HyperDart - A new spaceplane

[CigDriver]

Real life has been keeping me pretty busy lately, but I have been working when I can. I'm still figuring out C++ with the HDLander. I've now got the VC in and the three mfds working. My next step is to get the MFD buttons going, then it is back to figuring out the animations. I have a bit more faith in getting them (the animations) working now that I'm gaining a little better handle on how C++ works. It reminds me of functions in actionscript. Write it somewhere else and call it when you need it. Synatx is the main stumbling block I'm running into.

I started with the lander since it is the simplest, not really any areosurfaces to deal with. Once I get it up and running the dart should go much faster. Hopefully I'll get a bit of understanding about wings from the lander. I have the shuttlePB areo specs on it now, but I'm sure I'll want to change them. The XL-70 will be the hardest. It appears I'll have to code the jet engines since orbiter doesn't directly support them like rockets (unless anyone has some extra jet engine code lying around!). I hope I can modify the DG-S's scrams to be airbreathers, if so that will shave some dev time.

Since I love modeling way more than coding, I spent a bit of time building the HDLander's big brother, the Lunar Clipper. It is based off the DC-Y. I've added a bit of fantasy by adding a complete second deck that is based off the skylab lower deck, and the power to get beyond LEO and back. Right now I'm trying to figure out a landing gear system that looks cool and will be moderately easy to code the animations. I'll post some shots soon.

 

[Dman1410]

Try this link

you have to be a bit patient alot of its talking but i think the the landing gear is halfway through

like to see if you think its a good idea for your ship

P.S i think its in german

 

[CigDriver]

Just a quick update...

The custom dll switch is progressing nicely. I've switched from the lander over to the HyperDart since it is the core of the project. The lander is still sitting about where it was, flyable with working MFDs and HUD (that looks like an MFD since there is no forward window). The Dart has progressed nicely. She can now fly, although she doesn't currently do it in the most gracefull manner (ok, it is downright ugly!), but it is getting there. I have the VC working, and I added the HUD and MFDs. The MFDs now have working buttons (this needs to be transfered back to the lander), but they are not dynamic. I'm debating about the dynamic buttons. I personally think the non-dynamic buttons are more "current tech" like the Dart is supposed to portray, but I'm worried that leaving them out may be viewed as lazy . It is also kind of a pain to use the menu button when you do not know the MFD well.

Next up is more tweaks of the Dart's flight model then back to trying to figure out animations.

more later

 

[tonykattvc]

Two ideas.

1) Nuke Payload
2) Solid Rocket Boosters, like the ones with the Napkin: [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1187"]napkin v0.3[/ame]
That way, it wouldn't need a launcher.

 

[RisingFury]

Why does everything with you involve SRB's? :lol:

 

[Raindropz]

Mhm, looks like you have a very interesting space transport infrastructure coming up. I'm a big friend of (pseudo-)realistic add-ons like this one - definitely looking forward to piloting that thing.

 

[CigDriver]

Another update:

Thanks to Dbeachy1 I now have working animations, he pointed me in the right direction to get them working. Beyond the animations the biggest development is a new VC.

working top to bottom, left to right we have:
Warning Light Panel (partial implementation is planned for Mark I)
Gear and Bay Door Levers (planned for Mark I)
Light Toggles (planned for Mark I)
Electrical Panels (planned for Mark II)
Throttles (planned for Mark I)
Selector for Airfoil control, RCS, and Main or OMS engines (partial implementation is planned for Mark I)
MFD1 (currently working)
MFD2 (currently working)
Flight Management Computer (planned for Mark III)
Back-up Artifical Horizon (planned for Mark I)
Back-up Airspeed (planned for Mark I)
Back-up Altimeter (planned for Mark I)
Autopilot toggles (planned for Mark I)
HUD Toggles (planned for Mark I)
NAV Radios and XPNDR Controls (planned for Mark II)
Fuel Gauges (Hyd Pres, RCS, OMS, MAIN) (partially implementation is planned for Mark I)

I want to get all the basics in for the first release (Mark I) as noted above. The Mark II will add the electical controls that include a fuel cell DC system and an APU powered hydraulic system (for atmoshperic controls similar to the XR series). I also plan to implement the OMS at that point. If you look at exterior shots of the aft of they HyperDart you can see the two OMS engines next to the aerospikes. These will allow manuvering when more than RCS is needed but not the full force of the main engines. I'd also like to have the main engines only be throttleable from 30-100%, making the OMS more needed. The Mark III release will add the Flight Management Computer. This will control the life support for the crew, any UMMU controls (basic support will be in Mark I hopefully), and some autopilots if my programming skills can get to that level

