totm june 2018 Work-in-Progress [WIP] Design Thread

[Azimech]

15 minutes ago, pTrevTrevs said:

This time last year I doubt any of us were even dreaming of making craft this advanced, but here we are now. Very little has changed in the game itself that allows us to build like this, and what parts have been added were meant for completely different purposes. We're doing this through pure ingenuity. You'd think that everything you could possibly do in this game would be done in a short time after its release, but that obviously isn't true. We're building on one another's discoveries, exploring new methods, and, in a sense technologically progressing. And this is in a video game.

I really appreciate your feeling and I agree with the terrific possibilities this game gives us. The quest for weird contraptions started right at the beginning though. For example the first helicopter using stock parts was made 4 years ago and the first turboshaft at the end of 2013.

We're on a fascinating path and really pioneering. The future will need people not for just modeling, creating textures or sound samples. In the future we'll need people to incorporate materials, physics and parts for creating believable virtual reality environments. Squad isn't aware yet of the possibilities (unless I underestimate them).

[pTrevTrevs]

19 minutes ago, Azimech said:

 For example the first helicopter using stock parts was made 4 years ago and the first turboshaft at the end of 2013.

That's right, but I believe it used an extremely crude bearing and had rocket engines mounted directly on the end of the blades. 

Compare that with how far we (mostly you) have come. Now we have more efficient jet engines turning turbines with greatly improved bearings, making a much smaller yet more efficient assembly that is much easier to operate and can be inserted into helicopters that actually look realistic (as opposed to something like this).

It's exactly what I meant by saying that we're building on top of each other. That first helicopter made people realize that they're possible, you made it practical, and now others (myself included) are helping make it more common.

Edited February 19, 2017 by pTrevTrevs

[seiryu]

Here is brand new old PC yey!

[Yukon0009]

Still progressing on the Saturn V, about 500 parts. Second stage engines have a habit of oscilating into the interstage

[Majorjim!]

54 minutes ago, Yukon0009 said:

Still progressing on the Saturn V, about 500 parts. Second stage engines have a habit of oscilating into the interstage

This reminds me I need to update a thing on my SV, keep forgetting..

 Good luck getting it finished dude! 

[Torquimedes]

On 2/16/2017 at 3:27 PM, Servo said:

I've begun working on a 1:1 scale F-14, which will include a VG wing. I've only started the fuselage so far, so no swing-wing yet, but expect updates with it in the future.

That is a beautifully sculpted bird.  I look forward to seeing it fly!

[Servo]

28 minutes ago, Torquimedes said:

That is a beautifully sculpted bird.  I look forward to seeing it fly!

You won't have to wait too much longer. The craft is in the "final tweaking" stage, and I'm preparing to film a video for it over next weekend. I'm not quite sure how much I want to replicate Top Gun trailers, but expect some references.

How to fly this craft:

1.) First, start listening to this.

 

2.) Take off with wings forward. Buzzing the tower optional, but highly recommended.

2.) Sweep those wings and go supersonic (well, 220 m/s).

3.) Shoot down some MiGs (or F-5 stand-ins, I won't judge). (MiGs not included)

4.) Return home victorious.

 

If anyone wants to help me make a proper cinematic showcase of this bird, I would love the help.

[Torquimedes]

1 hour ago, Servo said:

You won't have to wait too much longer. The craft is in the "final tweaking" stage, and I'm preparing to film a video for it over next weekend. I'm not quite sure how much I want to replicate Top Gun trailers, but expect some references.

How to fly this craft:

1.) First, start listening to this.

I played Kenny Loggins Danger Zone on a loop for the 3 days I spent building my F-14.  My family will never let me forget this...

...but, whenever they see an F-14, they start singing it.  :-)

[Azimech]

I somewhat liked Danger Zone when I saw Top Gun in the cinema but today ...  I'd rather listen to Aces High by Iron Maiden.

Anyway.

What unfinished project shall I work on today. Maybe ... this one?

