Trying to get this Kethane driller to the Mun

[Rockhem]

I think I can sort out a launch vehicle for this, but i don't know how to get this kethane driller down to the surface

Craft file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yg9r1aox2ecayr7/Kethane%20Drilling%20Unit.craft

[regex]

Skycrane. Add a couple of docking ports to the top to attach the vehicle to. Also make sure you can get your kethane out of it.

[Zeroignite]

You sure that much kethane is actually needed?

[Sma]

Looks nice, and yeah I would use a sky crane as well. You could either use the docking ports on top to get the kethane out, or put docking ports on the ends then dock fuel rover fuel tanks to the ends.

Edit: Also...have you checked to make sure those solar panels are going to be enough to run the 4 convertors and drills? You might also consider putting lights on it too, if for nothing else than for fun.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Sma

[Bigulp]

I prefer to use a small kethane tank and convert it into larger fuel tanks, to me it seemed more efficient for the weight/space. If it stays in place once its on the surface you could always attach disposable thrusters on to it. Pop them off when it lands. Lots of ways of doing that. If the size is a problem you could having dock ports attached to decouplers, so you could add the thrusters in orbit and dump the ports and thrusters once you have landed.

[tom1499]

Looks nice, and yeah I would use a sky crane as well. You could either use the docking ports on top to get the kethane out, or put docking ports on the ends then dock fuel rover fuel tanks to the ends.

Edit: Also...have you checked to make sure those solar panels are going to be enough to run the 4 convertors and drills? You might also consider putting lights on it too, if for nothing else than for fun.

Those things on top of the drills are actually generators. They turn kethane into energy so I presume the solar panels and battery just kickstart and keep the probe running.

Oh and if I must: Skycrane.

[Sma]

Those things on top of the drills are actually generators. They turn kethane into energy so I presume the solar panels and battery just kickstart and keep the probe running.

Oh and if I must: Skycrane.

Ooooh, right, sorry, I haven't really looked at the kethane generators so I wasn't thinking about those. Thinking about it, if I were going to do large kethane tanks, I might land them vertically, like silos, though they would be prone to falling over then. I think what I'm going to do to restart my kethane mining is start on Kerbin before going out further. I want to try and create reusable ships similar to Scott Manley, and instead of building a whole new launcher each time, I want to just build the payload, then grab it and stick it on top of a launcher. May need quantum struts though.

[dave4002000]

I'd attach a couple of LF/O tanks to the ends of the kethane tanks, then put 4 909's on the bottom of the drills and run fuel lines to them. As long as your launch vehicle gets you into orbit around the Mun, that should give you enough control and dV to get it down on the surface.

Just a note about the generators. You definitely don't need 4 generators. 1 generator plus the solar panels is MORE than enough to run those 4 big drills. I'd take those off, put a cubic strut over the CoM on the main body and attach one keth generator to that. It'll save you some weight.

[rosenkranz]

Actually since you can drill while at time warp, do you really need 4 drills? The want to use a big one is understandable but one is plenty to fill up those two tanks in a pretty short time at x50 warp.

[dave4002000]

Actually since you can drill while at time warp, do you really need 4 drills? The want to use a big one is understandable but one is plenty to fill up those two tanks in a pretty short time at x50 warp.

True, but with 4 drills..it will still be faster. Start connecting more keth tanks with KAS winches and more drills are definitely better. All of my kethane miners have either 3 or 4 large drills on them. Mainly because i'm filling a LOT of big kethane tanks, but also because more drills just looks cooler...haha

[Donziboy2]

I always find it easier to make large things like that mobile. Because kethane is not forever.

I have used the large stock tire's or in my last setup, just made a large lander.

Left portion is the lander, the right part is my tanker. Fully fueled the whole setup is over 500T.

[Rockhem]

For some reason I try to attach a skycrane on top and my symmetry gets borked and refuses to let me use it.