INTRODUCTION
This MFD is designed to modify the gravitational effect on any vessel via a simple mechanism of using a virtual thruster to affect gravitational force. The MFD is written in LUA and implemented through the ScriptMFD. The motivation for this MFD is to make any vessel able to liftoff from Earth with or without thrusters. It has far more applications than this, which will be evident to anyone who has been looking for this functionality.
The gravitational setting can be made stronger, weaker, or negative. This corresponds to field strength modifiers greater than 1, less than 1, and less than 0.
POSSIBLE USES
o Allow vessels with normally insufficient hover thrusters to liftoff vertically.
o Allow vessels to land and stay landed on low-gravity moons and other such bodies.
o Modify effectiveness of slingshot maneuvers by increasing/reducing effective gravitational force.
o Reduce amount of thrust required to complete an orbital maneuver close to a gravity well.
o Test a vessel's aerodynamic configuration for stability under differing gravitational force scenarios.
o Allow creation of a vessel that chiefly uses stronger and weaker gravitational effects to maneuver. (I am reminded here of a vessel mentioned in the third(?) book in the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. It was equipped with anti-gravity and hyperspace engines.)
HOW IT WORKS
The MFD creates an invisible thruster and a small propellant source when engaged. It then uses this thruster to add or subtract from gravity's effect. The gravitational modification is proportional to the total force exerted by gravity on the vessel.Â
CREDITS
1) Isaac Asimov and the Foundation series. The brief description in the third book of a ship having anti-gravity and hyperspace engines and how it was used smoothly leave the planet surface to reach a jump point fascinated me completely.
2) Artlav, developer of WarpDriveMFD Mk2 R1. I use the anti-gravity feature far more than the warp drive feature. My only complaints are that it is not persistent to the vessel (i.e., when focus is changed to another vessel, gravity suddenly returns), and that it does not allow variable effect.
3) DanSteph and his mission scenario "Beautiful landing on Phobos". I stuck the first landing, but wondered how I could do it if I had less skill. With this MFD, an increased gravity effect helps a little.
4) Martin Schweiger, developer of Orbiter. I've been having fun since Orbiter 2006, and the LUA interface has been a real window of opportunity to tailor the simulator even further.
REVISION HISTORY
1.0, 1 April 2011, Initial Release