 

[Munbro Kerman]

Ever since 1.2.2 was released, I was wanting to build a new and improved Saturn V; and here it is. Weighing in at a monstrous 1.1 thousand tons and over 900 parts, this will bring your framerate down to its knees. My computer pulled a whopping 10 fps at launch (Specs: CPU: FX-6300, GPU: GTX-950, RAM: 8 GB). I always wanted to have a realistic stock Saturn V paint job. Ore tanks wouldn't work in this case, as they are too large, so I decided to use fuel cells, since I already had some experience with them (when I was working on the Stock Titan Rocket family). The large one was too light in color but the small one was perfect. Even though it was too small to "paint" an area that large, I still tried it out. I thought it turned out okay, since it had a nice clean finish and a real Saturn-type look. I went with the Apollo 11 rocket paint-scheme, if you look closely at some actual pictures. My old Saturn's second and third stage needed some work, but I decided, as mentioned above, to redo the whole rocket (really it was only the first, second, and third stage. The LM and CM stayed the same.) Anyways, enough talk, here are some pictures.

Sitting on the pad, I was afraid my game would crash as soon as I pressed the "space" button.

Liftoff. To my surprise, there was only a slight pause and the engines roared to life. Average fps is 10.

Pictures of the second and third stage in spoiler.

Spoiler

I will post more pictures if requested. This is still a WIP build, even though it looks finished. It may never be...

Edited February 22, 2017 by Munbro Kerman

[Majorjim!]

2 hours ago, Munbro Kerman said:

Saturn V;

This looks very promising indeed! 

 I wish you luck and look forward to seeing the finished, working thing, you can do it man! 

[pTrevTrevs]

2 hours ago, Munbro Kerman said:

 

Give.

Now.

Edited February 23, 2017 by pTrevTrevs

[pTrevTrevs]

It's ugly, it's unstable, it's fragile, and it's... evidently not powerful enough to fly... *incomprehensible swearing*

@Azimech, would it be better to replace the four small jet engines with two larger ones? Should I add more blades or remove one? Should the blades be larger to create more lift or smaller to cut down on weight?

[vitekc45c]

Try autostruting the rotor asembly, replacing the outward facing engines with one placed on the very end of the tail and changing the prop pitch.

Also replacing the small evelons with linear RCS ports could help you to make it more compact and reduce drag.

Edited February 23, 2017 by vitekc45c

[Yukon0009]

10 hours ago, Munbro Kerman said:

Ever since 1.2.2 was released, I was wanting to build a new and improved Saturn V; and here it is. Weighing in at a monstrous 1.1 thousand tons and over 900 parts, this will bring your framerate down to its knees. My computer pulled a whopping 10 fps at launch (Specs: CPU: FX-6300, GPU: GTX-950, RAM: 8 GB). I always wanted to have a realistic stock Saturn V paint job. Ore tanks wouldn't work in this case, as they are too large, so I decided to use fuel cells, since I already had some experience with them (when I was working on the Stock Titan Rocket family). The large one was too light in color but the small one was perfect. Even though it was too small to "paint" an area that large, I still tried it out. I thought it turned out okay, since it had a nice clean finish and a real Saturn-type look. I went with the Apollo 11 rocket paint-scheme, if you look closely at some actual pictures. My old Saturn's second and third stage needed some work, but I decided, as mentioned above, to redo the whole rocket (really it was only the first, second, and third stage. The LM and CM stayed the same.) Anyways, enough talk, here are some pictures.

Sitting on the pad, I was afraid my game would crash as soon as I pressed the "space" button.

Liftoff. To my surprise, there was only a slight pause and the engines roared to life. Average fps is 10.

Pictures of the second and third stage in spoiler.

  Hide contents

I will post more pictures if requested. This is still a WIP build, even though it looks finished. It may never be...

How'd you do the interstage between the second and third stage? Antennae?

[Thingymajigy]

turns out realistically sized falcon 9 can eve from sea level. 18 vectors

[Majorjim!]

