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The ICBM mod from Mark James Space Co

Mark James

By Mark James
in KSP1 Mod Development

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Creideiki

Creideiki

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Based on your requested engine model (which, by the way, there is an excellent four combustion chamber/nozzel rngine in KW Rocketry), might I assume you are working on the Russian/Soviet R-R and R-36M? (NATO reporting names of the SS-6 Sapwood and SS-18 Satan, respectively.)

Though, why you want SRM effects is beyond me, as both were liquid fuelled (R-7 by LOX and kerosene, R-36M by nitrogen tetroxide and UDMH).

That engine surely can't be for an American missile, as the most combustion chambers on a rocket motor was the two on the bottom of the Titan I and Titan II.

What ICBMs are you making anyways If you take suggestions, I suggest making the iconic Titan, Atlas and Minuteman missiles. Titan I and Titan II are quite similar (the main difference exists in the second stage), whereas the different Atlas ICBM models (i.e. Atlas D, Atlas E and Atlas F) are pretty much identical, but exceptionally cool. Minuteman is... somewhat generic.

I myself have been working on making a model of the warhead re-entry vehicle for the Titan and Atlas family missiles, though I can't texture it worth anything, and don't even mention getting it into KSP.

Anyway, cheers and looking forward to the results of this mod!

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Creideiki

Creideiki

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What exactly are you having trouble with? have you looked at the link below it might be helpful.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/25013-Compilation-of-modding-information-links-for-0-19-0-20-Last-updated-17-06-13

I have looked at the link, actually.

My troubles are mostly in two fields:

1. I'm vision impaired, so 3D modelling and texturing is not my forté. (I'm a good musician and computer programmer; horrible at visual arts though...)

2. Unity confuses me.

Quite honestly; I'm much more comfortable in working with my PDP-11/73 and PAL-11 assembler then C#.

Any way, we are straying from the topic at hand. I'd show my work on the AVCO Mk 4 R/V of the Atlas F and Titan I; but that would make one's eyes bleed.

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Mark James

Mark James

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Based on your requested engine model (which, by the way, there is an excellent four combustion chamber/nozzel rngine in KW Rocketry), might I assume you are working on the Russian/Soviet R-R and R-36M? (NATO reporting names of the SS-6 Sapwood and SS-18 Satan, respectively.)

Though, why you want SRM effects is beyond me, as both were liquid fuelled (R-7 by LOX and kerosene, R-36M by nitrogen tetroxide and UDMH).

That engine surely can't be for an American missile, as the most combustion chambers on a rocket motor was the two on the bottom of the Titan I and Titan II.

What ICBMs are you making anyways If you take suggestions, I suggest making the iconic Titan, Atlas and Minuteman missiles. Titan I and Titan II are quite similar (the main difference exists in the second stage), whereas the different Atlas ICBM models (i.e. Atlas D, Atlas E and Atlas F) are pretty much identical, but exceptionally cool. Minuteman is... somewhat generic.

I myself have been working on making a model of the warhead re-entry vehicle for the Titan and Atlas family missiles, though I can't texture it worth anything, and don't even mention getting it into KSP.

Anyway, cheers and looking forward to the results of this mod!

yeah that is for the Russian ICBM and the ones I will be making is the R-36 Titan 2 Minute Man 3 and R-36S. im making the last one up but all its going to be is solid propelled version

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Kerbal01

Kerbal01

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The proper format is .png but that format takes a lot of HD space up and increases the loading time 3-4x so it is recomended that you use .mbm file format, try that. As for making the texture, i don't know how to do that as I've never done it.

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Creideiki

Creideiki

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yeah that is for the Russian ICBM and the ones I will be making is the R-36 Titan 2 Minute Man 3 and R-36S. im making the last one up but all its going to be is solid propelled version

Umm, what may I ask is the R-36S? I've never heard of that version. The only R-36 versions I've seen are the R-36, R-36M, and derivatives of the R-36M (like the R-36M2, R-36MUTTh, et cetera).

And, among all of those only one is actually solid fuelled; the Minuteman III of course. The R-36 is most definitely a liquid fuelled rocket (so is the Titan II). Here's a quite impressive photo of the R-36 lifting off:

r36ml1.jpg

The plume of red "smoke" pouring out of the upper end of the missile is some of the nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) oxidizer in the fueling lines pouring out of the now severed umbilicals. You usually see a similar plume -- plus condensation plumes -- on liquid oxygen (LOX) fuelled rockets; like the Titan and Atlas series.

