The Super Rover V3.1 (new version!)

[earth]

Hello everybody, here is one of my latest designs, and i mus say im very proud of it.

It is, i think, a perfect rover for planetary exploration, especially for remote worlds.

Have you vever had a rover that crashes everytime you turn? And when you're in luck it's not destroyed it's just stuck on its back?

Or sometimes it runs out of power because the night is too long!!

I realized i couldnt stand that any longer. I promised myself to make the most reliable rover, ever, and i would call it Super Rover.

With this Third version, i can truly say that i met my goal. I tested it on Kerbin, Mun and Laythe extensively (i tried to wreck it) and i did not corner a single piece.

The V2.0 was very tough already, but when it was rolled over and the kerbal was ejected, there was not enough room for him to get back on.

This doesnt happen with V3.0, there is a just large enough cockpit inside!!

The V2.0 was prone to rolling downhills when the kerbal was out and forgotto tighten the brakes!

This doesnt happen with V3.0, its packed with a probe so you can get it back to the kerbal easily!!

And it is stock!!! No OP mods!

I present to you, The Super Rover V3.0 :

It has a cool shape i think:

Now imagine you flip :

(BONUS FEATURE : it has a attacment surface perfectly under the CoM!!!)

Press G and DANG!!

BONUS GIFT : it comes with a (sloppy) launcher and a lander for Mun or Minmus!

Get it on spaceport!! http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/superrover3/

Edited July 2, 2013 by earth

[Levelord]

Genius! I've had so many rovers condemned to the upside-down turtle fate that I was tearing my hair out of frustration. This is a neat little solution!

[Sesni]

I will try later today.

[earth]

Here is a challenge : try to break it while rovering. I honestly think its impossible, i tell you i tried hard ^^.

But if you can, i would like you to tell me how you sis id so i can make the V3 even tougher!

The only problem i have had:it floats but you cant control it when in the water.

If i find a solution i will come up with a V4.

(the mini rockomax are not tough enough and hard to protect)

Also, i challenge everybody to make a rover thats better than mine!

[Johnno]

Here is a challenge : try to break it while rovering. I honestly think its impossible, i tell you i tried hard ^^.

But if you can, i would like you to tell me how you sis id so i can make the V3 even tougher!

I thought this sounded too good to be true, so I decided to put it through some rough testing. At first I was delighted to find that it was hard to break, but within a few minutes I'd lost one of the flip legs up top and one wheel had popped. I continued and ended up losing a wheel and I-beam, the rover came to rest diagonally between roof and wheels, making the remaining flip leg unable to turn it back up.

Second try I drove off the launch platform and instantly popped a wheel. Restarted, drove to the landing strip and tumbled onto it, rolling around and ended up diagonally again. Nothing broken, but the flip legs were unable to turn the rover.

Third try, drove around a bit, hit the launch platform's raised area on an angle, landed on the rover's roof and lost both flip legs while skidding across the ground. Came to rest on the rover's roof unable to recover.

It's a tough little rover and looks good, but sadly there's little you can do against reckless driving at high speeds. I didn't even get around to testing it going downhill to pick up more speed than normal, which I think could break it even easier.

[Rune]

It certainly looks solid, and it also looks good, which is even more important. But can you guarantee it always lands on its back so you can use the "anti-turtle" system? That's what I call it, and I have it on most rovers... the only thing I never thought of was protecting the landing legs so they don't blow up on a hard crash.

(This is an old 0.19 rover of mine, the first one I deployed on Mun)

Rune. Great minds think alike.

[Rune]

I thought this sounded too good to be true, so I decided to put it through some rough testing. At first I was delighted to find that it was hard to break, but within a few minutes I'd lost one of the flip legs up top and one wheel had popped. I continued and ended up losing a wheel and I-beam, the rover came to rest diagonally between roof and wheels, making the remaining flip leg unable to turn it back up.

Second try I drove off the launch platform and instantly popped a wheel. Restarted, drove to the landing strip and tumbled onto it, rolling around and ended up diagonally again. Nothing broken, but the flip legs were unable to turn the rover.

Third try, drove around a bit, hit the launch platform's raised area on an angle, landed on the rover's roof and lost both flip legs while skidding across the ground. Came to rest on the rover's roof unable to recover.

It's a tough little rover and looks good, but sadly there's little you can do against reckless driving at high speeds. I didn't even get around to testing it going downhill to pick up more speed than normal, which I think could break it even easier.

I thought so. Never say "I bet you guys aren't able to..." in these forums.

[earth]

I thought this sounded too good to be true, so I decided to put it through some rough testing. At first I was delighted to find that it was hard to break, but within a few minutes I'd lost one of the flip legs up top and one wheel had popped. I continued and ended up losing a wheel and I-beam, the rover came to rest diagonally between roof and wheels, making the remaining flip leg unable to turn it back up.

