🚀 The Kerbal Thread - Share Your Kerbal Creations
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Let's rescue Jeb and Bill who are currently orbiting Kerbin in the spaceplane.
Step 1: Build a quick and dirty rescue vehicle
Step 2: Spaceplane buttplug
Step 3: Deorbit burn
Step 4: Kerbalnaut swimming lessons
Diggin' this rescue can, might use it for any space station I built. With an atomic down there it could probably rescue from Jool, or get close to it. Kind of high part-count though.
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Now what to do with the Spectre... (remember, I put remote control on everything I build)
Do a nice de-orbit burn, but there's one obvious problem right away: this tiny-ass battery can't keep my SAS powered for long without either the jet engines going or the solar cells up, so let's try to top-off before we have to close the cells down. (It's got tiny emergency cells on the top of the fuselage, but they're mainly just to provide enough power to open the big cell.)
I'm planning here to fire up the jets around 15k, and run at about 1/3rd throttle (I know from past experience that's enough for straight and level flight near sea level.) The challenge is: will my batteries keep this thing stable to 15k, and will it stay stable after applying thrust? Or go into a flat spin like it's done in the past... let's find out. At least no Kerbalnauts are at risk now.
Coming in over the desert around 10:00 AM
Looks like my battery panic was over nothing, it's only 0.1 charge per second to keep this thing stable, at most. My intakes are already drawing in a bit of air at 40k.
Whoa, spoke too soon-- SAS power usage goes to 4-ish while aerobraking and, even worse, it's not enough to keep me aimed into the airstream...
Ok, pumping mass around... got it under control now... lesson learned, it seems all the spaceplanes on this thread need fuel up front to fly best.
Make a turn to aim her south over the ocean, let's try to ditch as gently as possible.
Jesus, straight and level sea-level flight at 1/10th throttle? This game is crazzzzzzy.
This is the best I can do on landing speed, 35 m/s.
And... well more parts survived than last time.
Hey look, I got engines left. Let's tool around as a boat!
Somehow there's a lot more drag when 2/3rds of my plane are underwater... 6.5 m/s is the best she can do. Let's try some maneuvers...
Turning dips my engine in the water and creates some nice-looking roostertails.
But at 6.5 m/s it's going to take roughly 4 years to get to anything interesting, so let's call this mission complete. (It'll do 9 m/s with the atomic going, if you were curious.)
Wait, I know... let's put up the sails!
FUCK YEAH KERBAL
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Adding a 2.5m docking adapter module to SpaceLab1
I really should add some lights to this station.
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I really should add some lights to this station.
Nah, I like the pitch-black on slightly-less-pitch-black color scheme you got going there.
Just FYI if you run Kerbal through Steam, F12 does nice screenshots without window borders. There's also a hotkey to remove the UI, but I always forget what it is, and I figure most people wanna see the stuff on the UI anyway.
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will have to remember that....
Landing. i have a lot of parachutes!
.... what happened? i should have been so stable!
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I turn on SAS when around 100m or so, it helps you keep upright in that critical instant between when it touches down (and the chutes close) and when it "settles-in".
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good idea.... at least my guy survived. i don't like adding flags to that memorial...
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I added lights, because i needed docking port extenders on that docking adapter anyway.
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Science Spam Ship: Duna version, on return to kerbin:
edit: 2k science from one mission!
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Ok, pumping mass around... got it under control now... lesson learned, it seems all the spaceplanes on this thread need fuel up front to fly best.
Aft CG's a real dog, no?
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I think the real issue is the game won't show you the center of gravity while you're flying. And if you build planes the conventional way, they consume fuel front-to-back.
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fuel lines!
IIRC putting fuel lines from the back tank to the front causes the whole stack of tanks to drain more or less evenly.
been a while since i did planes though, that may have changed or never actually been a thing. worth trying though as fuel lines are still physicsless and massless
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Fuel lines are too damn ugly. I use as few as possible and try to hide them. I wish they didn't show up at all other than in the VAB.
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so aesthetics vs controlability; aesthetics win?
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Meh. I just have to remember to pump fuel before re-entering. Not a big deal. Won't matter on Laythe, since I'll be fully fueled there. And I usually land my Kerbalnauts using re-entry capsules because it's easier.
So yes, aesthetics win. But the only reason you need to choose is that Kerbal has no option to hide fuel lines.
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part cliping on fuel lines is really odd. you can rotate them inside the tanks and just have an odd rectangular shape showing that could be hidden by placing a flap or a wing on there.
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Taking another space plane up...
Let's launch up some fuel and engines too... (you might recognize this rocket, it's been in this thread before.)
