Rune's Slightly Used Vehicles

[CrashTestDanny]

Wow - I can't even approach your rotation numbers in that configuration. From the pic it looks like you're halfway between the VAB and the pad when you rotate at about 110 m/s. I light the engines, keep the brake on until they're up to 90N thrust, then release the brake and leave the stick alone. At the pad I'm doing 90 m/s. I must really be missing something...

[Rune]

Wow - I can't even approach your rotation numbers in that configuration. From the pic it looks like you're halfway between the VAB and the pad when you rotate at about 110 m/s. I light the engines, keep the brake on until they're up to 90N thrust, then release the brake and leave the stick alone. At the pad I'm doing 90 m/s. I must really be missing something...

Hum, that's weird. Doubly so because I don't let the RAPIERS spool up, I just go all "Z,T,1, Go!" as soon as the vessel loads. Don't worry though, whatever speed you are lacking you will regain while climbing, if you pick a shallow enough angle to start with.

Let me take a look at the files anyhow... [heads off to KSP] ...holy boop! Yeah, turns out I did manage to tweak it a tiny bit after I released. I just updated the DL, though, so you can re-download and see if you get a better result. It seems I did manage to decrease drag a bit by redoing the part immediately behind the cockpit, and somehow I also saved two parts doing that. It should still work, mind you, but perhaps my version is ever so slightly better performing.

Rune. You know, I should hire you to find out all my mistakes. Kudos in the meantime!

[CrashTestDanny]

I am not trying to find mistakes, man - I'm sorry if it feels that way... I would be happy to test anything you put up and let you know how us dummies can break it!

- - - Updated - - -

I suppose I should have mentioned that Spatha, Longsword, and Javelin all SSTO'ed just fine for me... I suspect my great great great grandma could even SSTO Spatha - what a beast. Hauled up a full Rocko 3200 and still had half her own tanks full when she got there... I did add an adapter full of fuel and a nosecone B to her tail to reduce drag (something you suggested in a post)...

Danny

- - - Updated - - -

I just started flying the updated version in the same config you showed - ISRU module empty buffer tank. I make 95 m/s at VAB and 140ish at the far numbers. MUCH BETTER! Will post up after we get higher...

- - - Updated - - -

And the result is...

suspense...

drumroll...

waitforit...

84k circular orbit with about 100 dV to spare... I could have flown it a little better... I guess I need a gas station right around here...

Thanks again for all your hard work and patience, Rune!

Danny.

- - - Updated - - -

Alright - one last (minor) issue to report. I'm getting to orbit with no electricity to run the reaction wheels... Need the fuel cell on an action group so I don't have to try to find it with the camera while the ship is rotating uncontrolled.

[Rune]

I am not trying to find mistakes, man - I'm sorry if it feels that way... I would be happy to test anything you put up and let you know how us dummies can break it!

- - - Updated - - -

I suppose I should have mentioned that Spatha, Longsword, and Javelin all SSTO'ed just fine for me... I suspect my great great great grandma could even SSTO Spatha - what a beast. Hauled up a full Rocko 3200 and still had half her own tanks full when she got there... I did add an adapter full of fuel and a nosecone B to her tail to reduce drag (something you suggested in a post)...

Danny

- - - Updated - - -

I just started flying the updated version in the same config you showed - ISRU module empty buffer tank. I make 95 m/s at VAB and 140ish at the far numbers. MUCH BETTER! Will post up after we get higher...

- - - Updated - - -

And the result is...

suspense...

drumroll...

waitforit...

84k circular orbit with about 100 dV to spare... I could have flown it a little better... I guess I need a gas station right around here...

Thanks again for all your hard work and patience, Rune!

Danny.

- - - Updated - - -

Alright - one last (minor) issue to report. I'm getting to orbit with no electricity to run the reaction wheels... Need the fuel cell on an action group so I don't have to try to find it with the camera while the ship is rotating uncontrolled.

On the contrary, keep on breaking my ships! It allows me to make them better next time.

And you are right, maybe the fuel cell could be easier to select... but, two ways to get around that one: first, it is visible if you clip the camera inside the rear tank by zooming, that's useful (and the reason I often put that stuff at the rear of the cargo bay). And also, you can lock the camera to your ship by putting it into "locked" mode if you are spinning wildly. That you probably already knew, but I'm sure you still haven't internalized it as the standard "WhattehheckisgoingonI'mcrashing!!!!" maneuver: it is the only way to re-assign control surfaces or transfer fuel around while your SSTO is doing backflips while bathing on reentry flames, for example.

Rune. Yup, the Spatha is grossly overpowered, that was a conscious design choice. It may not be efficient, but boy is it rugged!

[CrashTestDanny]

I still like my kickback version of the Trident... talk about OP

[Rune]

Update! I only have this two crappy pics ATM, but I have stealth-updated the DL of the Trident with an updated version that ditches the previously awesome Mk1 cockpit and replaces it with a cockpit that actually... looks very nice and weights less. The march of progress, I guess. :rolleyes:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/zYrd8uq.png[/img]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/tdkwtVI.png[/img]

I also went ahead and replaced the White Dart with the new version, while I was at it. That one I'm really happy about. :)


Rune. The Thuds look better, though.

