Orion aka "Ol' Boom-boom"

[ExcesFormal]

Hi, welcome to the forums!

I had a little look, and the copy.com download address up in this thread's first post seems to be working. At the same time there's another post here mentioning temporary download problems. You might want to try in a few minutes or later on to see if you have any success.

I downloaded it just now but isn't the 18 version horrendously outdated with respect to the current kerbal?

[technicalfool]

I downloaded it just now but isn't the 18 version horrendously outdated with respect to the current kerbal?

This I'm not so sure about. The Orion engine is one mod I haven't played with yet.

Hopefully someone else has better info than me there. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from creating a separate copy of KSP for testing mods with. That way if it breaks something, it's only broken the copy.

Even in the worst case, there's still a lot of mods out there for adding some pretty neat parts though, and that's on top of things like the LV-N "nuclear lightbulb"-style engine that's in the stock game.

Edited June 22, 2014 by technicalfool

[Hremsfeld]

I downloaded it just now but isn't the 18 version horrendously outdated with respect to the current kerbal?

It still works, you'll just want to put TechRequired = nuclearPropulsion in each .part file. Or, if you use a tech tree mod mod (...), the following entry puts them all in a new tech, dependent on Nuclear Propulsion, costing as much as other techs in its node:

NODE

{

name = node7_ProjectOrion

techID = projectOrion

pos = -635,1325,-1

icon = NUCLEARPROPULSION

cost = 550

title = ProjectOrion

description = A propulsion system based on the old "firecracker under a tin can" principle. Except the tin can is a spacecraft and the firecracker is a nuclear bomb.

anyParent = False

hideIfEmpty = False

parents = node6_nuclearPropulsion

PARTS

{

name = USAFOrion3Engine

name = USAFOrionEngine

name = USAFOrionTank

name = USAFOrionMag08kt088mn

name = USAFOrionMag1p9kt20mn

name = USAFOrionMag1p35kt10mn

name = USAFOrionMag1kt3p5mn

name = USAFOrionMag5kt80mn

name = USAFOrionMag15kt400mn

}

}

Edit: Oh, also you'll need to set the bomb types to action groups to feed one and kill the feed of all the others, otherwise it'll just cycle through each bomb type in sequence.

Edited June 25, 2014 by Hremsfeld

[raziel420]

Just wanted to post and say that this is working for me on .24 x64 windows

[billbobjebkirk]

Nyrath, do you still not have time to work on this mod? If you don't that's a shame.

Also, can anyone provide me with the stockalike textures posted earlier? The download link is not working.

[Artouris]

I would like to post here to say that it does work (both 32 bit and 64 bit) but as a word of advice; I found that the array parts, the one with all the cylinders filled with one bomb type and the frame, don't actually work properly. They don't feed the bombs into the Orion despite being bound to a action key. I found this out the hard way, and it did lead me to believe that the orion was broken. However if you use the bomb canisters and the Orion with the frame, and then bind it to feed bombs from those bomb canisters it works properly. So if it wasn't working for you, then you might have been putting the array part ontop of the Orion(the one without the frame) and then watching it kind of slump over.

[Airlock]

I would like to post here to say that it does work (both 32 bit and 64 bit) but as a word of advice; I found that the array parts, the one with all the cylinders filled with one bomb type and the frame, don't actually work properly. They don't feed the bombs into the Orion despite being bound to a action key. I found this out the hard way, and it did lead me to believe that the orion was broken. However if you use the bomb canisters and the Orion with the frame, and then bind it to feed bombs from those bomb canisters it works properly. So if it wasn't working for you, then you might have been putting the array part ontop of the Orion(the one without the frame) and then watching it kind of slump over.

The arrays work fine for me. Make sure your action group is set only to start an individual array, while "killing" the feed of any other bomb type.

[Imaginer1]

I just can't figure out how the 'kill' option works for you to choose what yield nuke you're firing.

[nyrath]

The way it is supposed to work is to prevent the "killed" bomb types from being used. But I had some reports of bugs with that.

If you start of with 3.5MN magazines and 0.88MN magazines, each bomb detonation will alternate between the types. First a 3.5, then a 0.88, then a 3.5 and so on.

If you "kill" a feed, that bomb type will not be detonated until further notice. If you kill the 0.88, the detonations will be 3.5, 3.5, 3.5, and so on.

When you right click on the engine you will see

UKAF Nuclear Pulse Engine

0.88MN feeding (Kill->) []

3.5MN feeding (Kill->) []

Show Xfer Menu []

In order to kill the 0.88MN feed, you click on the button next to (Kill->)

When you do, the menu will change to

UKAF Nuclear Pulse Engine

0.88MN feeding (Start->) []

3.5MN feeding (Kill->) []

Show Xfer Menu []

That means only the 3.5 is feeding. If you want the 0.88 to feed, you click on the button next to the (Start->)

[Nicholander]

Does this work in 0.24.2?

(Sorry to bump!)

[MARINEav8r]

That quote is from tom Lehrer right?

[MARINEav8r]

Do you plan to update it for .90?

[nyrath]

My life is still in total chaos, so I have not had a chance to work on things.

Alistair Young alerted me to the fact that the mod will not work in .90

He has temporarily fixed it for me. There is a drop-in replacement for the dll here:

https://github.com/cerebrate/USAFOrion/releases

the code is here

https://github.com/cerebrate/USAFOrion

I'll try to merge this into the main release Real Soon Now

[SessoSaidSo]

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psa3e90b9f.jpg

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psa6ed90a0.jpg

Are these textures still available anywhere?

...nvm I realize now that was perhaps the dumbest post I have ever made.

