Arrow Bow Archer Dual SSTO (can reach all planets)

[mystik]

Hello,

I present to you the Arrow Bow Archer Dual SSTO, my first ship able to visit the entire solar system and return. It can land on Moho, Tylo, Laythe. Only Eve landing is not possible. I will be uploading the manual to this thing since it explains how this ship works.

Here's what you can do:

Object	Can it reach this orbit?	Can it land on it?	Which part can land?	How difficult is it?
Kerbol	Yes (fly by only)	No	N/A	Very hard
Moho	Yes	Yes	Both	Hard
Eve	Yes	No	N/A	Impossible*
Gilly	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Kerbin	Yes	Yes	Arrow only	Medium
Mun	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Minmus	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Duna	Yes	Yes	Arrow only	Medium
Ike	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Dres	Yes	Yes	Both	Hard
Jool	Yes (fly by only)	No	N/A	Medium
Laythe	Yes	Yes	Arrow only	Medium
Vall	Yes	Yes	Both	Medium
Tylo	Yes	Yes	Arrow only	Very hard
Pol	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Bop	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Eeloo	Yes	Yes	Both	Medium
Asteroids	Yes (near)	Yes*	Bow (V3.0+)*	Medium

*Technically you can land on Eve, but you can never go back, since the Arrow lacks the high dv required for Eve, please use the Dart ship to perform this task, but use caution as the task is difficult.

*Asteroids can not be landed on, but can be docked to using the Bow with the claw, a feature that has been added on Bow V3.0 and above.

Essentially it is the result of over 6 months of designing and testing. As it is this enables you to travel to anywhere. No hacks, all stock, pure SSTO design built from zero.

Additional pictures are available in the thread under the spoilers!!!

Comes with its own science bay, resource scanners, mining equipment (7 crew, but max 6 crew recommended, see the manual). Can function indefinitely. No solar panels. Lots of controls. It's one giant exploration lab, ship and base.

Because some of the functions are more complex I made a beginner friendly guide as well. Read it, skip it, your decision. Tell me what you think and if you find any bugs.

 

Old Links kept only for archiving purposes (please see the post below for the latest version)

 

Discontinued versions (no support provided)

Dart V3.0 -> https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Dart-V30-Eve-Lander-with-Rover-and-return-Pod-to-Eve-orbit

Bow + Archer V3.1 -> https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Bow-+-Archer-V31

Bow V3.0 (discontinued) https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Bow-V30

Bow + Archer V3.0 (discontinued) https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Bow-+-Archer-V30

Arrow Bow Archer Captain Handbook v1.1 (discontinued) http://www.mediafire.com/file/slxywhb1n2g3paz/Arrow_Bow_Archer_Captain_Handbook_v1.1.doc

Arrow V1.0 (discontinued) https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Arrow-V10-Updated-to-V130-fixes-drills-action-key-8

Bow + Archer V1.0 (discontinued) https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Bow-+-Archer-V10-Updated-to-V130-fixes-drills-action-key-8

Arrow Bow Archer Captain Handbook v1.0 (discontinued) http://www.mediafire.com/file/g77nvolx13aby42/Arrow_Bow_Archer_Captain_Handbook_v1.0.doc

Edited March 13, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

Download links (updated 11.03.2018)

 

Q: Which files do I need to download?

A: You need to download the latest version of Arrow and Bow + Archer craft files. This is because the ship is made out of two craft files.

 

Q: Why do you use two craft files?

A: It would not make any sense to launch with the Arrow attached at the top due to high drag.

 

Q: What happened with the Bow craft file that was available as a separate download?

A: Since you can just remove the Archer from the bottom of the Bow + Arrow ship there was no point in adding an additional file.

 

Downloads:

Arrow V3.0 -> https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Arrow-V30 - Recommended download (Upload date 21.12.2017)

Bow + Archer V3.2 -> https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Bow-+-Archer-V32 - Recommended download (Upload date 11.03.2018)

Arrow Bow Archer Captain Handbook v1.2 -> http://www.mediafire.com/file/zgm5a4fy1wns381/Arrow_Bow_Archer_Captain_Handbook_v1.2.doc - Recommended download (Upload date 20.01.2018)

Bonus Eve Lander for Eve expedition for those that want to also visit Eve:

Dart V3.1 -> https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Dart-V31-Eve-Lander-with-Rover-and-return-Pod-to-Eve-orbit- Optional download (Upload date 11.03.2018)

 

Update notes list:

 

Arrow

Update V3.0

- added extra landing gear on wing tips for extra stability during rover activities and removed one front landing gear;

- reduced the total RTG number to two;

- reduced atmosphere tool to one and moved to exterior of the science bay;

- new radiator layout;

- science bay was completely overhauled and it now includes two materials study for easier science gathering;

- removed aerobrakes as they were not very efficient;

- removed extra electricity storage as the ship had more than it was needed;

- added ladder from top to the science bay for easier access;

- replaced drogue with proper parachute.

