Project Firebird II HLV + RARoG shuttle

[Cizurator]

Hi all :hello:

After almost two years of silence, a new member of Firebird rocket family roars to life - Firebird II HLV.


Firebird II is a 2 or 3-stage realistic heavy launch vehicle, based on the same multistage2 basis as it's predecessor, Firebird I HLV.
As a smaller member of Firebird family, this rocket is able to launch 10-30 metric tons to LEO, according to the version used. The optional 3rd stage is common with Firebird I HLV, while a set of auxilary strap-on solid rocket boosters further extend payload limits.
The rocket utilizes launchpad LC2 on Makatea island, so the final package will apply several modifications to the entire space center as well as some minor changes to Firebird I HLV.

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With Firebird II finished at 95%, I'm currently working on a spaceplane,
that could be launched atop the most powerful variant - Firebird II-38:

RARoG - Reusable Advanced Rocket Glider

This 25 ton heavy, 18 meters long spaceplane of classical conception is being designed to take five astronauts and 4,5 tons of payload to LEO.

RARoG embodies my next attempt to take spacecraft3.dll to it's extremes, as well as creating even better, cleaner and more complex spacecraft model than ever before. It will include several features never before explored such as custom robotic arm or virtual cockpit.

I'm expecting most trouble with figuring out some suitable aerodynamics.
The shuttle should be able to reach AoA up to 40° while performing a stable, controllable re-entry. Actually it should fly pretty much like the NASA Space Shuttle.

 

[Pipcard]

spacecraft3.dll

The shuttle should be able to reach AoA up to 40° while performing a stable, controllable re-entry.

Is that even possible?

 

[IronRain]

I use Firebird-I regularly, so I'm really glad to see a Firebord-II.

Great work!

 

[Cizurator]

Is that even possible?

I admit I haven't done any relevant tests yet (still working on the model). But as far as i remember, vinka's sc3 examples include some kind of US. space shuttle aerodynamics too. That might be a good starting point. I was also thinking about using the aerobrake in some atypical way to achieve such aoa. Just thoughts... only tests will show...

---------- Post added at 11:46 ---------- Previous post was at 11:40 ----------

I use Firebird-I regularly, so I'm really glad to see a Firebord-II.

Great work!

Thanks!
Firebird II will offer much more flexibility for your payloads. And maybe, one day, Firebird III MLV might launch payloads between 4 - 10 tons...

---------- Post added at 22:43 ---------- Previous post was at 11:46 ----------

Cockpit update:
Because RARoG is planned to be a SC3 vessel, the virtual cockpit will consist of two MFDs, a HUD and a proper load of pointless buttons, switches and lights all over the cockpit. Several parts of interior will be animated (both airlock doors, collapsible airlock stairs).

 

[Nicholander]

A new launch vehicle for 10-30 ton segments? And a new spaceplane? This seems interesting, I'll definitely have a go when this is released.

Also, small side-note, but when will V1.3 of USF be done? From what I can tell, it's been called "Soon to be finished" for a year!

 

[Cizurator]

UPDATE:
RARoG concept underwent some significant changes today. Overall size of the spaceplane has been reduced by roughly 20% to fit on the 2nd stage of Firebird II HLV. This will allow to use a simplier launch configuration - Firebird II-28. (2 stages, 8 strap-ons)

new data:
- length: 14.48 m
- wingspan: 12.14 m
- height: 4.45 m
- weight: circa 17 tons
- capacity: 3 astronauts + 2.8 tons of cargo

Interior resized, reorganized, improved.

View into the rear part of the cockpit (Wings3D):

---------- Post added at 22:04 ---------- Previous post was at 19:24 ----------

I've added a nice, comfortable, separate space toilet room. Toilet door might be openable!

 

[IronRain]

Looks awesome! :thumbup:

 

[Cizurator]

The Shuttle's release name will be Corvus.

