HyperDart - A new spaceplane

[CigDriver]

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The latest version of the HyperDart package is located at:
http://www.animatedexistence.com/orbiter/HyperDart/HyperDart_PB7.ziphttp://www.animatedexistence.com/orbiter/hyperdart/HyperDart_PB8.zip

Over the 17+ pages of this thread you can see the transformation of this project from the first steps of add-on development for orbiter using spacecraft3 to a full fledged custom .dll that integrates the latest and greatest of my programming knowledge and Dan Steph's add-ons. I highly recommend giving it at least a cursory glance
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I've started developing a new spaceplane. It is based very loosely on the FDL-7 hypersonic research craft. The basic shape is there, but beyond that I've taken a lot of artistic license

Presenting the S3 (S cubed) Hyperdart. I'm not sure if the tiles will stay or if there will be some type of "unobtainium" skin for the heat shield. Comments are welcome!

I was really struck by the faceted design, I don't know if it was the best, or the best they could do in the 50's when the FDL-7 was designed, but it works for me The FDL was a glider, it did have some type of engines, but I think they were strictly an OMS, I added linear Aerospikes so she could take off from the ground. Plus I love the look!

I've built our a basic VC at this point. I did some rough textures to to see what i thought of it, and it just isn't working for me at the moment. Add in that I don't know C, so this is a SC3 ship and the back-up instruments can't be made to work so I guess I'll redo it so it just has the two big MFDs. Perhaps something along the lines of super slick Ravenstar 'pit. As of now i haven't figured out the SC3 black magic to get them to work. They do show as black in the VC, so I'm on the right track at least!

This shot gives a sense of scale, she is about 30 meters long. I have all the RCS and aero surfaces working via SC3. I was real happy that I could make the elevons work just by using the same group id for both elevator and aileron animations. Sadly, the flightmodel is a disaster, she just does big loops when she is in the air. I'll have to tidy that up Performance is between a DG and Shuttle.

Overall she is pretty worthless, maybe VIP trasport to LEO, but her bay is too small for anything usefull. Perhaps with some type of Hab module she could run ferry missions to the moon, but no hover engines means she'd have to stop in orbit. I'm sure we can work out some use for her beyond a training exercise in Orbiter development for me

More later.

 

[Coolhand]

coooooool.. that thing looks fast.

 

[Urwumpe]

Cool

Finally a HyperDart add-on, after it haunted us in the news

 

[CigDriver]

A quick project update briefing

"Gentlemen, I'm glad you could all make it on such short notice. There has been some recent developements here at S cubed that involve our little private spaceplane venture. Needless to say, it ensure the continued existence of S Cubed. Next slide please."

"We are all familiar with our current HyperDart project. This project was started with private funds and was progressing nicely. Recently we were aproached a joint venture between...."
"Sir, there are uncleared people in this briefing"
"oh...yeah...we were approached by...a...let's just say US Government client. They were very interested in our little project. They have given us a major funding infusion and slightly redefined the scope of our project. Allow me to introduce you to....next slide please"

"The HyperDart Mark Two. Our new partners gave us some new cutting edge technology, mainly carbon-carbon honeycomb composite stealth body panels. These allow the Mark Two to become almost invisble to radar once on orbit! This of course is desireable for their mission. Next slide please"

"The overall specifications are very similar. We didn't have the time or need for a major redesign. She retains her 30.25 meter LOA, 10.3 meter wingspan and three LS-1000 linear aerospike engines. R&D is working on an uprated version of the engines to deal with her new payload increase. she features a four day endurance for a crew of three, and it can be expanded to a ten day endurance at the sacrifice of some payload bay space. Next slide please."

"Here we see her docked at the ISS. This was a bit of a sticky situation due to her classified nature, but it was decided that with Aviation Leak publishing a story about her...Speaking of which, expect to see some Government auditors around here, we will find out who you are...that she could make a visit to help with a life support issue. We're glad to say that a bit fresh air from the ISS was enough to get her home safely and we have diagnosed and fixed the issue. Her mission is multi-faceted, just like her fuselage...hahaha...she will spend most of her time in LEO. With her reconfigurable payload bay she will spend time servicing satellites, deploying micro-sats, and...."
"sir, unclassified!"
"Oh, right, and...well...investigating other LEO object...I think I can put it that way. (wink) Think of the old DynaSoar project and you get the idea. She also has the capability to make GEO if needed. Next slide please."

"The infusion of funds also allowed us to upgrade her cockpit. We've chased away all the gremlins in the avionics and upgraded the general layout to be a workspace. We have also added a two man mission specialist work area. While space is limited, anything that can fit through the airlock can be worked on in the pressurized mission space instead of the bay. that is all for now, thanks for comming."

 

[Spicer]

How long are we looking at until the release?

 

[CigDriver]

There isn't a set release date just yet, but it shouldn't be too long. It is a pretty simple ship using spacecraft3, so there will not be months and months of programming (unless someone wants to volunteer!)

 

[UFO64]

Awesome work. The elegant simplicity looks amazing. How well does it behave in the atmo?

 

[GregBurch]

Great design, good execution and fun presentation -- what more could you want in an Orbiter addon?!?

 

[Andy44]

What kind of launch vehicle will loft it?

 

[CigDriver]

How well does it behave in the atmo?

