Saturbo V [Version 2.0] -- Detailed Apollo Replica (NEW RELEASE - Only 381 parts!)

[GusTurbo]

Saturbo V 2.0

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[td]Ever since I became interested in KSP, I've wanted to recreate perhaps the coolest rocket in history, the Saturn V. Across multiple versions now, I've tried to get closer and closer to the look and feel of the real rocket using the limited parts and tools available in the stock game. Now, with version .90 and the editor gizmos, I've been able to get closer than ever before. My last release was in .24, and the difference between then and now is dramatic.

Not only have the new gizmos allowed me to make the design much cleaner looking, they have also allowed me to drastically reduce the part count. The craft has gone from approximately 560 parts down to 381 parts (which includes launch clamps). This drop in part count makes this craft much more playable on lower-end computers (including my own 5 year old laptop!). This is really important to me, since I want to be able to share my creation with as many players as possible. I'm really proud of how this turned out, and I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback.

Action Groups:

1. Jettison interstage

2. Jettison launch escape system

3. Jettison payload fairings around LEM

Backspace: Engage launch escape system (LES)

0. Complete abort sequence (detaches command pod from LES and opens parachutes)

**Download Links**

Saturbo V (v2.0) on KerbalX.com

Mediafire

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Gallery:

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Saturbo V

You can never have too many Apollo replicas, right? This is the culmination of quite a bit of time on my part, and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. My goal was to make an approximately full-sized Apollo replica using stock parts. Since the stock command pod is 2.5m in diameter, that makes it 64% the size of the real Apollo Command Module. I scaled the rest of the craft accordingly.

The base is about 6.4m in diameter, compared to the 10.1m Saturn V.

Screenshots (original version)

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Instructions

Nothing tricky here. SAS on, go on full throttle. Start making your gravity turn at 10,000m. The first stage (S-IC) will get you to the upper atmosphere, and the second stage (S-II) should allow you to make orbit and circularize. The third stage has enough delta V to get you a Munar intercept. On your way to the Mun, undock the command and service module (CSM) from the top of the lander (LEM) by right clicking on the small docking port and hitting "decouple node" (note: do not use the decoupler, as it will obstruct the docking port). Rotate the CSM 180 degrees and dock with the lander. Then detach the decoupler on the CSM engine and the one connecting the lander to the third stage (S-IVB). You will want to brake into 20km x 20km Munar orbit. Transfer two Kerbals over to the lander and undock. Land with the descent stage, play around on the Mun, then lift off and rendezvous with the orbiting CSM using the ascent stage. Finally, transfer the two Kerbals back to the CSM and return to Kerbin.

Action Groups

1. Jettison interstage

2. Jettison launch escape system

3. Jettison payload fairings around LEM

Backspace: Engage launch escape system (LES)

0. Complete abort sequence (detaches command pod from LES and opens parachutes

Downloads

Saturbo V v.1.21

http://www./view/jao99t0nzyov8vd/Saturbo_V_v1_21.craft

Saturbo V v.1.1

Mediafire: http://www./view/ajn6wusjdr8utsc/Saturbo_V_v1_1.craft

Saturbo V

CurseForge: http://kerbal.curseforge.com/shareables/221184-saturbo-v

Mediafire: http://www./view/15t6t80lrw70tn4/Saturbo_V.craft

Curse: http://www.curse.com/shareables/kerbal/221184-saturbo-v

Edited March 19, 2015 by GusTurbo
Update: New version available for download!

[Comrade Jenkens]

This is one is the best I've seen in a while! rep'd!

Its good to see a nice Apollo replica after Mulbin left.

[astropapi1]

Fantastic! I wish my laptop could run ships with more than 300 parts.

Its good to see a nice Apollo replica after Mulbin left.

WHAT?! WHEN, HOW, WHY?!

[GusTurbo]

I tried to keep the parts count at a reasonable level. Without the fairings and interstages, it's considerably lower than the full 562. I thought that was pretty good, considering the Munbug has around double that.

Also I think Mulbin is busy being a new dad, with his month-old.

[Woopert]

Its good to see a nice Apollo replica after Mulbin left.

Mulbin hasn't *completely* left, it's just he now has to parent a new baby and he's been focusing on his Arduino setup: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/66393-Hardware-Plugin-Arduino-based-physical-display-serial-port-io-tutorial-%2804-May%29?p=1179044&viewfull=1#post1179044

Anyways, great work GusTurbo! Just building something this big is a challenge.

[Majorjim!]

Good job Gus!

I'm glad it all came together in the end!

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to GusTurbo again."

Man...

[Majorjim!]

Forgot to say, I love the fairing. Very clever use of that part! Looks like a nice clean release too.

[Tortoise]

That's a nice one.

[benzman]

Having a bit of a problem. After I decouple the CSM from the LEM and rotate the CSM, I cannot dock with the LEM. No matter how carefully I line the two ships up, the CSM just bounces back off the LEM. Nor can I select the LEM's docking port as a target. I find this puzzling. It is as if the game does not see the LEM's docking port at all. I thought that maybe I could go into the .craft file and change the decouplers to stack separators. That would mean that the top of the LEM would be left totally clear and unobstructed, But that sort of modding is way beyond a dabbler like me.

[GusTurbo]

Thanks for downloading and trying my craft!

Just to make sure: is the decoupler still attached to the docking port after you decouple? I actually detach the CSM from the stop of the LEM by selecting the docking port and hitting "decouple node," so I can rotate the CSM and jettison the decoupler into space, clearing the obstruction. Let me know what your procedure looks like and I can try to figure it out.

[benzman]

My problem seems to be that when I right click on the decoupler and select 'decouple' the two craft separate but the decoupler stays attached to the LEM. I remember reading somewhere that the decouplers act as solid plates, so that may well be why I cannot dock. The CSM is actually bouncing off the decoupler rather than the docking port. That would also explain why I cannot select the port as a target. It is hidden behind the solid plate.

