Show off your Apollo Replicas (.23.5)

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

In KSP .23.5, it's now easier than ever before to construct and fly Apollo Rocket replicas in the stock game!

I have been playing with them a LOT since the update came out, and I have had a lot of success with them - my Replica version 2.5 (in career mode) has just completed a double stop-over on the local moons (Mun and Minmus) and I am about to launch my Version 3 Replica to Duna...

Unfortunately (while typing this!) I got the "Big Blue Spot" glitch which caused me to have to reload, re-dock the lander to the control module ship, quick-save again and restart the game (fingers crossed!).

1st docking in Mun SOI:

BBD:

EDIT 1: I've tagged this as stock craft, but you will see from my screenshots I use MechJeb - this is the only mod I use, so no worries if anyone else posts screenshots with it included, as it only adds 1 part (and I know many of you are like me and have a much more 'interesting' time (read: barely being able to control spacecraft at times!) without it...)

EDIT 2: Yep, that method worked, nice amount of science out of it! (as I said, been playing in Career and thus not unlocked all the tree yet... so maybe if anyone wants the craft files I could upload them to mediafire...)

Science:

Edited April 13, 2014 by Cmdr. Arn1e

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

So what I'm actually after is a screenshot of your craft in VAB or on the Launchpad... Here are mine:

Apollo Replica 1.0:

Uses standard docking ports for SOI rendezvous after lander has been to the surface of the target moon, there should be enough fuel and/or monoprop to de-orbit the lander thus leaving no debris in orbit. Uses early solar panels, and the first 3-way adapter for the lander engines. Working LES with dump once in LKO mapped to hotkey 2. Early batteries. Standard (1st set) landing legs.

In VAB:

On Launchpad:

Working LES:

On Launchpad:

Apollo Replica 2.5:

Not much different from the 2.0 version, reduced Gigantor solar panels to 2 to save a bit of weight, and has the next set of landing legs. Manages to do both moons in one trip, resulting in a fair bit of science earned for each mission (see OP for the screenshot of how much!)

In VAB:

On Launchpad:

Last up is the version 3.0; Interplanetary!

I'm amazed at how versatile this design is, with just a few small tweaks I have managed to push an Apollo craft further than ever; Duna so far, but I can see it going to many other planets in the future too

Tweaks are mainly removal of the standard docking ports in favour of the Snr. version, which are now used structurally during launch and transfer to store the lander under the Command module, then to re-dock once the landing mission is complete. again, plenty of fuel left over for de-orbit to remove debris in SOI. Other main tweak is the addition of the 4 Nuclear engines for transit to another SOI, with radial engine attachments. A smaller tweak is the removal of the LES ejection once in LKO, so it is attached throughout the mission...

In VAB:

On Launchpad:

I look forward to seeing others Apollo designs, they could all be very similar but meh, it was a cool program, and as I said in OP, .23.5 has made it SO much easier to make these replicas

[GusTurbo]

Wow, that thing is tall! Pretty cool. I don't have an Apollo replica to post at the moment.

[Redrobin]

I don't have an Apollo replica because I can't make good landers...

[xzxvrx]

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

xzxvrx - Very nice, wish there were fairings in stock!

It'll be added in at some point, I hope...

[John FX]

This is the only stock part of my Apollo Replica, the rest uses procedural fairings and stretchy tanks (along with rasterpropmonitors and realchutes, both of which are awesome)

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

This is the only stock part of my Apollo Replica, the rest uses procedural fairings and stretchy tanks (along with rasterpropmonitors and realchutes, both of which are awesome)

[snip]

Go on, show us the whole thing! I don't mind about fairings as long as you show the internals like xzxvrx did...

[kerbonaut101]

Heres a craft file (you'll need to disable the RCS tank on the lander before launch)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7F8bcNTmh_pMnFiOEFMWnlycEU/edit?usp=sharing

Edited April 13, 2014 by kerbonaut101

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

Heres a craft file (you'll need to disable the RCS tank on the lander before launch)

you sure about that? thought they'd changed the way RCS drains in .23.5 (so it drains from lower stages first, I think...)

and got any pics? no offense, but like to see what I'm downloading before deciding on anything hehe... mobile internet sucks

[John FX]

Here you go then

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Some are slightly out of date as I have been working on the lander recently. I`ll update this gallery so that it shows a full mission with the latest craft. I`ve decided to call it Gumdrop after an early command module (kerpollo was waay overused)

I`ve recently done a mun mission without leaving IVA except when on EVA. I`m posting the videos as they are made here

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/76449-IVA-Apollo-Mission?p=1089473

Edited April 13, 2014 by John FX

[kerbonaut101]

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7F8bcNTmh_pSGtDeG1WajdnbE0/edit - heres a pic Edited April 13, 2014 by kerbonaut101

[kerbonaut101]

Here you go then

http://imgur.com/a/Keqp2

Some are slightly out of date as I have been working on the lander recently. I`ll update this gallery so that it shows a full mission with the latest craft. I`ve decided to call it Gumdrop after an early command module (kerpollo was waay overused)

I`ve recently done a mun mission without leaving IVA except when on EVA. I`m posting the videos as they are made here

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/76449-IVA-Apollo-Mission?p=1089473

Im guessing you used mods for this (or you made it yourself)? It looks pretty cool

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

Im guessing you used mods for this (or you made it yourself)? It looks pretty cool

He already said he did when he posted the lander section

Your version is pretty cool too, I sometimes wonder if I'm over-engineering things when I make my Launch Vehicles heh...

