TSP (Tau Space Program 1.2)

[Darnok]

Table of contents (1.2):

 

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Original first post

Hello, I am one week newbie in Kerbal.

I was building few crafts and will share them all over time (when they will be finished), starting early to track my progress

First goes...

V - SSTO Phoenix class

Designed as medium sized SSTO

parts: 151

weight: ~60t

Edited October 19, 2016 by Darnok

[DisarmingBaton5]

You've been playing for a week... And you have built an SSTO.

I take my hat off and salute you, sir. (Or I would, if I had a hat )

[Nephf]

I love that Phoenix. just awesome. really looks like a bird!

[Darnok]

Thanks guys

I was building some more and I made discovery (revolutionary I believe! )...

space fleet without fuel is just a space junk, so we need tankers.

V-SLight tanker

initial 82 parts ~280t

tank + engines 48 parts ~32t

engines 34 parts 13t

tank without engines 6 parts 18.5t

Single tanker is boring, but once we have more of them on orbit, we can connect them...

Better, but engines in front and back are bad...

time for 180 turn...

and connect both engines modules

Now we can take that fuel far away

If you need only 2 engines it is fine, you can land and recover other 2 on planet... just undock

Break with engines on 100%

V-SLight tanker.craft

Enjoy

Edited November 1, 2013 by Darnok

[Spica]

Wait, so you have been playing the game for just over 2 weeks, you have defied the KSP learning curve, with STYLE.

Spica

[Darnok]

Preparations for building Light tanker

S(uper)Light tanker old size was a bit too large comparing to Light tanker, so I have update it.

Still need little adapter with 2 docking ports to get excat size, but maybe I will find solution for this problem later.

[Darnok]

V-Light tanker is done

initial: 110 parts ~441t

tanker + engines: 45 parts ~49t

engines: 37 parts ~12t

tanker: 8 parts ~36t

Changed engines module, now should be more stable

100 km orbit and still got fuel

V-Light tanker.craft

EDIT:

connected V-Light tankers

Well 2 is not enough to create cool ship... later I will try to connect 4 tankers and some adapter for engines and front, so it should be possible to attach there craft and use 4 light tankers + engines from them as drive section for bigger ships that need to go for loooong rides

Edited November 1, 2013 by Darnok

[Darnok]

Updated Base Engine Module and added table of contents to first post

25 parts and ~15t

Now with two docking ports adapters it can push 3 tanks

and more

a lot more... while docked to refueling station even idle it can be used as standard docking port for crafts that can't stay too close tanks

Edited November 1, 2013 by Darnok

[Darnok]

Tagging satellites

I was preparing for Mun landing and needed something to mark craters, I came up with 5 parts solution

And if you are noob like me you can practice landings with this one.

Deploy single satellite

Detaching lander... satellite can stay on orbit

Lander + ligthing pylon

Tiny lighting pylon, only 5 parts and it can turn, jump and roll 3m/s on Mun

Just rename it to mark landing site.

[Darnok]

Basic rover

Small rover, able to transport two people and small cargo. Sometimes 4 wheels is too much

Parts: 12

Weight: 0.87t

Max speed: ~24m/s

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[Darnok]

SSTO Besra class

Weight: 17.6t

Parts: 61

It can deliver to 100km orbit 4.22t payload and 2 kerbals (one is pilot) and still have 100+ liquid fuel for LV-N.

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SSTO Besra class.craft

Enjoy

[Darnok]

B.E.M.

Basic Engine Module (small 5t)

Weight: 5t

Parts: 21

Designed as orbital tug for small and medium cargo. It can be attached to other modules...

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[Darnok]

First Mun Landing

Finally I was able to gather most of my modules, pack them all into single lifter and send to Mun.

Lifter is ugly, so I won't post its pictures right now.

Travel to Mun was fine after reading some tutorials, landing went quite good, I didn't crashed and was able to drop mobile lab before main lander touched ground.

Mun exploration was awesome until I crashed and broke one of my two wheels rover. After that I went full speed at top of crater and after loooong jump one wheel of second rover was broken, luckly it can move on single wheel

I must practice piloting skills, because I ran out of fuel during burning to Kerbin and had to send rescue mission for non circular orbiting escape pod.

Orbital tug pushed pod into kerbin and after that all adventures landing was successful and Kerbals came back safe.

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[Darnok]

V-Rover wings module (prototype¹)

My new toy, wings module for two wheel rovers.

Now kerbals may fly for short distances very cheap (it can fly for over 1.5 hour with ~30m/s).

Some day gonna try this on Duna

Weight: ~2t

Parts: 69 (with rover)

It has 6 landing legs, 4 at rear are for standard use, 2 at front are used to stand up if something bad happends.

Lights on wings should allow to spot flat land during explorations.

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¹ prototype - when I finish it I will post craft file

[Darnok]

V-Ascender 15

Simple rocket, designed to carry ~18t to 100km or 15t to 150km, but more experienced pilots may get better results.

This one is first lifter in my space program that actually look like a rocket not like orange flat ...soon there will be more.

