tank with tracks - the rebuild

[klond]

 

 

This is for @Majorjim! and @Redshift OTF, whose tank track projects I have picked up and continued.

 

 Here was version 1.

 

 The tank has been rebuilt with less parts and is far less prone to breakage.  Even performs well too!

 Included in the video below is @Castille7's lava rock sample test bed he so kindly supplied for me.

 

 

KerbalX

Edited November 2, 2017 by Dman979
TOTM!

[selfish_meme]

Could you put a flat plate on the top of the rcs balls, just wondering if the judder can be minimized with a smoother transition by making the "foot" larger

[Majorjim!]

Great work Klond! You should make a big version too! A massive crawler base or something like that would be epic!

[Bubbadevlin]

love it! 

[klond]

On 10/8/2017 at 6:30 PM, selfish_meme said:

Could you put a flat plate on the top of the rcs balls, just wondering if the judder can be minimized with a smoother transition by making the "foot" larger

 Yes it does ride a little rough right now.  There's gotta be something a little more realistic too. 

 I had lil cubic struts on there first for their lightness, but they contacted the ground edge-on and it required more power, like having a square wheel.  But we're approaching the limit where more power makes balls pop out of their sockets sometimes.  Also it's got to slide a little so I can turn.  So compromises were made.  BUT

 Verners might make a nice foot, overlapped or alternating.  I'll try something different on the next go - might be a while.  The hope is to have 2 seperate tracks independant without a crazy part count.

If someone else wants to give it a go too, please do!

[Hast5250]

Holy mother of kraken! 

And here I am struggling to make a propeller with stock parts! 

[klond]

9 hours ago, Hast5250 said:

Holy mother of kraken! 

And here I am struggling to make a propeller with stock parts! 

 Hello fellow engineer.  Keep at it.  Let someone know if you get stuck, and also post if you have success.  Grab some craft files from kerbalx and do a lil copying "inspecting."  

[Azimech]

On 10/10/2017 at 2:34 PM, Hast5250 said:

Holy mother of kraken! 

And here I am struggling to make a propeller with stock parts! 

At least you're trying ;-) Lots of people don't have the imagination or the will. See the topic in my signature, lots of info there.

@klond ... I took it for a spin and analyzed its construction. I don't believe I could've done a better job.

[PaperAviator]

I have some serious catching up to do...

 

[Dman979]

Congrats on TOTM!

[Majorjim!]

Congratulations on TOTM @klond, very well deserved.

[Castille7]

I started a new JOB and didn't notice you got a TOTM! Congratulation man!!

[SkunkTwerks]

Finally got around to giving this its long overdue test drive. This is absolutely brilliant. Once again, redefining the limits of the stock KSP engine! Magnificent work.

@klond I'm still a bit of a newbie when it comes to axles, is it the centrally-mounted RTG that's transferring power from the reaction wheels to the RCS balls, or the external-facing themometer-RCS axle at the rear of the tank, or both? Because if it's mostly the RTG functioning as a notched gear, that's really clever and I never would have thought to use it that way. And isn't that kind of a fragile part at just 7 m/s impact tolerance? I'm impressed it doesn't explode!

[klond]

 @SkunkTwerks Thanks for giving her a test drive!

 After reading your post I had to load up the rover and have a look at it again.  It's been a few weeks.

 I see what you mean about the shape of the RTG - totally looks like a gear.  I wonder what the frame outline looks like from a game collision perspective.  My intention was just to use it to just fill the space in the center if the cog so the balls didn't fall down inside.  Maybe it's helping a tiny bit .

 The bearings on each end help a little with propulsion, but the majority of the effort is transferred by the multiple pairs of antennas on the center cog that cradle the RCS ports as the go around, which then get peeled off by another antenna on the frame.  I had a lot of problems early with the balls wanting to continue around and getting jammed up.

 It is still pretty crazy how fast the whole thing turns.  No guarantees anywhere outside Kerbin.

Edited November 14, 2017 by klond

[Jetpackmaniac]

wow! how do you power the tracks?

[klond]

On 11/25/2017 at 8:34 PM, a_space_oddity said:

wow! how do you power the tracks?

 The rear axle has reaction wheels with radioisotope generators.  If you switch craft focus to the rear axle after staging you can trim the reaction wheels.  Hope this makes sense.

[Jetpackmaniac]

33 minutes ago, klond said:

 The rear axle has reaction wheels with radioisotope generators.  If you switch craft focus to the rear axle after staging you can trim the reaction wheels.  Hope this makes sense.

Thanks! How do you steer it? In your video you were turning a lot sharper than I could get it to. 

[klond]

2 minutes ago, a_space_oddity said:

Thanks! How do you steer it? In your video you were turning a lot sharper than I could get it to. 

 After you trim the motor (Alt-Q or W) to desired speed, hit "[" or "]" a few times to re-focus to the main machine body.  That will have reaction wheels too, but for spinning around the center of mass by sliding along the ground.  Someday maybe dual tracks will be possible and we can do it the right way.

[Jetpackmaniac]

Just as I figured, I was doing it wrong.

[OrbitalBuzzsaw]

witchcraft!