HyperDart - A new spaceplane

[CigDriver]

how do I land the lander ? I cannot pitch it up enough to land it

Next on my to do list. Currently the aerodynamics make it very hard to rotate once you get about an AOA of about 40 degrees. If you manage to get past that point you can not get back.

The Dart is now much easier to fly at low speeds with the ability to adjust the COG. I'm going to mess with the Lander's aero specs on my lunch break and then push out a new version...if it goes well

 

[Woo482]

ok how do I put the lander in the Payload Bay ?

 

[CigDriver]

ok how do I put the lander in the Payload Bay ?

Right now you have to do it in the scn file. I'm working on a grapple function.

The changes with the HDLander's aerodynamics are progressing, but still not there, so in the meantime I've uploaded the new dll for the hyperdart that includes the CoG shift. On the right upper panel display (next to the trim adjustment) is the buttons and display for the COG shift. Set it near 0 for launch and she is much less touchy. Eventually the display will indicate where to set it for T/O, and entry.

http://www.animatedexistence.com/orbiter/hyperdart/hyperdart_patch.zip
This includes the previous patch to make the HDLander work and the new HyperDart. I've also updated the main beta download.

http://www.animatedexistence.com/orbiter/hyperdart/hyperdart.zip

 

[Woo482]

how do I attach it then ?

 

[Danny Ramone]

funny my orbiter crashes when i try load up the hyperdart. could be my poos computer

 

[astrosammy]

how do I attach it then ?

You could use "Pylon" ([ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=655"]http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=655[/ame]), it can create vessels at attachment points.

If you want to grapple it back into the bay after flying with it you have to move it into the right position and attach it with "Attachment" ([ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3058"]http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3058[/ame]).

 

[Usquanigo]

Just downloaded and installed the latest complete zip..... success!!

That HDLander is super cool CD. I couldn't get it to lift off from KSC, but I didn't play with it long. Just enough to marvel at it all. I love the "HUDMFD", rather than the virtual HUD overlay (like you see in a panel or generic pit). And all the switches are nicely laid out and functional. About the only thing I can suggest on that is to add the switch and animation for the airlock.

It looks like you also tweaked the appearance of the landing gear on the HD itself. It's sweet. And the CoG shift works very well too. How would such a system actually work though, if it were real. I suppose pumping fuel around might work, except when it's full or empty.... But with that and the trim, and how nicely laid out the office is, it's quite easy to control. And it certainly does fly and handle better now. It also seems that the ISP has been tweaked down too, which is nice. I was able to get it up into a 231x122 orbit on the mains alone. I suppose the OMS could have pushed it higher. Still a bit "out there", but certainly better than the first go I had with it.

It seems to have *very* little drag. The sucker not only likes to skip like a spun stone on a still pond, it also doesn't want to slow down. Thanks to the lack of damage implemented, I was able to get down to around the high 30s (Km alt) while still going about 6Km/s. Once I got down that low it finally started to decelerate for me.

Once I put it down, I noticed that the nose wheel came up just a bit on it's own, which I thought was nice, so I decided to try shifting the CoG back. Not sure why, but I shifted it all the way back, and it lifted hte nose so hard the tail dug into the ground, then it floated up like a feather, pointed skyward, and slammed down on it's tail, killing the crew. After that the nose came back down, and surprisingly, it rocked up into an endo (ass-high) before coming back down on all 3 again.

 

[CigDriver]

The lander will not take off from earth with more than 50% fuel. I set the scenario with 50% fuel but when it loads the lander bounces for some reason. That bounce is read as a landing and orbiter refuels it to 100%. I'm trying to figure out what the bounce is, but until i get that worked out you can use the scenario editor to drop the fuel load. The Lander currently can easily make it to orbit with 50% fuel, I still have my testing isp in there

The CoG shift would work by moving fuel. I cheated and move the airfoil. I had problems with moving the CoG. The complete range of motion is only 3/4 of a meter, so it shouldn't have any major effect on the aerodynamics, other then the intended.

I didn't change the ISP...wonder why it seems different? Perhaps you just took the more airplane like assent that i have been using when I test it.

I will adjust the drag, you are correct that it just doesn't slow down.

On another note, it looks like the XL-70 is back! I stumbled on some airbreating engine code that is included in the source that comes with world of 2001. I found it purely by acident, it was in my main orbiter install instead of my "clean/development" install. I have built out a basic dll for the xl-70, but sadly orbiter crashes with it right now. The airbreathing engine code does work. If I comment out the part that actually adjusts the max thrust of the engines, and enable the debug text I can see it working. But for some reason when I enable the SetThrusterMax0 it crashes. The code is creditied to David Hopkins, anyone know if he is still around? Once I get this figured out it is just a simple matter of transfering the animations from the old SC3 stuff I did over to the DLL.

Once I get the XL-70 working i'll put out a new beta.

 

[Usquanigo]

On another note, it looks like the XL-70 is back! I stumbled on some airbreating engine code that is included in the source that comes with world of 2001. I found it purely by acident, it was in my main orbiter install instead of my "clean/development" install. I have built out a basic dll for the xl-70, but sadly orbiter crashes with it right now. The airbreathing engine code does work. If I comment out the part that actually adjusts the max thrust of the engines, and enable the debug text I can see it working. But for some reason when I enable the SetThrusterMax0 it crashes. The code is creditied to David Hopkins, anyone know if he is still around? Once I get this figured out it is just a simple matter of transfering the animations from the old SC3 stuff I did over to the DLL.

