What have you made with Mk 3?

[Alshain]

I keep starting Mk 3 planes and then abandoning them. I wanted to make a stock lifter that looks good too, but the series seems to be insufficient.

• No appropriate nose cones - Best current solution
  
• No appropriate wings - Wings confirmed in 1.0
  
• No appropriate landing gear - Best current solution - Landing Gear confirmed in 1.0
  
• No appropriate sized jet engines or multi adapters for existing ones
  
• All fuel is inline making for a massively long plane. - Fuel in wing confirmed in 1.0
  

I'm sure more parts are in the planning stages, but has anyone figured out what to do with them in the current version without mods?

Edited January 29, 2015 by Alshain

[montyben101]

Im trying to make a shuttle that can land on duna. Its really hard as the atmosphere is extremely thin but I dont want to make the wings crazily big

Edit:oh god.... Its impossible to land as the surface of duna is insanely hilly!?! Might try and tail land it and then flip it over once I landed it

Edited December 31, 2014 by montyben101

[WanderingKid]

So far? I've made a lot of stuff that doesn't get anywhere. My best SSTO attempt so far (with two orange tanks in the cargo) got up to 8k atmo and then couldn't climb anymore. It looked like a giant wing, and still didn't have enough lift. Nor thrust, with 16 Turbojets, come to think of it, which just isn't enough. My FPS was falling through the ground, though, so I don't feel like attempting to fly even more parts at 3 FPS or something equivalent. I can slap together a mini-cargo runner, but I was hoping I'd be able to use the Mk3 for serious cargo runs.

As you said, no appropriate wings. However, for adapters for multi engines, just use the gizmos with structural units. Slap a few on, twist. Repeat. It's not pretty, but it works.

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

I keep starting Mk 3 planes and then abandoning them. I wanted to make a stock lifter that looks good too, but the series seems to be insufficient.

• No appropriate nose cones
  
• No appropriate wings
  
• No appropriate landing gear
  
• No appropriate sized jet engines or multi adapters for existing ones
  
• All fuel is inline making for a massively long plane.
  

I'm sure more parts are in the planning stages, but has anyone figured out what to do with them in the current version without mods?

Well, you can use the existing mk. 2 wings, and the aerodynamic nose cone, but I do agree with fuel, landing gear, and multi-adapters.

[Daze]

I can't make a shuttle with a proper glide ratio with only a layer of stock wings..

[juanml82]

I made a vertically launched rocket capable of putting 16 kerbals almost anywhere in the Kerbol system (not necessarily to return them, though), with some 5 km/s delta-v and about 60 tons of weight.

The OP didn't mention anything about spaceplanes

I'd like to use the MK3 cargo bays to deliver rovers, but the wider rovers still don't fit. Squad should add retractable rover wheels

[Stealth2668]

We seriously need more landing gear. I look weird having a massive plane with tiny wheels that look like they'd struggle to support a sedan.

[bwarren109]

Really boring space shuttle.

We seriously need more landing gear. I look weird having a massive plane with tiny wheels that look like they'd struggle to support a sedan.

Could try Kerbal Aircraft Expansion. Has some nice bigger stockalike gear. Or B9...

[King Arthur]

I'll just leave these here:

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The above has since been succeeded by a B9 SSTO design as it performed better and proved safer to fly, as follows:

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They are both reusable carrier shuttle launchers for the smaller Mk2 shuttle that's piggybacked.

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• No appropriate nose cones
  
• No appropriate wings
  
• No appropriate landing gear
  
• No appropriate sized jet engines or multi adapters for existing ones
  
• All fuel is inline making for a massively long plane.
  

1. Aerodynamic Nose Cone.

2. Mk2 wings can lift the Mk3.

3. Easy enough to make your own double-sized copy of the stock landing gear.

4. Mk3->2.5m adapter into multi-couplers/engines.

5. Same goes for all other stock parts, though.

Edited January 1, 2015 by King Arthur

[Camaron]

My best Mk3 craft....

DOESN'T EXIST YET! Still unlocking the tech in hardmode career. I'm close, but the 6.36 million dollar price tag on the research facility is making for a decent barrier. I'm up to about 5 mil atm.

[Kerano]

A single stage reusable Tylo lander capable of landing 21 crew + a 14 tonne rover safely on the surface and returning to orbit with around 500 m/s of delta v to spare. Completely stock, no mods.

