Black Dart update
- Thread starter Donamy
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Zatnikitelman
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HOLY FREAKING CRAP! THAT IS AWESOME! Looks to share some heritage with the SR-71, but what exactly is its purpose? I'm guessing Orbital reconnaissance and intercept. LOOKS GREAT!
tgep
Tutorial Publisher
It reminds me of a maned version of the SR-71 Drone. Will it be drop capible from a B-52 or XB-70 or is it intended to be launched like the X-20 ?
From the look of it, it's small enough to fit in the cargo bay of the Resolve shuttle.
There is a lot of potential here. Well done !
From the look of it, it's small enough to fit in the cargo bay of the Resolve shuttle.
There is a lot of potential here. Well done !
Thought that looked familiar.
http://orbiter-forum.com/showpost.php?p=19400&postcount=183
http://orbiter-forum.com/showpost.php?p=20975&postcount=208
http://orbiter-forum.com/showpost.php?p=19400&postcount=183
http://orbiter-forum.com/showpost.php?p=20975&postcount=208
dutchpirate
XR Fleet Skin Designer
Shoulder docking or strictly UMmu?
Coolhand
Addon Developer
Yeah i thought it was cool in the XR2 thread, nice to see it getting some more development, should be wicked fun to fly, looks very military. Have you thought about recessing the nozzle, X-15 style? gives it more protection and might save a few polys.
Urwumpe
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I would say, the nozzle should get protected by a bodyflap and the ailerons should be made smaller in surface by tapering them. They are far on the outside.
It would be cool if the nozzle could be made radiative cooled - glowing red after a while.
It would be cool if the nozzle could be made radiative cooled - glowing red after a while.
Donamy
Addon Developer
I was thinking maybe a recon launched like the X-20, able to reenter over the target to about 50,000 ft. Then zoom back to orbit, then home. Or a lunar or Mars lander. Of course I haven't figured out yet, how it's going to get off of Mars.
Coolhand
Addon Developer
straight up
If you had a really enormous runway, would that work on mars? If it doesn't have vertical takeoff engines (assuming it doesn't, but then i don't want to make an ass out of you and me...) then how would it operate on the moon at all?
you could perhaps give it tail sitting landing gear, perhaps in combination with conventional aircraft landing gear... would be a challenging lunar lander. or give it a forward vertical thruster (wouldn't need much thrust on the moon of course so it could be small) in combination with downward thrust vectoring at the tail, like the JSF.
If you had a really enormous runway, would that work on mars? If it doesn't have vertical takeoff engines (assuming it doesn't, but then i don't want to make an ass out of you and me...) then how would it operate on the moon at all?
you could perhaps give it tail sitting landing gear, perhaps in combination with conventional aircraft landing gear... would be a challenging lunar lander. or give it a forward vertical thruster (wouldn't need much thrust on the moon of course so it could be small) in combination with downward thrust vectoring at the tail, like the JSF.
Very cool looking vessel indeed ! Looks very purposeful.
My suggestion is to go for an X-20 like general scheme i.e. launch atop a rocket, stay up for a couple of orbits (say no longer than 24 hours), conduct recon, reenter. Maybe give it a payload bay (which you seem to have done) so it's capable of launching or retrieving small satellites. An airlock is probably out of the question though, as it's too large and complex. The X-20 was eventually meant to drop nukes IIRC, and although Orbiter is usually calm and peaceful, it might be interesting to have the ability to drop stuff while skipping in the higher atmosphere. A-SAT operations also come to mind and could be a lot of fun with adequate scenarios. Hey! With a miniature robotic arm and a payload bay it could capture satellites from orbit, although probably only small satellites.
Anyway, it looks great. Good luck!
My suggestion is to go for an X-20 like general scheme i.e. launch atop a rocket, stay up for a couple of orbits (say no longer than 24 hours), conduct recon, reenter. Maybe give it a payload bay (which you seem to have done) so it's capable of launching or retrieving small satellites. An airlock is probably out of the question though, as it's too large and complex. The X-20 was eventually meant to drop nukes IIRC, and although Orbiter is usually calm and peaceful, it might be interesting to have the ability to drop stuff while skipping in the higher atmosphere. A-SAT operations also come to mind and could be a lot of fun with adequate scenarios. Hey! With a miniature robotic arm and a payload bay it could capture satellites from orbit, although probably only small satellites.
Anyway, it looks great. Good luck!
dutchpirate
XR Fleet Skin Designer
Another launch option would be to mate it to a TX-type vessel and launch it like a Darkstar.
tgep
Tutorial Publisher
The XB-70 would get it high and fast enough for that. It's big enough to handle the payload if it were recessed into the bomb bay X-1 style.
Continuing my previous line of thought, it could be used for kinetic bombardment by "dipping" down into the atmosphere - lower periapsis into the atmosphere, roll over while still above the atmosphere, exposing the payload bay and releasing the weapons, then return to normal attitude to skip back into space while the weapons continue on the reentry trajectory. Could be cool. The meshes for something like Rods from God should be simple.
Just a suggestion of course.
Just a suggestion of course.
tgep
Tutorial Publisher
That would be realy neat.
A targeting MFD that displays a simple screen with a target reticle that turns from red to green when you reach the release point Would be a realy cool feature. For set up, just input the location of the target as a 6 point grid referance .... It would be handy for other things besides "skip-bombing" runs too.
A targeting MFD that displays a simple screen with a target reticle that turns from red to green when you reach the release point Would be a realy cool feature. For set up, just input the location of the target as a 6 point grid referance .... It would be handy for other things besides "skip-bombing" runs too.
hmm, looks impossible, unless you have the ability to correct orbit inclination in order to fly precisely above the target.
Otherwise you'll never have a green
Coolhand
Addon Developer
Mission profile would be something similar to dyna-soar. drop altitude, change course aerodynamically in the upper atmosphere and boost back into orbit. The G-loading would apparently be quite high though, one reason why the dyna-soar concept never made it.
Donamy
Addon Developer
Because of the reascent admissions of "slave labor" mines found hidden, on some moons and asteroids, throughout the Solar System, and the blind willingness of Altea Aerospace, to sell anyone with a pocketful of latinum, a Ravenstar (which have been alledged, to transport the "slave labor"). The Earth Delegation has asked that the "Black Dart" be developed as a primary Ravenstar "killer", to stop this aweful practice. The developers of the Black Dart are confident that the ship, with it's secret stealth "cloaking" capability, will be able to hunt down, disable or destoy any Ravenstar being used in illegal trafficing. Altea Aerospace, had no comment.
Donamy
Addon Developer
Can you include some payload space for ARMs (Anti-Ravenstar-Missiles) inside the side bays?
*imperial march*
You code 'em, I'll make 'em !!
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