Once I get the XL-70 working i'll put out a new beta.

:speakcool: :hotcool: :speakcool:

The CoG shift would work by moving fuel. I cheated and move the airfoil. I had problems with moving the CoG. The complete range of motion is only 3/4 of a meter, so it shouldn't have any major effect on the aerodynamics, other then the intended.

Well, how it's done in code doesn't matter so much as the effect. I was just curious what it was meant to actually be simulating, and for it being fuel (which I suspected), it does seem odd that it works when empty or full. lol (ie where can it go if it's totally full, and what is moving if it's totally empty?)

That's extremely minor at this point, just something I was curious about. I do like how you made it such a small range too, makes it quite believable. (odd though what it did when I had landed)

 

[CigDriver]

Instead of fuel we can use the crew's oxygen supply, that should in theory never be empty. In most cases there should be a nice reserve in there. Two tanks. One in the nose, one in the tail, neither are ever full, we just move the LOX between them as needed. Now I feel like one of the star trek/star wars fans that reverse engineer explinations of why things work they do in the shows/movies.

 

[Usquanigo]

Instead of fuel we can use the crew's oxygen supply, that should in theory never be empty. In most cases there should be a nice reserve in there. Two tanks. One in the nose, one in the tail, neither are ever full, we just move the LOX between them as needed. Now I feel like one of the star trek/star wars fans that reverse engineer explinations of why things work they do in the shows/movies.

But those things are important to us geeks.

Sounds like a good idea too.

 

[CigDriver]

Just a quick update. I've added some damage modeling to the HyperDart. She will loose wings, gear and fuselage structure based off dynamic pressure and wing loading. I've got the warning system working for all parts that are damageable. Currently the lights come on (and can then be toggled off with the reset button) when any system reaches 80% of its damage value. Once the system is damaged the appropriate light stays on. I've also tweaked the aerodynamics a bit so she is a bit more "draggy" to slow better.

I've also got the air breathing engines onthe XL-70 working They still need a bit of tweaking so the performance is right, but at least they are not causing a CTD anymore. With the XL-70 launcher back in the picture I've cut about 40% of the fuel from the HyperDart. Overall performance to LEO is still about the same as before, you just have to air launch now. Once I get the XL-70 to a respectable state (animations, VC, etc) I'll put out another beta.

 

[Usquanigo]

:werd:

 

[T.Neo]

Just a quick update. I've added some damage modeling to the HyperDart. She will loose wings, gear and fuselage structure based off dynamic pressure and wing loading. I've got the warning system working for all parts that are damageable. Currently the lights come on (and can then be toggled off with the reset button) when any system reaches 80% of its damage value. Once the system is damaged the appropriate light stays on. I've also tweaked the aerodynamics a bit so she is a bit more "draggy" to slow better.

I've also got the air breathing engines onthe XL-70 working They still need a bit of tweaking so the performance is right, but at least they are not causing a CTD anymore. With the XL-70 launcher back in the picture I've cut about 40% of the fuel from the HyperDart. Overall performance to LEO is still about the same as before, you just have to air launch now. Once I get the XL-70 to a respectable state (animations, VC, etc) I'll put out another beta.

:speakcool:

 

[CigDriver]

Another quick update:

I've got the XL-70 further along now. I've built out a seperate VC model and have the MFDs and HUD in it. I need to texture and code the various buttons now. I've also got the launch system set up now (currenlty just a keystroke) that detaches the HyperDart and switches focus to it. I also animated all the control surfaces and gear. I love the gear animation, the main trucks spin sideways, then rotate up against the strut before folding back into the fuselage, just like the XB-70's do. I still need to add the drooping wingtips. I'm not sure if there will be any benefit from them drooping or if it will be just eyecandy. I'll have to read up on the benefit the real ones had, something with the shockwave. I'll see if it is something I can implement in orbiter easily.

i hope to have a new beta soon

 

[CigDriver]

Quite a while without an update i've been working on the HyperDart package when i have time, which hasn't been much lately!

Fully interactive VC. The button to jettison the HyperDart needs to be pushed twice in 5 seconds to launch or it will reset.

Ready to launch

HyperDart launch, 22Km, Mach 3.54.

Since the Lander i built was pretty useless I decided to start work on an orbital tug. Something like the Dragonfly. It has hover engines so once we expand to the lunar surface it can be used there too. i haven't even started coding it yet, but the mesh is pretty close to done. i just need to texture it and finalize the VC.

 

[the.punk]

The mesh lookes good.

 

[Jarvitä]

Wow, I thought this project was dead and I wasn't even aware you've already got a public beta going...this just keeps getting better and better, keep up the good work!

 

[Woo482]

so you have given up on working on the lander ? I was looking forward to using it when I go to the moon .

 

[James.Denholm]

woo, I think that tug might double as a lander.

Quite awesome! It's like a better Dragonfly. Though, are you sure you need hover engines? A skilful pilot might be able to land using the main engine, rotating at the last second.