Like a brick at the minute. The cfg is a mix of DG and Shuttle cfg parameters that are supplied with SC3. I'm working on fixing her up now, I adjusted the CoG so at least she doesn't do continuous loops anymore. From what I read the FDL-7 was expected to have better L/D than the shuttle does (I guess that is based on what they expected since it was designed 20+ years before the shuttle!) so I'm looking for performance between the shuttle and DG.

What kind of launch vehicle will loft it?

At first I was thinking SSTO, but I'm rethinking that. It might be cool to do something shuttle derived. Perhaps the main tank and engines from the SHLV concepts. I'll have to download and play with multistage and see if I like how it works. My other thought was a "conformal" first stage. I do not remember where I saw the picture, but it was a delta shaped spaceplane with a solid rocket booster that went along the leading edge of the wings. they were joined at the nose with two engines at the base. It was interesting looking, but i could see staging being a problem.

 

[Notebook]

Hows about this for a lifting-body design?

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k207/Notebook_04/BACEAG4396.jpg

Design from British Aircraft Company, circa mid 60s. Mach 4 booster, 150' long, 130' wingspan, AUW 500,000lb.
EAG4413 manned spaceplane is the payload, 198,000lb.

Have to change the markings of course.

N.

 

[Balladeer]

This looks great CigDriver.:speakcool: My favorite spacecraft in Orbiter are these types of spacecraft. I love the military style spacecraft! Great for "Dreamland" scenarios. Thanks for the work

 

[yagni01]

Great design, good execution and fun presentation -- what more could you want in an Orbiter addon?!?

Cupholders! :lol:

 

[CigDriver]

Cupholders are only for those fancy luxury spaceplanes, this is a working one.


-----Posted Added-----




Anyway, I've got the aerodynamics almost sorted, I'm still having a bit of problem with what I think is center of lift shift in the transsonic speed range(very cool if that is what is going on!). I'm trying to find the right point for the center of lift to keep her as well ballanced as possible in both. If I can't I'll lean to more super/hyper sonic neutral since that is where most of the flight time will be spent.

I also built a model for the first mission, investigationg the new russian satellite Cosmos 2441, believed to be an imagery satellite:

728 KM above the african west coast EOD specialist Smith inspects Cosmos 2441 for any signs of explosive self-defense systems.

The model is based on a drawing I found on the net, but I also found another that looks less like the HST, so maybe I'll go with that. Also visible is the new textures for the radiators, much better looking than my sorry attempt at a chrome-like surface! No UMMU support in this one, but there is always UMMUFA, first time I used it...I love it!

A final thing I tried last night was diving into the atmosphere for plane changes. It works quite nice when you time it right. I forget the exact amount of the plane change, but I used 29 percent of the fuel to make it on orbit. I restarted the scenario then did the same thing by dropping to 60Km, turning hard and lighting off the engines to return to orbit. I used only 10 percent of the fuel that way. More time consuming, but way more efficent! I think it will be SOP for the system if time allows.

Once I get the aerodynaimcs polished up I'll release a Beta to bash around.

 

[Urwumpe]

728 KM above the african west coast EOD specialist Smith inspects Cosmos 2441 for any signs of explosive self-defense systems.

Looks like you risk messing into the affairs of a Black Dart crew. :rofl:

Well, the more military spaceplanes, the merrier.

 

[DanP]

Well, the more military spaceplanes, the merrier.

I second that, well done CigDriver! :speakcool: Nifty presentation too.

Is it a SSTO horizontal take off?

 

[penlu]

If you could get some scramjets (more powerful than the ones on the DG-S, those are WEAK!) you could probably have an SSTO vehicle, horizontal takeoff. The design is awesome, though. That Hypercube presentation thing was hilarious! Maybe you should get together a Hypercube add-on making group? And the payload bay could probably fit a DG cargo or two. I presume its got UMMU capability?

 

[CigDriver]

Looks like you risk messing into the affairs of a Black Dart crew

We're all on the same side. Different ways to accomplish similar missions. It is those Altea guys that worry me!

Is it a SSTO horizontal take off?

Yes, it will be horizontal take off. I'm still exploring the idea of some type of launcher though.

If you could get some scramjets ...

Scrams would be cool, but there are two problems. First, the design is based off a research craft from the 50's or 60's, the FDL-7. It was glider, but adding the engines didn't change the overall shape of it. Adding scrams would require at minimum some type of intake and exhaust, and short of a box on the belly, I'm not sure where they'd go. The second, and biggest, problem is that I'm not a C++ programmer. I'm limited to what SC3 can do, so just one type of engine.

And the payload bay could probably fit a DG cargo or two

I'll be building some mission specific payloads for her. I need to check on attachments with SC3, but I can't imagine it isn't capable of doing them.

I presume its got UMMU capability

No UMMU since I do not know C++, but you can do like I did and use UMMUFA. It lets you add UMMU to any ship inside orbiter.

 

[tl8]

No UMMU since I do not know C++, but you can do like I did and use UMMUFA. It lets you add UMMU to any ship inside orbiter.

With UMMUFA V1 all you need is a docking port and UMMU will be allowed

 

[tonykattvc]

DANG! That thing is WICKED!!!! If ya make it just a bit slimmer it could probably dart through the atmosphere with no burning at all, or it would make a nice cone shaped flame and go BOOM!