[Showcase] VTOL Emporium

[horndgmium]

Horndog's VTOL Emporium here! And I want to see YOUR VTOLs too!

A passion of mine: VTOLs

I specialize in atmospheric craft, but every once in a while, you'll see me drop a SSTO.

Major mods I use are Infernal robotics, p-wings, stretchy tanks, B9 (nearly exclusively landing gear), and occasionally mechjeb.

*All planes fly in FAR and DRE*

First on the list: The Rossborough

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Official Name: JSSF-7voc The Rossborough

Capabilities: Recon, quick response, electronic warfare

Range: High Kerbal Orbit

Mods used: none

Special Characteristics: fixed vtol

More to come soon.

Edited June 1, 2014 by horndgmium

[horndgmium]

The "Dragonfly"

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Official Name: BDI-1v Anisoptera

Capabilities: Base guarding, Low-payload dropship, high maneuverability

Range: Continental

Mods used: p-wings, infernal robotics, stretchy tanks, B9

Special Characteristics: rotary twin-engine vtol

Due to the long, broad wings and incredible TWR in VTOL form, this thing can carry an exorbitant amount of defensive armament.

Edited April 9, 2014 by horndgmium

[horndgmium]

The "Horseshoe"

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Official Name: SP-2v Linulidae

Capabilities: Having fun!

Range: Continental

Mods used: infernal robotics, stretchy tanks, B9

Design Characteristics: quad engine (two rotate for vtol)

Edited April 8, 2014 by horndgmium

[horndgmium]

The "Horseshoe" 2

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Official Name: BDI-3v Linulidae 2

Capabilities: Base defense, heavy armament capable (and stunts!)

Range: Continental

Mods used: infernal robotics, stretchy tanks, B9

Design Characteristics: quad engine (two rotate for vtol)

Edited April 8, 2014 by horndgmium

[horndgmium]

The Montanita

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Official Name: JSF-4v Montanita

Capabilities: Close-quarters dogfighting, armament capable, base hopping

Range: Continental

Mods used: infernal robotics, stretchy tanks, B9

Design Characteristics: dual engine on rotary wing

[Voculus]

My VTOL fleet, small though it is, has been rendered impotent, unless Infernal Robotics gets fixed. I'm a big fan of the rotating Osprey style engine design. Can't do without it.

EDIT: It dawned on my pea brain that I can simply revert to 0.23 in the meantime. I'll post some of my menial attempts when I get off of work.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Voculus

[O-Doc]

Here's the best VTOL/dropship in my fleet. Also called Dragonfly.

[Voculus]

I'm not nearly as clever as others when it comes to sculpting a plane with clipping voodoo, so I tend to be conventional, but I try to use the sweet-looking B9 parts, and the Infernal Robotics parts to tilt the engines.

No wings on this one. It's just slung around with the power of its engines.

This is just a variation with Firespitter props. Not nearly as fast, but far easier to land, thanks to the much quicker throttle response.

This one uses wings for much better handling in horizontal flight, but gets a bit hairy on landings, if I'm descending too fast without enough forward speed.

[horndgmium]

I actually really like those designs... they're simple but effective!

One of the methods I use is to form the frame with the 1m cubic trusses. That way, you can clip the larger structural elements. And sometimes it looks better if you start the wings from the inside on a truss rather than on the outside on a fuel tank

Ps. stretchy tanks are extremely useful... as well as RCS build aid. RCS build aid lets you be absolutely certain the dry CoM is on top of the wet CoM. Typically to do so I add reaction wheels on the side I need to move the dry CoM towards. You can also fine tune where the CoMs are (and make sure they are on top of the VTOL engines by changing the length of the stretchy tank as well as the amount of fuel in it). Fuel lines back and forth between all fuel tanks are key so the CoMs never change. To add a lot of stability, you can also put reaction wheels directly on top of the VTOL engine

O-doc, haha the dragonfly seems pretty popular, it looks excellent! I think that's my favorite design thus far.

[Spartwo]

3 of my 5 VTOLs.

[horndgmium]

Those are nice! Any SSTOs in the lot?

[Spartwo]

The one in the foreground.

[9t3ndo]

Here are my VTOL (SSTO) the "X-17 563" from 0.23 complete stock

[How2FoldSoup]

Here's the most recent vtol I've made....My only requirements for it were to fit inside an S2Wide cargo bay which it does. However, I'm still not a fan of the wobbly wings due to them being attached to infernal robotics hinges

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[Voculus]

I appreciate the tips, Horndgmium. It would be nice if I can design something that doesn't look so much like an airplane at first glance. I shall return with more pics in due time!

Spartwo, so you have any other screens of that middle ship? The one landed on the Helipad? That thing looks sweet.

[huggy]

A few of mine

Utilizing new VTOL technology. activate bottom engines and tilt back for VTOL mode

Activating top engines propel the craft forward

[

This VTOL inspired by the Mi-24 Hind

Early prototype of the previous VTOL the Hind influence more apparent. Ugly but can get into orbit.

[Voculus]

Holy crap, Soup! That thing is genius! Are you able to deorbit that VTOL craft and land it with the wobbly wings? Also, do those wings fold in two places? How were you able to tuck them to tightly to fit in the cargobay?

Props to your craft as well, Huggy. This is quickly becoming my favorite thread on the forums. There is much inspiration to be had here.

Edited April 9, 2014 by Voculus

[How2FoldSoup]

If I were a better pilot sure! I've deorbited a few times and attempted to land(it's still very much in testing phases, and since it's incompatible with 23.5 it's on the backburner for now) but crashed because...I'm not really sure why I just lost control heh. It flies around ksc just fine pre-orbit though.

It can easily make 100km orbit and I tested up to about 250km. 250km is pushing its limits and you'll have low fuel on the way back. Only the main wings and the tail elevators rotate, they're just attached to a hinge. I cheated because basically when you rotate those wings they get rotated inside the body of the ship so it's kind of like clipping...but only after the fact. You can barely see the rudders of the opposite side sticking out right next to the engine..it looks like it was meant to be there.

I also did clip some extra fuel tanks inside though...There is a passenger tank on that instead of an extra fuel tank and if it were just meant to shuttle the pilots then I could probably get away with not clipping anything inside.

[horndgmium]

You guys are blowing me away with your designs... definitely a ton of inspiration here! Soup that idea is so excellent, have you thought about seeing if you can extend the cargo bay a little and fit two inside there?

[How2FoldSoup]

I'm sure you could, it's just that it's already 2 6m cargobays long....I'd just have to double the cargobay length but then that makes a really really long plane. My original plan was to have a plane with a s2wide cargobay and a normal MK3 with the tailramp to drive rovers in and out. It's all still in testing though. You could easily put 2 cargobays long enough side by side to fit too if you wanted to design a pure spacecraft that way(Which you may have inspired me to do) as well. As it stands the Turtle is a tad over 10m long because it just won't fit inside a 6m and 2 2m cargobays unfortunately(a sad test that was).

[Spartwo]

Spartwo, so you have any other screens of that middle ship? The one landed on the Helipad? That thing looks sweet.

EDIT:other two

Edited April 9, 2014 by Spartwo

[XyllyX]

I've got a few, but no screenshots.

I gotta make more now, though.

[polkovniknades]

So one time I decided to cram as many VTOLs onto the VAB helipad as I possibly could.

[Levelord]

[horndgmium]

haha polovniknades that video is amazing... for a second I thought my video froze at the end not computer lag. It looks like a meteor strike when it hits!

Also levelord that's some seriously nice camera work!