 

Bow + Archer

Update V3.2

- updated to comply with the new 1.4.0 release. This new release adds new parts that will replace a few of the old ones. This model is now future proof when the old parts are retired.

- minor layout update (removed some lights, rearranged scanners and ore tank) (Bow);

- replaced old Mk1-2 with new Mk1-3 command pod (Bow);

- major layout update (added S3-3600 Kerbodyne fuel tank and improved aerodynamics) (Archer);

- replaced old TR-18D with new TS-12 Stack Separator (Archer);

- added Z4-K battery (Archer);

- added an extra large reaction wheel (Archer).

Update V3.1

- improved ship structure which should fix random explosions as fuel tanks no longer clip (Bow);

- improved ship structure which should fix random explosions as fuel tanks no longer clip (Archer);

- new antenna, RTG, lights layout (Bow);

- reduced number of fuel cells to 6 (Bow).

Update V3.0

- added extra reaction wheels;

- redesigned landing gear, RTG, antennas, mining equipment;

- added the ability to mine asteroids by adding four claws at the bottom of the ship.

 

Dart

Update V3.1

- updated to comply with the new 1.4.0 release. This new release adds new parts that will replace a few of the old ones. This model is now future proof when the old parts are retired.

- minor layout update;

- replaced old parts (decouplers and fuel tanks) with new ones;

- added an extra large reaction wheel.

Edited March 11, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

Update. I have not played in a while, but have gone the path of Kerbin - Minmus - Gilly - Moho - Gilly - Eve (low orbit, no landing) - Gilly and have reached Kerbin again, going to explore Mun, refuel at Minmus again then continue to Duna. I will also unload the science accumulated via a small SSTO to cash in the over 10.000 science and add it to the already existing 15.000 points (I know, I have unlocked everything and there is nothing else to research, but I still do science for the the sake of gathering science).

I will post pictures when I have some time. I have visited Duna before, but didn't actually land on it with a crew before (except for testing) so it should be interesting. After that, back to Kerbin, and then forward to Dres, because Duna to Dres transfer is very hard and is easier to just go back and then go to Dres (as per the window transfer data).

After that one, time for Jool system and finally to Eeloo to complete the tour and back to Kerbin to land and claim all the science I ever wanted, after which I will have to work on a lander for Eve to visit everything in the system. From there I will probably test the ship in Galileo space mod and create a model specific for that system if needed, but I have to see.

Edited July 28, 2017 by mystik

[mystik]

The Grand Tour in pictures: Kerbin - Minmus - Eve - Gilly - Moho (part 1 of 5)

 

Day 1 takeoff

The Vector helps the Rapiers get over 500m/s from where they can take over

Pushing for orbit

Orbit is complete

The Bow + Archer departs the KSC

The Archer finishes its fuel and the Bow separates then fires its own engines to obtain a stable orbit

With the orbit stabilized time to move to the falling Archer before it dips into the atmosphere

The Archer reaching the atmosphere sideways to increase the drag and avoid exposing the engines

Docking the Arrow and Bow for the first time

Landing on Minmus for the first refuel before the trip to Eve

Reached Eve and heading towards Gilly for refueling

Found a picture while sciencing Eve. Also, I got something wrong in my previous post, I actually have 30000 science at KSC and about 15000 on board. And I only visited a few planets.

Landing on Gilly to refuel again before going to Moho

Getting closer to the Moho orbit

Encounter with Moho is set

The sun is very close now, burning to reach Moho, saving up some oxidizer for the actual landing

The long burns this close to the sun causes the ship to overheat without reaching the maximum temperature

Setting up the Moho orbit

Doing some science around Moho

The fuel is running low but should be enough

Landing approach to Moho surface

Landed at Moho with some fuel left

From here the trip back was to Gilly to refuel, then to Kerbin, then to Mun

Edited January 23, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

The Grand Tour in pictures: Mun - Duna (part 2 of 5)

 

Finished collecting science from all the inner planets (Mun was mostly undiscovered).

Meeting with the Bow at the end of the Mun exploration.

Commemorating the landing site with a note.

Rendezvous with the Space Station around Kerbin, where the kerbals were leveled up in the Science Lab.

