[Airships in 1.12.3] HooliganLabs Mods

[JewelShisen]

Well so far it is rather clear that folks want some new airship parts with it having 20 votes currently. Close behind it is flight options with 14 votes.

So I would like your feedback on what are some new parts that you would like to see added to the mod. Are you looking for more lift options or are you wanting some new structural parts to match the new Death Star class lifter? Or perhaps you have a different request. Whatever it is please let me know and I will get back to you all about how doable it will be.

[dishycourier]

Probably a gondola and some simple stick-on mounts for propellers? I really like the idea of a custom pod for these.

[BigD145]

Nice mod. I need to give this a try with its .22 integration.

[JewelShisen]

Probably a gondola and some simple stick-on mounts for propellers? I really like the idea of a custom pod for these.

Not really sure what you mean by this.

[JewelShisen]

Nice mod. I need to give this a try with its .22 integration.

All credit for the original mod goes to Hooligan Labs but I am glad you like it.

[dishycourier]

A really simple setup for self-contained blimping. The gondola is just a cabin. It would be really cool to see something like this custom designed for your parts!: http://www.airship-association.org/cms/files/web/Skyship/gondola.gif

Or this: http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/Norge-Airship/IMAGES/Italia-cabin.jpg

Maybe one of these!: http://wheels-and-wings.org.uk/images/His-Majesty's-Airship-R33-Cabin.jpg

http://www.oskbes.ru/i/au30gond.jpg

It would be really neat to have something specifically designed for these parts that we can do atmospheric science in.

[Prowler_x1]

Could we get a modern Sky-Tug?

[JewelShisen]

Could we get a modern Sky-Tug?

Sure. I plan to make some more modern airships in the near future as well as a few more mega lifters like the 'Death Star'

[JewelShisen]

A really simple setup for self-contained blimping. The gondola is just a cabin. It would be really cool to see something like this custom designed for your parts!: http://www.airship-association.org/cms/files/web/Skyship/gondola.gif

Or this: http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/Norge-Airship/IMAGES/Italia-cabin.jpg

Maybe one of these!: http://wheels-and-wings.org.uk/images/His-Majesty's-Airship-R33-Cabin.jpg

http://www.oskbes.ru/i/au30gond.jpg

It would be really neat to have something specifically designed for these parts that we can do atmospheric science in.

That should be doable though I will need somebody else to do the IVA for it. I can do some basic external textures but IVA views are WAY outside of my skill set.

[Beetlecat]

I would love to see something like this to be inflated once at the destination planet/gas giant.

[Prowler_x1]

I would love to see something like this to be inflated once at the destination planet/gas giant.

That would be an awesome idea. Imagine a cylinder shape like an orange tank that has 3 compartments that open up. two of them are inflatables and a bottom one is payload like science stuff, winch, buran arm or some other stuff. It would inflate to a mikey mouse shape but at the front and back of the tank you would have nodes for capsules or rockets.

Id love to hear some comments on this mikey mouse blimp.

[JewelShisen]

That would be an awesome idea. Imagine a cylinder shape like an orange tank that has 3 compartments that open up. two of them are inflatables and a bottom one is payload like science stuff, winch, buran arm or some other stuff. It would inflate to a mikey mouse shape but at the front and back of the tank you would have nodes for capsules or rockets.

Id love to hear some comments on this mikey mouse blimp.

Actually I had a very similar idea just yesterday. The only issue is that it would still count as just a single lift source so it won't balance itself out unless i do some coding in the plugin.

[Xzabath]

I would love to see some airship command pods, none of the stock, or other command pods really fit, I guess kind of like a normal blimp but more kerbalish with some engine attachment points, maybe like an oblong cupola module, a rocket command or plane cockpit just doesnt fit well, just my vote for other, love the mod anyways, you told me to post hehe.

[JewelShisen]

I would love to see some airship command pods, none of the stock, or other command pods really fit, I guess kind of like a normal blimp but more kerbalish with some engine attachment points, maybe like an oblong cupola module, a rocket command or plane cockpit just doesnt fit well, just my vote for other, love the mod anyways, you told me to post hehe.

That actually is a really good one. Perhaps I will look into that being the addition for Subs or Airships winning at the poll.

[Prowler_x1]

Actually I had a very similar idea just yesterday. The only issue is that it would still count as just a single lift source so it won't balance itself out unless i do some coding in the plugin.

There is a way to solve that by splitting the tank in 3 using a "PI" shape, like a sliced pizza.

Another way of doing it would be to make some hollow spaces inside the cylinder hape for attaching a fill-in part that poses as the inflatable devices. that way you end up with 3 or more parts. You could have a long cylinder shape with 6 spaces, 3 foreward 3 aft all at equilateral distances around the cylinder wall. that way we could play with stability without a hassle.

I would be willing to help if you allow it.

Edited December 13, 2013 by Prowler_x1

[Beetlecat]

Could this be translatable into the inflatable landing systems used by rovers?

[JewelShisen]

There is a way to solve that by splitting the tank in 3 using a "PI" shape, like a sliced pizza.