Weight: 116t

Parts: 16

Payload: ~18t to 100 km, 15t to 150km

No flight instructions

I need test pilots or do I have to start "company" to hire some?

File V-Ascender 15.craft

[Darnok]

V-Ascender 25

Weight: 185t

Parts: 35

Payload: 25t to 100 km

Default Mechjeb flying path.

Craft file V-Ascender 25.craft

[Darnok]

V-Ascender 40

Weight: 280t

Parts: 50

Payload: 40t to 100 km

Default Mechjeb flying path.

Craft file V-Ascender 40.craft

[Darnok]

Using V-Ascender 15 to deliver science lab + basic science rover to Minmus

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[celem]

Some really nice craft here mate. Im trying out a number of your interchangable tankers/tugs right now. I love the modularity, particularly your B.E.M.

Im not such a fan of stacking too many LV-N's on my craft, but thats the beauty of your tug/tankers, the engines are detachable. I ended up linking 4 V-SLight's together, stacking some jumbomax oranges in-front of them. Used your 180 degree switch to end up with a cluster of 4 lv-ns and dropped the 4 unwanted nukes into Kerbin's ocean (sue me ). It's right now raising the orbit of my latest station up toward keo-stationary.

The wings module for your rover is pure genious, yet puzzles me a bit. I see what looks like an Ion on the back, but that cant be main propulsion as your screenie shows Kerbin liftoff. The efficiency you mention suggests jet. In which case; remember Duna's atmosphere doesnt contain enough O2 to light a jet engine. Stock jets work on kerbin and laythe only. Kethane mod adds a special jet that runs on that fuel (i dont think it needs any atmosphere at all tbh, though your wings certainly will)

I also cant help but comment as others did that you got an intuitive grasp on this game. A ssto spaceplane and an non-circular rendezvous/dock are both considered pretty top-end of the curve and you got em down in the time it took you to hit the Mun. Grats. On top of that your debut ssto is a work of art, the shot where it's all red is my cellphone background for the moment and im loving flying the Phoenix.

Keep the designs coming, some of your insights are somewhat unorthodox and theres a bunch I hadn't thought of already in the thread.

re: test pilots

Some folks will post feedback here if they fly your designs. I'll certainly report anything I come up with. If you start a 'company' then it gives you an easier way to handle recruitment and that kind of thing, as well as a thread to act as 'showroom' you will need a place to chat with 'employees'. To be honest, this thread is already a 'showroom' thread for all intents and purposes, since you are releasing photos and files. You might start a company thread for chatter along with a index of releases that link into this one. Its likely also possible to ask a mod nicely to move this into the company sub-forum if thats what you want.

Edited December 7, 2013 by celem

[Darnok]

Some really nice craft here mate. Im trying out a number of your interchangable tankers/tugs right now. I love the modularity, particularly your B.E.M.

Thank you Sir... I thought people doesn't comment my thread because they don't like my designs anymore.

Well Small B.E.M. is also my favourite toy, it is so universal because it went some nice evolution to fit everywhere

Im not such a fan of stacking too many LV-N's on my craft, but thats the beauty of your tug/tankers, the engines are detachable. I ended up linking 4 V-SLight's together, stacking some jumbomax oranges in-front of them. Used your 180 degree switch to end up with a cluster of 4 lv-ns and dropped the 4 unwanted nukes into Kerbin's ocean (sue me ). It's right now raising the orbit of my latest station up toward keo-stationary.

Yea they are great for stacking, but that single port connection is too weak for time warp larger ships:) and they seem ugly too me after few weeks... soon I will rework them to add more functions, also they get new name Heavy B.E.M. with 4 LV and Medium B.E.M with 2 LV.

The wings module for your rover is pure genious, yet puzzles me a bit. I see what looks like an Ion on the back, but that cant be main propulsion as your screenie shows Kerbin liftoff. The efficiency you mention suggests jet. In which case; remember Duna's atmosphere doesnt contain enough O2 to light a jet engine. Stock jets work on kerbin and laythe only. Kethane mod adds a special jet that runs on that fuel (i dont think it needs any atmosphere at all tbh, though your wings certainly will)

Right now pure ION. After few tests I think that wings are too short (I mean from front to tail size) and it needs to be fixed before I will add versions with different propulsion types.

I also cant help but comment as others did that you got an intuitive grasp on this game. A ssto spaceplane and an non-circular rendezvous/dock are both considered pretty top-end of the curve and you got em down in the time it took you to hit the Mun. Grats. On top of that your debut ssto is a work of art, the shot where it's all red is my cellphone background for the moment and im loving flying the Phoenix.

Well Phoenix needs to get performance fix before publication, but right now just doesn't have inspiration for that

As for docking hardest so far was docking at 40-30 km in kerbin atmo with near -500 vspeed

sadly no screens it was too fast.

Keep the designs coming, some of your insights are somewhat unorthodox and theres a bunch I hadn't thought of already in the thread.