Of course both the R-36 and Titan series are bi-propellant rockets; in that they need a second substance to actually combust. A rocket with NTO as the oxidizer will, most often have some form of hydrazine as its actual fuel; the R-36 using unsymmetrical dimethyl-hydrazine (UDMH); a rocket with LOX (example, the Titan series, Atlas series, or the Saturn rockets that took US astronauts to the moon), will usually have kerosene (US rockets using a type called "Rocket Propellent 1" (RP-1)) for the lower stages, and for space based stages will use liquid hydrogen (LH2) as it's more powerful. Of course the Titan II ICBM usually only LOX and RP-1. (Less "stuff" to have to deal with in the silo fuelling equipment. Since the missile silo already has to deal with the LOX and RP-1 propellents, and Helium as well as LN2 for the pneumatics and hydraulics on the missile systems.)

LOX and NTO aren't the only oxidizers out there. There's red-fuming nitric acid (RFNA), inhibited red-fuming nitric acid (IRFNA), white-fuming nitric acid (WFNA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and as one last example chlorine triflouride (CTF).

That last one deserves special mention. Let me quote the excellent John Clark from his quite good book Ignition! (which is all about liquid rocket fuels):

It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that's the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water-with which it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals-steel, copper, aluminium, etc.-because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes.

Which of course means it is the most Kerbal of oxidizers.

Of course we're getting way, way off topic of ICBMs. Though, I do have to question your selection of ICBMs to make. Two models of the R-36 (one of which doesn't exist)? That seems a bit redundant. If I were competent enough to model anything, and get it into KSP, I'd probably go with:

American Missiles

  • SM-68A Titan I/LGM-25C Titan II1
  • SM-65F Atlas F
  • LGM-30G Minuteman III
  • LGM-118A 'Peacekeeper'

Soviet Missiles

  • R-7/R-7A 'Semyorka'2
  • R-36M 'SS-18 Satan'
  • RT-2PM 'Topol'
  • UR-100N 'SS-19 Stiletto'

So, let's give an explanation as to why those specific ICBMs were chosen.

The Titan I and Titan II were selected, for two reasons. The Titan I was the first silo based, and first "proper" multiple stage missile. The Titan II's claim to fame was being the first American ICBM to use storeable rocket propellents (that is, the missile can sit in its silo with its fuel tanks full without having anything bad happening to it, or its fuel), which was NTO and Aerozine 50 (a mix of fifty percent pure hydrazine and fifty percent pure UDMH); the Titan II in a slightly modified civilian variant was used as a launch vehicle during NASA's Gemini program.

The Atlas F ICBM is picked for two reasons; number one is the fact the Atlas family of ICBMs (and space launch vehicles) was the first American ICBM, period. The second reason is that the Atlas F was the last ICBM version of the Atlas family; it and the slightly different Atlas E got converted into rather useful satellite launch vehicles (though not specifically used with the Atlas E/F launch vehicles, the RM-81 Agena and Centaur upper stages being most notable). There's also a third reason, that being the fact the Atlas rockets (all of them up to and including the Atlas II launch vehicle) had a very interesting "stage and a half" design; where the outer two booster engines would be jettisoned leaving the main engine (and two vernier engines) as well as the fuel tankage remaining. Atlas III and beyond got rid of that design.

The Minuteman III was chosen as it is the only land based ICBM currently in use by the US. It's predecessors the LGM-30 Minuteman I was the first solid fuelled missile to enter service in the US, as well as the first missile to have an onboard computer guidance system (as opposed to the simpler guidance systems on the Atlas F and Titan II, or the effectively non-existent guidance system on the Titan I). The Minuteman III also had an interesting addition compared to the earlier Minuteman versions, in that it has a pseudo-fourth stage; the part of the missile that holds the actual "boom" has a tiny liquid fuelled motor to adjust its course, and; for MIRV based goodness, help deliver each MIRV to the right place; the other three stages are all solid fuelled (with liquid fuel injected into the nozzles of some of the stages to steer them better); though the first stage actually does have a four nozzle engine, which I am surprised about.

The LGM-118A Peacekeeper (also known as MX) was picked because it was simply the biggest ICBM in the US arsenal. It's also in the photo at the start of this thread. There's nothing else I could say about it.

