Project R - All in One SSTE Dropship/VTOL rover/Satellite layer

[Signo]

The project R, a simple, affordable and versatile platform to fulfill the most common exploration contracts while gathering a good amount of science.

The Type R Mod.19 is a turbojet/LV-N nose sitting dropship that can reach any planet in Kerbol system, drop and recover a manned VTOL rover (only Eve being off limits) then lay one or more satellites and get back home in just 50t.

There aren't any science modules installed atm.

The rover can sustain heavy landings and hits.

The modules and the lander you can see in the Mod.19 and Mod.26 bays in the showcase picture are WIP, just a couple are included here as a proof of concept.

Warnings and instructions:

1) before TO remember to disable the fuel crossfeed between the rover and the dropship and between any dock connected payload in the bay.

2) before reentering atmosphere pump all the LF you have left in the outermost pair of tanks while driving the Ox in the tail tanks of the center section.

3) never land the whole thing with the rover extra tanks still attached if you previously decoupled the rover.

4) Be patient while trying to "land dock" the rover to the nose sitting dropship, it works.

5) Each plane has got its own action buttons set and explained in detail.

6) I feel like I am missing something. If there is anything malfunctioning or you are just curious about feel free to ask.

Road to LKO:

Try to reach 18000m as fast as you can to save fuel, from there on till 30000m you need to build as much speed as to reach at least 2050m/s, then pitch 45 degrees. At 37000m decrease the throttle to 66%. At 41000m decrease to 33%. Now you should have a high enough Ap, switch to LV-N to circularize. Depending on payloads and configurations (and models too), there should be from 4800 to 7000+ D/v left, rover excluded. The rover itself packs 3000+ D/v.

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Files are SPH built.

Rhino (dual engine rover)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rhcyyf5pnzl3adv/Rhino%20%28no%20MJ%29.craft?dl=0

Mod.16 (dropship + rover, small bay)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/10p6ikm9buufg5b/Type%20R%20family%20Mod_%2016%20%28no%20MJ%29.craft?dl=0

Mod.19 (dropship + rover, big bay)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/02gfs8ihw390t63/Type%20R%20family%20Mod_%2019%20%28no%20MJ%29.craft?dl=0

Mod.26 (2 pilots + 4 passengers, big bay)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8vves38353jq2cs/Type%20R%20family%20Mod_%2026%20%28no%20MJ%29.craft?dl=0

Rhino T (quad engine rover)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t1k5qt388rbiwdj/Rhino%20T%20%28no%20MJ%29.craft?dl=0

The "Packs" are subassemblies.

M-Pack (mini thermo satellite)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/43a7y4r72yrlifs/M-Pack%20%28no%20MJ%29.craft?dl=0

S-Pack (Mat bay add on for the rover, thermo sat when spent)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sp516xa8xej1v7y/S-Pack%20%28no%20MJ%29.craft?dl=0

T-Pack (Tylo mission extra tanker)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/793tufnqon23blq/T-Pack%20%28no%20MJ%29.craft?dl=0

Edited October 24, 2014 by Signo

[Roflcopterkklol]

Neato looking craft man, just downloaded them now will fire them up soon.

[Signo]

Some more tips and troubleshooting:

In some configs some minor wobbling has been experienced just after take off. Simply pull up gently and it wil disappear.

To even minor extent, with heavy payloads @low speed and altitude (around 150m/s under 1000m), a kind of "SAS overcharge" can kick in and make the thing wobble. Sometimes badly. Just turn off SAS, pull up and fly asap above 1000m. The wobble will disappear, this time (afaik) forever.

To enjoy the most the rover driving experience I suggest to drive in docking mode with SAS on (better looking jumps in high G environment imo).

To have a better control of the flying rover the docking port on top of it should be set as the control end.

Take off speed: +/- 100m/s

Landing speed: as low as 71 m/s

Rover top speed on landing strip: 24.7 m/s (with 90 LF and 110 Ox left)

Edited October 23, 2014 by Signo

[Signo]

I uploaded a new quad engine rover (Rhino T) and a tanker add on (T-Pack) that can make it to Tylo too with a R-19 dropship.

Return trip was a little scary cause you do not really have any fuel to spare. Lost the dropship while trying to land on rough and completely out of gas. However the rover was mostly safe (flat tires, broken illuminators).