[WIP] mk2 parts: inline air intakes, engine(s) and various parts

[Justin Kerbice]

Hello all plane fans,

as some may know, I'm quite a big plane fans and after having fun with CoffeeIndustries modular planes, DoPToOT parts (you really have to try them !) and recent WIP space plane +, I think it's pay back time for me, so this is my tribute to KSP plane:

A dual inline air intakes like the very popular US F-15/F-14 (mostly) and russian's Mig-29 and Su-27. It will avoid the air intakes spamming (a bit) and as you can see on pic, there is no need to put some stock intakes which looks like "mushrooms" on your "super smooth design".

I've made them very efficient, the current settings are:

area = 0.038

intakeSpeed = 20

to compare with stock parts.

They come in three separated parts:

A. the intakes themselves (on the middle of the pic)

B. air ducts (bottom)

C. air duct to engines (top)

A & B in two types:

air plane = only liquid fuel

SSTO = liquid fuel + oxydizer

all with a small tank of IntakeAir (but my experiment show turbojet engines need a lot's of IntakeAir to breath, it's just shows me the Oxydizer amount sucked by rocket engines is not so huge after all)

I'll have to decide how bigger the fuel tanks are and adjust amount of LF/Ox.

I already plan two colour schemes:

1. stock, with heat-shield below (mostly for the SSTO version, as it doesn't make sense for an air plane)

2. full grey

Currently there is obviously a size issue I have to sort it out (+ a nodes issue too that's why mk1-mk2 adapter is inside the A part).

I you have any idea, please let me know.

Some more pics (+ other unrelated projects on 1st pictures):

Javascript is disabled. View full album

CHANGE: I've took this thread to expose all mk2 shaped parts I'm working on and I'll work on later.

There will be 3 sets for now:

- inline air intakes (3 + 1 extra part)

- various parts (one battery bank, SAS module, stack decoupler and stack separator, maybe a light and/or a docking port)

- engine(s) which can be stacked like the rocket ones

- nose cones

The two last sets will allow creation of MSTO which doesn't look like "madmax made" (assembly of garbages found on the nearby dump)

Edited June 10, 2014 by Justin Kerbice
title change + info on others parts added

[angusmcbeth]

Hi Justin

I don't think there is a scale issue, I think it is only the node that is in the wrong place. An easy fix in the cfg file. (post a link for the parts if you are still stuck and I'll try to fix it)

I really like the flat bottom shape for spaceplanes and have been looking for something like this. Looking forward to trying this out.

EDIT:

May I suggest adding and adapter the same shape as the intake part, but without the intakes?

Edited April 30, 2014 by angusmcbeth

[blackheart612]

It's just the rescaleFactor being wrong methinks, I can help you sort that problem out, even the node placements

[Justin Kerbice]

Hi Justin

I don't think there is a scale issue, I think it is only the node that is in the wrong place. An easy fix in the cfg file. (post a link for the parts if you are still stuck and I'll try to fix it)

I really like the flat bottom shape for spaceplanes and have been looking for something like this. Looking forward to trying this out.

EDIT:

May I suggest adding and adapter the same shape as the intake part, but without the intakes?

don't see what you have in mind, what you suggest already exists (mk2 fuselage) I just take the stock part, doing a matching model from scratch and adding intakes.

Unless you mean a mk2 fuselage with ducts going back into it. Never seen such thing yet .

It's just the rescaleFactor being wrong methinks, I can help you sort that problem out, even the node placements

Thanks to both of you, it's my duty and I'll do it .

Not sure it's a rescale issue, what I've done is:

convert mk2 fuselage with help of blender mu import plug-in,

export it in collada

import it in 3ds max

create a matching shape

working with my model

export it to collada, import it in unity, playing with parttools.

All of these steps without playing with size, and I've checked mk2 fuselage part, there is no rescale statement in it (so I'm pretty sure model is 1:1 scale with in-game part), the only step which can really create mess is "mu conversion" (+ special award for 3ds messimax import/export).

The "funny" part is nodes are at the right location regarding model's vertices but are inside in game.

Modding will never be fun if there was not such stupid issues (how could it be if anything we do work on the first attempt ! )

As it's the first time I work based upon imported model, I have to learn a new lesson. It would be great to have all part's sizes on paper without "guess play" like this. For cylindrical, it's easy, but for all others, it needs more work.

[blackheart612]

Yeah, it's funny because when you don't have rescaleFactor it isn't 1:1. you need to put rescaleFactor = 1 for it to be 1:1

[Madrias]

Oh, that looks cool! Air intakes and twin-engine system for the MK2 system. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but do I spy a tail-surface mounting point above and between the twin engines?

[Justin Kerbice]

Oh, that looks cool! Air intakes and twin-engine system for the MK2 system. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but do I spy a tail-surface mounting point above and between the twin engines?

yes I think so. Every jet fighters (including the recent Sukhoi PAK FA) of this kind have an elongated fuselage part, don't know the exact role of it but I suspect to be in fact a kind of antenna integrated inside the more than 10m long body, makes it is pretty good for emitting/receiving data. I'll have to look a bit more about this.

I may add such antenna for transmitting science for people playing career mode (what ? Kerbals are peaceful and don't make war like stupid humans their planes are made for fun and for science only).

[Justin Kerbice]

Still working on it and try to sort out those damned scale/location issue (mk2 parts are really weird, the weirdest of all !).

Especially from Blender, through FBX format export, reimport in 3dsmax, both set to system unit meter, files have unit set to cms, and sizes are not what it should be (always 3dsmax is good only to operate with itself, interoperability is not a know word at autodesk, a shame !)