Rendezvous with the mini shuttle that has been orbiting in low orbit set in hibernation for years after delivering kerbals to the space station.

Transfer of the science data to the mini shuttle.

Long downloading times due to the number of science data (302 stored experiments from Moho, Eve and Gilly).

Retracting the solar panels for reentry.

Almost home (but no kerbals aboard).

Plenty of fuel left for landing.

Cashing in the hard work, had 36000 science before (mostly from transmissions) and then the 19000 from what was stored on board, which totals the insane amount of over 56000 science.

The adventure continues. Duna is now also added to the list of explored planets. Resting after a long day gathering science.

Pondering on the hard questions.

Looking back towards home (the bright blue dot is Kerbin, the purple one is Eve and the dim white one to the left of it is Dres).

Disabling the aerobrakes before we leave until we need them again on another planet with atmosphere.

Successful takeoff, orbit is established. Waiting for the Arrow to refluel and tow us towards Duna's moon. Will post more as I play.

Edited January 23, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

Due to the less efficient radiators or less efficient ISRU 125, the Arrow cannot refuel on it's own for the time being. I have updated the design to V3.0, which fixes this issue, but it requires a few more tests before it will be uploaded. If there is anybody that is using the Arrow V1.0 and would like to continue the grand tour, please let me know and I will upload a "in flight fix" for the Arrow. In essence it is an extended nose cone that includes extra radiators and can deliver itself to the Arrow. It works in atmospheric conditions as well.

In case you are wondering what happened with the Arrow 2.0, it was essentially an alternative model that adds an extra drill and some minor updates, but the benefits are questionable, since it loses some dv and gains some weight that make it harder to land or takeoff on planets. It also features extra landing gears on the wing tips to make for easier rover activities. The effects of these on drag is not tested, but the stability has greatly increased over bumpy terrain so it may be added to the V3.0.

The Arrow V3.0 still has about 3000m/s so that should keep the long range. The exterior is mostly identical, the major changes are related to the placement of extra radiators, to combat the recent radiator efficiency loss.

The Bow (second ship you see in the pictures) V2.0 is ready, essentially it has extra claws at the bottom to be able to refuel from asteroids. This will grant more flexibility and potentially make it suitable to reach the red dwarf in Galileo Planet Pack which has no planets nearby. Testing was not done, but expect a release next year once I complete the stock system grand tour and begin the Galileo Planet Pack grand tour.

Edited March 13, 2018 by mystik

[Matuchkin]

Look great. You have a legitimate workhorse going on there. It'll be nice if people would pay more attention to something like this.

[mystik]

On 12/9/2017 at 6:13 PM, Matuchkin said:

Look great. You have a legitimate workhorse going on there. It'll be nice if people would pay more attention to something like this.

Thank you. I know I update this post rarely, but I am currently doing full play days to complete the tour. Once the tour is ready I can finally confirm the completed version. So far I have managed to land everywhere, and the radiator fix is working, it has not made the Arrow more clunky. I landed on Tylo a few days ago, but it will take some time to science every place. I am doing slow rovering as the gravity is very punishing and I try to avoid having to waste fuel flying and then reloading for 60-75 days for having moved a small distance.

After this, time to go to Vall, Laythe and Eeloo. Once this is done, I can conclude the tour complete, but I will still be going for Eve where a lander and rover will be waiting to land and explore the nearby area, before returning to orbit and the Arrow will finally return to Kerbin where it will forever be parked in the middle on the KSC, as a honorary museum piece.

I will update the kerbalx version shortly, but I have to test getting to Moho again and also landing on Tylo with the new changes, to make sure the update has not broken anything. Moho is hard to get to and Tylo is hard to land on. I did it a few days ago with only a few hundred of m/s left in the tank, and as soon as I touched the ground, the engines cut out. The only way this may be easier is to use the Bow to dip as low as possible in the orbit, then release the Arrow, which will save some dv.

In order to land on Tylo you need to fire the engines on full at 22500-25000m. It may take some tries. On the plus side, Tylo is great for rovering, because the gravity keeps the Arrow up straight at higher speeds.