Another way of doing it would be to make some hollow spaces inside the cylinder hape for attaching a fill-in part that poses as the inflatable devices. that way you end up with 3 or more parts. You could have a long cylinder shape with 6 spaces, 3 foreward 3 aft all at equilateral distances around the cylinder wall. that way we could play with stability without a hassle.

I would be willing to help if you allow it.

The model isn't the issue. It's the fact that if it is one part then the plugin only assigns one lift point to it. It doesn't matter how you shape it or place it right now.

[JewelShisen]

Could this be translatable into the inflatable landing systems used by rovers?

Perhaps though that would be a mod in and of itself.

[Prowler_x1]

The model isn't the issue. It's the fact that if it is one part then the plugin only assigns one lift point to it. It doesn't matter how you shape it or place it right now.

Correct,

I am talking about several parts put together to look like one single part or cylinder. The fact is that it is several parts attached to a single cylindrical structure. That would solve the the unilateral lift point issue since several parts are lifting in different places.

How could I make it clearer.... Imagine if your skull would be cylindrical in shape your eyes would be the balloons or the lift source and your brain would be the payload. Different components made to look like one object.

now imagine if the skull had 3 or 4 eyeballs, it would find 3 or 4 lift points for balance.

I am sure we could work around the plugin issue by moving mass down and lift in the opposite direction. From what you tell me I understand that all parts unify into one single lift source. That's the way it works in real life physics too. It all balances out.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Prowler_x1

[JewelShisen]

Correct,

I am talking about several parts put together to look like one single part or cylinder. The fact is that it is several parts attached to a single cylindrical structure. That would solve the the unilateral lift point issue since several parts are lifting in different places.

How could I make it clearer.... Imagine if your skull would be cylindrical in shape your eyes would be the balloons or the lift source and your brain would be the payload. Different components made to look like one object.

now imagine if the skull had 3 or 4 eyeballs, it would find 3 or 4 lift points for balance.

I am sure we could work around the plugin issue by moving mass down and lift in the opposite direction. From what you tell me I understand that all parts unify into one single lift source. That's the way it works in real life physics too. It all balances out.

That would work but would force the part count up. I am wanting to make it a single part that will have multiple lift points. Right now the code doesn't support it. But I am looking to start learning C# so I can alter the code.

[chaoko99]

perhaps balutes?

like inflatable heatsheilds (or in a pinch, landing cusions (AKA high impact tolerance and insane drag))

[JewelShisen]

I can confirm that it at least won't crash the game! Still need to actually test the functions though.

[Rokker]

Two suggestions, and they may have been suggested already, but I am too lazy to go through 23 pages... huh 23 pages as of .23 release... trippy, anyways back to my pre-distracted rambling, I would love to see, if possible, some inline/stackable, non-rigid, compact, airship envelopes (they could expand sideways if regular expansion is too complicated.) Preferably they would come with a second, or attached part containing the actual hydrogen/helium that inflates it and is quite heavy to balance out the ease of having the envelope. Secondly I would absolutely love to see airbags (preferably inline/stackable) that i could put them under vessels to slightly cushion their landing and so they will float upright in water. Like a combination of the Apollo capsules' water flotation device and all of the airbag landing system that was looked at for use on the Orion capsule for land landings.

Anyways, I have always loved the Hooligan Labs "brand" and I think you are doing an amazing job Jewel. Keep up the amazing work.

Edited December 19, 2013 by Rokker

[Hammer Tech]

Fair do's; good work. I would like to see endcaps for the airship envelopes; cause the main reason I stopped using HL airships was the aesthetics were ruined for me by having the weird shaped envelopes. The only one I really used was the "Ray", cause it looks most like how I imagine an airship to look.

[JewelShisen]

Two suggestions, and they may have been suggested already, but I am too lazy to go through 23 pages... huh 23 pages as of .23 release... trippy, anyways back to my pre-distracted rambling, I would love to see, if possible, some inline/stackable, non-rigid, compact, airship envelopes (they could expand sideways if regular expansion is too complicated.) Preferably they would come with a second, or attached part containing the actual hydrogen/helium that inflates it and is quite heavy to balance out the ease of having the envelope. Secondly I would absolutely love to see airbags (preferably inline/stackable) that i could put them under vessels to slightly cushion their landing and so they will float upright in water. Like a combination of the Apollo capsules' water flotation device and all of the airbag landing system that was looked at for use on the Orion capsule for land landings.

Anyways, I have always loved the Hooligan Labs "brand" and I think you are doing an amazing job Jewel. Keep up the amazing work.

Thanks a ton for the positive feedback! *feeds it all to his ego* Now then. As for the ideas:

1. I am already planning some expandable inline parts. These will expand on both sides of the part and, once I learn C#, will even auto balance the ship to be level.

2. I think it would be a good idea to make this mod resource dependent, at least partly. I may see about making the parts able to consume either a custom resource or Kethane to inflate the parts but again would need to learn C# to do it.

3. An airbag idea would be interesting but hard to do as the center of mass would have to be moved below the center of lift for the part.