Shuttle Orbiter Construction Kit - Dev Thread

[benjee10]

(WIP image)

Shuttle Orbiter Construction Kit

Today, being Yuri's Night and the anniversary of the first orbital mission of the Space Shuttle program, STS-1, felt like a good time to reveal what I've been working on lately: a pack of parts designed to replicate the US Space Shuttle Orbiter in a stockalike style. The stock mk3 parts, while excellent, are off in a number of ways in terms of proportions and performance when compared to the real space shuttle orbiters, and building a working space shuttle can be quite a challenge due to aerodynamics, thrust balance and a host of different reasons. This mod aims to do the following:

• Shuttle Orbiter System scaled to Kerbal sizes in a stockalike/restock-alike art style
• Payload bay sized for 2.5m payloads
• Performance appropriate for a shuttle in a 2.5x game (many mods, including reDIRECT and BDB, follow this principle)
• Easy construction with snap-together parts (all node-attached, no fiddling with surface attachment)
• Launcher agnostic (i.e. you can use parts from a number of mods or from stock in order to build the launch stack)
• Easy to fly with sensible aerodynamic properties
• Fully interactive, immersive IVA powered by 3rd party mods
• Low part count both in terms of editor clutter and in flight. Mirrored parts (such as wings) will be handled using mesh/texture switching
• Integration with reDIRECT launch vehicle parts (this will involve texture tweaks to the reDIRECT parts to bring them up to standard)

So far, the shuttle is reasonably far along in texturing, but very far form functional in game. Many parts, such as landing gear, are not implemented at all yet, and others have very rudimentary textures or lack colliders, aerodynamics. This is by no means going to be an easy or quick task, so I wouldn't expect a release any time soon. 

To celebrate the anniversary of Columbia's first flight, please enjoy some of the screenshots below featuring a heavily WIP orbiter and parts from my reDIRECT mod. 

 

The shuttle features 15 switchable name slots, six based on the real flight-worthy orbiters, four based on test articles and mockups produced for the program, and five slots for custom names added by the user. 

In terms of size, the shuttle cockpit works out at slightly smaller but longer than the mk3 pod, and payload bay is longer but smaller in diameter. 

Happy to answer any questions you may have and take suggestions! 

 

Edited July 3, 2019 by benjee10

[Damon]

This is looking so nice! I cannot wait to try fly this myself! Outstanding job!

[DylanSemrau]

Really like everything you're doing with this! Looks nice, and seems like it should function well. I'm excited  

[Rocketology]

This is looking epic! Well done! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

[Barzon]

Indeed! 

Will this superannuate @Pak's Cormorant Aeronology?

[Jay The Amazing Toaster]

Real talk this is amazing, best shuttle yet! I’m going to fly the hell out of it once I get the chance.

[TheRedTom]

This looks absolutely sublime. 10/10

[Mudwig]

This looks fantastic!    

How many parts make up the orbiter itself?

If it's scaled for 2.5m payloads ( the actual shuttle cargo bay was 15' or 4.572m wide, which would translate to about ~2.8125m in KSP, based on .3125m increments ), so does that mean this is quite a bit smaller than Pak's Mk3 based shuttle? The stock Mk3 parts are way too big for a properly scaled shuttle.

BTW: You're recent rate of output is absolutely nuts!

 

[benjee10]

34 minutes ago, Mudwig said:

This looks fantastic!    

How many parts make up the orbiter itself?

If it's scaled for 2.5m payloads ( the actual shuttle cargo bay was 15' or 4.572m wide, which would translate to about ~2.8125m in KSP, based on .3125m increments ), so does that mean this is quite a bit smaller than Pak's Mk3 based shuttle? The stock Mk3 parts are way too big for a properly scaled shuttle.

BTW: You're recent rate of output is absolutely nuts!

 

Many thanks! 

