[PLUGIN, PART, 0.17] Bigtrak KSP Edition v.30 Liltrak

[ultrasquid]

Have you considered using a 6 section fairing? that might allow sufficient ramp width and hinge bulk that the 8 section configuration is not

[willow]

Or you could maybe add flaps between the different solar blades. One of the mars rovers actually exited his platform via such a flap because the intended ramp was obstructed by part of the airbags used for landing. These flaps would be folded up neatly when the capsule is closed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MER_Spirit_Lander_Pan_Sol16-A18R1_br2.jpg

[chickenplucker]

You guys rock, a hex base is a brilliantly simple solution. I will work on one next time I get some free time. I did try the flaps but it created weird collision problems when the arms ran into them. The whole cone part would instantly snap down and explode or rip off. I\'m really looking forward to Nova\'s airbag lander thing he was previewing a while back that was styled after the mars lander, looks like fun.

[willow]

Ah, too bad, I don\'t think nasa had those kind of physics problems.

I love the bigtrack, kinda never leave kerbal without it these days.. It gives so much more options once on the moon. I think the lander will be just as much fun to experiment with. But that brings me to another thought I had.. To what degree have you thought about alternative uses? The inner construction with crossbeam will probably not allow me to use it as a rocket launching platform will it? Perhaps you could think about making it optional?

[chickenplucker]

Most everything I make I try to construct as flexible as possible, this is a sand box game so parts should not lock you into a specific designs. The worst thing about the lander is the proprietary size it needed to be in order to hold the Bigtrak. The beams are just there for looks, if you want to leave them off then you have 3 connection nodes inside the nose fairing/payload bay. Then you could use it for launching ships, satellites, etc. Once this is wrapped up I really want to try to use the nose cone on an orbital meet up to capture a satellite or shuttle.

Here\'s a pic that shows the Ausplane mounted inside without the strut towers.

[willow]

Nice I see my fears were unfounded...

Good job man!

[tadeass]

Chick: Awesome job on the lander, really!

Little question: What plugin did you use for the fairings? Classic landing leg plugin?

[TOAST]

Nice! =P

I managed to finally land one on the mun!

But now I can\'t get the BigTrak off the landing pad because of the decouplers! ???

[chickenplucker]

Thanks tadeass, yup its the default landing leg plugin. Getting the rotation spots setup on that thing was a major pain in the butt

[willow]

I did not realize you had already released a test version, I tried it out yesterday. The thing itself worked well.. It closes up really snugly apparently without seams. On kerbal that is... I had a bitch of a time getting it into orbit, all kinds of stability issues with the rockets and engines I was using. Even heavy trusses didn\'t help much. But I may try again tonight.

I don\'t think your lander was to blame though. It happens to me a lot when I use the 3m fuel tanks.

[falken]

Chickenplucker, that really does look awesome, but how about an optional version where the fairings fire/drop off and the Bigtrak merely drives off the side, wether it\'s landed or near the ground? An RCS module allows for an independant landing.

[zYnthethicz]

So chicken, how is the work going?

[chickenplucker]

Haven\'t had to much time to work on it during the last few days but hopefully I can wrap it up this weekend. I have swapped the 8 sided base out for a six sided one but still need to texture and export it yet. Roughly an hour to get it in game or so. But after that I have to balance the parts out which may take some time. I was having a riot last night building goofy ships using the lander parts and all the new plugin mods that came out in the last couple days. I think the Ludodyne airship is my favorite so far.

[Mr_Orion]

I just wanted to say something about the dart gun; you said that using decouplers wouldn\'t work well...

This is not the case. Remember, they are following the same rules we are in real life now. As long as you balance the darts to be light enough, and the bigtrack + dartgun to be heavy enough, then although the same momentum will be applied to both, the dart will go flying off... but the bigtrack won\'t. Why? Because velocity is separate from momentum, so the dart (weighing less) will get much more velocity for the same amount of momentum as the force needs to push less.