And let's build the doofiest-looking spaceship ever:
Let's go!
Wow, after I drop the Kerbodynes, this spaceplane's shockingly heavy. Never realized. These burns are gonna take forever.
Regretting putting tons of little fuel tanks on my spaceplane, gassing it up is going to take forever:
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And let's build the doofiest-looking spaceship ever:
Doctor Doofenshmirtz disagrees:
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This is gonna be a fun aerobrake, wonder if that docking clamp will hold. Or whether all those wing parts will 'catch' the air and send it spinning...
All buttoned-up, let's dive in!
Getting closer...
Here it is from Seancas-Cam:
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Eh, didn't dip low enough. Oh well, seen worse orbits.
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Tried it again, this time taking her down to 118... worked a bit better, and a much better light show:
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Laythe aerobrake in the nav computer, whee.
Woooooo
Wooooo ... ooo ... ooo? ... oooh shit...
Yup, aerobraked too low, docking connector snapped, mothership crashed into ground. But the good news is:
Seancas' Spectre is fine and flying like a champ!
Seancas has about 2.5 hours of flying time, which is hopefully enough to get to daylight and find someplace to either land, or ditch. Or I could take him off and see if I can get him into orbit to await rescue there... but I think I like the idea of rescuing him from the surface better, so I'll ditch or land his ass.
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Seancas is looking pretty worried, we've been flying for ages and still haven't hit dawn yet, and I don't even want to attempt a ditching in the dark.
But it's a pretty great view from here...
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Seancas is looking pretty worried, we've been flying for ages and still haven't hit dawn yet
Are you maybe flying the wrong way?
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I might be, but hey whatever. At the time I landed ("landed") it was a "shorter" trip to go west than east, but I guess Laythe rotates pretty fast. And this thing only goes 139 m/s without throttling way up. EDIT: looking at the globe, I'd still be in dark if I had gone east anyway.
Whatever. Going the wrong direction is a pretty Kerbal thing to do, and it's almost daylight now.
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Going the wrong direction is a pretty Kerbal thing to do
That sounds dangerously close to the DF motto, FYI.
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Approaching my selected "landing" island (the banana shaped one with the long beach.) It's been a lot of flying to get here, fortunately there's still some daylight left.
Look at the crazy angle-of-attack you need to stay level on Laythe, BTW.
LAND HO!
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On final approach...
And...
Wait for it...
Wait... for... it...
A PERFECT LANDING!
Nobody's more surprised than me. I was never able to land this thing on Kerbin, now it's sitting safe and secure on a fucking beach on fucking Laythe!!! Goddamned!
I was worried if it crashed I wouldn't be able to get Seancas to flag because the ladders would be busted but hey, he's in fine shape now. Might even have enough gas left to get back into orbit!
"Great landing Seancas! Hey have you ever seen a movie named 'Robinson Crusoe on Mars?'"
"No, why?"
"Uh... no reason. We'll have a new fuel tug there in only 3 years. Good luck 'til then!"
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And... back in orbit to await pickup.
LAYTHE: FLAGGED
I think it's safe to say that was, by far, the most successful first-try at a mission I've ever had. I couldn't believe I landed that thing, and had enough fuel left (after like a solid HOUR AND A HALF OF FLYING) to get it back into orbit. I are best at SSTOs. I dominate ALL.
We salute you, Seancas!
Too bad I didn't bring any science instruments.
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Enter Rodan, 2 jet + 1 LV-N, with VTOL from six 48-7S. Four shock cones, four radial intakes, a nacelle, and a radial engine body per engine. Needless to say, the extra air should be helpful given the tendency for even-engined planes to spin on flameout. Also, the engines are mounted close so as to minimize torque from thrust differences.
VTOL in action...
Once at 20km, go flat and build up speed...
33km and 1500m/s before I activate the LV-N... so far so good. The LV-N's thrust vectoring will also help fight uneven thrust.
The SAS and control surfaces do a good job until about 1900m/s, at which point the uneven thrust is too much and I have to throttle less than 100%. I have to fight it, but I can keep it more or less straight as long as I gradually ease off the throttle.
Finally, we're out of air, so we can go back to full throttle with the LV-N.
And orbit. 4100m/s beats Megalon, so we have another keeper. Doodhat now has to go to Jool to relieve Jebediah...
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It should be noted that NASA has been playing too much KSP. They clearly hit spacebar by accident just after launch.
Me, I've been taking a break and playing XCom instead. Frakking aliens.
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VTOL in action...