With a lab, cupola, all science modules, and a rover, it's capable of completing almost any Tylo contract with relative ease. It has a separate stage to get to Tylo orbit, but once it's there the landing + takeoff sequence only requires one stage. Parachutes are for use upon return to Kerbin (obviously refueling required prior to leaving Tylo orbit). The eight monopropellant engines on the rover are used to dock it back onto the main craft after driving on the surface, and aren't used for descent/ascent. The rover is effectively a "deformed circle" shape to allow the thrust from the KR-2L to safely pass through.

Why Mk3 parts? Two reasons:

- Best full:empty mass ratio of any fuel tanks in the game (9.33 vs 9.00 next best)

- Best crew:mass ratio of any passenger container

Craft stats:

Full mass: 310 tonnes

Takeoff mass: ~130-150 tonnes

Empty mass: 69 tonnes

Initial TWR: 1.03

Takeoff TWR: ~2.10-2.45

Final TWR: 4.62

Total Delta-v: 5600 m/s

Landing Delta-v from 20 km orbit: ~2650-3050 m/s

Takeoff Delta-v to 20 km orbit: ~2250-2350 m/s

Edited January 1, 2015 by Kerano

[SkyRender]

Shockingly, this is actually a miniature version of the aircraft it's modeled after.

The original is the Hughes H-4 Hercules, also known as the "Spruce Goose". It is one monster of an airplane; I've seen it up close several times at the McMinville aerospace museum. The Mk3 parts immediately made me think of it, so of course I did my best to replicate it. Much like its original counterpart, it can fly... barely.

[RainDreamer]

They are good as station parts.

[Bacterius]

I used the Mk3 cargo bay and assorted adapters/fuel tanks inline on a rocket to launch payloads into orbit. They are sufficiently wide to accept 2.5m payloads, which is nice. I have found it tends to be much less wobbly than putting the payload on top of the rocket, and also looks much cooler IMHO.

Didn't manage to design a working spaceplane with them, though. They are so bulky.

Edited January 1, 2015 by Bacterius

[Alshain]

Really boring space shuttle.

Could try Kerbal Aircraft Expansion. Has some nice bigger stockalike gear. Or B9...

Well, you missed the whole "I want to try to keep it stock" part. But if I were to need modded wheels, this is all you need.

There are some neat ideas here. I especially like King Arthurs piggy back plane. I'm not sure what purpose it serves but it does look cool.

[bonyetty]

If you don't think good aircraft (or shuttles) can be made in stock KSP checkout EJ_SA on Twitch. He has some very impressive shuttles and heavy cargo planes with stock working doors built prior to 0.90. His shuttles have been upgraded with the new Mk3 parts but I'm not sure if the cargo planes have yet.

[Overfloater]

I made this Shuttle

[Highlad]

I've been trying to design a mk3 SSTO that can take a full orange tank to orbit, while looking classy. Its being a pain without proper wings...

[KerrMü]

I've been trying to design a mk3 SSTO that can take a full orange tank to orbit, while looking classy.

Exactly what I´ve been doing for the last few days (didn´t have much time).

Edit: I forgot. I´ve built a Cargoplane with a working loading ramp and went to the southpole and back with a rover.

Edited January 2, 2015 by KerrMü

[Wanderfound]

They're working out okay for FAR:

We could definitely use some bigger jets/intakes/landing gear, though.

[Whirligig Girl]

They're working out okay for FAR:

http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums/ah120/craigmotbey/Kerbal/Beta/Kerbodyne%20Showroom/Titan%208/screenshot373_zpsef10e1d3.jpg

http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums/ah120/craigmotbey/Kerbal/Beta/Kerbodyne%20Showroom/Constellation/screenshot58_zpsa30efb21.jpg

http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums/ah120/craigmotbey/Kerbal/Beta/Kerbodyne%20Showroom/Cloudbreaker/screenshot120_zpsfe899ce3.jpg

We could definitely use some bigger jets/intakes/landing gear, though.

Do they work even better with FAR? I would think the fact that they actually behave as a lifting body (As they should in stock, really) would help a lot.

[Jouni]

Nothing serious so far, just a few experiments:

[Wanderfound]

Do they work even better with FAR? I would think the fact that they actually behave as a lifting body (As they should in stock, really) would help a lot.

I can't directly compare as I never fly stock, but the stock drag model is particularly punishing on larger craft.

[SmartS=true]

Building an electric boat with the propeller in a Mk3 cargo bay.

[Bill Phil]

Some planes that fly like bricks, if at all. The box would fly better.