Show Off your New Ion-Powered / Xenon Fueled Crafts! (0.90)

[iDan122]

Congrats on the sticky!

[Camaron]

Awesome! I never saw it coming.

Thanks, iDan

[O-Doc]

This is my (also called)Dragonfly in the SPH with range extension kit. I haven't tested it in 0.23.5. I'm guessing the output power of the ion engine will now be perfect based on previous TWR tests with a NERVA range extension kit which had a burn TWR threshold of around 10kN.

[ElLocoRodriqo]

small ion engine with vacuum delta V 15,000 so thats to duna to eve to moho and back

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burning 1000 DeltaV takes 6 mins so it wont murder your personal time. oh i landed on gilly, using the solar panel as a landing leg :I

here are the craft files:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ApwH1F46Itb0hNX2hNbUhxSHc/edit?usp=sharing <modded mechjeb and procedural fairings

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8ApwH1F46ItaHVBLUFQZ2FOWDg/edit?usp=sharing <vanilla, not as cool...

[Spartwo]

I made a Jool SSTO.

[luizopiloto]

HX01 - MockingBird

It uses an Ion engine to transfer orbits...

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[Camaron]

I really like both of these last two submissions, but Spartwo, could we get a better view of the Ion drive parts? Other than the big solar, I can't see any of the major Ion components. (or is it clipped internally?)

[Spartwo]

Here's the back end.

[Camaron]

Great Hybrid.

Here's my latest in Ion Ships: The Skorpion.

It's capable of effectively moving at up to Class C Asteroids.

Edited May 10, 2014 by Camaron

[Evil Ed]

A little probe I sent to Ike to test the technology:

[Jas1126]

A little probe I sent to Ike to test the technology:

http://i.imgur.com/5xddsUr.jpg

That's adorable! XD

[Redshift OTF]

I'm going for this design.

24 ion engines and a whole load of batteries and solar panels. I'm going to take it to the Mun and see how it performs.

[Captain Sierra]

Is this thread limited to stock or can I include something like this:

image borrowed from the Near Future Propulsion mod thread here.

EDITED RESPONSE: As previously stated in the tiny text below the image, this is an example craft, specifically the Amadeus Probot, from the Near Future Propulsion mod. A link is included above. Engines, panels, capacitors, and stack 1.25m xenon tank are all from that mod. Everything else on it is stock. Solar panels are Megalador panels giving 72 Ec/s in full light at Kerbin. Engines are 3 clustered Hi-SNAP (Hi-PEP equivalent) engines giving 2.4 thrust each, eating ~65 Ec/s and 0.3 Xe/s with an Isp of 8120. The NFP plugin alters the NFP engines with a thrust corrector so these engines do nothing in-atmosphere (unless you run without the plugin, which is required for the fission reactors & radiators, capacitors, and VASIMRs). The pack adds argon fueled VASIMRs and Hall thrusters, xenon fueled Hi-SNAP, AFTER (NEXT equivalent), and DS4G (Dual-Stage 4 Gridded), and 12x clustered Hi-SNAP engines, and Hydrogen eating MPDTs. MPDT & Hall effect RCS thrusters are in the works. Basically, if you love ion engines, this is the go-to mod.

Edited May 11, 2014 by Captain Sierra

[Camaron]

Nah, we'll gladly check out your custom works!

That said, please include a little info on what we're looking at. What thrust are the custom engines? How strong are those panels?

Also, please tell me what mods you're using in this by name. I've just started investigating the necessary info to create mods of my own, since I already have modelling and texturing experience and I learn best by tearing down existing ones. Those engines have a cool exhaust that I wouldn't mind examining.

Note: Please edit the info into the existing post, rather than making a new one. Thanks.

Also, Awesome large craft, to Redshift! It's really about time someone besides myself posted something heavier than a desk.

[Redrobin]

I have been making ion powered 1920s fighters.

[Giggleplex777]

Some of my ion probes:

Edited April 8, 2015 by Giggleplex777

[RocketPilot573]

Got it too Eve!

Edited May 11, 2014 by RocketPilot573

[Nephf]

[corvustech]

Am I really the first to do this?

What's the most famous Twin Ion Engine anything ever? This is about an hour of tinkering and trust me, you only launch during the day.

And yes, it got there:

Needs to be launched in space already, though, or strapped to a Saturn-like rocket if you want to not come right back down...

All stock, by the way. There are xenon tanks and batteries hidden in the body. No mods.

[Tahib]

My first Ion craft, and first visit to minmus surface. Im pretty new to ksp, it's a work in progess. v1 circularized Minmus, v2 got landing legs and skycrane. thought i need it to get back to orbit.

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Edited May 17, 2014 by Tahib

[Mesklin]

Ion SSTO "Trident" (1 turbojet + 8 ion engines). Can land to the Mun or make round-trip to Laythe.

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[Concentric]

A small ion lander that I managed to put on Ike and Mun. Had a bad descent path with Dres, but it should be theoretically capable of it. I might also try it on Eeloo.

[Darklaser72]

I have been making ion powered 1920s fighters.

http://i.imgur.com/jjBiUik.png

That looks really cool, man! Got a craft file, or at least an image gallery I could use to get some ideas/see how you built it?

Really awesome screenshot, by the way.

[KingBean]

Decided to play with a few things, originally started as a nuclear ion hybrid designed to improve range, worked better as a full electric lander and rescue/return ship.

This is my 16 ton ion Mun/Minmus lander with rover, Mun Dancer 2.3 http://www./download/3m47uom9mweno3n/MUN+DANCER+2_3.craft

Comes with a basic launcher that gets it to orbit and then some, stupid easy to fly and all that.

Note that the navball says up is down and vice versa, this is because the Kerb inside is upside-down controlling the ship. This is normal.

Once you get to orbit, "1" opens all the big solar panels which have just enough power to run the engines at full power when pointed directly into or away from the sun.

It's fairly easy to get it to the body of your choice. (Mun or Minmus, this hasn't been tested elsewhere but my goodness it has a lot of xenon)

If you decide to go to Minmus no problems it's a fairly standard landing just try to come down soft.

If you however decide to go to the Mun, take some notes.

DO NOT let your speed get too high, bring it down and keep it down, while it can stay on a long time its thrust to weight ratio is sad and you be too when you go careening into the surface full throttle retrograde at 500m/s

DO the landing at about Munar noon, you will need most of your energy to counteract gravity, not your orbit. This time just means you have as much power as possible.

DO NOT worry about conserving fuel. You have plenty to get there and back. KILL YOUR SPEED.

DO come in for your approach at about 35,000-40,000m this is a butter zone where you have enough time to kill your speed but you aren't lazily drifting down at 50m/s for a good half hour. Gets boring after a while.

Hopefully by this stage you've landed and are feeling good about yourself for doing your part to save the environment driving an electric lander.

But the fun doesn't stop there! You've got a spacecar! How do you properly detach this wonderful thing?

Here are the steps;

SPACE to detach

Raise thrust

SPACE to activate engines

Fly to reasonable height above lander

X to stop thrust

Flip over, wheels down now!

"2" to activate landing engines

Land the spacecar, try not to knock any of the solar panels off your return ship.

"4" to activate wheel motors (turned off initially to save power during flight)

"3" to toggle landing engines

As always use docking mode for driving spacecars

SPACECAR!

You have 2 seats on the return ship so this could also be used for single man rescue missions.

Enjoy!

Edited May 25, 2014 by KingBean

[Camaron]

Awesome double craft there! but I'm a little confused at the dismount. Couldn't we just retract the solar panels and make that whole ordeal much simpler?