Ok I'm jealous my big heavy plane can't do VTOL. So let's do VTOL LIKE A FUCKING CHAMP!!!
Suck it.
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It should be noted that NASA has been playing too much KSP. They clearly hit spacebar by accident just after launch.
They should hit F9 instead.
Ok I'm jealous my big heavy plane can't do VTOL. So let's do VTOL LIKE A FUCKING CHAMP!!!
Well, that's one way to do it.
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Problem: big-ass spaceplane.
Solution: tiny-ass spaceplane.
EDIT: also bi-planes are kewl.
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Actually working version of Bumblebee SSTO. Took almost exactly 50% of fuel to get to 85k orbit... not great.
These radial intakes seemed like a good idea at the time, but the damned things are worthless. At sea level they pull in good air, but you don't need it and they just drag you down. At high altitudes, they don't pull in air for shit, and they still drag you down. Oh whee, 0.02 air and "only" 0.11 drag. Need to delete them on next revision.
Now I'm going to bed.
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Ok I'm jealous my big heavy plane can't do VTOL. So let's do VTOL LIKE A FUCKING CHAMP!!!
<img src="/uploads/default/8916/9c6e8fe4f2c088c1.jpg" width="690" height="441">
Suck it.
Well... it's vertical, and taking off, so you have at least the VTO down.
Also, this just seems right as an engineering solution for KSP.
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Winter Owl introduces...
The Gnat!
The most economical, efficient, and comfortable way to deliver a Kerbalnaut into orbit!
Jeb: "Uh guys, where's the cockpit?"
Winter Owl: "Cock... pit? Hey Frank, get on the horn, find out what that is."
Jeb: "I noticed you didn't say 'safest'."
Our test pilot, Orbas, appears to have the appropriate facial expression here. Relax, Orbas! I got you parachutes.
At twice the speed of sound, Orbas has become slightly more concerned about this whole arrangement.
Orbas: "Well, I'll be damned! The thing WORKS!"
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I should not have read that at work. Trying not to laugh out loud (and thus explain what I was reading) was a struggle.
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The Gnat... The Bumblebee... The Spectre...
Winter Owl has a full range of quality SSTO aircraft available today! Equipped for land or space-- SAS, RCS, docking ports. All remote-controllable, all Laythe-capable (we assume!) Can your space program afford to be without one?
Talk to your dealer... today!
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I also should not have read that at work.
I doubly should not have done it on the crapper.
That's really tough to explain.
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I think you need a midsize.
And then perhaps a pickup truck
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I think you need a midsize.
I was thinking about making one REAL big. Even the Spectre only seats two. I'm thinking like a whole space program on a plane. Landers, rovers, space for 5+ kerbalnauts...
In all seriousness, if you do need to deliver a single kerbalnaut into orbit, the Gnat is awesome. Just as fast as a rocket, and can go to any reasonable orbit. Hell I could probably take it to Mun.
I'm assuming the 48-7S is due for a nerfing because DAMN.
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The 60ton Thunderbird has 10 seats and can lift and deploy 3 tiny commsats. Intending to use it as remote mission control and mothership to a smaller family of mission SSTOs.
It only barely reaches orbit unrefueled, though. Its going to take substantial rework and even more mass to get it to lift that payload reliably.
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Orbas, the test flight is over.
Orbas? ... Orbas return to base. That's... that's not base, that's Mun. Don't go there. Orbas!?"
"You guys never let me have any fun."
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I was thinking about making one REAL big. Even the Spectre only seats two. I'm thinking like a whole space program on a plane. Landers, rovers, space for 5+ kerbalnauts...
Work in progress:
It's basically a plane carrying a space station on its back.
Two-man cockpit, space-station window, full science lab. 10 turbojets, 4 LV-T30s, 4 atomics. 4035 fuel, 3465 oxygen., 43.2 max air intake.
The gap in the fuselage is where the lander and rover will go. Oh you thought I was kidding about that? Muahaha!
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I think I am going to have to give this game a try, it looks like my kind of fun. Good thing I just got a nifty new video card.
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Too many revisions to document.
You'll see I now added the (completely untested) lander. The space was a lot tighter than I thought it would be, so I've scrapped the rover for now. (Could possibly put it above the science lab and have the lander "pick it up" with a docking port...)
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At twice the speed of sound, Orbas has become slightly more concerned about this whole arrangement.
Not many people have travelled that fast without an enclosure and lived to tell the tale--a U2 pilot did, though, when his plane broke up around him at 70+ thousand feet.
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You'll see I now added the (completely untested) lander.
You make this glorious monstrosity and yet fuel lines are anathema to you? Go figure.
