I am full of grief and coffee

[Whackjob]

Thanks for the responses.

Hrm. Keeping it all stock at the moment. If I have the crew manually bail out, and then I take off, what happens to the crew? Does the game automatically "remove" them? Are they always there and in the way? Do they become a separate "mission" I can end?

[kahlzun]

they become a seperate mission, and stand on the launchpad until you 'end them',

or launch a new flight.

[Whackjob]

Ok. Next question: In the builder lab, is there any way of changing the center of rotation for the camera to somewhere off to the side?

Building the Absurdity Mk2. And the complexity of the engine groups requires that I need to see in places I normally cannot.

Oh, good GOD. You guys need to see the Mk2. Giant builder aficionados are going to love this one. Hold on... Alt+PrintScreen not doing the trick all of a sudden. I think it's because I changed all my view settings to absolute minimum in order just to get this far building this thing.

... I'm afraid to even guess at what the part count is. Running a test right now. I have the motor clusters put together correctly, the fuel is balanced up to that point. I took off... and got about five frames per second. LOL!

... and I'm about quarter of the way done with it.

/80 Mainsails

Ok, what the heck? I cannot take screenshots from in game anymore. Alt+PrintScreen no longer works. What do?

#EDIT: Noticed the screenshot folder. Checked settings, it's F1. Ok. Stand by for a couple screenies of the Mark 2.

Here's the "An Exercise in Obsurdity Mk2" so far.

Note there's no major fuel tanks. That's the next task. Fitting the spares in there and setting them up to drop when empty. Note the main fuel tank acting as the spine. I think, if I can manage it, the top and bottom levels will bracket in fuel tanks, and the spine will act as the distribution system. Still considering how to do it.

#EDIT: If I drop a tank through all those cross braces, will it cut them, or pass through? I have no idea how the collision works on those.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Aphox
Merged multiposts

[numerobis]

Connecting struts don't suffer from collisions. Weird things happen if you place a strut and later (in the VAB) put a part through where it went.

Have you looked at the challenges forum? Your crazy designs might get interesting results on the 30s altitude challenge, or the 10-minute one.

[Whackjob]

Nope, I'm new enough here to where I haven't been there yet. I'll check into it once this thing is done. I've got many hours ahead yet. Just about to do a run; first set of backup disposable tanks in.

#EDIT: Results of the first test: Can drop the tanks fine. I'm hitting about 750kph at about 10km. That'll be reduced greatly as I add tanks, of course, but that's par for the course. I think I'm going to put docking ports, both large and medium, on the center of this "vehicle". Just because it'd make for a crazy fuel depot.

Edited June 23, 2013 by Whackjob

[technicalfool]

Oh holy pants.

Please, install Xfire or use some kind of video capture utility and show us all the results. This is an epic build in all senses of the word, including the original unabused-by-the-Internet sense.

At least tell us how many seconds per frame it launches at.

[Kanga]

Here's the "An Exercise in Obsurdity Mk2" so far.

Note there's no major fuel tanks. That's the next task. Fitting the spares in there and setting them up to drop when empty. Note the main fuel tank acting as the spine. I think, if I can manage it, the top and bottom levels will bracket in fuel tanks, and the spine will act as the distribution system. Still considering how to do it.

#EDIT: If I drop a tank through all those cross braces, will it cut them, or pass through? I have no idea how the collision works on those.

Oh my.... It's like a spiderweb occupied by a maniac. I didn't know the portal Space Core ate flies. o.o

[Whackjob]

Oh holy pants.

Please, install Xfire or use some kind of video capture utility and show us all the results. This is an epic build in all senses of the word, including the original unabused-by-the-Internet sense.

At least tell us how many seconds per frame it launches at.

I think I'm getting between two and five frames per second. I'll see about the XFire.

Right now I'm having issues with stacking fuel tanks inside the carousel. Smaller tanks seem to be working better. I tried packing the center with them giant orange tanks, but their mass means there's this really annoying effect where takeoff causes them to detach, regardless of how many struts I toss in. Too much mass, I'm assuming. I may have to just break it up into smaller tanks.

#EDIT: Yeah, the big tanks are just not gonna happen. Taking off puts a wee bit too much torque on the overall frame. Everything else has no trouble staying connected, but them orange tanks don't like it one bit. Maybe I need to connect them sideways instead of vertically. I don't know. Testing required. But, I have to coma till tomorrowsday get. I'll have a few hours before work... I'll redo the fuel carousel then. I'm determined. I'm landing this thing on the Mun.

#EDIT2: Oh, and when this thing is actually complete and functional and *reliable*, I'll post the file for it so you all can play with it

#EDIT3: Fun fact: The "arms" are seven long girders long, not counting central fuel spine and engine clusters.

Edited June 23, 2013 by Whackjob

[Commander Zoom]

You're mad. Mad, I say.

[Whackjob]

This is my latest fuel carousel design. I don't think it'll work. This is mostly just seeing how much a rigidity difference I'm seeing between the linking points being horizontal rather than vertical. But, eh. Who knows. I might be Mun bound.

[Brotoro]

I am amazed.

[Whackjob]

Well, that fuel tank setup failed spectacularly. Even with strutting taken to the extreme, one of those orange tanks invariably shakes loose. Which is weird; Sans backup fuel tanks, I can run that thing off the pad at top speed right from the get-go and nothing breaks. It's very solid. My last test had me at 540kph at 5000 meters. Just gotta keep trying alternatives. I suppose.

[technicalfool]

[numerobis]

What does kph mean?

[technicalfool]

What does kph mean?

I guess the same as km/h. Kilometres per hour.