I will update the picture gallery soon as well, but the current pictures are visible here https://imgur.com/a/qDBiC and bonus pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/5FdBM

Also, here are some unsuccessful designs before the Arrow was born, which have inspired the building of the Arrow, to show off the design history:

Thoth III - https://imgur.com/a/CZbwj (available on kerbalx but not updated)

A lot was learned from this one, mainly that it was built on barely enough lift to get to space. Landing it was a complete mess and definitely not doable. Too heavy, too bulky, too little dv to reach even Minmus without refueling. This has taught me that you need a interplanetary ship to carry the Arrow around (the need for nukes). And so, the Bow was born and tested, but the problem came from refueling it on Moho. The 12 nukes were not enough to land and takeoff. So a Rhino was added for extra power. The Rhino is rarely needed elsewhere since it can mostly land using only the nukes on the planets as per the table in the first post. The Thoth III was really the first alpha version of the Arrow. The idea of a 2 part ship fixed all the problems having the power to land and takeoff and interplanetary travel. One ship to explore the planets, one to handle the long distance travel. 

Arrow IV M61242 - https://imgur.com/a/gZyqR

This was the first one to have insane dv. It had 6000 m/s but was clumsy and flimsy to land. It did tend to use more fuel than needed because of low power engines. Good design, but too large to be practical, not enough dv.

Arrow X - https://imgur.com/a/cqvOD

This was a spin off from the Arrow V1.0, which at this time was already built but not ready. I wanted to experiment with something light and self sustaining. I was still unsure if the idea of an interplanetary tug ship was that good. I was concerned about the needs to land on Moho to refuel. In the end, this ship was too long, too heavy (330 tons) and did not meet the needs to be practical. Another version of something similar existed, that had the front detach and become a rover. It wasn't very practical. It was the point where the idea of a rover was scrapped completely and instead focused on giving the ship the needed stability to make it be able to perform rover duties. This was not the last try to make a lighter version of the Arrow.

Light Arrow - no pictures for this one

Essentially, just a sized down version of the Arrow V1.0 built with MK2 parts instead. It proved to be lighter, compatible with the Bow, but just not that efficient. It was lower to the ground so any bump could damage or flip it around. It had room only for 2 kerbals, which was a no-no. I wanted something for all the main 4 kerbals. Too flimsy and too many parts for something that could be achieved better with the initial V1.0 design. Scrapped.

I promise to sort things out in the next few weeks so that it is ready for Christmas so that other people can enjoy it for the holidays.

Edited December 11, 2017 by mystik

[mystik]

The Grand Tour in pictures: Ike - Dres - Jool - Pol - Bop (part 3 of 5)

The Grand Tour is now almost complete. The Arrow has now visited all the planets as per the table. Massive pic heavy post below.

Visiting Ike.

Arrival at Dres (good thing it has lights, eh?)

Some large crater on Dres.

Bill wanted to celebrate the scientific mission being complete.

Leaving Dres. Was it as boring as they say it is? Maybe. Definitely easy to science. The low gravity helps.

A quick return to Kerbin to drop off some science and to level up the crew from the Bow (they were still on level 4). The main crew was already at level 5.

Bill transferring the science data to the now famous Mini SSTO that does regular trips to the space station and back.

Recovery is complete. The total science is now over 100.000. Maybe a bit too much?

With the new update (1.3.1) the radiators became less efficient. The scientists at R&D put this add-on together and sent it towards Jool to meet with the Arrow. They called it the Arrowhead

The Arrowhead is close behind, but it would not reach the Arrow until Jool. The meetup would happen near Pol.

Simple add-on design, most of the ship was the rear propulsion, to carry the Arrowhead to the Arrow, plenty of dv for the trip.

The Arrow reached Jool at last. Long 3 year trip. It took half a year just to travel from the outer edge to above the atmosphere.

The Arrowhead meetup with the Bow and Arrow. The propulsion part disconnected, the Arrowhead could use its tiny engines to dock to the Arrow.

Docking complete, the Arrow can now refuel again, shutting down the tiny engines on the Arrowhead permanently to prevent damage to the main hull.

Docking with the Bow and securing the add-on via autostruts.

While the Arrow is landed at Pol, the now refueled Bow is refueling the Arrowhead propusion ship and getting it ready for return to Kerbin.

The Arrowhead propulsion system fires its engines to get back to Kerbin.

Getting back took a longer time, but only because there was no hurry and the angle of Jool was not optimum for return, but the ship made it back in one piece splashing down near the Space Center.

The Arrow completes the science mision at Pol.

Reached Bop and visited the famous Kraken site.

Bob wanted to make a funny.

Edited January 23, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

The Grand Tour in pictures: Tylo - Vall - Laythe - Eeloo (part 4 of 5)

The story continues.

Reached Tylo. You know what that means. SUICIDE BURN!!!

Burning full engines now. Look at the orbital speed, the vertical speed and the dv left. Jool rises to add beauty to a stressful situation.

The Arrow reaches the surface. Val describes the events. Note that the Arrowhead timer has been updated, added new maneuver, it didn't take over 60 days to reach the surface.