[Blue]

Decouplers and cubic struts are notoriously finnicky when attached to small docking ports. Try again using the Blue separators-- they have more ejection force and seperate from both nodes at once, at a slight weight cost.

[benzman]

Decouplers and cubic struts are notoriously finnicky when attached to small docking ports. Try again using the Blue separators-- they have more ejection force and seperate from both nodes at once, at a slight weight cost.

I would really like to do that but I don't have the skills to either dismantle the craft in the VAB and get it back together again, or to modify the .craft file, which would be nice.

[Majorjim!]

I would really like to do that but I don't have the skills to either dismantle the craft in the VAB and get it back together again, or to modify the .craft file, which would be nice.

No need mate. Gus, as Blue said, use the little blue decoupler and set the docking port release on the LM to be action grouped with the fairing seperators.

I gave up on the TR-18A seperators. They are too unreliable.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Majorjim

[John FX]

Nice craft. I`d rep you but i need to spread it about a bit first...

[GusTurbo]

Ah, there's the problem. There's two things you can do here.

1. Switch to the LEM and right click on the docking port. This will require rotating the camera to the side, since you can't select it through the decoupler. You should see the option "decouple node," which will detach the decoupler stuck to the docking port.

2. Instead of using the decouple function of the decoupler itself to detach the CSM, rotate the camera and right click the docking port on the LEM and use "decouple node" to do it.

[xtremespino]

That's a great replica, I should be able to run this one as it's 600 parts, where mu bug was about a thousand. Still looks great though, well done.

[benzman]

Ah, there's the problem. There's two things you can do here.

1. Switch to the LEM and right click on the docking port. This will require rotating the camera to the side, since you can't select it through the decoupler. You should see the option "decouple node," which will detach the decoupler stuck to the docking port.

2. Instead of using the decouple function of the decoupler itself to detach the CSM, rotate the camera and right click the docking port on the LEM and use "decouple node" to do it.

Got it! Version 2 worked. Had to zoom in very close to join to get the mouse pointer in the right place. The two craft separated with the decoupler still on the CSM. After successful docking I just decoupled the one on the CSM and it flew off into space. Now that I have done a test in LKO it is now off to the Mun!

[GusTurbo]

Got it! Version 2 worked. Had to zoom in very close to join to get the mouse pointer in the right place. The two craft separated with the decoupler still on the CSM. After successful docking I just decoupled the one on the CSM and it flew off into space. Now that I have done a test in LKO it is now off to the Mun!

Awesome, I'll be sure to make it clearer in the instructions.

[GusTurbo]

I hate to bump my own thread with a double post, but I'm working on cleaner fairings using Padishar's awesome Part Angle Display plugin.

Here's a before and after:

Before

After

Edited July 12, 2014 by GusTurbo

[Darnok]

After

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

Can you tell me please what mod are you using?

[Dakitess]

Hum... Nice launcher but isn't the ARM pack giving the adapted diameter to avoid any part clipping by doing a simple "mono-colon" configuration ?

I mean, for the payload sent, no need of this assembly :s I'm fan of engineers solutions, dealing with the limit of KSP by overcoming the SQUAD ideas but well, i'm not that convinced by this Apollo replica. Even if, one more time, this is a good launcher.

Did you empty the tanks to fit their "inclusion all together" ? I mean, half of them are using the same place, in these case I use to remove the corresponding fuel volume to fit the reality otherwise it's a but cheating to me.

[Majorjim!]

Hum... Nice launcher but isn't the ARM pack giving the adapted diameter to avoid any part clipping by doing a simple "mono-colon" configuration ?

I mean, for the payload sent, no need of this assembly :s I'm fan of engineers solutions, dealing with the limit of KSP by overcoming the SQUAD ideas but well, i'm not that convinced by this Apollo replica. Even if, one more time, this is a good launcher.

Did you empty the tanks to fit their "inclusion all together" ? I mean, half of them are using the same place, in these case I use to remove the corresponding fuel volume to fit the reality otherwise it's a but cheating to me.

That's a bit harsh Dakitess. Gus has used 'design techniques' to create a complex and very clever Apollo replica. Using part clipping is not a cheat.

You still have the same mass issues and it also throws up a lot of other issues making it not an easy solution. And as far as I'm aware "cheating" is defined as

gaining an advantage or to make something easier. Part clipping does none of those things.

Oh and Gus, that fairing is glorious. A work of art mate.

[MK3424]

Can you tell me please what mod are you using?

He already told it:Padishar's awesome Part Angle Display plugin.

[Dakitess]

That's a bit harsh Dakitess. Gus has used 'design techniques' to create a complex and very clever Apollo replica. Using part clipping is not a cheat.

You still have the same mass issues and it also throws up a lot of other issues making it not an easy solution. And as far as I'm aware "cheating" is defined as

gaining an advantage or to make something easier. Part clipping does none of those things.

Oh and Gus, that fairing is glorious. A work of art mate.

Be sure that my goal is not to offense anyone

It was just about to say something else than obvious "congrats" and "kudos". And I totally agree with you since I'm using part clipping with some limits and without F12 options! But I use to avoid any fusion of technical parts such as engines, spam intake of inclusion of tanks. Mass is still here, yup, but this is all about dealing with design, aesthetic aspects, and parts shapes. In this particular case I would recommend to remove a logical amount of fuel in tanks, which has maybe be done by the OP, I do not know !

Well let's say that every one has its vision of KSP! I don't want to criticize, only get some extra information since I also use aesthetic tips and mount

My mistake then if it sounded harsh. I'm french so maybe my expressions lack of nuance