Harnessing the Kraken: Eeloo in 11 hours!

[KissSh0t]

Ohh.. I forgot about the kraken thread, I had better post this here to show what I have done, I had put it in the SSTO thread but it makes more sense to post it here : U

This is an SSTO aircraft that has two kraken drives, each drive is using 2 medium size landing legs.

This is just a short video showing them being activated while in orbit, with another craft in orbit next to it so you can see how fast the drives push the craft.

So far after 3 sorties with this craft, the drives have not broken once...

[mythic_fci]

I have been testing the Hermes K-drive by FCISuperGuy in an attempt to make a fighter. Here are some problems I run into

1. its just flops (meaning it just won't work) I turn it on and the ship is like "what am I suppose to do now?"

2. Spin cycle. Sometime it will accelerate, but deciders to act like a gyro ball. Even his ship does this. I turn it on and I watch as it spins upward and to the left

3. One time success. There are times when I can get it to work (rarely) and after I do, I turn it off to see if it will still work. 95% of the time it doesn't. If it does work again it fails the 3rd test 100% of the time.

4. failure after missiles launch. When I first downloaded it, it work much better, but after I would shoot a missile, it always would fail

5. Acting like there is drag. Also when I first starting using it, it would act like it was in atmosphere (I think it is suppose to do that but not 100% sure). So to fix this I added struts, once the struts were added, everything started going down hill.

It started off ok and ever sense it has been going down hill. IDK what is causing my success rate to drop like a rock.

Also I play on a Mac so IDK weather its because of differences in game tips that is causing this or what. If any one on a mac is having major success with any K-drive, please let me know

Answers:

1. Try reassigning the action group you use to activate the K-Drive (in my case, 1).

2. Either your ship ain't balanced, or you need MOAR TORQUE

3. Don't clip ANYTHING inside the drive. Leave it alone, and you WILL get the advertised 95% reliability. Try the unmodified Hermes for analysis.

4. IDK why this is happening because my ships are peace vessels Post your craft so I can take a look.

5. PART 1 - The real acceleration comes when you are in orbit. PART 2 - Don't modify/clip anything inside the drive. It is VERY DELICATE.

I play on a Mac too

[Benjpalmer]

IMO the JD Gv2 drive.

The fastest speed (according to the thread title) is 127Gm/11h, or about 1Gm/h or 277,777m/s (if my calculations are correct [people may have been faster, this is just the fastest I could find])

The highest G-force IIRC was about 20g.

Now I wait for someone to come along and correct me.

Mind linking me to it if it's released|?

[_Aramchek_]

Post #208 in this thread has the link.

[KissSh0t]

Back in experimental stage... trying to develop a more powerful kraken drive, my previous drive works good, but it doesn't have the acceleration some of the other designs possess that are shared in this thread.

My previous successful drive worked on the ground at 1.6m/s

This new design started at 1.6m/s and putted along for a few seconds then just instantly went to 4.3m/s ... which surprised me quite a bit..

Really looking forward to putting this kraken drive in orbit.

I've built this design with the 4 way connector, each landing leg is attached separately.. So I can have 2, 3, 1, 4... landing legs..

Keep the posts coming guys!!!! if you are making kraken drives please keep sharing information about them!!! they are so fun and unpredictable..

*edit*

I put this engine on an already built ssto aircraft.. got it to orbit.. turned on kraken drive.. craft accelerated very very quickly but a few legs broke so i turned it off and got out to fix the broken legs in the kraken drive... I fixed one then the craft started running away from me.. then I was making the kerbal chase it... then the craft started turning and is changing direction..

hahahahahahaha!!~!

*edit*

Using Kraken Drive under the recommended speed limit..... is dangerous *____*

This kraken drive turned out to be a bit more powerful than my first, but much more unreliable... it tends to break easily... and also my first time seeing this type of explosion... bits of it went flying forward heaps fast.

Edited March 27, 2014 by KissSh0t
adding video

[Balto-the-Wolf-Dog]

I've been working with this concept for the majority of the last ten hours or so with varying success. So far I've minimized (though not eliminated) directional noise from the thrust and managed to get it relatively consistent, but I haven't fixed the reliability issue. My present design looks much like the one attached to the car and, on its own, happily generates about fifteen g's of acceleration. When mounted to anything much larger than a pod, however, the landing struts like to fail into the stuck down mode. Any advice? The largest vessel I've been successful with is the following, and even then the gear fail occasionally:

I built a multi-nacelle vessel prior on an older engine design. That was similarly quick to accelerate and managed a larger payload, but at the expense of extreme directional tendencies.

[Jodo42]

No posts since March... have people largely given up on Kraken drives? The concept still seems to work, but I'm having trouble getting it to work reliably- probably the finnickyness of placing the legs.

[RocketPilot573]

I think .23.5 kinda broke a ton of designs.