Landed in one of the best places possible. From here we could explore the Minor Crater, Lowlands, Midlands, Highlands, Mara and two of the big craters. Due to the high gravity, the Arrow could only do 5 minute flights and travel max a few kilometers. Then refuel for 60 days. Not very efficient way to travel. So it was decided to rover instead. The high gravity allowed the Arrow to rover at 60m/s and some times even at 90m/s (that's over 300km/h).

Reaching the Galileo Crater would not be efficient via rovering. So the Arrow took off to orbit, refueled from the Bow, then landed near the crater.

Then some rovering to visit the remaining craters and the expedition was done. Landing proved again challenging as there was barely enough fuel left. SUICIDE BURNS help with landing on Tylo.

Leaving Tylo and going to orbit.

Docking with the Bow and heading towards Vall.

Vall was a bit hard to reach as Tylo loves to suck all ships in its gravity well, so an aggressive approach had to be made, but this used a lot of fuel.

After an initial landing to refuel, both ships took to orbit, to land again in separate locations. The Arrow went to explore the mountains and saw this beautiful view of the valley below.

Flying about to visit additional sites. Jool says hello. Visiting the southern valleys was difficult due to their geographical location that makes awkward orbits.

Science mission complete, onwards to Laythe. The gravity from Jool makes travel harder. Still, plenty of fuel to go around, no need to save up.

Encounter with Laythe. Plenty of fuel left. The Bow was left on the yellow elliptical orbit on purpose to save fuel.

View of Laythe and Jool before entering the Sphere of Influence.

Early morning re-entry.

Overshot the landing area, had to backtrack a big distance, as Laythe is scarce on land. The oxigen made the trip easier, as it allowed the Rapiers to breathe again after almost 30 years.

Looking for a suitable landing spot. Found the shores to be the best. A nearly empty Arrow makes for easy landing.

Parking the Arrow by the sea side.

Valentina wanted to write the plaque.

It floats alright.

Traveling to the Crater Island.

Skipped sciencing everything since it would take years to visit everything. We decided to cut it short. The Arrowhead did not cause any problems with aerodynamics.

Leaving Jool for Eeloo. It takes a long time just to escape. Eeloo is quickly catching up from behind so it is time to go towards it.

Took a series of aggresive turns to reach Eeloo in just 3 years time. In the end it was worth it as we saved a lot of time. Luckily Eeloo was close to Jool and that made it easier to reach.

Reached Eeloo with plenty of fuel, despite aggresive burns, plenty left for landing. It would have been better to save some oxidizer as the nukes struggle with the gravity. It still works but requires more planning to land safely with no oxidizer.

Burning like crazy. The fuel was running low and the nukes were getting very hot from all the heavy breaking. Alternatively the Arrow could be left in space, refuel the Bow then go back after it and refuel in orbit.

Refueled, undocked in orbit, then landed each ship separately. Will begin to science the planet. Refueling is required.

The sunset arrived. Jeb felt like meditating a bit on the achievement. He also wrote a message to celebrate the success of the Arrow.

Edited January 23, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

What's next?

Returning to Kerbin. I will post the updates as I have the time.

Visiting Eve. The Arrow won't land, just orbit around. I tried to make it do that but it can't. I even added a missile in the front that uses the asparagus setup. It just cannot do it. I am working on a lander with a rover and return rocked. It is called the Dart. In essence it delivers a two part rover that also refuels it. It sheds all of it's parts and the final part that makes it to the orbit is a tiny 4 seat fuel tank with a small engine. It is tested, but I did not have the time to apply bug fixes. It is quite hard to land.

Releasing the Arrow V3.0 for the Arrow the Bow V2.0. This is the top priority. I will try tomorrow to finish updating and upload it to Kerbalx. An updated manual will be released as well, with less but clearer details, instead of the way it is written now.

The list of updates that the Arrow needs is huge:

- keep 3000m/s as target dv
- add extra landing gear on wing tips for extra stability during rover activities as per V2.0 (stability improvement)
- add secondary antennas to interior RTG to transmit science in atmosphere (questionable utility?)
- scratch the idea of a second drill (V2.0 too heavy)
- remove non essential RTG and other instruments (keep one atmosphere tool)
- check if any batteries can be removed to preserve weight (power requirements re-calculation needed based on new parts added / removed - check the possibility of sustaining a science lab?)
- review reentry profile to confirm balance
- make sure rear radiators are safe during landing in atmosphere
- check colisions on science bay and small parts (visual changes only)
- add storage box (the current way of storing experiments is clunky as it requires to zoom in the ship to access the main control unit)
- remove aerobrakes (have proven to be largely inefficient and prone to damage during rovering)
- reduce electricity to 5000 or less maybe replace main battery with a smaller version to save weight
- check Bow to confirm it can still mine (confirmed)
- add to manual how to land properly by switching to surface then to radial out when close to the surface
- add ladder from top to science area for quick return at a 45 angle (questionable utility if a science lab is installed?)
- try a version with an added science lab on board (will require extending the lenght and will add up to 10% more weight when dry - may not be feasible given the constraints of reaching Moho and landing on Tylo)
- mount atmosphere science outside to avoid needing to open the bay during atmospheric flight (dangerous destabilization during flight when the bay doors are open)
- replace parachute with more performant one but for emergency spin recovery purpose only, not for actual landing.

Afterwards I will probably take a small break and try the Galileo Planet Pack.

Edited January 23, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

I will test the Bow 2.0 and upload the files as soon sa they are ready. The Arrow V3.0 is able to land on Tylo and since the weight barely changed I have no doubt that it is still able to reach Moho. I will not be testing the trip though as this is time consuming and is not needed.

Fixed issues:

- keep 3000m/s as target dv - done (depending on the engines used I get 2950-3000m/s)
- add extra landing gear on wing tips for extra stability during rover activities as per V2.0 (stability improvement) - done, but had to remove one of the front wheels to save weight and reduce drag, stability is checked
- add secondary antennas to interior RTG to transmit science in atmosphere (questionable utility?) - idea was scrapped
- scratch the idea of a second drill (V2.0 too heavy)
- remove non essential RTG and other instruments (keep one atmosphere tool) - done, reduced the total RTG number to only 2, removed one atmosphere tool as well, dropping the cost
- check if any batteries can be removed to preserve weight (power requirements re-calculation needed based on new parts added / removed - check the possibility of sustaining a science lab?) - the batteries remain the same as they were optimized
- review reentry profile to confirm balance - confirmed reentry safe, no unexpected behavior
- make sure rear radiators are safe during landing in atmosphere - done, new radiator layout, no radiators are exposed to the atmosphere
- check colisions on science bay and small parts (visual changes only) - done, science bay was completely remade, now included two materials study for easier science
- add storage box (the current way of storing experiments is clunky as it requires to zoom in the ship to access the main control unit) - done
- remove aerobrakes (have proven to be largely inefficient and prone to damage during rovering) - removed
- reduce electricity to 5000 or less maybe replace main battery with a smaller version to save weight - done, total power is now around 5400, removed extra storage as it was not used anyway
- check Bow to confirm it can still mine (confirmed)
- add ladder from top to science area for quick return at a 45 angle (questionable utility if a science lab is installed?) - science lab version turned out to be too long and heavy to be comfortable so the ladder was added instead
- try a version with an added science lab on board (will require extending the lenght and will add up to 10% more weight when dry - may not be feasible given the constraints of reaching Moho and landing on Tylo) - version proved to be inefficient because of weight and the center of mass was shifted of balance
- mount atmosphere science outside to avoid needing to open the bay during atmospheric flight (dangerous destabilization during flight when the bay doors are open) - done
- replace parachute with more performant one but for emergency spin recovery purpose only, not for actual landing - done

Remaining:

- add to manual how to land properly by switching to surface then to radial out when close to the surface

Edited January 23, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

The latest version is now released, please see the second post for the new craft file, I will add more pictures later to the post.

 

That being said, I will take a break for the holidays, so have a Merry Christmas.

 

 

[Matuchkin]

As deathly annoying as these Christmas carols may be, that was at least a funny video.

[mystik]

Hi guys, just a quick update, please note that I have made minor updates for Bow and Bow+Archer, old model had 8800m/s, new model has 9000m/s, some optional parts were removed, so you may want to download again.

Captain's Manual is now available.

Edited December 23, 2017 by mystik

[mystik]

Guys, I have good news, The Grand Tour is complete. Jeb, Val, Bob and Bill have visited all the planets and moons in the KSP. I will upload pictures and stuff when I have the time. For now I will leave you with the group photo and the Arrow parked in the honorary spot where it will remain from now on, being replaced by the new V3.0 model, which adds many fixes and improvements.

The Grand Tour Crew, from left to right: Marvie (rescued Bow engineer), Bill (Arrow engineer), Val (Arrow pilot), Jeb (Arrow pilot), Bob (Arrow scientist) and Franline (rescued Bow pilot).

Total Science: 218757

Jeb skill level is OVER 9000!!!