3 hours ago, Yukon0009 said:

How'd you do the interstage between the second and third stage? Antennae?

He says how in his post man, its backwards fuel cells.

[Munbro Kerman]

7 hours ago, Yukon0009 said:

Antennae

Even though this probably was not your intention, but this is a great suggestion! I could use antenna for the interstage and keep the fuel cells on the second/third stage, or I could test that out too. Thanks 

[Majorjim!]

19 minutes ago, Munbro Kerman said:

Even though this probably was not your intention, but this is a great suggestion! I could use antenna for the interstage and keep the fuel cells on the second/third stage, or I could test that out too. Thanks 

I do not recommend this..

 I have used backwards antennae on many, many builds, using them in large numbers causes a lot of lag. I mean, a lot! 

[ScriptKitt3h]

On 2/22/2017 at 9:03 AM, Azimech said:

What unfinished project shall I work on today. Maybe ... this one?

 

 

Wow, that is by far the best mothership/sci-fi style colony ship I've seen in a long time on here. Excellent shaping!

[Soda Popinski]

I'm mostly busy with my cinematics (see my sig), but I've been noodling around the idea of a modular drive system in Kerbin orbit.  The idea would be to launch an SSTO that docks with it, disengages from the RAPIER drive section, then attaches to one of several types of drives.  Short range higher Isp chemical to hit the muns or asteroids.  High Isp nuke drive, and an aerobraking safe nuke drive.  The idea is to have a mostly pulling design with tankage at the rear protected by replacable heat-shields.  That means I need to have radially attached NERVs, but I wanted to make them deployable, so they can be safe during hard aerobraking.  The whole thing survives a Kerbin re-entry from LKO at an initial 40km periaps, but of course lithobrakes at almost mach 1 with no damage until said lithobraking.

For the articulation, I'm using Infernal Robotics powered washers.  I remember seeing Scott Manley put nukes on a puller system where they folded from pointing forward, opening like a flower to aim back.  I found that looked a bit wobbly, so I went for a "double wishbone" mechanism.  To get around the game's limitation of single connection points, I placed the parts where they should be, then attached them with struts/spacetape.

Here's a quick shot of the articulation.  I guess I don't need the radiators, as I understand in 1.2, nukes don't overheat anymore.

 

Edited February 23, 2017 by Soda Popinski

[Munbro Kerman]

1 hour ago, Majorjim! said:

I do not recommend this

I was just working on the Saturn V and trying out the anntena trick, I'm thinking I'm going to end up with more parts than the Saturn with fuel cells. So, as a result, I'm ditching the antennas. Thanks for 'warning' me.

Edited February 23, 2017 by Munbro Kerman

[ScriptKitt3h]

Battlecruiser on station...

Another ship done, another entry to my upcoming (WIP) new stock fleet. This one's quite tough too, taking multiple hits from my current lineup of stock ship-to-ship missile designs like a champ, with only external (aesthetic) damage being dealt.

Wing parts over steel plate- once again demonstrating that sacrificial layers of armor still function even in KSP.

[Majorjim!]

1 hour ago, Munbro Kerman said:

I was just working on the Saturn V and trying out the anntena trick, I'm thinking I'm going to end up with more parts than the Saturn with fuel cells. So, as a result, I'm ditching the antennas. Thanks for 'warning' me.

It's not the part count as such, the antenna themselves cause lag. I guess due to the more complex model. 

[Munbro Kerman]

A few updates on the Saturn V. Added four more engines on the first stage, now it doesn't take off at a snails pace (old TWR is 1.19, new TWR: 1.54). Tried a full moon mission with it and I've found no problems. Interstage separates cleanly, LES cover comes off like the real thing, the lander ascent stage separates cleanly, and the third stage has enough delta-v for error. Lander ascent stage has a pretty low fuel amount after getting into orbit around the Mun, so precise maneuvers are recommended when flying. If any problem arises this will be the first place I post.