Now, in terms of the Russian ICBM's...

The R-7/R-7A were picked becuase of two reasons, firstly they were the first Russian ICBM ever (and first ICBM in the world), secondly the a modified version of this ICBM was used for several of the early Russian space launches (most famously Sputnik, and Vostok 1 which made Yuri Gagarin the first human in space).

The R-36M was picked as it was a counterpart of, and the reason for the development of, the LGM-118 Peacekeeper, being the largest ICBM in the Russian arsenal.

The RT2-PM Topol was picked as it is the most deployed missile by the Russians; it was also the first road mobile ICBM deployed by the Soviets as well. It's solid fuelled too. (It also inspired the US to develop the Midgetman (not a typo) road mobile missile, which promptly got cancelled at the end of the Cold War.)

The UR-100N was picked as it is the most modern Russian silo launched missile; it is liquid fuelled like the other ICBMs fielded by Russia/the Soviet Union.

If anything else would be added I would suggest the RM-81 Agena and Centaur upper stages. Since they would make the American Atlas into its more common space launch vehicle design, as compared to the "bare" Atlas F. The Centaur and Agena were also used on the Titan II base (with or without strap on solid fuel boosters) as the Titan III. (There was a dedicated Titan III core, but we'll ignore that. Just as we'll ignore the fact that the Atlas-Agena and Atlas-Centaur were usually atop Atlas D derived lower stages with Atlas F avionics.)

I could describe, in detail, what I think would be a good "breakdown" of the various parts for the mod pack; but I'm quite sure you wouldn't be interested (plus it is your mod, not mine).

<Image snipped for space.>

this is the almost finished titan 2 engine. just have to add a few details and texture

It's a good model; but it most assuredly is not even close to what the real Aerojet LR87 looked like. Though, add two more nozzles and in place of the "square" tubing, and you'll have the first stage solid rocket motor of the Minuteman.

The Aerojet LR87 being the actual rocket motor used on the Titan series of ICBMs and rockets. The original LR87 being the main engine of the Titan I; the LR87-7 if I remember correctly being the main engine of the Titan II. A photograph of the actual LR87 can be found here.

I do apologize for the sheer length of this reply; but I happen to find ICBMs to be a rather interesting topic. And I would love to see a representation of some of the more interesting strategic rockets of the world represented in KSP. Plus, most of the rather interesting ICBMs also happened to be used as very good space launch platforms. Making them much more useful then just "speedy delivery of boom."3

Footnotes

  1. The Titan I and Titan II both use the same lower stage, the difference between he two missiles being the Titan II's upper stage was larger.
  2. The R-7 and R-7A are nearly the same, the difference being the shape of the warhead re-entry vehicle and connecting cowling, and a fully enclosing cowling around the R-7A's booster motors.
  3. I am ignoring, of course the fact that the Titan I, R-7, and Atlas missiles all took a rather long time to prepare for, and then actually launch. The Titan I taking fifteen minutes (!) to fuel, and then raise into launch position; and to send off all three Titan I missiles in a Titan I launch complex required one to fuel each missile and then fire them one at a time (because the Titan I had to be controlled by ground-based radio navigation systems).

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Creideiki

Creideiki

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Wow, that was deep....

Well, I do tend to write long treatises on subjects that interest me.

Plus there's the fact I had been drawing up plans for an ICBM pack of my own but was pre-empted by this thread.

Also, there's the fact I can't 3D model worth <redacted>, so it's not like I could make my own pack.

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Mark James

Mark James

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Well, I do tend to write long treatises on subjects that interest me.

Plus there's the fact I had been drawing up plans for an ICBM pack of my own but was pre-empted by this thread.

Also, there's the fact I can't 3D model worth <redacted>, so it's not like I could make my own pack.

If Your any good at texturing models I could use the help

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Creideiki

Creideiki

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If Your any good at texturing models I could use the help

No, I am not good at texturing, or 3D modelling. I have a vision impairment so endeavours which require precision visual acuity are not my forté. I'm more a programmer and a musician.

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Mark James

Mark James

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If any body would like to help speed up the production I can always use help with the mod

what I need is someone who knows how to write part.cfg files

Also I need someone who knows how to texture parts.

I do appreciate suggestions and listen to tips.

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