That's it for now but I will add more pictures soon.

Happy New Year!

Edited December 31, 2017 by mystik

[Bdyer]

When I land the interstellar tow on any planet (stock no mods), when I come out of time accelerating(for mining purposes) the entire ship in launched at about 200 m/s straight up usually resulting in multiple explosions.

[mystik]

On 1/1/2018 at 3:13 AM, Bdyer said:

When I land the interstellar tow on any planet (stock no mods), when I come out of time accelerating(for mining purposes) the entire ship in launched at about 200 m/s straight up usually resulting in multiple explosions.

Hi,

This happens if you are landed on a slope and the gravity is low. Due to the pure weight of the ship especially when loaded it the gravity ease in will cause it to fly around. This is a KSP bug, not a model bug. I didn't get these issues with high gravity planets, but only on low gravity moons, like Gilly, which is pretty bad at this. If you do not set your ship as flat as possible you get these jumps. I even get these on flat terrain, but the ship does not explode, it just jumps a bit.

Workaround:

Solution 1: Save before landing, then test time acceleration on the landed surface to see if it does the jump, reload if needed.

Solution 2: Land the ship, even on the slope, let it settle, then deactivate SAS completely. Wait until the ship no longer wobbles at all. If you have KSP engineer installed, you will get confirmation that the wobble is gone when the vertical speed does not fluctuate anymore. Once you confirm the ship is stable, engage time acceleration.

Solution 3: Press ALT+F12, check "prevent crash damage" and "indestructible joints". Wait for the ship to settle again, then deactivate the cheats. It is clunky, but the Bow rarely lands and takes off so it should not be that much of a problem. I admit that I did use this method once, on Gilly, which is very predominant to have this issue.

These are known bugs that often occur with large ships. It gets worse when you do clipping and include parts in parts. I tried to keep clipping at a minimum, but I can try and reduce the clipping even move, although I doubt this is what is causing the issues you are experiencing. Do you have a screenshot of the position of the ship before if explodes?

The Arrow does not experience this issue as it just jumps on the landing gear is bouncy.

[mystik]

New craft files up, upgraded the Bow + Archer to V3.1 to fix random explosions when landed, Bow no longer provided as a separate file since you can just remove the Archer from the model.

Edited January 20, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

The Grand Tour in pictures: Eve Expedition (part 5 of 5)

Craft file added to the download post.

Overview of the crew pod.

Ready for takeoff.

Expedition has started, but nobody is on board, everybody is waiting at Eve in the Arrow.

Established Kerbin orbit, heading to Minmus for refueling, from there to Eve.

Refueling using a custom miner.

Having reached Eve after a series of aerobrakes, the crew is boarding the lander.

Inflating the shields (done by pressing the abort button).

Lost control of the direction, but nothing gets too hot, the fairing is deflecting a lot of the shockwave.

The landing goes to plan, reaching the area near the peaks between the Crater Lake and the sea to the West, plenty of high ground for easy return.

Entering the middle atmosphere pointing downwards.

Deploying the parachutes to slow down and getting ready to release the heat shields.

A successful Eve landing.

Deployed the fairing and ejected the lander from the top of the rocket.

Disconnecting the rover auxiliary parts.

Getting the crew off the lander.

Marking the success of the mission with some booze.

Repacking the parachutes to make the rover look neat and tidy and boarding the crew.

Performing some science.

Rover landing day preparing for expedition.

Resting a bit as driving in the dark is dangerous on Eve.

Rover Day 1, admiring the morning view of the valley far ahead.

View from the rover cockpit going at high speeds.

Looking back at the path traveled.

Valentina wanted to take a dip in the local lake.

Having traveled all day and night is approaching, the first day comes to an end.

Rover Day 3 morning, the expedition has reached all the way to the Akatsuki Lake, visiting the Impact Ejecta at the Crater Lake, before starting the long trip back.

Rover Day 7, getting back took a long time as the batteries greatly suffer from the extra power required to climb up the mountains, but the slope got too steep to continue.

Left without any options, the lander did what it was not designed to do, taking off and landed near the rover again loosing only a few landing struts on touchdown.

The crew transfers the collected science from the Rover, marks the event with a plaque, then proceeds to board the Dart.

Ejecting the auxiliary mining equipment and parachutes to save weight.

Lots of explosions but no damage to the lander.

Taking off and looking back at the rover locations visited.

The lander is really struggling with the tick atmosphere having reached the cloud cover but keeping an almost vertical climb.

Finally cleared the cloud cover, still pointing upwards to get out of the thick atmosphere as fast as possible, otherwise it would put the return in danger.

