[1.12.5] CRE - Stockalike British Rocketry [2.2][02/03/2021]

[Beale]

Wheel.... progress. They work perfectly in function if not appearance.

Furthest I've ever gotten. Many thanks to @mcdouble & @bcink for assistance.
Hopefully can bridge the last step and get them not levitating.

[Beale]

GitHub

https://github.com/Tantares/CRE

These are far from perfect, and I am aware of some visual issues (The suspension will visually leave) , but testing is of course very appreciated.

[Beale]

RZ.2S sustainer / upper stage maybe.

No

Edited March 25, 2020 by Beale

[nepphhh]

What engine are those based on? Look suspiciously like early XLR4x Navaho motors with the conical expansion nozzle. Very proto-Atlasy shot below...

[Beale]

12 hours ago, nepphhh said:

What engine are those based on? Look suspiciously like early XLR4x Navaho motors with the conical expansion nozzle. Very proto-Atlasy shot below...

That's essentially spot on, the technology was transfered to Britain from those engines, the engines above are RZ.2 design:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_RZ.2

The centre engine is some kind of H-1 alike which is fictional, but I am scrapping that for something else I think. Ideas for upper stages that wiykd be kind of feasible with the technology are appreciated.

 

[Beale]

We still need a third scheme for Blue Steel by the way.

I might need some ideas soon, or I'll do something silly...

Spoiler

 

[Mudwig]

@Beale I honestly kind of like that one and it also give a great visual cue for where the wings and canards are supposed to go.

[Rodger]

I think an all blue one with maybe some small white highlights would be nice. Or maybe some shiny grey highlights, then it can really be “blue steel”? lol 

[nepphhh]

Unless the canards are all-moving surfaces, I find it difficult to believe that those control surfaces would provide any pitch authority in the hypersonic regime. Has reentry been tested with FAR?

[Beale]

8 hours ago, nepphhh said:

Unless the canards are all-moving surfaces, I find it difficult to believe that those control surfaces would provide any pitch authority in the hypersonic regime. Has reentry been tested with FAR?

Would be interesting to see. The control surfaces should mirror those on the IRL craft, but I'm not sure exactly how capable that was.

 

[Beale]

work in progress.

[Beale]

GitHub

https://github.com/Tantares/CRE

A new vacuum engine based on a number of different things, plus a skirted engine mount.

Next up, further changes to blue steel, including potentially a nice way to finally land and some probe parts (Prospero and Orba).

I have also increased the Blue Steel's crash tolerance.

A cockpit Blue Steel is also considered:

This will only seat 2 instead of 3, but gives options. I think so anyway...

Edited March 29, 2020 by Beale

[nepphhh]

What is that paneled nozzle based on? Is it supposed to be ablative? I don't believe I've ever seen a nozzle with that kind of construction before. Regardless, that mount looks great. Would be interesting to see a version of the vacuum engine that has a gimbled turbopump exhaust vernier for roll control.

[Beale]

50 minutes ago, nepphhh said:

What is that paneled nozzle based on? Is it supposed to be ablative? I don't believe I've ever seen a nozzle with that kind of construction before. Regardless, that mount looks great. Would be interesting to see a version of the vacuum engine that has a gimbled turbopump exhaust vernier for roll control.

So this is the engine with the least historical precedence, and I could not find anything really similar IRL, but it's from a sort of mix of ideas, most prominent the radiative cooled Merlin vacuum extension. That has a kind of similar panel thing going on.

It's not finalised, and I think there was a few other things people have suggested:

Spoiler

Solid, but heavy. Like Agena.

Big and ablative.

The roll control idea is pretty fun! I was also thinking carrying the bootleg Atlas vibe a little further with something like the LR-101 vernier.

The next engine coming up is the RZ.20, which is a lot better founded

http://www.spaceuk.org/hydrogen/rr.htm

Edited March 29, 2020 by Beale

[golkaidakhaana]

Do you think it would be possible to keep that other RZ.2 and maybe give it better high altitude performance, perhaps an intermediate between the base RZ.2 and the vacuum version, for launchers with huge ground-lit boosters? Similar to Titan III/IV I suppose.

[Beale]

5 hours ago, sslaptnhablhat said:

Do you think it would be possible to keep that other RZ.2 and maybe give it better high altitude performance, perhaps an intermediate between the base RZ.2 and the vacuum version, for launchers with huge ground-lit boosters? Similar to Titan III/IV I suppose.

Yep that's the plan. Four RZ engines in total.

[Beale]

[Beale]

https://github.com/Tantares/CRE

Edited March 30, 2020 by Beale

[Machinique]

Europa 1:

 

[golkaidakhaana]

Absolutely amazing work as ever. Is a single-nozzle Gamma planned, and would it be possible to include mountless variants of the Gamma engines for more versatile clustering?

Edited March 31, 2020 by golkaidakhaana

[Beale]

9 hours ago, sslaptnhablhat said:

Absolutely amazing work as ever. Is a single-nozzle Gamma planned, and would it be possible to include mountless variants of the Gamma engines for more versatile clustering?

This is planned yes, along with a set of Stentor motors in a similar selection.

13 hours ago, Machinique said:

Europa 1:

Hey! Nice! You are ahead of me!

Brings this up, what do people have eagerness to see first?

• British what ifs (Black Prince, follow ons)
• Europa Line (Europa 1, 2, +, and beyond)

I am reaching a point where an initial release is comfortable (Need to flesh out some payloads first). But we have a future directions available.

[CobaltWolf]

42 minutes ago, Beale said:

This is planned yes, along with a set of Stentor motors in a similar selection.

Hey! Nice! You are ahead of me!

Brings this up, what do people have eagerness to see first?

• British what ifs (Black Prince, follow ons)
• Europa Line (Europa 1, 2, +, and beyond)

I am reaching a point where an initial release is comfortable (Need to flesh out some payloads first). But we have a future directions available.

Personally I'd rather see the British stuff get fleshed out at least to the "things that were seriously considered" level?

[EStreetRockets]

3 hours ago, Beale said:

Hey! Nice! You are ahead of me!

Brings this up, what do people have eagerness to see first?

• British what ifs (Black Prince, follow ons)
• Europa Line (Europa 1, 2, +, and beyond)

I am reaching a point where an initial release is comfortable (Need to flesh out some payloads first). But we have a future directions available.

I would really like to see both the Europa Line and British what ifs. I think having the Europa Line will nicely pair with Knes and it's possible that some of the Europa parts already exist in Knes. Also, I think the British what ifs would be great!

This mod looks great and I cannot wait for an initial release!

Edited March 31, 2020 by EStreetRockets

[nepphhh]

Absolutely British bullexcrementstery. LH2-HTP, because you love mixing cryos & non-cryos & the densest & lightest propellants in one stage? Yes please!

[Beale]

Black Knight Otrag?