NOTSNIK v1.0

[sputnik]

At Orbithangar: [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3396"]NOTSNIK v1.01 (Velcro)[/ame]

NOTSNIK (more correctly called Project Pilot) was a 1958 attempt by the Navy Ordnance Test Station (or NOTS) to air-launch a super-simple satellite on a super-simple rocket.

The rocket is a collection of unguided solid rocket motors. (NOTS built them; it seemed the thing to do). This will make your job challenging.

NOTSNIK requires a previously installed copy of Velcro Rockets to run the launcher. (A working F4D Skyray comes with the NOTSNIK release).

Project X-15 is also required, because I add the NOTS airport at China Lake (and the one next door at Inyokern) to the Project X-15 scenery, and the scenarios reference it. You could move the airport config's to your Earth/Base directory, and change all the .scn's to reference sol.cfg, but why bother?

Have fun shooting holes in the sky.

 

[Urwumpe]

I get a CTD when riding with the S1 stage. This happens when I focus the NOTSNIK as well, as when I just select it as camera target.

Also, the stages seem to be a bit off their CoG.

 

[sputnik]

Oh, not again!

Try this: copy dummy.msh from /Meshes/Velcro/Parts to /Meshes.

Does the problem go away?

I can't actually reproduce the problem either way, but it seems to me the safest bet....

 

[thomasantony]

Hmm .. from the name I thought this was something to stop the bug that makes ships from NOT sinking when they hit water. . Oh well .. I guess I have a wild imagination.

 

[Urwumpe]

OK, after a complete reinstallation (Had used the last Velcro beta not the 1.01 release) it became a bit more stable, but it still CTDs during some situations, though I can't detect any system behind it.

Staging S2-S3: CTD when viewed from inside.
Staging S3-S4: Worked when viewed from outside, no focus
Staging S4-S5: CTD, external view, no focus
Staging S1-S2: CTD, external view, focus, Time warp x0.1

Only happens with the NOTSNIK, I tested some 1.01 Velcro rockets with linear staging as reference.

EDIT: New bug report: On investigating the failure closer, I noticed that NOTSNIKCap.msh is of 0 Byte size.
Orbiter should eat this, but I am not sure how well it does that. And if that is intended - you missed the file in your add-on package.

Another problem, which I currently investigate: Is it possible that the spinning 5th stage is released at a wrong angle? I don't reach orbit, but get a strong plane change.

EDIT2: Ingredients:
Meshwizard
Anim8or
Mesh export script
35 seconds of work for making a cheap fitting nose cap mesh

Result:

Replacing the 0 Byte mesh by a evil hack mesh fixes at least the take-off scenario CTD. Test the other scenarios now.

 

[sputnik]

D'oh! I copied over NOTSNIK*.msh, but still somehow managed to miss NOTSNIKCap. Yup, that would cause problems!

I'll fix that and the bad dummy mesh problems as v1.01, and then we'll see if that doesn't cure everything.

Sorry for the file management troubles, gang.