I have reverted to standard DG airfoils for the time being. I tried creating my own with parameters from some reports on lifting bodies I found on NTRS. Saddly, I ended up making the Dart unflyable! I'm going to try to tweak them a bit more but I think nice flying is more important at this point. I'm also going to bump the ISP up a bit. Currently the Dart can not do a once around without some form of assist, and I really want it to have that capability. Actually it might be able to do it with a better pilot than I am . It still will not be capable of SSTO though. I'm not sure if the XL-70 launcher will be very developed for the first release, but it will be functional so the dart can get to orbit.

 

[GregBurch]

That looks excellent. I'm curious how many polygons that mesh is.

 

[CigDriver]

Currently the VC model is just under 7000 polygons and the exterior model is just over 15000. The exterior will get a bit lighter since I had built the orginal VC in it and I'll now go back and "de-detail" it. The VC model will get a bit heavier when I build out the habital space behind the cockpit, but not too much, maybe 1-2000 polygons depending on what i put back there. Overall I think she is pretty poly-lite, but I may go cutting some later.

 

[eveningsky339]

Oh wow... this is looking great. I can understand your frustrations-- I have been busy with "real life" and have been working on learning C++ myself, though your work is far superior to mine.

 

[James.Denholm]

Whoa. I love that new VC!

 

[CigDriver]

Another quick update:

I lost a few days to what I thought was a mesh error when I exported the new VC. Turns out I made some changes to the dll and forgot to test (actually I forgot I even made them!) them. :fool: Once I had that straitend out I went hard core on coding features. So far I have the gear and bay door levers working, the default autopilot buttons, the RCS mode switch, the aero surface mode switch, and the main/oms switch. The main/oms switch allows you to control either the main or oms (go figure) engines via the default throttle. I also added indicators to the HUD for what engine you have selected.

I've also had to do some model changes along the way. The mode switches have moved from the side panel to next to the gear and bay levers. This makes them easier to access. The bay and gear levers were moved down slightly and had their range of movement adjusted to avoid hitting the sunshield over the instruments. The final change so far was moving the warning lights to below the gear and bay levers, where an electrical panel used to be. That panel will most likely live on the side panel behind the throttles. I also think I need to add some kind of CoG adjustment. She has real problems with center of lift shift right now. I'm guessing that is due to the fact that she is just one big wing so the shift is amplified.

She is progressing nicely so far, and i'm quite happy with how she is turning out from a technical standpoint. I do still want to improve the textures on her. I spent some time checking out super hi-res pictures of the x-43A and that gave me some ideas on how to liven up a composite craft's surface. No pics for now, once I finish texturing the VC I'll post some.

 

[CigDriver]

I finished texturing the cockpit part of the VC:

I still need to texture the two gauges on the lower left (fuel for the fuel cells and APU) and then figure out how to get orbiter to draw on textures to make the NAV radios and the display that shows CoG offset and fuel levels work. I'm going to rework the dispaly a bit, but it is close to it's final look. The fuel and CoG adjust will work, the drawing of the HyperDart is there in case I add damage at some point.

 

[RisingFury]

Wow! That's looking awesome!!!

Can't wait for it's release!

 

[Donamy]

Yes, Awesome !

 

[astrosammy]

Awesome! So it will have a working VC?

 

[CigDriver]

Yes, the VC if fully functional. So far (for those who do not feel like reading the whole thread) the VC currently features:
2 working MFDs with buttons (buttons are not dynamically labled)
RCS mode switch
Aero surface control switch
Main/OMS selector switch
Gear and Bay levers
Autopilot mode selectors
Hud mode selectors
Indicators on the HUD for Bay doors open, gear down, RCS mode, Engine mode

For future features check a few posts above.

 

[James.Denholm]

hmy:

That is quite awesome! Well done!

 

[yagni01]

This is looking really cool. I don't suppose you're using Dougs XRVesselCtrl extension to the vessel2 interface? That would let us cockpit builders fly it "for real".

 

[CigDriver]

I'll have to look into doug's extensions, but I haven't yet.

A quick update, the HyperDart now has all the functionality that the ummu demo does . Eventually this will be moved to an EVA control panel, but for now key presses work.