[Rune]

Yes! It works! It's safe and sound! And I probably need to rewrite the whole thing...

Anyhow, we survived the forum update, and that is something to rejoice. So, rejoice, gentlekerbs!

Now I only need to figure out, like, everything about this new forum. How come some some pics show and others don't? The forums still rebuilding themselves? Are spoilers even a thing now? Which tags work like before and which ones don't?

 

 

Rune. So many questions...

[Frozen_Heart]

I've found the best way to fix a post is go onto edit, then submit without actually making changes. It fixes everything but albums. For some reason the older pics still work but newer ones don't. and spoilers still work but I think they work a bit differently now.

And good to see you're back after this crazy update.

[Rune]

Thanks, I'll slowly get my forum legs back, I'm sure. Slow and steady wins the race, and all that. Plus, the OP is mostly still there.

 

 

Rune. Still, for now consider everything a WiP...

[Odyessus]

 

Great planes Rune, but I'm having trouble with White Dart 1.05. The RAPIERs wont work in airbreathing mode - 0% propulsion needs met. Im running the usual collection of mods like KER, Mechjeb, RT2, Umbra Industries etc, but not FAR. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

 

[Rune]

2 hours ago, Odyessus said:

 

Great planes Rune, but I'm having trouble with White Dart 1.05. The RAPIERs wont work in airbreathing mode - 0% propulsion needs met. Im running the usual collection of mods like KER, Mechjeb, RT2, Umbra Industries etc, but not FAR. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

 

Whoops! I took a look at it, and the problem was that the thrust limiter was set to 0... apparently I was playing with VTOLs or something just before I saved the release version... sorry, and thanks for bringing it up!

 

Rune. I took the liberty of fixing the spoilers while I was at it.

[Stone Blue]

Downloaad link for the Javelin doesnt seem to be working for me....???

[Rune]

2 hours ago, Stone Blue said:

Downloaad link for the Javelin doesnt seem to be working for me....???

Hum, it does for me... what browser are you using?

 

Rune. The ways of the internets are weird.

[Stone Blue]

Weird... Latest vers of FF... I DO have some plugins installed, tho... Whats weird is all the other craft links load fine for me...Just the Javelin one refuses to load, and COMPLETELY slows down my browser, almost locking it up.... ???

And WHY does Mediafire need to run Adobe Flash?!?!.....

[CrashTestDanny]

So Rune... got any 1.0.5 updates?  Was hoping to see some Trident variant using the cargo ramp or something along those lines!

[Rune]

3 hours ago, CrashTestDanny said:

So Rune... got any 1.0.5 updates?  Was hoping to see some Trident variant using the cargo ramp or something along those lines!

Yeah, I need to get on cracking to post the 1.05 stuff here... but it's funny, just the one you ask about is already done Stealthily, I updated the file with intensive but subtle changes that decrease part count and increase efficiency a tiny bit. Mostly, I switched cockpits, but there were a couple other changes. You might find the new DL has a meaner look about it... Sadly, I have yet to fly enough of these to put up a new album.

And there are a couple of 1.05 things I've released already, which are going through the customary early trials period. Stuff like this, this, or even these. It's just that I am being particularly slow to get used to the new forum software. Go take a look, and I hope you like them!

Oh, and I'm also getting sidetracked with stuff like this, as always... Currently the RP is that my Minmus crew went rogue, and they are cannibalizing stuff slated for retirement to set themselves up in their own "free" orbital colony. With casinos! And greenhouses!

 

Rune. Expect the OP to change quite a bit during the holidays...

Edited December 21, 2015 by Rune

[HafCoJoe]

I see there are no downloads in the OP  - Does the white dart SSTO in 1.0.5? I might want to use it for some pointers if it does.

[Rune]

2 hours ago, Avera9eJoe said:

I see there are no downloads in the OP  - Does the white dart SSTO in 1.0.5? I might want to use it for some pointers if it does.

Check the spoilers! As always, I leave some of the information hidden (namely, the imgur album and the DL link), in order to have a cleaner OP. And yes, the White Dart does indeed SSTO, and the flight manual is realy realy really easy. Be sure to tell me what you think of it!

 

Rune. Can you even name the spoilers anymore?

[HafCoJoe]

Jezz how did I miss that...  Thanks! I shall check it out and report back.

[HafCoJoe]

Oh one more thing I should ask about regarding the instructions, the forum migration appears to have broken your degrees symbol and I'm not sure if that is meant to say "5 degrees" or "50 degrees" over the horizon.

 

EDIT: Reporting back, it works magnificently. One thing though, the electric charge and monoprop in the lander can are both locked and I found that I ran out of eletric charge by the time I got to apoapsis. I unlocked the lander can's electricity and everything started working fine again. Might be worth mentioning in OP to unlock the electric charge at AP.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Avera9eJoe

[Rune]

18 hours ago, Avera9eJoe said:

Oh one more thing I should ask about regarding the instructions, the forum migration appears to have broken your degrees symbol and I'm not sure if that is meant to say "5 degrees" or "50 degrees" over the horizon.