The payload bay is indeed approx. 2.8125m wide, which fits 2.5m parts quite snugly but with a little margin for extra bits on the outside. In terms of dimensions the stock mk3 pod is 3.8m x 3.2m x 4.5m (minus nose cone), while my shuttle pod is 3.3m x3.3m x 5.1m, which has the overall effect of a slightly smaller looking shuttle even though when all out together my shuttle is actually a bit longer.

Total dimensions when fully assembled are 8.6m x 13.7m x 21.6m.

(note: these measurements are from the VAB in game and formatted height x width x length because that’s the order they read off in and I couldn’t be bothered translating to xyz)

Part count wise, in its most basic configuration there are 19 parts:

- Forward fuselage

- Mid fuselage

- Aft fuselage & OMS

- Wing (x2)

- Inner elevon (x2)

- Outer elevon (x2)

- Vertical stabilizer

- Body flap

- Nose gear

- Main gear (x2)

- OMS engines (x2)

- Main engines (x3)

Of course this doesn’t account for stuff like the orbiter docking system or any payload specific stuff you might have.

Edited April 13, 2019 by benjee10

[iplayksp]

yes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

23 minutes ago, benjee10 said:

Many thanks! 

The payload bay is indeed approx. 2.8125m wide, which fits 2.5m parts quite snugly but with a little margin for extra bits on the outside. In terms of dimensions the stock mk3 pod is 3.8m x 3.2m x 4.5m (minus nose cone), while my shuttle pod is 3.3m x3.3m x 5.1m, which has the overall effect of a slightly smaller looking shuttle even though when all out together my shuttle is actually a bit longer.

Total dimensions when fully assembled are 8.6m x 13.7m x 21.6m.

(note: these measurements are from the VAB in game and formatted height x width x length because that’s the order they read off in and I couldn’t be bothered translating to xyz)

Part count wise, in its most basic configuration there are 19 parts:

- Forward fuselage

- Mid fuselage

- Aft fuselage & OMS

- Wing (x2)

- Inner elevon (x2)

- Outer elevon (x2)

- Vertical stabilizer

- Body flap

- Nose gear

- Main gear (x2)

- OMS engines (x2)

- Main engines (x3)

Of course this doesn’t account for stuff like the orbiter docking system or any payload specific stuff you might have.

When Should the approximate date of release be? I'm assuming it will be a couple of weeks at a minimum. 

[PocketBrotector]

If there’s anything that could make me question my loyalty to the stock-based shuttle in Cormorant... it would be this Restock-alike approach.

Looking forward to seeing more!

Edited April 13, 2019 by PocketBrotector

[Kerbinchaser]

Holy cow. I never fly shuttles but I can tell that you put a lot of time into making this a very crisp mod. Very well done. 

[Zorg]

Fantastic shuttle Benjee! I am quite looking forward to this. It will be fantastic to have a proportionate shuttle balanced for 2.5x with LH2 (using the reDirect stack of course). 

[Jovzin]

Oh man thank you.

May I ask a few questions ? 

You are using stock parts as base and only re-textured them ?  

Or DECQ's model and upgraded textures ?

Or it is complete new models and textures made by you from scratch Blender or 3dS Max ?      I assume for textures creation you are using Quixel Suite or Substance Painter right ?  Bcs those textures looks great.

 

Btw wish you luck finally some nice new Stock Space shuttle.  Pitty that old KSP Shuttle is no longer supported.  

I mean this one here :    https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/37535-kerbin-mini-shuttle/  

 

This was nice mini stock shuttle but no longer working as far as I know. 

Happy taht you are now making new stock shuttle.

In case you need some help with moddeling or texturing a few parts I have some spare time so can help.  

 

Maybe finally I will be able to use this thing here, on your shuttle, that  I was making for DECQ's  Space Shuttle  to make it a bit scifi It is still lurking somewhere on my external HDD...   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57mAeNWTKZ0

 

 

EDIT:  Oh man those VFX engine particles on the shuttle on that picture #3. Wau really great. Such a ncie work and detail...  I need to learn a lot still in this 3D modelling world  

Edited April 13, 2019 by Jovzin

[benjee10]

1 hour ago, Jovzin said:

Oh man thank you.

