Project Plannet Hopper - Interplanetary Vessel

[TCR_500]

Ok, I have some pretty good estimates for the ship. With the exception of the material mappings, I've completed the upper portion of the bridge. The ship is going to be approximately 25 feet wide, 250 feet long, and 25 feet high. The wingspan will be about 250 feet. The stabilizer fins will be on the wingtips. Most of the wings and parts of the fuselage will be used for fuel. On a half tank, you should be able to go from a complete stop on Mars to a complete stop on Earth with a few thousand pounds to spare. The stage one booster is basically a giant fuel tank in the shape of a wing and will take the ship into a geosynchronous orbit around Earth, separated from the ship, and returned to Earth.

The upper portion of the bridge is about 13 feet wide, 20 feet long, and 10 feet high. I may add a few autopilots. Most likely auto-deployment of the plasma shield if you go too fast through the atmosphere. The ship does not have a heat shield so aerobraking will take several orbits if you don't want to incinerate the ship.

Approximately 100 feet of the ships length will have life support. the rest will be for cargo, and fuel. I have a preview here. There will be updated previews as the ship progresses.

I have a couple of questions though. What determines what mesh files will be visible from the cockpit view and what mesh files will be visible from the external view? And what does that for the mesh groups within a file?

I'm going to make it as realistic as possible. And do not try to go to any planet outside the asteroid belt. There may be enough oxygen for a trip to one of those planets, but there are not enough supplies or fuel to get there.

Update: A more up to date picture is here.

 

[Hielor]

Ok, I have some pretty good estimates for the ship. With the exception of the material mappings, I've completed the upper portion of the bridge. The ship is going to be approximately 25 feet wide, 250 feet long, and 25 feet high. The wingspan will be about 250 feet. The stabilizer fins will be on the wingtips. Most of the wings and parts of the fuselage will be used for fuel. On a half tank, you should be able to go from a complete stop on Mars to a complete stop on Earth with a few thousand pounds to spare. The stage one booster is basically a giant fuel tank in the shape of a wing and will take the ship into a geosynchronous orbit around Earth, separated from the ship, and returned to Earth.

Consider using metric. It makes calculations easier and you won't have to worry about conversion issues to Orbiter (since Orbiter uses Metric).

The upper portion of the bridge is about 13 feet wide, 20 feet long, and 10 feet high. I may add a few autopilots. Most likely auto-deployment of the plasma shield if you go too fast through the atmosphere. The ship does not have a heat shield so aerobraking will take several orbits if you don't want to incinerate the ship.

See above comment about metric. And wait, didn't you just say you have a plasma shield?

Approximately 100 feet of the ships length will have life support. the rest will be for cargo, and fuel. I have a preview here. There will be updated previews as the ship progresses.

See above comment about metric. Also, I'm really not sure what that's a preview of...

I have a couple of questions though. What determines what mesh files will be visible from the cockpit view and what mesh files will be visible from the external view? And what does that for the mesh groups within a file?

The code determines this. Check the SDK docs, specifically API-reference.pdf.

I'm going to make it as realistic as possible.

Too late.

And do not try to go to any planet outside the asteroid belt. There may be enough oxygen for a trip to one of those planets, but there are not enough supplies or fuel to get there.

Wait, you can make it from Mars to Earth on half a tank of gas, but you can't go elsewhere?

 

[TCR_500]

The two previews are looking inside the bridge of the starship and I've set up the units in gmax so I don't have to worry about unit conflicts. And I'm not very good at converting units across the two systems.

The ship does have a plasma shield, but that doesn't mean it's invencable. The plasma shield itself can do damage to the ship if there's too much stress (eg: 90 degree angle of atack at reentry speeds or high speed collision with another object such as a planet).

Thank's for that tip on the SDK docs.

Ok, I'm not too sure how much fuel it would take to get to one of those planets and back, but the supply capacity onboard would run out quickly. The ship only has about 5 years of supplies (food and water). So if the fuel doesn't get you, the supplies will.

 

[Hielor]

The two previews are looking inside the bridge of the starship and I've set up the units in gmax so I don't have to worry about unit conflicts. And I'm not very good at converting units across the two systems.

Er.....I see. Okay, it's the bridge. I'll take your word for it.

You don't need to be good at converting units; you don't have to convert anything at all. All of the math related to space travel (acceleration, etc) is far easier to do in metric. Start with metric, stick to metric. No conversion needed.

The ship does have a plasma shield, but that doesn't mean it's invencable. The plasma shield itself can do damage to the ship if there's too much stress (eg: 90 degree angle of atack at reentry speeds or high speed collision with another object such as a planet).

Well, i'm confused as to why a ship designed to enter the atmosphere wouldn't have a heat shield. Seems kind of a bad design.

Plus, what's up with the crashing-into-a-planet thing? I thought you didn't have to worry about crashing into planets, that's what the defensive antimatter weapons are for?

