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[1.8.1-1.12.x] Modular Launch Pads v2.7.0: Launch clamps evolved: Real-style launch bases and towers [04 July 2024]


AlphaMensae

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On 7/19/2024 at 8:55 PM, AlphaMensae said:

Now the new General Round Launch Stand is done. I added adjustable length hold-down support plates; there still are size presets so the adjustment range is limited, so it's for fine-tuning.

Official demo/guide video:

I may put this and the other v2.8 parts on the GitHub master branch as they are completed.

ngl the GLRS looks a lot like the starship static fire test platform

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2 hours ago, Jeffery Kerman said:

ngl the GLRS looks a lot like the starship static fire test platform

Convergent design, I guess :)

I wanted something different than the solid disk of the older one, which was inspired by the Redstone launch mount.

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Ok, I've been working on the SLC-6 shuttle tower, and it turned out to be a bigger project than I had thought. But it's almost done, and as this tower is quite different than the LC-39 FSS, I am going to make an alternate crew arm. Not going to be a full alt version, but I'll make the "White Room" red, change some details, and make it retract by sliding backwards into the tower...which apparently was how the real one did it, as it did not swing retract. The LOX vent arm ("beanie cap") will be able to be adjusted side-to-side to align both it and the crew arm with the shuttle stack. At least, that's what I'm hoping... :D 

I even made the top mast and its support structure:

bgy1JBv.png

I also am going to make the tower in separate sections, as it proved too complicated (and too big) to make it one part. The core, crew and top sections with be adjustable in height to fine tune alignment or for use with other shuttles or craft. There will be a working crew elevator, tucked away in the back of the tower (I have no idea where it was exactly located). The parts, including the launch mount, will start with "SLC-6" in their title to distinguish them.

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12 hours ago, kspbutitscursed said:

If someone made particles for a water deluge would you add them into the launch pads?

If they were good enough, I'd make a separate rainbird part so people could add as many as they want, and have a switch for the ones on the bases to turn them off.

Right now I've seen the Vapor Vent parts used for that, so a new one would have to look like a water deluge, not vapor.

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6 hours ago, AlphaMensae said:

If they were good enough, I'd make a separate rainbird part so people could add as many as they want, and have a switch for the ones on the bases to turn them off.

Right now I've seen the Vapor Vent parts used for that, so a new one would have to look like a water deluge, not vapor.

like the spacex launch pads deluge?Image

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30 minutes ago, kspbutitscursed said:

like the spacex launch pads deluge?

That, or the Shuttle/SLS rainbirds (the inspiration for the MLP ones), which are basically giant shower heads. A nice water stream effect would be what I want, not a smoke or fog effect.

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On 8/14/2024 at 10:45 PM, AlphaMensae said:

Ok, I've been working on the SLC-6 shuttle tower, and it turned out to be a bigger project than I had thought. But it's almost done, and as this tower is quite different than the LC-39 FSS, I am going to make an alternate crew arm. Not going to be a full alt version, but I'll make the "White Room" red, change some details, and make it retract by sliding backwards into the tower...which apparently was how the real one did it, as it did not swing retract. The LOX vent arm ("beanie cap") will be able to be adjusted side-to-side to align both it and the crew arm with the shuttle stack. At least, that's what I'm hoping... :D 

I even made the top mast and its support structure:

bgy1JBv.png

I also am going to make the tower in separate sections, as it proved too complicated (and too big) to make it one part. The core, crew and top sections with be adjustable in height to fine tune alignment or for use with other shuttles or craft. There will be a working crew elevator, tucked away in the back of the tower (I have no idea where it was exactly located). The parts, including the launch mount, will start with "SLC-6" in their title to distinguish them.

Will these parts have light/dark grey variants?

In the 90s, the USAF repainted the tower light grey, and in the early 2000s, Boeing painted some sections dark grey when they reused parts of the tower for Delta IV.

About 50% of the shuttle tower still remained for Delta IV, and the other 50% was built new by Boeing.

Some info and images about post-shuttle ops can be found Here and also Here but it’s written in French. There are also other SLC-6 pages on this site that have been extremely useful to me while modeling the MST/MAS.

 

Edited by CollectingSP
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1 hour ago, CollectingSP said:

Will these parts have light/dark grey variants?

In the 90s, the USAF repainted the tower light grey, and in the early 2000s, Boeing painted some sections dark grey when they reused parts of the tower for Delta IV.

About 50% of the shuttle tower still remained for Delta IV, and the other 50% was built new by Boeing.

Some info and images about post-shuttle ops can be found Here and also Here but it’s written in French. There are also other SLC-6 pages on this site that have been extremely useful to me while modeling the MST/MAS.

 

The truss sections will have the red and gray variants like all the other Saturn and Shuttle parts.

