[1.12.x] Freight Transport Technologies [v0.6.0]

[RoverDude]

Firespitter issue, will look into it.

[Captain Sierra]

Firespitter issue, will look into it.

Firespitter throws an issue saying incompatible with 1.0.2 when I launch. Possible its not fully up to date or just a lapse in Snjo updating the .version file?

On another note:

The 2.5m kontainer is a) larger than 2.5m, and fits in the honeybadger bay perfectly . . . too perfectly (no doubt this was intended). Problem is I have no room for a tiny stack separator/docking ports or landing legs (I like to drop these as fuel depots for bases).

Curious what ur opinion is and how you intended for it to be used with the bay.

[RoverDude]

Get the latest Firespitter plugin from KS please, it's been updated to 1.0.2 for a while now.

[Falcon-Command]

Hi RoverDude thanks for the great mods.

Does anyone have any .craft files to share. I like to use them as a template when building my own rockets.

[Captain Sierra]

Get the latest Firespitter plugin from KS please, it's been updated to 1.0.2 for a while now.

grabbed and testing. You'd think with the dozen or so mods I have which use FS as a dependency, I'd have the latest.

EDIT: Anyone have any luck getting one of the starlifters into orbit w/out orbital launchpads?

Edited May 15, 2015 by Captain Sierra

[MarcAFK]

I managed to get one up with a buttload of extra boosters and structural support. I've modded tanks to be lighter and structural parts to be stronger, I might now be able to get one up with only a single booster stage, obviously I can't use the nuclear engines at ground level, but they're fairly effective once you get past about 15 kms.

In fact I'll throw a starlifter together now and see how she goes. Oh I almost forgot, that first attempt barely fit in the VAB, I needed to install hanger extender to fit the booster stages in

[Captain Sierra]

I havent tried in 1.0 but I never found it viable to send them up with fuel or to use the nuclear engines for power. My best attempt was this which fell just shy of orbit.

ANd yes those ARE asparagus bundled.

[goldenpsp]

Have I mentioned before how much I love the Honebadger parts?

My first since 1.0.2 upgrade HB based Ore Miner on Minmus. I would have preferred to Mine Karbonite but Minmus seems to be devoid of it :-(

[MarcAFK]

Well I'm trying to launch this monstrosity :

:

Ignore the big gold tank, that's just 2000 tons of liquid fuel.

I couldn't get a good shot of the starlifter, but it's approximately 400 tons of ship, 600 tons of liquid hydrogen, and can carry 6 containers of metal ore which is 2000 tons with about 1300 dV, which should be enough to get from duna to kerbin.

It needs another toroidal SAS, and more struts. Also I should have used mainsails for the launch, I don't know what I was thinking using those big Vacuum engines.

[smjjames]

PostIng here because I accidentially posted in Karbonite. Part of the post anyway.

This one updating soon?

I think there may be a fuel draining oddity with the 5x5 starlifter quad-adaptor, but I'll take another look at it.

[RoverDude]

FYI - very small update (0.4.1) - it just refreshes dependencies.

[TheDeinonychus]

Might be cause I'm using Active Texture Management mod as well, but the game seems to hang up on the loading screen when it tries to load the four FTT_Engine_375 engines with this newest update. Was working in the previous version of the mod.

[smjjames]

Yeah theres a fuel drain problem going on with the 5x5 starlifter quad adaptor, the fuel is draining from the bottom right (in screenshot) tank instead of draining evenly. This makes any craft using the quad adaptor unstable.

Before:

After a short burn:

I'll look into the other quad adaptor. And make a github issue.

Edit: Both are affected.

Edited May 15, 2015 by smjjames

[RoverDude]

Might be cause I'm using Active Texture Management mod as well, but the game seems to hang up on the loading screen when it tries to load the four FTT_Engine_375 engines with this newest update. Was working in the previous version of the mod.

Talk to the ATM folks - they need to fix their mod given the number of support issues I am getting

Yeah theres a fuel drain problem going on with the 5x5 starlifter quad adaptor, the fuel is draining from the bottom right (in screenshot) tank instead of draining evenly. This makes any craft using the quad adaptor unstable.

Before:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/smjjames/screenshot59_zpstsr6v7ir.png

After a short burn:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v214/smjjames/screenshot61_zps41trwzaz.png

I'll look into the other quad adaptor. And make a github issue.

Edit: Both are affected.

Stock fuel feed issue - I'll likely in the next iteration just provide pre-welded engine clusters.

[smjjames]

Talk to the ATM folks - they need to fix their mod given the number of support issues I am getting

Stock fuel feed issue - I'll likely in the next iteration just provide pre-welded engine clusters.

Oh, dang. Would still be nice to be able to use those quad adaptors for fuel tanks as well.

One can always use TAC fuel balancer to get past that though, but still.