Ok, I'm not too sure how much fuel it would take to get to one of those planets and back, but the supply capacity onboard would run out quickly. The ship only has about 5 years of supplies (food and water). So if the fuel doesn't get you, the supplies will.

5 years is more than enough for a one-way trip from Earth to Jupiter, I think.

 

[garyw]

in even cable?

I'm glad it's going to be realistic. You might want to check out the Shuttle's plasma shield specs. It should be of help.

 

[TCR_500]

I'm not going to put in any antimatter weapons untill there is more research done on antimatter other that the fact that we know it's there and it might be radioactive if exploded.

You have to slow the ship down enough to not build up a lot of heat. The engines are powerful enough to do that, plus not having a heat shield takes off some weight.

Oh right! That I'd like to see. There's still the question about how to get back to Earth without starving first. You'd need a vessel that could carry a lot more suplies to rescue you.

 

[garyw]

I'm not going to put in any antimatter weapons untill there is more research done on antimatter other that the fact that we know it's there and it might be radioactive if exploded.

Good idea. I look forward to the paper.

 

[TCR_500]

I do have other things to do than to do research on antimatter. Like getting this project completed as well as about 20 other projects.

 

[TCR_500]

Ok, I've decided to add a couple extra features to the space craft.

1. You can decide if you want menuvering thrusters, control surfaces, or both.
2. You can lock out all menuvering systems with a combination (programable).
3. There are two missile tubes in the rear of the ship, and one in the front.
4. Warning systems for collisions, stress, and low fuel. (contains own collision data).

 

[garyw]

I thought the ship was coming with weapons anyway.

When's the release date? Any screenshots of the outside of the ship?

 

[the.punk]

Yeah.
Give more screen shots?

 

[Woo482]

wow this is the most realistic ship ever !

 

[T.Neo]

wow this is the most realistic ship ever !

:rofl:

Define realistic...

 

[TCR_500]

Screenshots will come as I put more stuff on the model. By the way, how do I put a window like polygon on the star ship?

I thought the ship was coming with weapons anyway.

When's the release date? Any screenshots of the outside of the ship?

The ship is coming with weapons. But the design of one missile tube would not balance the weight of the ship. There are three main engines. There is going to be a missile tube between each engine. For a release date, it's too early to tell, but I should have it out by the end of the year. I'd like to have it out by fall, because that's the best time to go to Mars.

:rofl:

Define realistic...

For realism, I plan on testing the ship in every situation. The control surfaces are going to be large, but the weight and size of the star ship would mean significant drag when the ship tries to pitch or roll. And the stage one booster is going to make it harder to maneuver. But once in space, the ship should maneuver just like a fighter jet. I'll contact the beta testers when I'm ready to test the ship.

 

[Woo482]

no really it is ! go and watch Star Wars that's realistic !

 

[TCR_500]

You can hardly call Star Wars "realistic". I can think of several instances that would make Star Wars unrealistic. Planets gravity, space craft, star fighters, propulsion, and some other things.

I'm not basing the star ship from Star Wars. I'm basing it on the laws of physics we all know. Although, I'm not sure how a plasma pulse is supposed to get through the plasma shield, or how a substance' state is turned into plasma, but I know it has been done in the labs.

I'm open for advice on how to build the ship. And I'm still curious on how to build a window like polygon for the ship so the oxygen won't leak out.

 

[Nerull]

I'm not basing the star ship from Star Wars. I'm basing it on the laws of physics we all know.

I'd quibble with 'all'.

You don't know any of the physics here - you've just heard some cool words you want to use. You don't know what antimatter is, you don't know what plasma is, you don't know how maneuvering works in space.

You cite all those things that make Star Wars realistic - but don't seem to know any better yourself.

 

[TCR_500]

On the contrary, I do know the laws of physics and how to apply them to every day use. Science is my best subject, getting an A almost every time. I know what plasma it and I know what it can do. I just don't know how to obtain it. I also know what antimatter is. Stop posting about what you think I don't know, because it isn't ture.

 

[Artlav]

On the contrary, I do know the laws of physics and how to apply them to every day use. Science is my best subject, getting an A almost every time. I know what plasma it and I know what it can do. I just don't know how to obtain it. I also know what antimatter is. Stop posting about what you think I don't know, because it isn't ture.

There is know and there is know, no pun intended.

Imagine yourself looking into a mirror. Take a step back so as to double the distance between you and the mirror. How much larger your reflection became?

 

[DaveS]

But once in space, the ship should maneuver just like a fighter jet.

No it shouldn't. Here's quote from the move "Space Cowboys":

Flight Director Gene Davis: Easy Frank, she's not a fighter jet.
Commander Frank Corvin: She's a flying brick.

Those two sentences summarizes how spacecraft handle on-orbit, like bricks! You take it easy with them. Especially large spacecrafts, like ISS. That one is one slow mover. When they move ISS from one attitude to another, they are not in a hurry to get it done.