BSC: Super-Heavy Lander - The next BSC will.....

[pedorsf]

Changed for only the non atmospheric craft

[Rhomphaia]

.craft file

Sorry, no action shots this time. hopefully I will be home for the next one.

[Accelerando]

I've updated my post with the craft file, to turn it into a full entry.

I like "the Heavy", Gus. It's stylish and traditional, easy to see how it all comes together and looks good.

[Giggleplex777]

I think I should sit this one out. I'm not very good with big landers.

[GusTurbo]

I made a 145 ton lander with 28 engines, but decided it was a little much for this challenge.

[Blaster]

Updated the ROFL to include a little antenna. The internal one was not good enough.

[Supernovy]

Well, after quite some fiddling around, I present you my entry:

Well that is certainly deserving of the "Super Heavy" title. My craft seems extremely small by comparison...

[Xeldrak]

@Supernovy: Well, I did dabble around with a design similar to your size, but somehow I had problems to fit everything nicely together. So I went big - lots of space for engines, RCS, batteries, a ladder, sciency stuff.....

[fcdrifter13]

I made this earlier for myself I am going to take it to the mun later today, It holds 19 Kerbals, dunno what the Dv is and I dont think it has enough twr to land but I will see. I think it looks nice is all.

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[Xeldrak]

Well, fcdrifter, if you want to enter the challenge, we need a .craft file

[Hejnfelt]

7X lander

Core concepts for new players

1. Optimized staging for high fuel efficiency due to weight
   
2. Different engines for different tasks - Landing / Ascend / Circularization / Return to Kerbin
   
3. RCS optimization. Enough to undock and redock if necessary, but not oodles. Balanced around Center of mass for re-docking
   
4. Delta-v balancing without use of parachutes - 2500 m/s landing + 2500 m/s ascend and return
   
5. Use of action groups for parachutes
   
6. Use of some struts for stability and weight / thrust distribution
   
7. Central attachment point under low profile appropriate diameter center engine
   
8. Room for customization of science gizmos
   

Challenges for new players

1. Need for powerful and efficient Kerbin ascend vehicle
   
2. Need for semi-powerful transfer vehicle
   
3. Smart usage of RCS vs SAS
   

Craft specifications

Delta-v: 5000+ m/s - 2500 m/s landing + 2500 m/s ascend and return (without parachutes)

Weight: 75 metric tonnes

TWR: High landing / medium-high ascend

Capacity: 7 kerbals

Parts: 117

Author notes

My take on a super heavy lander to replace the stock version must serve two purposes. Introduce advanced concepts to the player which they can replicate in their own designs and challenge the player to build more powerful vehicles.

This lander is for when you've landed on the Mun and returned a single or even three Kerbals to Kerbin and want to challenge yourself with a larger mission. It introduces asparagus staging and requires you to replicate it in your Kerbin ascend vehicle for successful orbit and transfer. It can easily be attached to the Kerbin ascend vehicle at the bottom and a single nuclear engine with fuel tank can easily be docked at the top as an interplanetary transfer vehicle.

I believe a stock super heavy lander should serve as a challenging but forgiving interplanetary lander considering the most likely first targets such as Duna.

Enjoy!

/Hejnfelt

Craft pics and file

Craft file

OBS: MechJeb, Flight Engineer and Craft Information module in screens for information purposes only, not included in craft file.

[MiniMatt]

Took the 6 kerbal/32.8 ton/54 part/3600dv Gonzalez Light Heavyweight lander to Duna for a family outing:

Quite liking just the drogue chutes for Duna. They open early and scrub off the horizontal velocity allowing brave kerbal pilots to concentrate on feathering the rockets to manage vertical descent. Full chutes would add mass and potentially introduce need for further engineering to deal with high g-loading.

[Rhomphaia]

Got a potential replacement for my entry. Needs RCS and structural reinforcement, Should probably be able to get some flight trials run tomorrow, so if there's still time I will put up the craft file.

[Accelerando]

Why hasn't my entry been added? I posted a craft file last night.

[Xeldrak]

Well, you've been added. When you upgrade an existing post to an entry there is allways a good chance, that I will overlook it.

About 25 hours left for your entry!

[Accelerando]

Ah, thanks. I'll reserve myself until fully prepared next time.

[MiniMatt]

Sorry, teensy tiny update to version IIa - I've updated the original post with new craft file and screenshot:

Minor changes to version IIa over version II include:

• Full (as of KSP 0.21) SCIENCE package.
  
• Comms antenna.
  
• Fractionally adjusted landing legs to lower centre of gravity on landing.
  
• Replaced 3 low intensity docking lights with single high intensity fixture.
  
• Part count up to 57 (from 54 in version II).
  
• Mass down 5kg to 32,800kg (was 32,805kg).
  

Action group 3 now toggles SCIENCE and comms, this being documented in the original post and the .craft description.

Was a bit wary of including science gear for this challenge, figuring that the next KSP version is close on the horizon and will no doubt change how we do science entirely. But after a trial docking run I saw that a single high intensity docking light would suit better than 3 low intensity versions and hence I had some part count to play with. So used that (and a little bit more) to add some science bling.