Edited January 10, 2015 by SessoSaidSo

[billbobjebkirk]

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psa3e90b9f.jpg

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/...psa6ed90a0.jpg

Are these textures still available anywhere?

...nvm I realize now that was perhaps the dumbest post I have ever made.

I tried to download them once, but the link was down. here are some (admittedly low res) textures by chrispbacon82 that should work: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g2lobs8apirhvrh/Orion.rar?dl=0 (short album here:http://imgur.com/a/8YftN)

Edited January 10, 2015 by billbobjebkirk
added the link (whoops!)

[SessoSaidSo]

I tried to download them once, but the link was down. here are some (admittedly low res) textures by chrispbacon82 that should work: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g2lobs8apirhvrh/Orion.rar?dl=0 (short album here:http://imgur.com/a/8YftN)

I figured it out. There is actually a file in the download that has the textures. Unfortunately, when the texture is added, the part becomes nonfunctional.

Edited January 10, 2015 by SessoSaidSo

[Sampa]

Very curious... does it work in ksp .25?

[TiktaalikDreaming]

My life is still in total chaos, so I have not had a chance to work on things.

Alistair Young alerted me to the fact that the mod will not work in .90

He has temporarily fixed it for me. There is a drop-in replacement for the dll here:

https://github.com/cerebrate/USAFOrion/releases

the code is here

https://github.com/cerebrate/USAFOrion

I'll try to merge this into the main release Real Soon Now

It all works in 0.90, except killing pellet supply. Mixing the full range for heavy lifts, plus having some 0.88 makes for some interesting attempts at course corrections. :-)

While this makes for some awesome humour, until that's fixed, a more moderated selection of "discrete impulse units" is recommended.

PS: It'd be great to see a variant at actual Project Orion size. Although that probably wouldn't be useable in KSP due to hanger restraints. :-(

[billbobjebkirk]

PS: It'd be great to see a variant at actual Project Orion size. Although that probably wouldn't be useable in KSP due to hanger restraints. :-(

IIRC, the chrispbacon82 download I linked has a config for more realistic(but still fun) weights, and a rescale for Orion Battleship size

[TiktaalikDreaming]

IIRC, the chrispbacon82 download I linked has a config for more realistic(but still fun) weights, and a rescale for Orion Battleship size

Actually, after a very short series of experiments I've managed the very tricky operation of setting rescale = 5

Hanger not big enough. Almost with rescale = 2.

And I solved my issue with the impulse unit selection. Still working with action groups. :-) No more enormous overcorrections

[billbobjebkirk]

Actually, after a very short series of experiments I've managed the very tricky operation of setting rescale = 5

Hanger not big enough. Almost with rescale = 2.

And I solved my issue with the impulse unit selection. Still working with action groups. :-) No more enormous overcorrections

Don't forget the mass! If rescale factor doesn't affect the mass, that is. I'm not well versed in this.

[TiktaalikDreaming]

Don't forget the mass! If rescale factor doesn't affect the mass, that is. I'm not well versed in this.

I adjusted the mass by 125x, etc etc. Not sure if the system does so with the rescale, so just adjusted that and the breaking force (by 25x). I couldn't launch anyway as at x5 I can't see more than a teeny bit and can't place the "fuel". I should look for a bigger hanger mod I guess.

[TiktaalikDreaming]

Don't forget the mass! If rescale factor doesn't affect the mass, that is. I'm not well versed in this.

Actually, mass should go up by 125, strengths by 25, etc, AND I need to do similar horrors on the fuel magazines. Plus finding a bigger hanger. And a small town to put on the ship that won't be torn apart by 15G pulses. Thinking a copy of the Nyrath folder and rename all the parts, then start working on them rather than my existing messing about with components on a part by part basis.

[TiktaalikDreaming]

Actually, mass should go up by 125, strengths by 25, etc, AND I need to do similar horrors on the fuel magazines. Plus finding a bigger hanger. And a small town to put on the ship that won't be torn apart by 15G pulses. Thinking a copy of the Nyrath folder and rename all the parts, then start working on them rather than my existing messing about with components on a part by part basis.

Having a serious sort of a look at this.

Nyrath's current Orion is a 10m pusher plate, which makes it of the size specced for a "build in orbit" using Saturn V boosters to get it up. The other reference sizes for Fission Orions are, 25m for Orbit testing, 40m for interplanetary (eg: Mars, Venus etc) or 56m for "advanced" interplanetary, what-ever that means (maybe means you take the swimming pool and tennis court with you).

So, basic orbital Orion would scale up by 2.5, mass by about 15.6, surface area and strength by 6.25. At 2.5x you can fit the basic elements into the full size hangar, but with some clipping and it's unusable. And the mod I can find that lets you build outside the hangar, or scale up the hangar, is not working in 0.9 yet. :-/

But I'll start working the numbers etc to see which numbers need scaling, and pre-configure a set of 25m, 40m, 56m and 400m base configs, plus probably some alternate sized fuel devices for the different sized craft.

First step, 5m craft to test how the rescale setting works. :-)

[TiktaalikDreaming]

When scaling, it looks like you do need to change a bunch of other numbers, mass, drag strength all would seem to need changing. Some items appear not to need changing as they're part of the 3d model, and so scale up with it, like the attachment points and so on.

- - - Updated - - -

5m and 25m rescalings.

The 5m craft seems quite functional, using the 3.5kt and .88kt pulse units.

The 25m, I couldn't really see much of what I was doing, nor did I have an obvious plan. Pretty sure it would lift off with the 400kt pulses, but my test flight cycled between the small stack of 400s and the larger stack of 20s, and half lifted then exploded.

- - - Updated - - -

Stable orbit with a 25m pusher plate.