 

EDIT: Reporting back, it works magnificently. One thing though, the electric charge and monoprop in the lander can are both locked and I found that I ran out of eletric charge by the time I got to apoapsis. I unlocked the lander can's electricity and everything started working fine again. Might be worth mentioning in OP to unlock the electric charge at AP.

Hehe, it's 5 of course! With 50º AoA, you would quickly go into the drink.

As to the charge issue, that is precisely the reason there is a fuel cell in the bay. You could make do with the solar panels, but really, it's just good practice to turn it on along with the engines, on the runway. I held off on doing that (putting them in the RAPIER action group), because they don't have a toggle option and I'm sure not everybody would start the engines on the runway the same way I do.

 

Rune. I am beginning to trust in fuel cells above all else.

[Rune]

Update! I linked most of the new stuff to the OP. Also... how would you guys feel about a 75 part, 12 module station? It looks ok, and it is certainly an exercise in making things complicated.

Guaranteed to make you learn how to dock precisely. And yup, I have it packaged to fit in ~5 medium Mk3 payload bays.

 

Rune. Kind of a budget ISS.

[DMSP]

45 minutes ago, Rune said:

Update! I linked most of the new stuff to the OP. Also... how would you guys feel about a 75 part, 12 module station? It looks ok, and it is certainly an exercise in making things complicated.

Guaranteed to make you learn how to dock precisely. And yup, I have it packaged to fit in ~5 medium Mk3 payload bays.

 

Rune. Kind of a budget ISS.

That looks great, and I would love it! Is the COM right on the SR Docking port?

Especially paired with your Subassembly pack.

[Rune]

7 hours ago, DMSP said:

That looks great, and I would love it! Is the COM right on the SR Docking port?

Especially paired with your Subassembly pack.

Not a bad idea! It short of fits, and a single "massive" subassembly would contain all the different modules for you to pack as you wish. Will do!

Also, I am really insipired! I took a look at the old Medusa idea, you know, the Grand Tour ship of previous versions... I think with KAS+KIS, and a judicious use of ISRU, the whole Grand Tour can be done in a single launch from kerbin orbit, using a LackLuster as an universal lander. Well, except Eve, that thing requires a humongous dedicated lander, but hey, physics. Take a look:

The idea is to drop a few disposable surface refineries along the way, and use the LackLuster as both universal lander and ore tanker. I managed to get all the essentials of ore mining on a service module form the KIS mod (deployed via KAS), and the ore tanks also fit the payload bay of the little SSTO. And being SSTO, it can even land one of those refineries on Tylo! And not only that, in the configuration you see it, it has Mass ratio >2, albeit without the lander. But even with the lander fully fuelled, it only weights 50mT, and mos of it is tankage... bottom line, around 7-8km/s in the tanks before you have to drop a refinery on a low-grav moon to fill up. And I plan to pack five. Total IMLKO is going to be around 250mT, with one launch for the core, 4~5 Claymore flights to bring the auxiliary modules, and the Lackluster SSTOing by itself, dry mass of around ~100mT. Heck, I might even do an ugly stock clippy refinery so I can release it as 100% stock...

Edit:

Of course it can be done stock! This jumped to my mind as I was building... *ahem*

"One lander to land 'em all,

one lander to mine 'em

One lander to flag 'em all,

and even in Tylo, land there!"

 

 

Rune. What do you guys think? My most realistic iteration of the plan yet!

Edited December 29, 2015 by Rune

[Rune]

I'm torn here, guys. On the one hand, the current version of the Trident is sweet. Look at it! It totally looks like a sci-fi transport, all stubby but aerodynamic:

BUT. What can I say, it has always been an advanced ship, and the drag from the extra engines, not to mention a low TWR to maximize payload, means that it makes orbit on fumes on kerbin, and that going supersonic takes a little dive at 10,000m, so no hands-free piloting. And it carries only a single crew member, so cargo only. And it certainly couldn't lift off from kerbin with an full ore tank to refuel in orbit, so also no fuel hauling at Laythe. All in all, it was short of thrust-starved and on the edge of possibility (which is why it was so darned efficient). So, yesterday I slapped a few parts together on the futile attempt of improving on it... and you know what? I think I succeeded. But hey, you be the judge:

Look at that flight manual! The third step is "circularize". And when you circularize, you have half an orange tank on the bay... and slightly more than that on the tanks, too. Ample margin, check. This thing can most likely haul 30mT of ore up! Now I have a good tanker/dropship for a Laythe outpost... and balanced so even @Cupcake... would be proud, less than 0.1kNm in any axis when loaded with LFO mix, and less than 0.1kNm in the vertical axis, always. The payload might change that a bit (after all, it is a big payload bay)... but the RCS system can most likely cope, and you'll never run out of it as long as you are running the engines. 70 parts empty, too, there's a lot of filler crap on the bay to make one of my half-orange-tank subassemblies double-dock (meaning it has quite a bit of unused volume on the bay).

 

Rune. So... maybe the old must leave room to the new? But the Trident is so awesome!

Edited January 5, 2016 by Rune