Second try I drove off the launch platform and instantly popped a wheel. Restarted, drove to the landing strip and tumbled onto it, rolling around and ended up diagonally again. Nothing broken, but the flip legs were unable to turn the rover.

Third try, drove around a bit, hit the launch platform's raised area on an angle, landed on the rover's roof and lost both flip legs while skidding across the ground. Came to rest on the rover's roof unable to recover.

It's a tough little rover and looks good, but sadly there's little you can do against reckless driving at high speeds. I didn't even get around to testing it going downhill to pick up more speed than normal, which I think could break it even easier.

I never had a wheel popping... i wonder if that was a ramdom accident or i didnt test it fully, i will look into it. But i think strutting the wheels with the chassis will do it for a V3.1!

Edited July 2, 2013 by earth

[earth]

Okay, guys, sorry for the double post but here is V3.1!!!! The alpha, the omega, the king!!!

Get it on spaceport!! http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/superrover3/

In v3.0, certain rollovers could destroy the upper legs, they are protected now.

In V3.0, the rover could be stuck on it sides under certain conditions, there are now two side legs (protected too!)

I tested it even harder.

-rolled it down a cliff in the mountainside

-crashed it at full speed against the VAB walls

-dropped it from 2000m

-and much more!

The attachment surface is now even better placed.

The rover is a bit heavier though, so wheels are a bit more likely to break, but less likely to break off the rover completely.

I bet you cant break this one!!

Edited July 2, 2013 by earth

[Pershonkey]

Thats a clever idea, putting the lander legs angled on the roof like that. First I tried the mini legs on the sides, which didn't work well... Then I just built wider and wider so a 2 person explorer vehicle is this big:

I need to try to do what you did so I can actually drive without having several tons of supports and a bunch of extra wheels to prevent an accidental tippage.

[earth]

Yeah, im not trying to prevent it from rolling over (i gave up on that) Instead, i made it so rolling over does not break it.

[Zanis]

Great job on the rover it reminds me of the tiny smart cars you hardly see on the streets. Keep up the great work!

[earth]

Great job on the rover it reminds me of the tiny smart cars you hardly see on the streets. Keep up the great work!

Thanks a lot!

[malkuth]

Nice Got to try this out.

[Mr Shifty]

Did you remove the launcher and lifter from the download? This rover is really cool.

[earth]

Oh sorry i did not include the launcher with V3.1, but it was not a very good one, you can probably make a better one. Do you still want it?

[Bassna]

Hey, I could use the launcher actually. Im pretty new to this, and have been trying for a few days to get into orbit right, then land on the Mun. This game is super hard x_x I've tried a few other peoples designs but some are so laggy, and i just got a really nice new computer so idk....but how can you copy/paste a rocket and get it to attach to the rover? thanks.

[earth]

You cant in the current version. You must build your launcher "under" your rover. However, there is a mod that can do that which is "subassembly loader" . But i cant give precise info on how to use it because i dont.

I am working on V4.0, and it will come on a space plane XD (because i'm mad and why not noone has done that i think)

[Mr Shifty]

You cant in the current version. You must build your launcher "under" your rover. However, there is a mod that can do that which is "subassembly loader" . But i cant give precise info on how to use it because i dont.

I am working on V4.0, and it will come on a space plane XD (because i'm mad and why not noone has done that i think)

You can't really use this design with SAL because the root part is the platform that the command seat sits on. For SAL, you need a root part that has a free attach node that you can attach the rest of your assembly to. I'm trying to tinker with the craft file to make it work; I'll let you know if I make any progress.

[John FX]

You can't really use this design with SAL because the root part is the platform that the command seat sits on. For SAL, you need a root part that has a free attach node that you can attach the rest of your assembly to. I'm trying to tinker with the craft file to make it work; I'll let you know if I make any progress.

I would use SAL to cut and paste your favourite launcher under the buggy or replace the root part and save in SAL. I`m not sure it`s possible to adapt a craft to have no root part.

[earth]

Oh i did not know that!!! You know what i will re build it with the root part being the attachment plate under the chassis. That way it will be better for people. But later, cause i cant play right now....

EDIT : i will do it for V4.0.

[Mr Shifty]

EDIT : i will do it for V4.0.

Looking forward to it!

[elkar]

Super design BUT how do you get it on ship or lander to actually land it anywhere? the main platform is under that seat so you cannot attach anything to it properly. So one would have to do it other way around, load a lifter under this. Not very practical.

[earth]

I make a lander thats not too tall, and i drop it (its supposed to be a tough rover aint it?)

Bad news! I wont have time to play this week, but if you cant wait to try V4.0, here it is!!

Warning : it still has a few kinks that i had no time to get rid of. That is why i named it V4.0b

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/38748-Whack-a-rover/page3

I will post the actual V4.0 when its finished on spaceport.

Edited July 7, 2013 by earth