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Finally got some of the parts into the game. They need more work, and not everything is in game yet, but this is the first look at the SLC-6 tower, a rough build to see where adjustments need to be made (the LOX vent arm is the main thing of concern).

Y3LG2dQ.png

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Posted (edited)

The main thing with the LOX arm is that I think it extended straight out (i.e. perpendicular) from the tower, and not angled like the LC-39 one. So I'm making a separate version for the SLC-6 tower that is not angled. That should align it with the ET and not have to extend the top of the tower.

More vertical adjustment of the arm mounting truss is needed, and I think some more mesh detail to dress it up.

The arm was not mounted on the front of the tower like with LC-39, and I'd like to keep it like that, but I think I'll have a toggleable front rail to keep the LC-39 style as an option.

Edited by AlphaMensae
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47 minutes ago, AlphaMensae said:

The main thing with the LOX arm is that I think it extended straight out (i.e. perpendicular) from the tower, and not angled like the LC-39 one. So I'm making a separate version for the SLC-6 tower that is not angled. That should align it with the ET and not have to extend the top of the tower.

More vertical adjustment of the arm mounting truss is needed, and I think some more mesh detail to dress it up.

The arm was not mounted on the front of the tower like with LC-39, and I'd like to keep it like that, but I think I'll have a toggleable front rail to keep the LC-39 style as an option.

It did extend straight out.

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Ok, made the SLC-6 version of the LOX arm, added some extra mesh (the support platform) to the top "beanie base", added more adjustment range to the beanie base, and added extra upper level variants to the tower crew section; these add 1 or 2 upper tower core sections to the top of the crew section, which helps with aligning things without making the top section taller (the default height is the normal version). Looking nice now, didn't even need to raise the beanie base. There are various ways of making the tower, depending on how high you make the launch mount.

b6rRXtB.png

Oh, seems the LOX arm was still gray, but I'll make the red default.

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Ahem....Polar once around launch, anyone?

Vjnfv6Y.png

D4KM3zD.png

 

o1XweOj.png

NDMr06o.png

Aside from some .cfg cleanup, the SLC-6 parts are done. Final part was the intertank structure, which required some major surgery, as the SLC-6 version was mounted differently.  Has an adjustment slider to move the main structure side-to-side for the preferred position. It still uses the exisiting hydrogen vent arm

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12 hours ago, AlphaMensae said:

Ahem....Polar once around launch, anyone?

Yes Please!

Looks absolutely awesome- can't wait to see how the crew escape area of the tower turns out!

Edited by CollectingSP
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Added that crew escape structure to the tower crew section. I greatly simplified it, using only existing meshes with some rescaling. Also added blackrack's Deferred Rendering to my KSRSS install--no more shiny pads :D

GZgXxBF.png

hcQvlqu.png

oF6ATYx.png

LQVpxFx.png

ZsYxIkq.png

30mfagE.png

LknKrKc.png

 

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The SLC-6 parts are now on the GitHub master branch.

I also put the shuttle craft file shown in the pics and video on the GitHub, in the Craft Files folder; it's not in any sub-folder. Requires SOCK, ORANGES, Photon Corp, and possibly reDIRECT.  Do not actually use this shuttle assembly beyond merely clearing the tower as the SRBs are not attached to the ET with decouplers. This file won't be in the v2.8 release, but if someone makes a fully-functional shuttle stack with the SLC-6 tower, I'll include that.

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18 hours ago, AlphaMensae said:

Added that crew escape structure to the tower crew section. I greatly simplified it, using only existing meshes with some rescaling. Also added blackrack's Deferred Rendering to my KSRSS install--no more shiny pads :D

GZgXxBF.png

hcQvlqu.png

oF6ATYx.png

LQVpxFx.png

ZsYxIkq.png

30mfagE.png

LknKrKc.png

 

Looks awesome! Will test later tonight!

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Revised the clamp version of the shuttle launcher base (made the SOCK variant SRB holes wider, to match that of the SLC-6 launch mount), and  converted the free-standing version to that of the new clamp version. All are on the GitHub master branch.

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Added a modular version of the Delta 4 tower. It's just two parts, a stackable multi-height core section and the half-height top section. The top section has the side detail and front truss structure, both of which aree switchable on-off separately. Both parts have switchable side panels in the three styles or off. Also made the side panels in the one-piece Delta 4 tower switchable off-on. All are on the Github master now.

IzMcS75.png

HcDDStP.png

MYD06Es.png

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Next up is a proper Atlas-Agena tower, something I wasn't in the mood for when I first did the Atlas stand parts.  Now I am :D 

It'll be a one-piece tower with adjustable height, namely the lower portion.  It will still be at at least the actual height, so no shorty versions that I keep seeing. The portion that holds the arm has a chopped-off corner with some cutouts on top where the arm fits into when retracted.

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