On another note, google drive doesn't seem to like sharing much, does it?! tried to do the right-click copy image location trick on it, but doesn't seem to work! like how you can zoom in though... pity I was then trying to rotate as though I were in game hehe! would post in the thread regarding such behavior, but it's been said a lot, and I'm sure it's not as bad for me as for some who have been playing KSP longer!

John FX, very nice! and more historically accurate looking too... guess those engines are in one of the mod packs? (Rhetorical question, really!)

Edited April 13, 2014 by Cmdr. Arn1e

[Giggleplex777]

Here Is my Saturn I replica:

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Edited April 13, 2014 by Giggleplex777

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

VERY nice, Giggleplex777, nice use of stock parts in ways that I would never have thought of using them... the giant decoupler holding the engines together, the use of the small Kerbodyne fuel tank with a couple of adapters not hust one to the final stage/payload... and nice use of the structural panels as fairings

[John FX]

He already said he did when he posted the lander section

Your version is pretty cool too, I sometimes wonder if I'm over-engineering things when I make my Launch Vehicles heh...

On another note, google drive doesn't seem to like sharing much, does it?! tried to do the right-click copy image location trick on it, but doesn't seem to work! like how you can zoom in though... pity I was then trying to rotate as though I were in game hehe! would post in the thread regarding such behavior, but it's been said a lot, and I'm sure it's not as bad for me as for some who have been playing KSP longer!

John FX, very nice! and more historically accurate looking too... guess those engines are in one of the mod packs? (Rhetorical question, really!)

Yes, they are mainsails from the squad pack, hehe. first stage 5 mainsails, then second is 4 lv-t30 and 1 lv-t45 (for gimbal) then the S-IVB is 1 lv-t30 and relies on pod torque. I do have a mod for exhaust fx to pretty things up though. All the engines are stock, the fuel tanks are balanced against stock and the fairings just give it a shape. Even the exhaust nozzle on the command module is made from landing wheels (massless, hehe)... Rasterpropmonitors gives pretty interfaces inside but that`s all and stupid_chris`s realchutes are just nice to use but three stock radial chutes works as well. There`s nothing modded to give any benefit really, just pretty. It has all the features I know of that I can think of a way to implement. I could rebuild this stock in very short time. I replace the first stage tank with about three of the largest new tanks, stage two is just one of them and the S_IVB is already a stock tank thanks to 0.23.5.

I like to think of it as stock in disguise.

EDIT:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7F8bcNTmh_pSGtDeG1WajdnbE0/edit - heres a pic

Nice. I like the way it looks fast. I might have to build something with boosters soon. Boosters are cool.

Edited April 13, 2014 by John FX

[Overfloater]

Hello! I'm working on an Apollo too!

And so far so nothing. It looks totally weird (some sort of bowling pin), and the transfer stage gets me only halfway to the Mun... But I'll share the pictures of it anyway!

Gonna need a bigger rocket... and I have yet to find a way to put a rover on it.

I once had good multistage Apollo lander with a rover and eveything, but that save was lost looong ago :^c

Edited April 14, 2014 by Overfloater
No reason... :^3

[Shiva]

you sure about that? thought they'd changed the way RCS drains in .23.5 (so it drains from lower stages first, I think...)

and got any pics? no offense, but like to see what I'm downloading before deciding on anything hehe... mobile internet sucks

Lower stages first eh, I noticed that. Now I don't have to block the upper stages. Thanks for the info.

[Rakaydos]

I put this one together to land on Dres and come back.

Only part mod is mechjeb, but I used FAR and the Stock Engine Rebalance

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

Yes, they are mainsails from the squad pack, hehe.

D'oh, looking closer I can see that now! Still, class xD

Overfloater; that looks cool and I love how you've done the stock fairings! Just looks like it needs some work on the Launch stages and it will be Mun or Minmus worthy... the 2-engine liquid booster is good, but I find it is more useful as a liquid booster than a main engine... when I used it for this purpose, I found I had to use at least 2 more as boosters to 'help' it off the launchpad!

A couple of things I have learned from building these types of replicas that may help others; neither the new liquid engines will be able to lift such a load on their own; you have to use either the liquid boosters, the new SRB's, or a combination of both, for various reasons! You'll notice that the liquid-boosters on mine slowly get further out - this is due to them running out at a crucial moment of the gravity turn, being dropped, and if mounted too close to the central engine cluster they clip it and destroy the engine (whichever one is in use...)

Addition of more SRB's for the Interplanetary one is due to the speed at which the liquid boosters separate; if the rocket is going too slow then, again, clipping cn occur, and I hate wasting fuel hehe

[Cmdr. Arn1e]

I put this one together to land on Dres and come back.

[snip]

Only part mod is mechjeb, but I used FAR and the Stock Engine Rebalance

Wow, that looks heavy and slow! but I bet it picks up some speed with that 2nd stage through the lighter parts of atmo

[Majorjim!]

I put this one together to land on Dres and come back.

http://i.imgur.com/fE3GsBe.png

Only part mod is mechjeb, but I used FAR and the Stock Engine Rebalance

If you turn the Kerbodyne S3-3600 Tank upside down the black lines will line up with the ones on the Kerbodyne S3-14400 Tank.

MJ

[Rakaydos]

Wow, that looks heavy and slow! but I bet it picks up some speed with that 2nd stage through the lighter parts of atmo

TWR of 1.45 on the pad, but it picks up speed fast. The Stock rebalance mod increased the launch stages's thrust AND lowered it's ISP, so it goes through fuel ridiculusly fast.

[Rune]

Strangely enough, I get very good results with small replicas, the large ones give me payload capabilities I don't know what to do with. Phoebus, my latest 230 part, Skipper-powered replica:

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Rune. If you want it, check R-SUV!