[WIP] Lifting Body Parts for FAR/NEAR

[BrianMcNett]

This is very early days, so there are no models, no drawings, nada, zilch, nothing but an idea.

I've seen some attempts (very good ones) at micro shuttle mods carrying two kerbals. (Pteron, WhimChaser, etc), but none of them works with FAR/NEAR, and I'm loathe to uninstall that mod just to have the cute mini spaceplanes.

But for a while I've been thinking about how to model a lifting body in KSP (which by default means using FAR).

My thought is to design a system around a single stock FL-T400 fuel tank. Give it "wings" with a root thickness at or near 1.25 meters (these are essentially structural fuel tanks with lift (and less fuel than an FL-T100)). A 70 degree sweep (very stubby). Control surfaces, wing-tip winglets, vertical fins, and a custom cockpit. In all, the mod will contain about five or six parts, which are insufficient in themselves to build the entire craft. However, they will, with the right combos of stock components get one (and only one) kerbal safely home from orbit (or conversely, given enough fuel, allow for plenty of orbital maneuvering first).

I'm using the following as inspiration:

For simplicity sake, I'll likely model this without the inverse airfoil, so don't expect this to be an "HL-10" mod. Cockpit will be on par with the Mk1 command pod for size.

It's a lifting body, so it drops like a stone unless you're in full flare (right at the edge of stalling).

I'm hoping that any experience I gain designing this can be transferred to those other projects as well, and would welcome all sorts of help as I've never done a part mod before.

Edited September 10, 2014 by BrianMcNett
Grammar and sentence structure.

[artwhaley]

I'm thrilled to see you working on this! Ferram commenting on WhimChaser that it would be pretty impossible to make a FAR compliant ship out of it without subdividing it into several pieces - which makes perfect sense. You might get him... or someone else who's familiar with the mechanics... to talk you through the basic requirements before you start so you don't wind up, like me, trying to stuff 12 kerbals worth of features in a 1 kerbal box after the fact. (EDIT - and if someone DOES give suggestions for a minimal parts FAR functional spaceplane, please share what you learn! )

That said - any progress you make I'll DEFINITELY integrate into the future versions of WhimChaser... and if anything I've done so far can be helpful, don't hesitate to ask. If I get around to making progress on this before you get it all worked out I'll keep you updated!

Art

[BrianMcNett]

Haven't started on modeling the all-important wings yet, but I thought I'd drop a preview of the cockpit. This is the untextured mesh in FreeCAD (mostly as a sketch).

And from behind so you can see additional detail.

Just about the size of the Command Pod Mk1. Holds one Kerbal. Not sure yet if I'll go for built in RCS ports or not, but the window layout will be inspired by the HL-10.

Edited September 20, 2014 by BrianMcNett

[montyben101]

I love the idea of this! are you going to make a version for stock aerodynamics as well?

[BrianMcNett]

I love the idea of this! are you going to make a version for stock aerodynamics as well?

It may be possible to add a coefficient of lift component to all the parts by defining them as winglets. That's the approach which SpacePlane Plus uses. However, the very concept of a lifting body makes little sense in the stock game. These parts will be designed with the use of FAR / NEAR in mind, and stock physics support, by the very nature of the beast will be secondary. I can do it, but flight through pea soup won't be near as awesome.

[montyben101]

I would use FAR or NEAR but the CSS shuttle dosent yet support it