VTOL Flatbed Carrier "Hermes" and companion Rover "Marathon"

[Wooks]

This video is a little demonstration of my VTOL Flatbed Carrier "Hermes" and his companion Rover "Marathon", a match made in heaven.

VTOL Controls:

F1: Toggle Jet Engines

F2: Toggle Intakes

F7: Lower and raises the bed to unload the rover.

Stage: Parachutes for soft, controlled or emergency landings.

Last 3 Stages: Decouples the rover, there are 3 decouplers, make sure all are staged before moving the rover.

IMPORTANT: Always remember to control from the probe body under the bed of the VTOL, right on the center. If you want to shift the COM direction just rotate the probe body on the VAB.

Rover Controls:

No special controls or action groups, just drive it

You can download the file here, file contains both vehicles: http://goo.gl/CU1kmT

This couple are the main vehicles used in my series "Rover Adventures - Around Kerbin", my personal challenge to circumnavigate Kerbin on a rover, no mods, only stock because HARDCORE. Check out the latest episode and see what these vehicles are used for.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Wooks

[Jeb Cubed]

I can't tell if that is you flying or and previous version of Cupcake. Anyways very neat idea, I like the size too.

[Wooks]

I can't tell if that is you flying or and previous version of Cupcake. Anyways very neat idea, I like the size too.

Go big or go home

I knew nothing about VTOLs when I started my circumnavigation mission, all my knowledge comes from the awesome work of Cupcake.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Wooks

[Cupcake...]

What a great concept, well done! It'll be cool if you can get a docking version working one day, that and a fuel tanker, then you'll only ever need the one ship!

Cupcake...

[Wooks]

What a great concept, well done! It'll be cool if you can get a docking version working one day, that and a fuel tanker, then you'll only ever need the one ship!

Cupcake...

The problem with the docking in this configuration is that gravity pushes the rover down once undocked causing a clipping mess, decouplers don´t like to be squished. Maybe adding some RCS or small rockets to the rover providing enough lift to unsquish the decouplers... but then you´d be overcomplicating your rover... unless your rover NEEDS those for a low grav planet or moon. Hmmm.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Wooks

[Cupcake...]

The problem with the docking in this configuration is that gravity pushes the rover down once undocked causing a clipping mess, decouplers don´t like to be squished. Maybe adding some RCS or small rockets to the rover providing enough lift to unsquish the decouplers... but then you´d be overcomplicating your rover... unless your rover NEEDS those for a low grav planet or moon. Hmmm.

Ah, I see. I guess another option could be to build a gantry and have a docking port at the top, the wieght of the rover isn't going to change so it should always stay around the same height. It takes a lot of messing round but you can get pretty good results if you have the docking ports levels just right.

Cupcake...

[Wooks]

Ah, I see. I guess another option could be to build a gantry and have a docking port at the top, the wieght of the rover isn't going to change so it should always stay around the same height. It takes a lot of messing round but you can get pretty good results if you have the docking ports levels just right.

Cupcake...

I tought about your idea for a while while designing the "Hermes" (I call witchcraft on that video), but mi circumnavigation challenge already had started and it would have required changing the design of the "Marathon" and restart the series, so I compromised and designed the actual "Hermes" around the "Marathon".

I am not going to lie to you Marge, once I came up with the articulated flatbed I tought it looked freaking cool, that was the final selling point on this design

Edited February 19, 2014 by Wooks