HGR 1.875m parts R&D Thread [Mod reboot in progress] (First Dev build now available)

[dtoxic]

OK, newest version is up and there's a lot of changes.

-NoseCone is now simply a true radial booster tank. Holds as much fuel as the grey and orange tank.

-Default Orientation of the service module changed so the intended position of the solar panels don't cover any detail.

-Several parts have changed position on the tech tree:

-Solar Panels-moved to electrics

-radial boosters moved to heavyRocketry

-G-120 moved to heavyRocketry

-First implementation of my fairings.

Unfortunately docking nodes don't like having extra nodes for some reason, so the sides had to connect to the new LES tower.

-the Soy-juice capsule is now equipped with soft landing rockets via XT Landertron Plug-in. (The Plug-in has been bundled in the DL if you don't already have it) It is not essential for my parts pack to function.

-Realchute support has been added via a MM cfg. Requires the latest version of module manager and is still WIP

-lowered the default amount of ablative shielding for the heatshield. the max remains the same. (This was done to save weight as 500 was still often too much for default settings)

Hopefully that's everything, I'll update this post if I remember something else. Have fun and look forward to seeing some polish in the next update.

thanks for the update will post if some bugs are found keep up the good work

a suggestion for the Specialized decoupler. maybe you should put more space between the top and bottom node i think they are too close and while building a rocket sometimes it snaps onto a wrong position if not careful ,not allowing for a clean separation other then that mod looks super good

Edited June 15, 2014 by dtoxic

[XkaOnslaught]

havent downloaded the update yet, but this is my current launcher for 6.4:1 kerbin:

[driftwood11]

This is my fave mod but I'm confused about all the options that are given with the soy-juice command pod, would it be possible to give just a small overview as to what they all mean and how they work. I think this would benefit not only me a few others like me.

[XanderTek]

Hey folks, I'm the creator of the Landertron plugin now being used by the soy-juice pod rockets. You don't need to separately download my mod, but you can find instructions over on my thread. Also, if you have any feedback on the retrorockets, drop me a line over there.

The system was designed for rockets that could be mounted in a variety of positions on different sorts of landers. For the purposes of the soy-juice you probably don't need to fiddle with any of the right-click settings.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I should probably add a cfg option that disables the in-game Landertron options on a part.

Edited June 15, 2014 by XanderTek

[Orionkermin]

thanks for the update will post if some bugs are found keep up the good work

a suggestion for the Specialized decoupler. maybe you should put more space between the top and bottom node i think they are too close and while building a rocket sometimes it snaps onto a wrong position if not careful ,not allowing for a clean separation other then that mod looks super good

I'll see what I can do to make the nodes easier. The need to fit over the heatshield limits my options, keep in mind.

havent downloaded the update yet, but this is my current launcher for 6.4:1 kerbin:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26414976/screenshot7.png

Nice, are you using real fuels or does it make orbit normally? Those fairings remind me how much more I still need to improve my textures.

This is my fave mod but I'm confused about all the options that are given with the soy-juice command pod, would it be possible to give just a small overview as to what they all mean and how they work. I think this would benefit not only me a few others like me.

Do you mean the various landertron options? To be honest the landertron thread is a better place to find the information, as I'm still playing with it myself and figuring everything out. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/61294-WIP-XT-Landertron-Smart-Retrorockets-for-Landers-and-Spaceplanes-v0-06a-12-28

The basics though is that once you stage the command pod's SRB it will be "primed" and will fire automatically before touchdown. The icon changes color depending on if it has enough DV to actually stop in time. I recommend not priming it until after the chute opens as I've seen it go off early a couple times when the pod was still falling quickly and was rocking. Ie. you want the pod to be in a stable fall. I suppose putting it on the same staging as jettisoning the heatshield would work well, although I did not do this on my example craft. Hope that helps!

edit: hahaha Ninja'd

[Anghor]

I love this parts pack. That's all I can say about it.

EDIT: I noticed that unlike the small escape tower, the large one doesn't have an integrated decoupler that automatically detaches it when activating it via staging.