[Captain Sierra]

I think I should sit this one out. I'm not very good with big landers.

So far I am not happy with anything I have built and will probably not get anything done in time for the challenge.

[fcdrifter13]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b43e7aqssjm6brb/Mun%20lander.craft

Thought I had added it to my post sorry.

[Smoke]

Large Planet Explorer

Specifications

• 12 Kerbals
  
• 60 Tons
  
• 77 Parts
  
• 6 km/s delta V
  
• Land on and start from all planets except Kerbin, Eve, Tylo and Laythe
  
• Two free docking ports for additional payload

Design

The Large Planet Explorer (LPE) uses radial mounting for the payload and engines. This ensures the LPE can land safely since it's center of gravity is low compared to the width of the landing base. The two free docking ports can be used for, e.g., a rover and a science package. The construction techniques are simple to emulate: everything attaches without struggling in the editor.

The LPE can be lifted to LKO with a modest launcher (under 200 parts including the LPE) and can perform a Duna landing and return mission from there.

Hotkeys

• 1 Toggle Ladders
  
• 2 Deploy Parachutes

Images

Downloads

Large Planet Explorer craft file: http://www./?c6oii5tf4f340to

LPE mounted on a Lifter rocket: http://www./?7tu9f3323cil1s7

Edited October 13, 2013 by Smoke

[Xeldrak]

@fcdrifter13: And now please edit the link into your old post or post a new reply with picture and link, so I have a single reply I can link to.

[Pulsar]

I updated more action keys (forget to add it) and some lander pictures.

[briansun1]

my submission.

The (Crew Bus) CB XV-6V

(it's clickable)

Craft file: http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=08971719365609136648

this craft shows that you can have different engine types to for fill different roles on a single craft... um that really all I have the rest is in the craft discription

Edited October 14, 2013 by briansun1

[mpink]

The Pinks Heavy Lander MK3

A simple tri engine mun lander designed as a replacement for the supper heavy lander.

Fore and aft large docking ports, two legs per person and is happy to hit a planet at 15ms or 20ms if your lucky.

Rome for expansion with three empty nodes above the engines and comes with two drop tanks ready for a muna landing.

With a part count of 56 and minimal exploits used it is most certainly in the spirit of kerbal.

Hotkeys

1-2) drop the fule tanks

0) toggle the ladders

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rnjt4zvso2zgr4l/Heavy%20Lander%20MK3.craft

Awwwww look how happy Jeb is. I think he wishes he could have had a craft like this on his 1st mun run.

[I_Killed_Jeb]

BSC Super Heavy Lander Submission

Aeneas II

.craft

Design Principles and Description

The Aeneas II is a medium-heavy lander designed for interplanetary exploration and return. It checks in at 58.6 tons with 5160 m/s of vacuum dv when using the atomic main engines, which should be plenty enough for travel to and from the Mun, Minimus, and Duna. Additional engines for extra TWR if landing on larger bodies, as well as for "ohhhhhh sh!%" moments when you realize you're coming in way too hot. Enough TWR and dV to lift the lander to 19km on Kerbin. Part clipping is at a minimum, for aesthetic purposes in kind of hiding the wide-set landing legs, which allows this versatile ship to land on inclinations in-game tested to at least 15 degrees. It's overbuilt and over-parachuted for set-it-and-forget-it atmospheric landings with no deceleration shock that'll tear the ship apart. The design, despite the high (151) part count is relatively simple meant to be significantly modular - the fuel routing is deliberately simple, and you can omit the non-nuclear engines, delete some of the tanks, or add more fuel, no problem. The main crew capsule can be switched out to a crew tank for additional Kerbal capacity. The RCS thrusters are all on the main tank and well balanced, and the lander has an ASAS module for easy control and additional torque to help steer the launch vehicle. Of course, this being KSP, the craft is able to be flown remotely for that all-important rescue mission. It has big battery capacity with beginner-simple thermonuclear generators that require no minding. Ladder goes straight down for easy boarding and egress. Both high- and low-intensity lights for good landing visibility. Lastly, while it has very granular action group controls, it can be landed simply by going through the staging controls.

Specs

Weight: 58.6 tons full, 30.4 tons dry

dV: 5160 m/s in vacuum with nuclear engines, 4255 m/s in vacuum with all engines firing

Capacity: 3 Kerbals maximum, remote control capable

Landing: Can land fully loaded in atmospheres, including Eve and Kerbin. Tilt tolerance up to at least 15 degrees. Will withstand at least 10 m/s with Poodle equipped, 20 m/s without.

Behavior

Staging order

1) Nuclear Engines

2) LV-909 Engines

3) Poodle Main Engine

4) Drogue Chutes

5) Main Chutes

6) Drop Landing Tanks (optional)

Action Groups

1 - Nuclear Engines

2 - LV-909 Engines

3 - Poodle Main Engine

6 - Ladders

7 - Landing Legs

9 - Drogue Chutes

0 - Main Chutes

(I know the numbering is a bit weird but it's a convention I keep for my rockets)

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I apologize for the dearth of screenshots, but my KSP install very frequently crashes when activating screenshots via Steam =/

Edited October 14, 2013 by I_Killed_Jeb