[chickenplucker]

Thanks for the correction Mr_Orion, I think I\'ll work on the dart pod soon. For some reason I was thinking the darts had to equal the wieght of the cart, brains not always awake when I\'m posting

Well, the Cuttlefish lander is now done and ready for exploration. No more weak toothpick legs, a nice hex shape (thanks ultrasquid), and working lander lights. I was testing dropping it on Kerbal and it will take an impact at roughly 14ms with no real issues. It can do 20-30ms, but then stuff starts exploding. I was debating on makeing it more fragile but figured that most people just want to get a rover to the moon to drive around, not fight a lander blowing up after 10mins of trying to pilot it there.

Droping in like that does require a bit of engine help. You will survive but stuffs going to break.

Next up, detachable normal nose farings, down facing lander light with attachment node. I wanted to sneak them in this with this update but ran out of time. Shouldn\'t take long to make since its just mostly rotating parts and some .cfg modfication. Have fun with the Cuttlefish

[TOAST]

Thanks for the correction Mr_Orion, I think I\'ll work on the dart pod soon. For some reason I was thinking the darts had to equal the wieght of the cart, brains not always awake when I\'m posting

Well, the Cuttlefish lander is now done and ready for exploration. No more weak toothpick legs, a nice hex shape (thanks ultrasquid), and working lander lights. I was testing dropping it on Kerbal and it will take an impact at roughly 14ms with no real issues. It can do 20-30ms, but then stuff starts exploding. I was debating on makeing it more fragile but figured that most people just want to get a rover to the moon to drive around, not fight a lander blowing up after 10mins of trying to pilot it there.

Droping in like that does require a bit of engine help. You will survive but stuffs going to break.

Next up, detachable normal nose farings, down facing lander light with attachment node. I wanted to sneak them in this with this update but ran out of time. Shouldn\'t take long to make since its just mostly rotating parts and some .cfg modfication. Have fun with the Cuttlefish

Hurray! I\'ll actually be able to possibly do a proper landing!

Maybe! ;P

I have the tendency to enjoy attaching launchable secondary rockets on top of the bigtrack.

I\'ve yet to figure out how to make them actually launch without decoupling & switching to them, though... :-[

[Altair1371]

As soon as docking is announced, you need to make it so that the BigTrak can get back on the Cuttlefish! That would be so awesome!

[Kreuzung]

Is it not possible to park the Bigtrak on it and then control the Cuttlefish via MechJeb (Warp limit 2x, I know)

[Altair1371]

Is it not possible to park the Bigtrak on it and then control the Cuttlefish via MechJeb (Warp limit 2x, I know)

A couple problems:

1) Time. Even with 2x speed, it would take at least 3 hours IRL to get back.

2) Mechjeb does not do a good job controlling a ship without a command pod. The pod somehow includes a force that allows easy movement.

[Exovian]

A command pod includes some basic SAS control.

[Turnip199]

Note: I\'m noticing that when the pod is inside the vehicle, the camera likes to repeatedly focus the camera as if I were activating/dropping stages.

By the time I reach orbit, I can\'t see my rocket anymore...

Edit: Or maybe it\'s not, i have no clue anymore.

Edit 2: It\'s actually anytime I use the cart.

I\'m having this problem, too. Anyone have an idea?

[Cooly568]

The cuttlefish is beautiful!...sniff...FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU MY COMPUTER IS BROKEN, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

But really, great job on the lander, It looks awesome!

[SpaceBlunt]

WTCuttlefish is this??!!??

Awesome mod due

[Katalliaan]

I learned the hard way that if you place the fairings with symmetry, don\'t open them while landing (at least on Kerbin). I tried, and it started to tumble uncontrollably, as if the only one open was the one I placed originally. Using the provided craft worked, although getting inside the nosecone to place other things on the Bigtrak was difficult.

[Baneblade]

The Cuttlefish is both an ingenious landing solution, and quite aesthetically pleasing. Nice job. ;D

And because this is the interblag, and proper grammar is illegal:

DAT LANDER.

???