The lander ejects the assistant stage and is really pushing through the less dense atmosphere still climbing almost vertical.

Having exited the atmosphere the lander is now struggling to gain orbital speed using the fuel reserve.

The main engines shut down as they run out of fuel and it is time to disconnect the orbital pod that will get to orbit.

Enabling the fuel and starting the tiny engine.

Almost at orbital speed with plenty of fuel to spare.

Encounter with the Arrow and crew transfer.

Leaving the crew pod in orbit and transferring the science.

Engaging the Bow engines and starting the trip back to Kerbin thus completing the Eve Expedition and the last part of The Grand Tour.

 

Edited January 23, 2018 by mystik

[mystik]

Sorry for the continuous edits, I added more pictures and made the thread less demanding on loading, now you have the option to select which batch of pictures you want to see.

[mystik]

Hi,

I've updated the Bow + Archer to V3.2 and the Dart to V3.1. No update required on Arrow V3.0 since the new update does not affect any of its parts. New links are now up.

 

 

Thanks.

[linuxgurugamer]

On 5/10/2017 at 8:31 PM, mystik said:

Hello,

I present to you the Arrow Bow Archer Dual SSTO, my first ship able to visit the entire solar system and return. It can land on Moho, Tylo, Laythe. Only Eve landing is not possible. I will be uploading the manual to this thing since it explains how this ship works.

Here's what you can do:

Object	Can it reach this orbit?	Can it land on it?	Which part can land?	How difficult is it?
Kerbol	Yes (fly by only)	No	N/A	Very hard
Moho	Yes	Yes	Both	Hard
Eve	Yes	No	N/A	Impossible*
Gilly	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Kerbin	Yes	Yes	Arrow only	Medium
Mun	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Minmus	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Duna	Yes	Yes	Arrow only	Medium
Ike	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Dres	Yes	Yes	Both	Hard
Jool	Yes (fly by only)	No	N/A	Medium
Laythe	Yes	Yes	Arrow only	Medium
Vall	Yes	Yes	Both	Medium
Tylo	Yes	Yes	Arrow only	Very hard
Pol	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Bop	Yes	Yes	Both	Easy
Eeloo	Yes	Yes	Both	Medium
Asteroids	Yes (near)	Yes*	Bow (V3.0+)*	Medium

*Technically you can land on Eve, but you can never go back, since the Arrow lacks the high dv required for Eve, please use the Dart ship to perform this task, but use caution as the task is difficult.

*Asteroids can not be landed on, but can be docked to using the Bow with the claw, a feature that has been added on Bow V3.0 and above.

Essentially it is the result of over 6 months of designing and testing. As it is this enables you to travel to anywhere. No hacks, all stock, pure SSTO design built from zero.

Comes with its own science bay, resource scanners, mining equipment (7 crew, but max 6 crew recommended, see the manual). Can function indefinitely. No solar panels. Lots of controls. It's one giant exploration lab, ship and base.

Because some of the functions are more complex I made a beginner friendly guide as well. Read it, skip it, your decision. Tell me what you think and if you find any bugs.

 

Old Links kept only for archiving purposes (please see the post below for the latest version)

  Reveal hidden contents

Discontinued versions (no support provided)

Dart V3.0 -> https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Dart-V30-Eve-Lander-with-Rover-and-return-Pod-to-Eve-orbit

Bow + Archer V3.1 -> https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Bow-+-Archer-V31

Bow V3.0 (discontinued) https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Bow-V30

Bow + Archer V3.0 (discontinued) https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Bow-+-Archer-V30

Arrow Bow Archer Captain Handbook v1.1 (discontinued) http://www.mediafire.com/file/slxywhb1n2g3paz/Arrow_Bow_Archer_Captain_Handbook_v1.1.doc

Arrow V1.0 (discontinued) https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Arrow-V10-Updated-to-V130-fixes-drills-action-key-8

Bow + Archer V1.0 (discontinued) https://kerbalx.com/mystik/Bow-+-Archer-V10-Updated-to-V130-fixes-drills-action-key-8

Arrow Bow Archer Captain Handbook v1.0 (discontinued) http://www.mediafire.com/file/g77nvolx13aby42/Arrow_Bow_Archer_Captain_Handbook_v1.0.doc

Good information, but a picture or two would be nice

[mystik]

On 3/12/2018 at 2:44 PM, linuxgurugamer said:

Good information, but a picture or two would be nice

There are plenty of pictures in the thread. But good notes, I will add some to the main post, I didn't realize one is needed.