Edited June 15, 2014 by Anghor

[komodo]

I too love the parts pack;

Initial impressions of the latest revision are somewhat energetic, in the best way. I'm still testing, but at first blush it looks good. I really like the new strapon boosters, they're much easier to work with than the prior versions.

EDIT: The docking clamp is a perfect addition, love it. (Might rename mine the Latch-o-Matic to differentiate it from the Clamp-o-Tron, but that's a quibble.)

The animation/detail on the Edamame engine is very nice, love it. How did you get it to link against the animation, the engine activation? It took me a minute to get it, but it correctly won't activate unless the engine is open, and won't close unless it's shut down. Kudos.

The fairings (*ducks*) had a couple issues; When attached with symmetry, the second fairing acted... weird. I'm going to test this some more, though. It looked as if it wasn't attached correctly/flapping about a bit. Maybe a fluke.

The new base may be a little low in weight, as I understand KSP physics. When I hit GO on the boosters, it compressed a bit, which surprised me. I'm going to play around with some numbers and report back. (I may just need to strut something).

EDITEDIT: The fairings I think it's a FAR Thing. They should be acting right if the word fairing is in the part name, but they don't seem to be shielding the interior. (watched my panels disintegrate, etc. I'm not sure if this was from hitting the fairing or the wind.) This may be due to the solar panels/rcs ports poking through by a pixel or two. I'm testing without such frivolous items now.-- Seems that was it. Without those items poking through, everything calmed down fairing wise. Now, how to sneak the solar panels in... Hrmm.

Changing the mass of the fairing base to 0.6 from 0.06 stiffened it up quite a bit. Also, changed the tower fuel to 60, from 30, making it possible to do a pad abort. (Not sure if this is just a personal issue or not ><)

I'm going to mess with the fairings some more and see what they may be up to. (I'll make a new post, this one is getting ridiculous ><)

Edited June 16, 2014 by komodo

[Orionkermin]

I too love the parts pack;

Initial impressions of the latest revision are somewhat energetic, in the best way. I'm still testing, but at first blush it looks good. I really like the new strapon boosters, they're much easier to work with than the prior versions.

EDIT: The docking clamp is a perfect addition, love it. (Might rename mine the Latch-o-Matic to differentiate it from the Clamp-o-Tron, but that's a quibble.)

The animation/detail on the Edamame engine is very nice, love it. How did you get it to link against the animation, the engine activation? It took me a minute to get it, but it correctly won't activate unless the engine is open, and won't close unless it's shut down. Kudos.

The fairings (*ducks*) had a couple issues; When attached with symmetry, the second fairing acted... weird. I'm going to test this some more, though. It looked as if it wasn't attached correctly/flapping about a bit. Maybe a fluke.

The new base may be a little low in weight, as I understand KSP physics. When I hit GO on the boosters, it compressed a bit, which surprised me. I'm going to play around with some numbers and report back. (I may just need to strut something).

No worries, thanks for the feedback. I often use the cfg files of other parts as templates to build on, so that's why the docking port hasn't gotten named yet and sometimes the mass of things are off. (Slipped my mind whoops)

I'll do some stress testing on the system as well, I tend to fly with my TWR under 2 by habit, which could be why I didn't notice the issues with the fairings. Larger attach nodes may help.

Edit: Also, how funny the Edamame is working with BahamutoD's animation plug-in? I installed the module and couldn't get it to work on my end, I must have installed the Plug-in wrong... Jeez

Also, I like "Latch-o-Matic" I may use that if you don't mind.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Orionkermin

[XkaOnslaught]

Nice, are you using real fuels or does it make orbit normally? Those fairings remind me how much more I still need to improve my textures.

I'm using KIDS with my own custom isp scale. still needs a little tweaking though.

[Orionkermin]

EDITEDIT: The fairings I think it's a FAR Thing. They should be acting right if the word fairing is in the part name, but they don't seem to be shielding the interior. (watched my panels disintegrate, etc. I'm not sure if this was from hitting the fairing or the wind.) This may be due to the solar panels/rcs ports poking through by a pixel or two. I'm testing without such frivolous items now.-- Seems that was it. Without those items poking through, everything calmed down fairing wise. Now, how to sneak the solar panels in... Hrmm.