[Captain Sierra]

Well I'm trying to launch this monstrosity :

:http://i.imgur.com/6MX999I.png

Ignore the big gold tank, that's just 2000 tons of liquid fuel.

I couldn't get a good shot of the starlifter, but it's approximately 400 tons of ship, 600 tons of liquid hydrogen, and can carry 6 containers of metal ore which is 2000 tons with about 1300 dV, which should be enough to get from duna to kerbin.

It needs another toroidal SAS, and more struts. Also I should have used mainsails for the launch, I don't know what I was thinking using those big Vacuum engines.

That thing looks assymetrical. You made it to space how?

Talk to the ATM folks - they need to fix their mod given the number of support issues I am getting

Stock fuel feed issue - I'll likely in the next iteration just provide pre-welded engine clusters.

Its only an issue if you put fuel on the multi-side of the adapter. Seems to work fine when its just the 4 2.5m NTRs on there.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Captain Sierra

[Captain Sierra]

-duplicate; plz delete-

[MarcAFK]

That's a view from the side, it's hideously unwieldly and no didn't make it to space .

My next attempt will be completely unmodified FTT, I won't try moving 2,000 tons of metal, and It'll have a more realistic amount of dV, just as soon as I can work out how much is the absolute minimum needed for travel from duna to kerbin.

[Captain Sierra]

That's a view from the side, it's hideously unwieldly and no didn't make it to space .

My next attempt will be completely unmodified FTT, I won't try moving 2,000 tons of metal, and It'll have a more realistic amount of dV, just as soon as I can work out how much is the absolute minimum needed for travel from duna to kerbin.

Quick additions from a delta V chart, 1700. If you can move 200 tons of materials, you're already hauling a TON of stuff. If you need more than 200 tons of stuff, you might want to rethink what you're doing.

[eldemarco]

I have taken the liberty of rebuilding the Starlifter Heavy Freighter, based on the blueprint from the first page. This is using only FTT, and WILL NOT get off the ground by itself, even with the containers empty, and no MKS modules attached. It took me 2-3 heavy radial booster stages, along with the engines on the craft, to get it into a circular 1000km orbit, and by then, I had to send up a refueling shuttle, as it was running on empty. Also, this thing turns like a brick, and has a lot of tail-end wobble. I highly suggest adding generous amounts of RCS, or adding a second reaction wheel just above the reactor. I have left adding struts for structural stability up to you. Enjoy

P.S. This was done in .90, and may not work with 1.0.2. I've included a screenshot with a good view of the craft in orbit, so if the craft file doesn't work, you can attempt to build from the screenshot.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwNilc2T52e4bXdmZ1JJckNhckU/view?usp=sharing

[Seeker89]

I always seem really bad at making basic balanced crafts.... could someone make a few basic ones and post them online?

[goldenpsp]

I always seem really bad at making basic balanced crafts.... could someone make a few basic ones and post them online?

Balanced in what aspect? For VTOL's I gave up trying to make them perfectly balanced. I'm too impatient. But Throttle controlled avionics saves me in that regard. It can take even a horribly balanced VTOL and make it stable.

[Captain Sierra]

Continuing the discussion in the correct thread . . . .

1)

That should probably be reduced to one part not three. I see no reason why to ever not use it in this configuration.

2)

Do not get rid of the Kontainer Mark II. It leaves us options like this:

^^ The ONLY to deliver a fuel cache to your Duna base.

3) You're using the size 3 nodes on the trusses when they should be size 4. This will help preserve structural integrity while allowing you to cut down on weight.

4)shrinking the Kontainer Mark 1 would be preferable. Right now it fits in a Honeybadger bay like this:

I would prefer a bit more room to mount it on some docking ports, give it landing legs, maybe tuck in KAS winches or parachutes for deploying it w/out landing (kinda like the #2 pic).

ALso giving us high strength RCS thrusters would be nice (like the honeybadger control segment). You could stow the monoprop and the battery banks in the trusses the same way NFC does it. ALternatively, you could use InterstellarFuelSwitch to swap between pure structural (lightweight), fuel (hydrogen only, no karborundum option), and systems (battery banks, monoprop, optional reaction wheels).

Edited May 18, 2015 by Captain Sierra
corrected my images

[smjjames]

The nuke engines heat should also be looked at since they beat up quickly and hot. although what they REALLY newd is a set of radiators that work very well with them, and maybe a heat sink.

Nerteas Near Future Electrical should be able to fill in that gap once she (or he) finishes updating and balancing for 1.0.2. though.

Edited May 18, 2015 by smjjames

[Caithloki]

So weird glitch or maybe by design but the Kontainer 2.5m says it costs 3.8k but when you select Rocket parts it goes to I think 5 million, I just found this out after getting one into orbit. Just thought I'd mention this incase anyone else wonders where their money went and to hopefully have Roverdude fix it