Electric Hydroplane

[vv3k70r]

//edit: at the end of a story is heavy electric rotor hydroplane easiest to fly, to take off from water, easiest to even swim

Because of running multiple missions I found a nned for a plane that can land any tim. Because planet is mostly covered with water (good reason to call such a planet Earth?) plane have to land on water.

Easy task.

Then it should take off and physics in KSP is a bit against things that run on water. Because water is a good place for da Kraken.

Because of refueling plane should be electric as previous I tried. Tech tree limit me as far to medium motors, but even light was good enough, but speed is good. Green pilots like speed. Puting 2 counterorating rotors in line is not enought, 2 in front and 2 rear are better (mach 0.75). Overpowered plane in first version was so overpowered that it could land on the roof:

Or fly stright up as second and third version:

But it was big and for taking off it could use only rear propelers to avoid capsizing what makes it a bit complicated.

So I stay with just one pair of counterrotaiting rotors with max rpm set to them and deploy angle controled by throtle. But thrust vector was still an issue. For taking of from water there is a robotic hinge that angle it -15 deg, control surfaces are extended and just after  it take off from water urgent need of pressing 3 and 4 to retract all those and do not end in a loop is neccesary but work every time (it jumps from a water like a rocket, and a rocket is something what a decent Kerman pilot menage easily).

I ended with smaller plane:

Some empty small tanks are added to make it float corectly (proppelers do not get in the water even during take off, it is not a problem, but it shouldnt be that way).

Some curves were add to floats to cut drag from water:

I went from this monster:

To this one:

It is still a bit overpowered, but it fly much better, but not that much to land on the roof. At least I donot try.

Steam workshop with the last one:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2311018562

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by vv3k70r

[vv3k70r]

Before I launched this hydroplane I meet some more Mun craters (only mountain one left) and without any other usefull tech in range (with most basic aicrafts up to afterburner) I took heavy electric motor (and seen the big wheels - I understund CEO with his "why?!").

Big electric motor get 24blade atached, and of course I took same countertating. Then troubles began. It need bigger fuselage, but floats also need to be bigger. Powert of the engine turn me to something resemblin delta shaped jet with float and as far I know hydroplane jets are bad idea. Tail cones showed to heave side drag in water that colapsed whole idea.

I use empty rocket fuel tanks with nose, give to much battery during balancing it (at least half of them could be removed now -18k electric power is a lot, specialy if during daylight it dosent use them) and after fiting it with pv bookkeeper seen the price and start asking questions about sanity.

Of course at the begining there were problem with balancing it - it fly good at low speed or high, to take of from water was a diferent story.

I ended up with big wings and floats configuration that allow to easily land on water without any suspicion that it crashed and go on water building speed very fast same way. It floats good. But size of the wing restricted speed to 200m/s and adding pv to 180m/s.

Taking off is just about seting the deployment angle of 48 blades on rotors by main throtle (rpm fixed), pushing deployment (AG 3) and after 40m/s it will fly, then push 3 again, adjust deployment by throtle building speed and fly. It roll corectly (as for hydroplane -floats are a bit of issue). On water same procedure, just cannot build speed so agresive, but press 3 and its all.

File on steam:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2314337961

Most of control surfaces is just to be deployed, they have no use during flight, because total surface on agresive manoufers with this engine build G that disasemble it.

[vv3k70r]

Some more struts would do the job, toque of engine against this big tail screwing the plane:

[Pds314]

Interesting. Reminds me of my Axolotl in concept but you went with a pretty different design.

[vv3k70r]

1 hour ago, Pds314 said:

Interesting. Reminds me of my Axolotl in concept but you went with a pretty different design.

Adapted to Kerbins fishic and avilable parts. Water drag and buoyancy on Kerbin is quite unusual. Lack of ground effect without mods and so on. KSP is about flying not taking off.

Edited December 14, 2020 by vv3k70r

[Pds314]

On 12/14/2020 at 12:57 AM, vv3k70r said:

Adapted to Kerbins fishic and avilable parts. Water drag and buoyancy on Kerbin is quite unusual. Lack of ground effect without mods and so on. KSP is about flying not taking off.

Yeah we just have really different solutions to those problems.

 

[vv3k70r]

1 hour ago, Pds314 said:

Yeah we just have really different solutions to those problems.

Yes - delivering power from propelerc that are spread and thus create higher drag area I considered not good for speed. And so they have to be mounted in hull, and because front proppeler works bad in term of this game physics against taking off from water it ended up with two at the rear.

Speed is something that no Kerbal would pay for such minor factor as stability. Faster You go - more Kerbal it is.

Edited December 18, 2020 by vv3k70r