Changing the mass of the fairing base to 0.6 from 0.06 stiffened it up quite a bit. Also, changed the tower fuel to 60, from 30, making it possible to do a pad abort. (Not sure if this is just a personal issue or not ><)

I'm going to mess with the fairings some more and see what they may be up to. (I'll make a new post, this one is getting ridiculous ><)

See that's super weird, I tested in FAR and everything was showing as shielded in the VAB as well as my solar panels being fine during launch... Maybe my FAR install is outdated, I'll check into it when there's time. When you installed the update, did you delete the old version? I did scale back the solar panels a pinch to get them to fit inside better.

Edit: After a quick test, I'm pretty sure that the problem is that the solar panels are running into the fairing's colliders and that is causing both the flapping and the breakup of the panels. I noticed the compression on the fairing base and I'll add mass as you suggested.

As you can see I'm going way over recommended speeds and in FAR.

Also I haven't had trouble with a pad abort myself, maybe I'll increase the max amount of fuel that way people can just tweak the amount they like to use.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Orionkermin

[komodo]

No worries, thanks for the feedback. I often use the cfg files of other parts as templates to build on, so that's why the docking port hasn't gotten named yet and sometimes the mass of things are off. (Slipped my mind whoops)

I'll do some stress testing on the system as well, I tend to fly with my TWR under 2 by habit, which could be why I didn't notice the issues with the fairings. Larger attach nodes may help.

Edit: Also, how funny the Edamame is working with BahamutoD's animation plug-in? I installed the module and couldn't get it to work on my end, I must have installed the Plug-in wrong... Jeez

Also, I like "Latch-o-Matic" I may use that if you don't mind.

See that's super weird, I tested in FAR and everything was showing as shielded in the VAB as well as my solar panels being fine during launch... Maybe my FAR install is outdated, I'll check into it when there's time. When you installed the update, did you delete the old version? I did scale back the solar panels a pinch to get them to fit inside better.

I did do a clean install. (I run on OS X, so its pretty much the default anyway. (No issues with OS X either, but none should be expected.))

The Edamame isn't acting funny at all, once I figured out the logic. If you haven't staged it, and it's closed, hitting activate engine will give the 'pft' sound, but deactivate it right away. If you hit open, and then activate, all is well. Similarly for closing it, it wouldn't close unless deactivated (I *think*.) Staging worked fine, and it opened up without issue.

My FAR may be whacked out, for all I know. On closer inspection I'm not getting 'shielded=yes/no', but it's certainly not stock soup either... Ill do further testing on my part, I wouldn't rend your hair over it.

After getting the RCS ports and solar panels in the fairings proper, it *did* calm down. It took a little bit of angling the panels; it was due to my odd placement of them off center to clear the RCS. (i.e., This is simple user error.) I'll try the attach node adjustment as well, that's a good thought.

The Pogo-ing may have been my engines, yes; I had just switched them out, and it occurs to me that I might not have adjusted the thrust limiting on them. I'll recheck that one.

By all means, use any suggestion I offer here without worry; I release them to you to do with as you wish. (Latch-o-Matic was just the first thing that popped to mind, but i'm stoked if it was a good thought bubble )

EDIT to add, the RCS I was bumping the fairings into was a set on the center 'line' of the Onion module. There's just enough space if they're at the bottom limit of that flat spot, but not at the center or top. I don't know if this is a typical configuration or not. See http://imgur.com/yRC7oBV for screenie.

Edited June 16, 2014 by komodo

[komodo]

Hadn't looked using one fairing, clever trick! It may just be a just-so thing, if its a collider issue. (Also, how's that Kerbal saying go? Real Kerbins burn up on take off? )

Most importantly though, these parts are a riot to play with, a thousand thanks for their creation. (It's the little things too; the 1.825 decoupler texture came out very nicely, if i've just noticed it.)

Edited June 16, 2014 by komodo

[XkaOnslaught]

Welp, updated and with the new fairings. i like the new textures on the 1.875 stack decoupler.

also, the Korolev Cross!

