Project Firebird II HLV + RARoG shuttle

[Cizurator]

Update:
This is a new, revised version of launch tower for all variants of Firebird II, with or w/o shuttle. I'm working on a train/erector as well. I've also made some changes to older textures, so they take significantly less memory. Many more changes on Makatea island are underway.


New Firebird II tower with Firebird I tower in the background.

 

[Cizurator]

Finally, the erector train completes the launch stack in all it's beautiful ugliness

 

[Cizurator]

Update:
New stuff on Makatea island: better houses and some 120 low-poly trees to add more life, brand new runway texture, minor changes at the port and slightly improved sea texture. The airport and infrastructure still requires more work...

 

[Cizurator]

The project is entering it's pre-final stage. I'm converting the Firebird series to Multististage 2015. That will allow to simplify, yet improve both rockets, not to mention the amazing autopilot! The final stage will consist of a ton of testing, and then - liftoff, we'll have a liftoff! I hope to deliver the release before christmas!

 

[Cizurator]

Conversion of Firebird I is done. I found necessary to revise the upper stage mesh, which is common to both Firebird I and II. Now it it accomodates extra 1.5 ton of fuel, meanwhile the maximum payload for Firebird I-3 to GEO is reduced from 17 to 15 tons. This allows more maneuvering, and also the possibility to park the empty stage to the graveyard orbit. I expect similar changes on Firebird II GEO performance. One more positive - the new upper stage allows slightly bigger payloads on Firebird II. The new guidance file takes you from launch to the geostationary transfer orbit, the rest is upon the user.

 

[Cizurator]

I had to slow down my tempo, but in spite of that I'm doing great changes.

I was converting Firebird II for Multistage 2015. During some preliminary autopilot tests I suddenly figured out, that - somehow - the plain 2-stage Firebird II is actually able to launch any variant of my shuttle without all those awful SRB's, if I simply reduce the needlessly high final fuel reserve (multistage 2015 is more accurate). Hoorray!

Some more changes on payload variants:
The existing upper stage (common to both Firebird I and II) will be used exclusively on GEO missions, because it's engine is too weak to deliver humongous payloads to LEO.
I decided to discard the SRB's for Firebird II for good, they look awful anyway

In the end, there will be following variants:
for Firebird I: (2-stage 50 tons to LEO; 3-stage 15 tons to GEO)
for Firebird II: (2-stage 20 tons to LEO; 3-stage 7 tons to GEO and finally 2-stage Corvus shuttle to LEO, which will subdivide to all respective shuttle missions)

This way i can simplify and rationalize the Firebird family. And i can already start thinking of Firebird III for medium segment and Firebird IV for light payloads. One day...

 

[Cizurator]

After three years, It's finally out!

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6877"]http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6877[/ame]

Thanks to all of you, who helped me to solve countless issues and mysteries! And special thanks belongs to Fred18, who developed Multistage2015 and gave this project a whole new level.

 

[barrygolden]

Really enjoyed this new shuttle and super job with the payloads. As a fan of the Klipper it looks some what like that. You should do a docking scenario and a landing AP. Is there a way to look around the back part of the VC ?

 

[Cizurator]

Really enjoyed this new shuttle and super job with the payloads. As a fan of the Klipper it looks some what like that. You should do a docking scenario and a landing AP. Is there a way to look around the back part of the VC ?

Thanks Several Kliper pictures really were among the materials, that i used when i was setting up the overall design.

If you look closely at the existing LEO scenarios, there is the ISS flying by. The autopilot is set to get somewhat close - to 370x370km, so it is possible to rendezvous, although it isn't the best possible trajectory. Some launch timing is necessary also.

There are several good ways to look around the interior. I recommend the First Person Experience addon:
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4256"]First Person Experience[/ame]
but there is also Fred18's Interior Navigator
[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=6822"]Interior Navigator[/ame]