Advice on floating bases

[Levelord]

So I was planning on extending my floating Laythe base by expanding it to include a landing platform. On testing the platform on Kerbin, I've noticed that the platform sinks significantly when landing a plane. Adding more empty fuel tanks at the bottom doesn't seem to increase its buoyancy, so I'm at a loss on how to keep the platform from looking half submerged whenever I land a small craft on it. Does anyone have any suggestions?

here is the base I'm planning on expanding:

Here is the sinky problem:

This is how it's meant to float:

Edited February 20, 2014 by Levelord

[Tw1]

More buoyant parts? Ram intakes and flat I-beams are pretty floaty.

[Rhyunix]

Laythe? Floating base?! VTOLS!?

I'm afraid this is way out of my league. I do have a suggestion though- since I was trying to make ships, I used wings, angled out so it doesn't tip over. Try that!

[Levelord]

More buoyant parts? Ram intakes and flat I-beams are pretty floaty.

I just gave air intakes a try, but they seem to bounce and over-react to water, causing the platform to wildly rock from side to side.

[Levelord]

Well, after a test run with Octagonal struts, this seems to float a bit better...

[Jank]

Pretty cool idea, I gotta say.

[Noticeably FAT]

"My stuff isn't floating like I want it."

"Have you tried adding more large steel structures to the bottom?"

"Thanks, that worked!"

I love KSP.

[vetrox]

We have a mod to give us better aerodynamics....now we really need a mod for better hydrodynamics!

[TheDarkStar]

We have a mod to give us better aerodynamics....now we really need a mod for better hydrodynamics!

Do we actually know the density of the "water" on Kerbin?

[Arsonik]

We have a mod to give us better aerodynamics....now we really need a mod for better hydrodynamics!

Not exactly what you wanted but its a nice mod.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24845-Boat-Parts-SubmarineParts-R4-NEW%21

[Aphox]

"My stuff isn't floating like I want it."

"Have you tried adding more large steel structures to the bottom?"

"Thanks, that worked!"

I love KSP.

I can't get over this. This thread's got me laughing out of my chair.

At the same time though, I think you may have just inspired me to play again. At least until I get frustrated that my VTOLs suck and ragequit.

[Tw1]

"My stuff isn't floating like I want it."

"Have you tried adding more large steel structures to the bottom?"

"Thanks, that worked!"

I love KSP.

This is the internal structure of an aquatic rover:

Those bits of metal are not weights. They are floats to correct the balance. Buoyancy is kind of backwards in KSP.

[katateochi]

lol that solution is hilarious!

And that base is Awesome!! nice one.

[Seshins]

haha best physics.

[m4rt14n]

I cant even get to Laythe and back....

[Werwolf]

Wow, dude. That is really amazing. Kudos to you for an awesome design.

[Stewcumber]

I use wings for the most stable "floatinisation" in my boats, horizontally.

Now i've got to try this.

[Levelord]

I've encountered a new problem. While I was testing modular parts, the docked first parts of the aquatic habitat would suddenly disappear and then appear underwater on the seabed. When I switch crafts to it, it would then immediately explode.

I have the persistence file here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16683090/KSP/persistent.sfs

Quicksave file here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16683090/KSP/quicksave.sfs

The craft in question:

As I move towards it:

It then suddenly disappears and reappears on the sea floor instead:

When I switch vessels to see what's going on, this happens:

Any idea on what's causing this?

[Aragosnat]

Yeah. Had that recently happen to one of my ships in space that I switched over to as well.. It just suddenly went KABOOM! on me and it had no part clips (least none I could see). The only thing I knew that was happening at the same time. I was downloading/updating another game and that one launched when it was done. Slim chance it might be something like that.

[JDCollie]

I could be wrong (and probably are), but I think the "floatiness" has more to do with center of mass than it does with buoyancy in vanilla KSP.

[NERVAfan]

Do we actually know the density of the "water" on Kerbin?

A good point. Kerbin is roughly 10x denser than Earth; if the water is actually 10x denser too, then steel (more like 8x as dense as water) would float. Unless the steel is denser too, of course...

[Levelord]

Yeah. Had that recently happen to one of my ships in space that I switched over to as well.. It just suddenly went KABOOM! on me and it had no part clips (least none I could see). The only thing I knew that was happening at the same time. I was downloading/updating another game and that one launched when it was done. Slim chance it might be something like that.

I am currently having this problem repeat itself again when testing from scratch. I think the game is trying to make the floating parts register as 'landed' but when you register the part as landed the game automatically places the ship on the nearest surface (which would be the sea floor). This didn't seem to be a problem with 0.21 when I docked multiple floating modules together at sea, but is a problem in 0.23.

I've noticed however that individual vessels floating on the sea won't have this problem, but once you dock two ships together, the whole combined vessel gets placed on the sea bed and explody things happen. This might be a semi-important issue that SQUAD should look into. Aquatic colonies on Laythe should be as important as terrestrial colonies are on Duna or the Mun.

[Levelord]

Okay I figured out the problem seems to be associated with the Junior docking ports. When I use the regular docking ports, the floating bases remain bug-free. Allow me to show you a tour of my new prototype Laythe marine colony.

This is the colony, designed to be modular. It has a marine science module, a landing platform and several housing bays.

On the landing platform we perform routine maintenance of VTOL SSTO aircraft and refuel them as needed.

Here is the single housing module

And the quad housing module for more colonists. It's designed to resemble a small village.

Here is the science bay where Laythe's water, atmosphere and other relevant experiments are carried out.

Another angle of the layout. Feels quite cosy.

[Stengord]

This is brilliant.

I always feel I am capable of such builds like this. But then I realise I still haven't gotten any further than Minmus.

[m4rt14n]

Oh my god... How?... Totally amazed.

Btw how do you refuel the aircraft? Is there a docking port? I couldnt see.

Edited February 24, 2014 by m4rt14n