[S4qFBxkFFg]

First time I used the updated Radish (not the just-released update, but still) and everything went perfectly!

(Well, apart from needing more monopropellant during Minmus orbit rendezvous.)

Javascript is disabled. View full album

In case it's not obvious, the other HGR parts here are the Spud serving as the lander capsule, the medium fuel tank, the small engine, and some adaptors.

[Orionkermin]

Minor hot fix for the issues reported on the fairings. I reduced the size of the colliders and altered the shape of the mesh slightly so that RCS ports could be places on the rim that runs along the onion. I also increased the node size, hopefully this gets rid of the "flapping." The fairing base's mass was increased so it compresses much less and a decouple module was added to the escape tower so it can be staged off if you choose. The DL link is in the OP as V0.2b. Thanks Everybody!

@S4qFBxkFFg:

Oh yea I saw this in your mission reports. I was wondering if the ship was wobbly when you made your burns while using the small docking ports. Why not leave the lander behind the CSM until after you circularize at Minmus? Also this is very similar to how I usually do my early Career landings at Minmus, especially with so many other pods being way down the tech tree. (Most times I play with the rule that all manned landings must use a lander and CSM)

Edited June 16, 2014 by Orionkermin

[Gristle]

I think you need to update the OP, here's a suggestion:

About Orionkermin

I'm an accomplished and talented 3d artist and scripter,....

[S4qFBxkFFg]

@S4qFBxkFFg:

Oh yea I saw this in your mission reports. I was wondering if the ship was wobbly when you made your burns while using the small docking ports. Why not leave the lander behind the CSM until after you circularize at Minmus? Also this is very similar to how I usually do my early Career landings at Minmus, especially with so many other pods being way down the tech tree. (Most times I play with the rule that all manned landings must use a lander and CSM)

There were a couple of reasons for doing the docking manoeuvre in Kerbin orbit - if I screwed up and destroyed something vital (or it didn't work for whatever reason), it wouldn't be as difficult to send up a rescue mission, or if the CM was still functional I could just deorbit from there. Also, this allowed jettisoning the interconnector so I didn't have to take its mass along to Minmus.

As it turned out, there was no noticeable wobbliness, although that may just have been luck - there wasn't that much acceleration when using the Poodle engine anyway. (Can't remember for sure, but I think I pumped some fuel to the larger tank as well.)

[Pockrtplanesairways]

So Orion, what's planned for the next release/update?

[Woopert]

Hey Orion -- I have to say you've don a great job so far. There's just one change I would suggest for the example craft file.

If you take the engine on the core stage and hit Q or E nine times it will change the orientation to more accurately represent the real Soyuz engine arrangement.

[komodo]

Hey Orion -- I have to say you've don a great job so far. There's just one change I would suggest for the example craft file.

If you take the engine on the core stage and hit Q or E nine times it will change the orientation to more accurately represent the real Soyuz engine arrangement.

http://i.imgur.com/Zu6sMpR.png

Huh. I wonder what that does to the engine vectoring. Does it throw everything at a 45 degree angle?

[XkaOnslaught]

nope, it takes reference only from your heading.

[Hades]

Made a couple of config files:

-Patch to make the solar panel-antenna and the SoyLima pod Remote Tech 2 compatible

http://www./view/pygmip222e2eak3/HGR-RT2_patch.cfg

-Switches the internal of Onion pod with that of OrbitalOrb from Porkworks HabitatPack. It fits rather well.

http://www./view/8648hn6pk7a8yp6/OnionRepod.cfg

[Hurry- Starfish!]

First time I used the updated Radish (not the just-released update, but still) and everything went perfectly!

(Well, apart from needing more monopropellant during Minmus orbit rendezvous.)

http://imgur.com/a/vhNiV

In case it's not obvious, the other HGR parts here are the Spud serving as the lander capsule, the medium fuel tank, the small engine, and some adaptors.

Say, what are these launch clamps?

[somnambulist]

Say, what are these launch clamps?

They're from FASA

[Orionkermin]

They're from FASA

There's also an alternative download if you only want the clamps. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/71032-FASA-Launch-Towers