I just take the source part ( stock mk2 fuselage), and what's going out of the pipe is smaller (only on 2 dimensions, length, which is height from the model point of view, is ok) than stock.

In the meantime, I'll crash a few thousands of mk2 parts and feed the kraken till its death, it may help .

[blackheart612]

If you still have the problem with scaling, like I said, YOU NEED to put rescaleFactor = 1 or it wouldn't appear the same size 1:1 as your model! I think it's roughly 1.25 by default, just guesstimate.

Also I thought Autodesk has measuring devices? The measurement from center of mass to where you want the node to be placed is a good measurement methinks (if there is one).

[Talisar]

What blackheart says is correct. Unless you specify rescaleFactor=1 in the cfg file, KSP wil automatically apply a 1.25 rescaleFactor to your parts. I tend to make my models at the exact scale that I want them to be in KSP and then make sure I include rescaleFactor=1. One way that I plan node positions in 3ds is to ensure that my part origin is at 0,0,0 and then make a small sphere and move it to where I want the node to be. Then it's global coordinates will give you the right distances for the cfg, you'll just have to remember that +z in 3ds is actually +y in the KSP configs, etc. You can do the same basic thing in unity using an empty gameobject, but it's easier for me inside 3ds max.

[Justin Kerbice]

After a break, I come back and with the help from Porkjet, I have fix the size issue (weird thing), big thanks to him.

Only the C part remain, I first started with 1m diameter cylinder as reference for engines, which was wrong, I'm redoing it with 1.25m diameter cylinder.

[Tommygun]

Nice, I'm looking forward to this part.

[Galacticruler]

Needs to be a tail adapter for the special tanks.

[Justin Kerbice]

Working on these parts let me goes a bit sideways as I have add also:

a battery bank,

a SAS module,

a stack decoupler,

and a stack separator

All models are almost ok, maybe some more work will be needed on UV, the big part is texture (only stock style for now, Porkjet's SP+ style is planned).

All 4 in the mk2 shape, see album on first post.

Example here:

I also thinking of adding a SFB and at least one engine, maybe kind of futuristic one, making SSTO or MSTO would have never been so much fun !

[Pondafarr]

Yup, put this on my "download immediately" list!

[Justin Kerbice]

Today's update:

Just a few alignment and texture issues to fix and... another bonus part to complete.

I have decided to split parts, so this will not include other mk2 parts (SAS, battery, decoupler and separator), which will get their own release, I have also a mk2 engine on the workbench, I have decide to make one not realistic at all, an engine which use liquid fuel only (because it's the most common propellant in common mk2 tanks without plug-in like RF/MFT), and which will be most efficient in high altitude/vacuum.

If someone wants to help to make a good atmosphereCurve and maybe a velocityCurve, please let me know.

Here it is (there is another pic in the album on 1st post):

(it has almost the length of a mk2 fuselage, and the usual bell is made by the fuselage itself. The only issue is the fuel consumption which is too high for now, ~5-6 LF unit for a max thrust of 280 kN, need fine-tuning)

[Konnor]

not realistic at all, an engine which use liquid fuel only

It's not entirely unrealistic, there were/are real-life nuclear engines that use liquid hydrogen without any oxidizer (and several KSP Interstellar engines have this mode as well).

Could you please make a part that has air intakes on the front but aligns with a regular mk2 fuselage (that is, without any intakes) on the back?

[Justin Kerbice]

It's not entirely unrealistic, there were/are real-life nuclear engines that use liquid hydrogen without any oxidizer (and several KSP Interstellar engines have this mode as well).

Of course, because standard engines are based on ground level chemistry (you know: oxygen is needed to create fire), unfortunately, other ways have not really been researched yet due to money consideration I guess, except those nuclear engines.

But if thermite for example can be used to create explosion/kinetic energy, it may be used anywhere, even underwater, cause it provide its own oxygen !

Could you please make a part that has air intakes on the front but aligns with a regular mk2 fuselage (that is, without any intakes) on the back?

"Busted !" It's already started, just need time to complete the model. It looks like the Dassault's Mirage F-1 intakes.

Here is a pic (using new 3dsmax display style):

Edited June 6, 2014 by Justin Kerbice
intake 2 pic added

[Konnor]

It looks like the Dassault's Mirage F-1 intakes.

Interesting, so this is, in fact, 1.25-to-mk2 adapter? It has long been in my wishlist, but I've been meaning another thing: something like part A from the original post that ends with standard mk2 node, without air ducts.

Still, adapter with integrated intakes is great too, thanks.

[Justin Kerbice]

Interesting, so this is, in fact, 1.25-to-mk2 adapter? It has long been in my wishlist, but I've been meaning another thing: something like part A from the original post that ends with standard mk2 node, without air ducts.

Still, adapter with integrated intakes is great too, thanks.

I'm not really interested in making such part, maybe later.

[Justin Kerbice]

Get some inspiration this week-end, here are some nose cones:

They just need a paint job + some config tuning, the mk2 nose cone seems to alter badly the plane behaviour.

damned I add work to all work I already have... inline air intakes are close to at least a first release, not as perfect I would like them to be but working as expected with a not too ugly texture.

[Justin Kerbice]

The misc mk2 parts, almost done (at least the base texture) working on the nose tex.

[Justin Kerbice]

The mk2 nose cone is almost done (at least this colour scheme ):

(you can also see the stack separator and the decoupler)