SSU Development thread (4.0 to 5.0) [DEVELOPMENT HALTED DUE TIME REQUIREMENTS!]

[GLS]

Nearly there with all the mesh work on the orbiter. Latest addition is the EVA slidewires that are mounted to the PLBDs. These will require child animations of the PLBD animations as they're also attached to the PLB sills by links and the brackets rotate as the doors move. The details can be found in JSC-1117 Vol. II, page 224-225.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/l3mu32cy5laoht3/Updated_SSU_Orbiter_1.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4unxdg8q9jwabcd/Updated_SSU_Orbiter_2.jpg?dl=0

I asked for these while I was doing the PLBD animations, but was told they didn't matter... :facepalm:
Well, better late than never.

BTW: it's JSC-11174

---------- Post added at 11:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:57 PM ----------

BTW2: some handrails are hitting structure on the second image.

 

[DaveS]

I asked for these while I was doing the PLBD animations, but was told they didn't matter... :facepalm:
Well, better late than never.

BTW: it's JSC-11174

---------- Post added at 11:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:57 PM ----------

BTW2: some handrails are hitting structure on the second image.

Yes, I know. I don't have the exact positions for the handrails so I have mostly guessed so there's some tweaking left to do.

 

[GLS]

Yes, I know. I don't have the exact positions for the handrails so I have mostly guessed so there's some tweaking left to do.

I'd say there are some standard sizes to them, so that's gotta make things easier.

 

[DaveS]

I'd say there are some standard sizes to them, so that's gotta make things easier.

Not that I have seen. Other than being left/right mirror versions of each other, they're difference lengths and have different number of brackets that attach the actual horizontal rails to the doors.

 

[DaveS]

Slowly coming together. Latest area of rework has been the payload bay. Fixed it up so that the bottoms of cylindrical sections (bays 1-11) and the wing box (bays 12/13) matches up with actual drawings. I also fixed the PLBD EVA handrails issue noted by GLS. That turned out to be a combination of two issues, the lack of the actual PLBD torque box MLI blankets and some of the sill longeron structures being located to far inboard.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tk630r221k1lt0k/Updated_SSU_Orbiter_3.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/u8ghlptnx049x0a/Updated_SSU_Orbiter_4.jpg?dl=0

---------- Post added at 11:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 AM ----------

An overhead comparison shot:
Actual: https://www.dropbox.com/s/n0j7abgpubdsqo3/2010-1882.jpg?dl=0
Latest SSU v5 WIP: https://www.dropbox.com/s/k370wbjfmpx7y6a/Updated_SSU_Orbiter_5.jpg?dl=0

 

[Wolf]

GLS nice job on the new Entry Guidance system. A couple of little glitches I noticed after flying some approaches with different scenarios:

1) The AFCS flies the HAC a little too wide (the Flight path Vector is slighlty outside the diamond all the way until OGS intercept)

2) The Orbiter lands left of the RWY centerline (a few meters) and then during the landing roll she corrects back on centerline (as she reaches 100 knots IAS) during deceleration (no brakes applied)

I thought winds could be the cause but these happen also with orbiter wind effects disabled.

3) Are the Pitch/Roll deviation and rate needles LOW/MED/HIGH functioning correctly at present? I noticed some strange indications when playing with the different settings.

Anyway overall a huge improvement IMHO. Keep up the great job and thanks for doing this :thumbup:

 

[GLS]

GLS nice job on the new Entry Guidance system. A couple of little glitches I noticed after flying some approaches with different scenarios:

1) The AFCS flies the HAC a little too wide (the Flight path Vector is slighlty outside the diamond all the way until OGS intercept)

Some of that might be due to the issues with the current aero data, but IMO that's probably the FCS "deadband" where small errors aren't corrected (to avoid a nervous system), and as the HAC radius is constantly shrinking, it generates a small radial error.

2) The Orbiter lands left of the RWY centerline (a few meters) and then during the landing roll she corrects back on centerline (as she reaches 100 knots IAS) during deceleration (no brakes applied)

I thought winds could be the cause but these happen also with orbiter wind effects disabled.

That's probably due to the roll trim integrator, but could be runway placement.... or something else. I'll have to check.

3) Are the Pitch/Roll deviation and rate needles LOW/MED/HIGH functioning correctly at present? I noticed some strange indications when playing with the different settings.

Anyway overall a huge improvement IMHO. Keep up the great job and thanks for doing this :thumbup:

I think so.... some data might not be displayed yet, but you should be able to follow the error needles all the way down.

 

[DaveS]

First tests with the updated orbiter mesh in-game: https://www.dropbox.com/s/n1g27zfl82lfy4p/SSU_onorbit_2.jpg?dl=0
There's a few things that need a bit of tidying up but overall things look great.

I'm still not sure how to add the PLBD EVA slidewires to the main door animations.

 

[Gingin]

Very nice Work Guys

 

[Donamy]

First tests with the updated orbiter mesh in-game: https://www.dropbox.com/s/n1g27zfl82lfy4p/SSU_onorbit_2.jpg?dl=0
There's a few things that need a bit of tidying up but overall things look great.

I'm still not sure how to add the PLBD EVA slidewires to the main door animations.

Aren't they stationary ?

 

[DaveS]

Aren't they stationary ?

No. They actually rotate as the doors are being moved through their own cycle. This graphic shows it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/olnb0wjsusk4zyh/PLBD_EVA_slidewire_cycle.jpg?dl=0

 

[Wolf]

Is the mesh in the rear PB supposed to be missing still? I thought it was fixed...

 

[DaveS]

Is the mesh in the rear PB supposed to be missing still? I thought it was fixed...

The checked in orbiter mesh is still the same one, nothing has changed there. All the fixes are still on this WIP mesh only.

 

[Donamy]

No. They actually rotate as the doors are being moved through their own cycle. This graphic shows it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/olnb0wjsusk4zyh/PLBD_EVA_slidewire_cycle.jpg?dl=0

Very complicated hinge movement. Should probably just rotate out like the Arms.

 

[GLS]

Very complicated hinge movement. Should probably just rotate out like the Arms.

Actually it is very doable. The math is the same as currently used for the PLBDs, Umbilical Doors, CISS tilt table and CISS pipes.

 

[Donamy]

How difficult is it ?

 

[GLS]

How difficult is it ?

Easier than typing thousands of aero coeficients. :shrug:
It will get done... just not this year.

 

[DaveS]

I'm trying to fix up the ET umbilical door animations and have gotten stuck. GLS, could you point out where the various animation points should be on this image?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h3e8uh9mj001y13/ET_2D_DDM.jpg?dl=0

 

[GLS]

I'm trying to fix up the ET umbilical door animations and have gotten stuck. GLS, could you point out where the various animation points should be on this image?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h3e8uh9mj001y13/ET_2D_DDM.jpg?dl=0

Are all those gizmos on the left side part of the mechanism??? hsnap:
The current math only has the 2 points at the ends of the dark green part, plus the point connecting the door to the red part, plus the door rotation axis... which I see (and suspected before) is not a single axis. :uhh: Try to position the door axis so it looks good, which I think would be a little bit above the door surface...

 

[DaveS]

Are all those gizmos on the left side part of the mechanism???

Pretty much: https://www.dropbox.com/s/x7bb1jh6jtog8l9/ET_3D_DDM.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fgl7p3aozcayb7d/ET_3D_DDM2.jpg?dl=0

Edit:
I have updated the 2D image with circles where I think the points are for the animations. Are they correct?