I'm wondering if Whackjob is doing some conversion, or just confusing kph/kmh with the m/s that velocities are measured in.

[Whackjob]

Why drop stacks when you can drop rings?

I'm wondering if Whackjob is doing some conversion, or just confusing kph/kmh with the m/s that velocities are measured in.

Confused is a very accurate assessment. Hehe.

Just about out of fuel at this point.

If I had let the run go, this would've been my apogee, minus some wind resistance of course.

Had to cut the run short... gonna be late for work! Will of course further refine this tonight. This currently has about half the fuel I intend it to carry. So that range will change.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Aphox
Merged multiposts

[Spatzimaus]

This is my latest fuel carousel design. I don't think it'll work.

So this is what it feels like to be a proud parent. It brings a tear to my eye.

Five days ago you were just starting to play the demo. Four days ago we were just trying to give you a design that could reach Mun. Three days ago you just got the game and did what all of us did in that situation: updated our demo designs with new parts. And now you're one of us, with an extremely kerbal design that might set a new record for strut count.

It'll be fun to see what you build when you finally go to somewhere like Jool. Based on what we've seen here, it'll be absolutely nothing like the usual designs...

[Whackjob]

:grins: Thank you. That was an amazingly fun build. Though, to be honest, I think tonight I'm going to go home and mothball it. Not that I don't like the design... I love it. But I've already got plans on a Mk3 that'll correct the one major shortcoming with that design. When I punch the engines, the centre sags. I built it well enough that it just flexes, and not folds, but I really want the freedom to punch the power up and that thing to max at any moment and not worry about chunks flying off.

#EDIT: Going to try for 128 Mainsail engines for the Mk3. Make it a full bit. So it'll be the AEIA Mk3 (BIT). I've already got six different build setups in my head, with regard to how I can put it together and have it stay in one piece.

Edited June 23, 2013 by Whackjob

[Spatzimaus]

Though, to be honest, I think tonight I'm going to go home and mothball it.

That happens all the time. In a lot of ways it's just easier to build the design again from the ground up, especially if you're trying to change something fundamental.

But once you get a working design of this type, I'd suggest trying something completely different. For instance, try to make a spaceplane that's SSTO (no drop tanks, no boosters). With rockets, you've seen that bigger is better and you can always just add more struts and boosters. With a spaceplane, though, smaller is better; it's a very different experience. Once you've mastered both extremes, it makes it much easier to build good mid-range designs that perfectly balance payload with range; when I was making my Grand Tour ship, I had to put a lot of effort into making sure it was small enough to have the delta-V I needed while still having enough engine to take off from places like Tylo. (Of course, I use mods, so things were a little different.)

[Whackjob]

That's much the case here. The Mk3 will look similar to the Mk2, but there's going to be some real big changes.

[Aragosnat]

Glad that you liked it. Also have fun exploring Kerbin as well. There is a nice little surprises right outside the launch pad. Juat have to hunt for them. =^.^= More coffee?

Edit: Oh yeah. You can build stock part boats too. Just use Jet engines as they give the best thrust and have the most fuel. Otherwise boat part mods that use electricity are a must.

[Whackjob]

=^.^= More coffee?

The only acceptable response to that question is "Always".

Ok, here's where I got to tonight. I didn't do a Mk3 yet. I decided to finish this one. Still needs some tweaking... I still can't steer well.

Still not orbit. That will require good steering. But I still believe I can land this on the Mun. Maybe not without crashing... far far too much engine to feather it.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Aphox
Merged multiposts

[9911MU51C]

Ok, here's where I got to tonight. I didn't do a Mk3 yet. I decided to finish this one. Still needs some tweaking... I still can't steer well.

Still not orbit. That will require good steering. But I still believe I can land this on the Mun. Maybe not without crashing... far far too much engine to feather it.

the only reply I have to that, is Sweet baby Jesus.

[CCKinnison]

the only reply I have to that, is Sweet baby Jesus.

I was thinking more along the lines of, "You're a MADMAN! ...Just our kinda guy!"

[Whackjob]

Getting some tuning in before work this morning. Working on the control issues. That, and getting used to taking off with this thing. I might have to put those big RCS fuel tanks on top of each thruster cluster, just to ensure I won't run out and lose contol.

Putting together this post to document a test run.

Liftoff at 10:40 EST.

First fuel tank (8 rockomax 64s) dropped at 10:52 at altitude of 750m and at 58m/s.

Second tank drop (16 rockomax 32s) dropped at 11:00 at altitude of 1700m and at 81m/s.

Third tank drop (16 rockomax 32s) dropped at 11:10 at altitude of 3500m and at 112m/s.

Fourth tank drop (16 rockomax 32s) dropped at 11:21 at altitude of 6100m and at ~140m/s. I'm now lowering my throttle to maintain between 130m/s and 150m/s until I hit 13000m.

Fifth tank drop (16 rockomax 32s) dropped at 11:35 at altitude 10,400m and at 165m/s. Allowing speed to creep up, and slowly angling to a 45 degree angle. Very slowly.

Sixth tank drop (16 rockomax 32s) dropped at 11:42 at altitude 13,500 and at 440,/s. Managed to cant over to 45 degrees, though I had a ton of trouble doing it. Going for a nice 80,000m apogee, then I'll try to burn for orbit.

Seventh and final tank drop (16 rockomax 32s) dropped at 11:47 at altitude 16,800 and at 914m/s. I will not make orbit.

Ran out of fuel at 11:53 at altitude 30,000 and at 2,129m/s.

Total liftoff mission time, real world: One hour, thirteen minutes.

Ultimately, a failure. However, my course is clear. Tonight, after work, I will enact operation add eighty boosters.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Aphox
Merged multiposts