clone of WRI\'s craft by the same name. We did a bit of tweaking and got it to handle a little bit better, and increased its top speed significantly - it\'s been clocked at over 750m/s and likely can reach higher speeds once an optimal height is found. This craft is great because of it\'s high speed, VTOL capabilities, and the fact that its fans don\'t eat up a whole lot of our precious go-juice. We\'re considering building a second model with a low-atmosphere engine on it and giving the pilot the opportunity to use any combination of the three propulsion systems.

Difficulty: ??? - Will likely take a bit of getting used to before you can pilot it well, but it does fly amazingly. Tilt the fans forward 45 degrees (9 and 0 are rotatron toggles, 9 is forward, 0 is back - change at will in the SPH) before ignition, deactivate the jet engine, and then gas it full on. Continue to rotate the fans forward until you are flying vertically with the nose pointed at the sky. Rotate the fans more forward to begin lowering your nose, then backwards as you begin to lean. You never need to use anything besides your roll controls to pilot this vehicle, the fans do the rest for you once you learn how to work them.

Mods: Damned Robotics and Damned Aerospace

Download craft below

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MD Hammerhead

The MD Hammerhead is a fairly simple multiple-stage aircraft. It has medium-range capabilities, and is capable of upwards of 350m/s at cruising altitude. The fuel lines are setup to drain from the dump tanks first, and then the pilot directs the flow from the fuel in the fuselage until the middle tanks are drained for balance. Oh yeah, we tossed a few mobility enhancers on the WRI version, too.

Difficulty: - Fairly easy to fly. Staging and fuel lines are setup fine, but after dumping the second set of radial tanks you should disable the flow of the tanks with the mounted engines on the edges of the swept wings for balance reasons; the three middle fuselage tanks should empty first. After they are emptied, reactivate the flow of the front tanks.

No mods

Download craft below

[wildkittyv1]

Good update tonight!

Added the MD Uwizz-R aircraft, a VTOL(ish) type of craft that flies far and fast and is a riot to play around with. It uses Damned Robotics rotatrons as pitch control and the VTOL fans from Damned Aerospace. Once you get the hang of flying it, you won\'t need to use anything besides roll commands to control movement - the fans can do the rest. Capable of over 750 m/s!

Also added the revamped Nebo Orbiter I. It\'s great fun to play around on(and has given me an idea for something to build once I get my Munar base established) and utilizes a .cfg edit of the DYJ Crew Tank to create a 1m crew tank part that houses 2 Kerbonauts and has rebalanced fuel/weight and things like that. PLEASE read the spoilers under the craft in the post to see what mods I used and how to copy and edit your crew tank part.cfg file to make the craft work.

I\'m not responsible if you break your parts or game, but it\'s easy to do and it does work.

Enjoy

[wildkittyv1]

Whelp, if you check out the first post in the thread, you can see that it's broken pretty heavily.

I'm not going to be updating this. I will create a new one. There are a lot of limitations on vB boards regarding images and character count. I don't know if they're going to be changing anything so that it's more like the old system (which, at the moment, seems to be infinitely better for people doing these types of threads). It seems like I'm going to have to make new threads for all the craft, or reserve 10 slots so I have room for everything. I don't want to do either of those. I have a few new fun things to upload, but I'm holding off on it until I figure out how to approach this.

Not happy with the forum change at the moment, the vB limitations really hamper collection threads like this, and even in the mods section people are going to have issues showing off all the parts and things because of limits.

Boo on you