MK3 Cargo VTOL Shuttle - Compact Design

[Redshift OTF]

Here's my first complete build using the new MK3 parts! I'm loving them so far but they really need to finish the cockpit internals. Anyway, I wanted a re-usable shuttle design with VTOL that could carry an orange tank into space but was fairly compact, so here it is.

273 parts. 133.7 tons, (which is including the payload).

Hotkeys:

1) Switch engine modes

2) Toggle bay doors

3) Toggle ladders

It is recommended you fly straight up to 10km and then fly horizontally until you reach a speed of over 1700 m/s. Then switch engine modes to get up to orbital velocity. Gets into a 100km orbit easily although I haven't tried higher orbits. Has enough DeltaV to de-orbit and land in rocket mode if you are landing with MechJeb otherwise you can switch back to air-breathing mode and land manually.

If you are using MechJeb or manoeuvre nodes you can switch control to the radar dome on the top of the ship.

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[GusTurbo]

So large, yet so elegant. Great job on this. Is it hard to land?

[Rune]

Yup, pretty sweet. Reminds me of my own Eagle, only upsized quite a bit! As such, though, I think I can give you a couple of tips. First, why not open the bay downwards? I think that could look a bit better, and it gives you access to the payload bay on the ground, so you can drop stuff on places too. And second, that control point looking upwards with the probe? I would have used (did indeed use) a shielded docking port for it: it looks better, and it was a mount for a downwards-facing docking port on the bay to secure cargo that wasn't long enough.

Rune. Kudos on VTOLing that thing, BTW!

Edited February 7, 2015 by Rune

[Majorjim!]

Not a bad effort at all. Well done getting it into orbit.

the cargo bay doors clipping through the ship isn't good though. Try to avoid it if you can. it just looks wrong.

[Redshift OTF]

So large, yet so elegant. Great job on this. Is it hard to land?

Well, that depends on how good you are flying VTOL's. I'm not great but there's a lot of SAS units hidden in it so that help and the wheel placements ensure that the engines don't scrap the ground if you are rolling forward as you land.

Yup, pretty sweet. Reminds me of my own Eagle, only upsized quite a bit! As such, though, I think I can give you a couple of tips. First, why not open the bay downwards? I think that could look a bit better, and it gives you access to the payload bay on the ground, so you can drop stuff on places too. And second, that control point looking upwards with the probe? I would have used (did indeed use) a shielded docking port for it: it looks better, and it was a mount for a downwards-facing docking port on the bay to secure cargo that wasn't long enough.

Thanks for the tips! Having the bays face down is a good idea as it would make it more versatile. Didn't think of that. It might require different placement of engines though. Plus the side tanks might need shifting around. It's do-able though. Also the shield docking port is a good idea. Not sure how I could mount it without replacing the front fuel tank unless you mean moving the cupola thingy to the top which would be cool.

- - - Updated - - -

Not a bad effort at all. Well done getting it into orbit.

the cargo bay doors clipping through the ship isn't good though. Try to avoid it if you can. it just looks wrong.

Yeah there's not a lot I can do about that unless I lowered the side fuel tanks a lot. Side fuel tanks meant I could keep the whole thing as short as possible. Maybe if I replaced them with FL fuel tanks, which actually hold more fuel, it might work better. It would require a whole rebuild though.

[Columbia]

Woah. I would've been baffled if someone could make an MK3 VTOL, let alone carry a full Jumbo-64 Tank, all the way to a 100km orbit.

Amazing!

[Rune]

Also the shield docking port is a good idea. Not sure how I could mount it without replacing the front fuel tank unless you mean moving the cupola thingy to the top which would be cool.

Oh, I use the ability to turn surface attachment on from Editor Extensions (really useful!), but you could use a cubic strut or a radial attachment point thingy to create an attachment node there. Simple, really, and you can always stick a circular probe and a downwards facing port in the same spot. Actually, if you have the downwards facing standard port to sling cargo from the CoM, that in itself creates a nice attachment point.

Rune. The things I come up with to save one massless part...

[Majorjim!]

Yeah there's not a lot I can do about that unless I lowered the side fuel tanks a lot. Side fuel tanks meant I could keep the whole thing as short as possible. Maybe if I replaced them with FL fuel tanks, which actually hold more fuel, it might work better. It would require a whole rebuild though.

It's worth the extra build time to get a clean look.

[Redshift OTF]

Ah, I can tell you guys are perfectionists. But then I already knew that judging by your designs.