Ok, here it comes... take a look at few ideas, drafts and early desings

I was thinking about modular SSTO, first concept for light plane, doesn't even got proper name.

But it works great, it can reach orbit with full BEM tanks push/pull some stuff and come back to dock with plane.

Next medium modular SSTO, also basic concept about cargo room not about plane shape

That 3 docking ports are from BEM Idea is to attach payload to BEM and upper port if needed and on orbit release both, BEM should do the job and push cargo/dock into station or something else and come back to plane.

Mobile base first drafts

Almost SSTO

Mobile lab + habitat for 3 kerbals (I think you get the idea what and where can be attached )

Early idea of base parts transport/load/picking from ground

And my newest toy, right now I get inspiration from Constellation: Manned mission to Mars to build new landers and go to Duna

(now you know how I work on my crafts... tons of chaos in one place... and boom )

And here you can see that Medium B.E.M needs to be reworked it just doesn't fit to provide lander with engines :/

You can also spot drone two wheels rover, mobile lab, small BEM and all that is attached to Ascender 80 MK 2, but in final version there will be Ascender 100, I hope I will fit into 100t desing with this

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re: test pilots

Some folks will post feedback here if they fly your designs. I'll certainly report anything I come up with. If you start a 'company' then it gives you an easier way to handle recruitment and that kind of thing, as well as a thread to act as 'showroom' you will need a place to chat with 'employees'. To be honest, this thread is already a 'showroom' thread for all intents and purposes, since you are releasing photos and files. You might start a company thread for chatter along with a index of releases that link into this one. Its likely also possible to ask a mod nicely to move this into the company sub-forum if thats what you want.

Idea is to create 'company' thread (some day) where I will publish stable crafts tested by me and at least other two people. Here I want to keep mostly prototypes, drafts and basic ideas, finished crafts will go to 'company' thread for people that doesn't like when lifter exlodes or something goes wrong.

Again thx for feedback

[Darnok]

V-Ascender 60

Weight: 396t

Parts: 57

Payload: 60t to 100 km

With high part payload on top to simulate drag.

Mechjeb 62% flying path.

Craft file V-Ascender 60.craft

V-Ascender 60 MK 2

Weight: 428t

Parts: 78

Payload: 60t to 100 km

Better looking, should be more stable than MK 1 and with side boosters (orange tank + mainstal) it should carry 80t.

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Mechjeb 60% flying path.

Last 3 pictures show how get engine shields that doesn't explode while dropping stage.

Maybe it will be useful for guys building replicas, I saw they use different things to cover their engines.

Craft file V-Ascender 60 MK 2.craft

[bptrav]

That first picture of your SSTO Phoenix made me think the Klingons were invading Kerbin You have a lot of nice ships/rovers/etc and I like how modular and multi-purpose a lot of them are.

[celem]

Mmmm, some promising cargo ssto's in there. Definately a good idea to incorporae your BEM line into the bodywork. Reuse like this does wonders for modularity which is what I like from your designs thus far.

Also looking forward to a phoenix release once you are happy with it. The shape was so awesome that I reproduced it as best I could anyway but it doesnt perform like yours seems to, so im obviously missing something somewhere.

Radial tanks on the V-Ascender 60 Mk2 are clipped into the central stage? I guess it doesnt cause any issues since that whole tier of the rocket seems to pancake stage rather than onion/asparagus (shot 7 in album).

Good workaround on the engine sheathing, i'll have to try that. I do occasionally have issues where i want to drop a stage that isnt quite empty, yet my staging setup lights the next engine up along with the seperator... BOOM. Firing the seperator and lighting the next motor in 2 seperate stages helps, but leaves you thrustless for a moment, usually right around where I cant afford to coast. Will try out what you have done here and see what it can do for me.

Edited December 8, 2013 by celem

[Darnok]

Radial tanks on the V-Ascender 60 Mk2 are clipped into the central stage? I guess it doesnt cause any issues since that whole tier of the rocket seems to pancake stage rather than onion/asparagus (shot 7 in album).

Yes, there is one orange tank in center and those orange tanks you see are clipped. Nope no asparagus.

[Darnok]

V-Perseus MPCV (0.23)

Right now can't get better name than MPCV... it is Orion/Dragon inspired craft, designed to carry crew (and in future supplies).

It has enough DV to go to Mun orbit and back, it should be able to reach Duna.

V-MPCV:

parts: 35

weight: 23t

without engine module (only escape pod):

parts: 23

weight: 10t

engine module:

parts: 12

weight: 13t

Lifter on screens is Ascender 25 MK 3 designed after 0.23 update.

My first two stage lifter, simulated ~4.5m diameter, super stable 10/10 with mechjeb. I hope this design will scale better then previous.

Mechjeb 60% flying path. On 100 km you should have ~200 m/s DV on 2nd stage, it should be enougn for people that doesn't use mechjeb and make few mistakes during flight, also it is enough to deorbit 2nd stage.

backspace - activate abort system

0 - toggle solar panels

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Craft file V-Perseus MPCV

Edited December 21, 2013 by Darnok