[Comrade Jenkens]

I think .23.5 kinda broke a ton of designs.

A few still work. Though they are very unreliable.

Been playing around with the idea of a docking port powered one but just getting the Gyro bug so far. :/

[mythic_fci]

Most designs have been made extremely unreliable or just don't work at all. Say, my old 1m K-Drive. It still works in-atmo, but it doesn't exactly fare well in space. The effort of perfecting new drives with the new joint system is just too much for most.

[Tw1]

I've been wondering if future kraken drive designs could look at the 'shimmy' effect that happens with certain sets of physics less parts.

[goduranus]

My kraken drive is designed after 0.235, it's also very reliable and generates very little unwanted torque.

Here's it on Curse

http://kerbal.curseforge.com/shareables/223310-stock-reactionless-drive-craft-event-horizon/images

Edit: Drive toggle is bound to Action Group 6(to avoid mixing up with landing gears), and needs speed greater than 800m/s to activate

Edited September 5, 2014 by goduranus
clarifications

[Sky_walker]

I love the looks. Really well designed

[Rune]

My kraken drive is designed after 0.235, it's also very reliable and generates very little unwanted torque.

Here's it on Curse

http://kerbal.curseforge.com/shareables/223310-stock-reactionless-drive-craft-event-horizon/images

You know now is the part where you are asked a craft file, right? A reliable K-Drive that works after 0.23 is truly something! How well does it do in 0.24?

Rune. Not many drives could ever manage the mass difference to do an ARM mission.

[Sky_walker]

Here comes a part where people point out the obvious to you - click download button.

This page with screenshots is where he uploaded craft file

And from him saying "after 0.235" I conclude that it works perfectly fine with 0.24. In case you didn't notice - the version after 0.235 is 0.24.

[Frozen_Heart]

Doesn't work on my PC. I've noticed that even K-drives that work post ARM don't work on mine.

[goduranus]

Hmm, did you get the ship's speed above 800m/s? Then use Action Group 6 to toggle the drive.

Edited September 5, 2014 by goduranus

[TimberWolffe]

I know for a fact Kraken harnessing can be done by separating a still burning engine in prograde, then blasting it with another engine and using the explosion to power yourself at 21 times the speed of light instantaneously. Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to gravity brake at 6 295 641 618 m/s so there is a *slight* flaw, however it does allow you to escape the sun in just under a minute.

[goduranus]

Wut? Speed of Light?

Craft File NOW!

[TimberWolffe]

Wut? Speed of Light?

Craft File NOW!

I find it can be done with just about any craft, but it all relies on timing. It does help to have the engine facing into the decoupler, however.

You can also use the kraken to drive across the surface of Kerbin at 25 m/s with nigh but ASAS, a separatron and the Mk. 1 cockpit. All you have to do is spin into the separatron hard enough to get the force to propel your rotation, then guide yourself as best you can with WASD, but remember to never spin in the opposite direction.

[Frozen_Heart]

Hmm, did you get the ship's speed above 800m/s? Then use Action Group 6 to toggle the drive.

They can hover below 800m/s. And yeah even in space they still don't work. :/

I know for a fact Kraken harnessing can be done by separating a still burning engine in prograde, then blasting it with another engine and using the explosion to power yourself at 21 times the speed of light instantaneously. Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to gravity brake at 6 295 641 618 m/s so there is a *slight* flaw, however it does allow you to escape the sun in just under a minute.

OMG! detailed instructions please!

[goduranus]

For some unknown reason, most kraken drives only work after you get the craft speed above 800m/s, does it work for you then?

[Frozen_Heart]

For some unknown reason, most kraken drives only work after you get the craft speed above 800m/s, does it work for you then?

No doesn't work in orbit or on the ground. This has happened with several drives which work for others.

Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to gravity brake at 6 295 641 618 m/s so there is a *slight* flaw

Do the same technique in the opposite direction?

Edited September 5, 2014 by Frozen_Heart

[TimberWolffe]

Do the same technique in the opposite direction?

I tried that. Let's just say the end results of decelerating from 22 664 309 824.8 km/h to 3168 km/h in under a second aren't exactly the prettiest thing

OMG! detailed instructions please!

I find it works best at top speed, just before I hit Periapsis. Initiate the thruster pointing upwards into the stage you want FTL and make sure the engine is super hot, then decouple and watch as you zoom past everything super fast. It doesn't always work and it relies a lot on timing, but when you can get it to work it's super fun

Edited September 5, 2014 by TimberWolffe

[Rune]

Here comes a part where people point out the obvious to you - click download button.

This page with screenshots is where he uploaded craft file

And from him saying "after 0.235" I conclude that it works perfectly fine with 0.24. In case you didn't notice - the version after 0.235 is 0.24.

Well, I guess my not using curse really showed there. I'll be more careful in the future, I guess.