May I ask a few questions ? 

You are using stock parts as base and only re-textured them ?  

Or DECQ's model and upgraded textures ?

Or it is complete new models and textures made by you from scratch Blender or 3dS Max ?      I assume for textures creation you are using Quixel Suite or Substance Painter right ?  Bcs those textures looks great.

 

Btw wish you luck finally some nice new Stock Space shuttle.  Pitty that old KSP Shuttle is no longer supported.  

I mean this one here :    https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/37535-kerbin-mini-shuttle/  

 

This was nice mini stock shuttle but no longer working as far as I know. 

Happy taht you are now making new stock shuttle.

In case you need some help with moddeling or texturing a few parts I have some spare time so can help.  

 

Maybe finally I will be able to use this thing here, on your shuttle, that  I was making for DECQ's  Space Shuttle  to make it a bit scifi It is still lurking somewhere on my external HDD...   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57mAeNWTKZ0

 

 

EDIT:  Oh man those VFX engine particles on the shuttle on that picture #3. Wau really great. Such a ncie work and detail...  I need to learn a lot still in this 3D modelling world  

These are completely new models created in Blender - for texturing I use mainly Photoshop, though I now do a little bit of finishing in Substance Painter (mainly for normals and specular). 

The Kerbin Shuttle Orbiter System was definitely an inspiration for this. 

For the Particle FX we must thank @JadeOfMaar for PlumeParty! I still haven't moved the SRBs over to use those plumes which I really must get round to...

[CobaltWolf]

Great to finally see this revealed! Looks incredible dude.

[Drakenex]

Amazing Benjee! Attention to detail looks fantastic. Like Columbia's extra wing tiles!

Don'r forget Columbia's SILTS pod

 

[HB Stratos]

The first Space Shuttle missions had ejection seats, might be a lot to ask for but at least it would be awesome...

[DJ Reonic]

This is absolutely amazing. Are you planning on a Block 2 shuttle as well?

[benjee10]

On 4/13/2019 at 7:16 PM, HB Stratos said:

The first Space Shuttle missions had ejection seats, might be a lot to ask for but at least it would be awesome...

I'm not sure how exactly this would be implemented in KSP I'm afraid.

On 4/13/2019 at 7:39 PM, DJ Reonic said:

This is absolutely amazing. Are you planning on a Block 2 shuttle as well?

Based on the amount of work this has taken so far (and I'm not even onto aero/balancing/IVA yet...) I'm probably not going to do be doing Block 2 unfortunately. 

Some updates (screenshots in my horribly barren mod testing save, so no lovely visual mods I'm afraid):

Engines are from ReStock. 

The external texturing is mostly complete now (though it needs a specular pass and some more detailing & the cargo bay is in very early stages). 

[IvanOV-104]

Can´t wait for this, hope it is complete soon. Should I wait for this to come out to complete my ISS?, I really need a longer cargo bay, and the stock one wich cormorant uses is not enough.

[Kartoffelkuchen]

Amazing quality! Keep it up!

[Gapone]

Well, there is SOCK now.

[Barzon]

Well actually its SOCK SSSPP

[benjee10]

Spent the last couple of days working on the shuttle's aerodynamics and landing gear, and pleased to say that I have both of those (mostly) working as intended! Also made a lot of quality of life changes in terms of ease of construction, and finally all the parts have proper colliders. Landing gear are still textureless and aerodynamics aren't really something I can show off well in a screenshot, so here's a bunch of eye candy from a test mission I ran in my properly modded 2.5x save:

You can use the deploy limit slider to choose whether the front payload bay radiator panels actuate outwards fully or remain latched, though for the time being this is purely cosmetic. 

Going away for a few days over Easter so it will be a little while before I get back to this. There is still a lot of work to be done and I don't plan on releasing it into the wild until it's properly polished, including at the very least a basic IVA with stock props.