There will be two shuttles, representing two variants, named after legendary ravens from the norse mythology.

Corvus-PV "Munin" (Payload Variant)
Corvus-DV "Hugin" (Docking Variant; equipped with a docking adapter in the payload bay.)

 

[garyw]

All looks very good, looking forward to these.

 

[Cizurator]

Texturing of externals is under way. First shots:

Incomplete texturing

Top view

Launch configuration (launch pad yet to be modified)

 

[Interceptor]

Hey cizurator,the new shuttle looks awesome I can"t wait to fly her,BTW what version of orbiter did you use in your pics?

 

[Cizurator]

Hey cizurator,the new shuttle looks awesome I can"t wait to fly her,BTW what version of orbiter did you use in your pics?

Thanks!

I'm using Orbiter BETA 2010-P2 (Nov. 2011 build 5 - v.111105). As it's an ordinary spacecraft3 vessel, there should be no problem on classic 2010-P1.

 

[K_Jameson]

Oh, Firebird II! Very interesting! Although i don't like particularly all these solids attached...
I remember the live broadcast of the Firebird I launch on Orbiter Live Missions!

Corvus is a brilliant orbiter, but aesthetically, these curved wings are not convincing, IMHO...

 

[Cizurator]

Yes, from aesthetic point of view, those solids are not 100% fitting to the rest. But they are as simplistic as possible, and they greatly improve flexibility of this LV. My experience after a few dozens of test launches says: you'll get used to them quickly.

About corvus wings: their profile might look unconventional, but they are basically a product of an amateur's imagination. The requirements were: high lift at high AoA and low speeds + effective aerobraking. AoA is intended to stay around 20°-40° during most of the atmosperhic flight. Think about it as a wing-shaped reentry shield more than a supersonic wing.

 

[Cizurator]

Update (August 5th 2015)

Finally, i'm back at the project. Here are some new pictures of the cockpit:

High-FOV cockpit view:

Instrument panel detail (note: only MFDs and HUD are planned to be functional, the rest is just a pseudo-realistic decoration. :shifty

Forward view

 

[Cizurator]

Cockpit update: food bags, sleeping bags, rear control panels and scientific section:

 

[K_Jameson]

Wow!

Seems that most of the details comes from modeling rather than textures; i'm curious about the poly count.

Edit: in Starlab we have about 140,000 polygons, not counting things as the Exposed Facility , the Canadarm and the visiting spacecrafts with related crews and cargos. Maybe I've been too cautious, but I've mantained some internal rather simple to avoid boosting polygons - the Greenhouse module alone, thanks to the vegetables, has over 28,000 polygons and is the smallest module of the station.

My computer is a bit old... ;-)

 

[Cizurator]

The MeshWizard says, that the current model has circa 77 300 triangles. The final versoin shouldn't exceed 78 000. These suggests the model is quite complicated for what those pictures show, but this is just the front part of the spacecraft. There are other rooms yet to be finished: space toilet, airlock and cargo bay.

There are a lot of features, that just look plastic, but they're just textures (various "plasticizing" tricks and 3D-looking frames by Photofiltre, which i use for textures). Also, i try to be as simplistic as possible, when it comes to 3D buttons, switches etc.

I think this shuttle is going to run smoothly on most machines. However, if we imagine this is just a payload on top of a rocket standing on a launchpad with another launchpad and two rocket trains nearby, all that located on a 3D terrain island, somebody might have a bit lower FPS at liftoff... w'll see at the end...

 

[Pipcard]

My RCV (without the docking adapter) has 8536 faces (19256 triangles). It has buttons, but the mesh's interior is not as detailed as yours. You've put much more effort into your model, and I appreciate that very much.

The Azayaka module of the Hatsunese Space Station (the one with the all the green onions) has 9054 faces (21928 triangles).

 

[K_Jameson]

Correction: according to Anim8or, the model of the full Starlab station, at the current state of development, has 243,170 faces.