[WIP] [0.23.5] AKSP - Suborbital Space Transport

[stoland]

What do you need help with?

Hey Green Skull, I am going to need help with:

- Assistance and ideas around the 4 x LOX/Kerosine engines and particle affects/thrust transforms.

- Texturing at some stage.

Hung up on canopy modelling at present. (Too fussy for my good) as well as the interior IVA and landing gear.

Landing gear is internal so working out the best way to do that and then animate.

Once happy with modelling then I have to work out all the node colliders and collision meshes.

IVA will be a killer and have done the model for that but just need to clean it up.

Will also need to do a orbital refuelling station. E.g. Fuel tanks and orbital crew station textured fro AKSP as it will be using LOX/Kero.

The more I work on it the longer the list gets. LOL

I will be able to work it all out eventually just will take longer than I hoped for.

Edited April 5, 2014 by stoland

[Guest]

Could you also separate vertical fins into their own parts? That'd be needed for FAR support, and for them to properly stabilize the craft.

[Green Skull]

Well I can certainly help with texturing

I can tell you that you will need a thrust transform per engine. There are tutorials on here explaining how to - my advice is take your time reading and not be frustrated too much by the multiple loadings of KSP to find it didn't work...

Also check out the hot rockets dev thread for awesome effects and how to apply them! I 100% recommend them for awesome!

As for re-fuelling you'd have to figure out either how to dock the station and ship.

OR how about KAS pipes and some kind of tanker probe. I wouldn't bother with the rest of the refuelling probe rocket as there is the entire rest of KSP for that I'm thinking a logo'd tank that can attach to other parts with a custom probe on one end which has a KAS container in the config for storing pipe ends and whatnot. In the long run make a station

[Green Skull]

Also I recommend giving the ship a proper name. You could use LYNX but how about something Aussie? Dingo, Roo etc Then change the name of this thread to include the Name and SSTO. As you plan on refuelling it no longer is suborbital

[Commander Hoek]

The AKSP Quokka or if you wanted to go with birds maybe the Firetail or C0-ka2 (cockatoo), Wedgetail ?

[stoland]

The AKSP Quokka or if you wanted to go with birds maybe the Firetail or C0-ka2 (cockatoo), Wedgetail ?

Thanks. Excellent suggestions. Might have to put a poll on it. I think it would have to be relevant to flight. So CO-KA2 sounds not to bad as its not obvious.

Also thought about redback but so could give it a red spine but might do a limited edition black carbon for that one with as a Mark II.

Keep the suggestions coming.

Currently detailing the canopy so that part will be done and will paste a screen shot when complete.

Quad engines are now modelled and attached. (Grainy image as taken from Blender preview). Will make final modifications to engine models and size once imported into Unity and then KSP for particle affects. Object is 4 engines particle affects will merge from 4 to one. (If possible). Just need to work out if there will be any need for them to be fired individually.

Edited April 5, 2014 by stoland

[Green Skull]

Looking good. Keep it up!

Just need to work out if there will be any need for them to be fired individually.

Honestly no.

[mike9606]

I think it would be nice to have them fire individually just for a luxury.

[Commander Hoek]

I personally would love to see a good carbon fibre like texture for the body would look cool with the red stripe.

[stoland]

I think it would be nice to have them fire individually just for a luxury.

Thought about away of scripting it so it would test fire each one prior to launch like in the XCOR vid.

[stoland]

UPDATE:

Canopy completed. (main Page update)

[stoland]

Fiddled around and tested Unity import to make sure I know what I am doing.

Obvious textures missed in Unity and nodes to adjust.LOL.

This was just a test to check scale and how importing Unity works with mesh colliders. Still a lot to learn as have engines to do, IVA to finalise etc.

[Konnor]

Suggestion/feature request (of course, feel free to ignore it if you so desire): detach cockpit from the rest of the fuselage - make them two different parts, and add an adapter to 1.25m (or 2.5, not sure about the scale) node. It will be more versatile and more "KSP-style" that way, I believe.

[stoland]

Suggestion/feature request (of course, feel free to ignore it if you so desire): detach cockpit from the rest of the fuselage - make them two different parts, and add an adapter to 1.25m (or 2.5, not sure about the scale) node. It will be more versatile and more "KSP-style" that way, I believe.

Good suggestion and is being looked into. Just wing position and odd shape have made it awkward. Have looked at a conversion adaptor or secondary cockpit and adaptors.

[Green Skull]

Maybe a 4 man cockpit and adapter in the future? So I can make crew runs to Mir from the runway?

I do like the idea of a pre-start procedure on the engines. My biggest suggestion is start smaller and get it working then you can update and add more parts in the long run - everyone loves regular updates!

The vertical fins need to be individual for FAR compatibility I 100% agree with Rockstar04 this is a must!

[stoland]

Maybe a 4 man cockpit and adapter in the future? So I can make crew runs to Mir from the runway?

I do like the idea of a pre-start procedure on the engines. My biggest suggestion is start smaller and get it working then you can update and add more parts in the long run - everyone loves regular updates!

Thanks Green Skull.

The vertical fins need to be individual for FAR compatibility I 100% agree with Rockstar04 this is a must!

Working on splitting the vertical fins. Just trying different options on splitting them that makes attachment simple. Still have to do the control surfaces so doing that at the same time.

4 man cockpit is a good idea. My idea being a 2 man cockpit with a 2 man crew adapter.

Dorsal has been done but at present is just an additional fuel supply and later will be have a payload system as well for the dorsal once I get animations done. (Will update main page with images.)

[Kaa253]

Fiddled around and tested Unity import to make sure I know what I am doing.

Obvious textures missed in Unity and nodes to adjust.LOL.

This was just a test to check scale and how importing Unity works with mesh colliders. Still a lot to learn as have engines to do, IVA to finalise etc.

https://i.imgur.com/sWRJBP2.png

I hope and trust that's Woomera range in the image

Looking really good! I am definitely following your progress on this.

[stoland]

I hope and trust that's Woomera range in the image

Looking really good! I am definitely following your progress on this.

Cheers. Thanks for the support. You also might have given an idea for the name. "Woomera" oddly in here converts to "Boomerang" for spell check. As at first its Alpha version will be suborbital and back I think the Alpha version may as well be called Boomerang. LOL

[stoland]

Further cleaning of vertices and edges so parts can be split.

[blackheart612]

Why is it so shiny

[stoland]

Why is it so shiny

LOL. I have the gloss shader turned up in blender as it is easier for me to check for deformities with the silhouette and make sure it has clean lines.

[blackheart612]

Im not that much a fan of suborbitals in any way but gotta say this looks nice.

[stoland]

Im not that much a fan of suborbitals in any way but gotta say this looks nice.

Thanks. I wasn't a fan either till I started following the Lynx and the technology behind it.

It in a way is a high speed space taxi

[Green Skull]

A good looking space taxi!

[Mekan1k]

Looks perfect for a lifeboat!

EDIT: All it needs is a booster-rocket pack to achieve space!

Edited April 9, 2014 by Mekan1k