Velcro Rockets

sputnik

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Note that Velcro v1.1 is released. There have been a few bug fixes, (including the ASRM size).
The most notable fix is the MINPITCH parameter, which is something you hang on a lower stage to keep its pitch from going below that value. Unfortunately, I >HAD< to add this parameter to keep the low-powered Delta IV's from Velcro EELV's from always landing in the drink.
Once some tweaks were made to the autopilot, there were some Saturn launchers that needed a MINPITCH parameter added, too. Hence, Velcro Saturns v1.1. Fun, eh?

V1.1 should be the last Velcro core code update that requires updates of OTHER Velcro add-ons. I hope.
 

flying coffin

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Is there a way to get the Atlas V 401 variant into orbit?
The autopilot doesn't seem to do it, and i've tried disabling it and attempting
my own profile to attempt to get as much horizontal velocity as possible
before falling back below 60k, but no luck so far. I am using the v1.1 version of velcro rockets.

My goal is to use this to practice the lunar flyby's for LRO/LCROSS (ok maybe not practice yet, but at least figure out how to do it :) until BrianJ releases
his LRO/LCROSS addon.

Thanks,

-Chris
 

sputnik

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Oops. Looks like there was a copy/paste error in there somewhere. The Atlas 401 WAS good -- I tested it extensively. But when it worked, I believe the MINPITCH was set at 15.0, not 10.0.

Try it that way. Looks like I'll have to release an EELV's v1.01
 

flying coffin

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Setting minpitch to 15 fixed it! Thank you very much.

I'm off to the moon for experiments with lunar gravity assist trajectories :lol:
 

SlyCoopersButt

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I can't play the main "Delta IV heavy" scenario from Velcro EELVs v1.01 as orbiter crashes when it finishes loading the scenario. Yes I did install Velcro Rockets v1.1 first before I installed Velcro EELVs. I suspect the following warnings from orbiters log might be related to the issue.

**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\Dummy.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\Dummy.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\Dummy.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\Dummy.msh
Finished initialising status
Finished initialising camera
Finished initialising panels
Finished setting up render state
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh
**** WARNING: Mesh not found: .\Meshes\.msh
 

sputnik

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Sigh. That's a repeat writeup for me, pointing to a "dummy.msh" that's not the one I included in the distribution.
You'd have one in the root directory, of course, if you had my Dyna-Soar. Or probably one of a few other of my add-ons. Which is why I'm so bad at catching this before it goes out the door.

V1.02 released, then. Also threw in a scenario I built, replacing a Delta IV Heavy's strap-ons with Atlas V CCB's instead. Impressive performance gain!
 

SlyCoopersButt

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Now it's working and go for launch! These Velcro rockets are the best thing I've used since Kulch's Energia. There are so many varients and possibilities! However there is one thing that I find odd with most or maybe all boosters that I spawn with scenario editor for other uses. They always seem to have a constant but incredibly small thrust which causes them to be unstable when sitting on the gound (Especially under high speed time) and leak fuel over time.
 

sputnik

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Hmm. Not sure what's causing that; it sounds like thrust-vectoring inputs, while on the ground. Should be nulled out, but apparently isn't.

I don't normally use the scenario editor to spawn Velcro stages, so I haven't seen this. I'll try it out.
 

sputnik

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Launching Francis Drake's OSC on a Delta IV

Was just poking around and re-discovered Francis Drake's excellent Orbital Space Capsule. Thought it could use a scenario where it's launched on a Velcro Delta IV Medium.

You'll need Velcro EELV's for this (and, of course, Velcro Rockets). And Velcro Saturns for the LES, since I just borrowed the one from Apollo.
 

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  • OSC on a Delta4M.scn
    2.6 KB · Views: 757

SlyCoopersButt

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Quite nice! LEO with over 15% remaining in the upper stage. Now I gotta find a realistic mass Orion to try on various configs of the Velcro Delta IV.

Edit: I just tried out the velcro Skybolt, A great ballistic missile, They're something I can never get enough of in Orbiter! But how about using the same visual atomic explosion effect that you used for Orion for the impact?
 
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Native Son

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Hey, Sputnik, great addons!

There seems to be a problem that occurs with some of the Saturn autopilots. For example, on the scenario where you try to launch the Skylab into lunar orbit, the autopilot ignores my azimuth input and takes off at a heading about 140-150. A couple scenarios have this problem.

Can you confirm this on your end? Using your latest version.

EDIT: I've tried a clean install with just Velcro Rockets 1.1, and the autopilot doesn't follow the correct azimuth at all. Can you look into this?
 
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sputnik

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I am beginning to really, really hate the "Skylab Lunar Launch" scenario, and to wish I'd never included it.

For one thing, it doesn't do what it says it does. You can't actually put Skylab into lunar orbit, or at least not a very good one.
Second, it's hugely poly-heavy and ponderously slow.

And third, the one that's getting you now, is it's just plain ponderous. At least for me, it appears the core stage's thrust-vectoring to autopilot commands just isn't strong enough. Most of the mass, and thrust, after all, isn't coming from the S-IC. The initial yaw program doesn't have a chance to finish before the autopilot gives up and continues on a straight track.
Simple solution: change the .scn file to set the S-IC's HEADING to 270.0. This will have it pointed in about the right direction. It works for me.
 

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Launchpad z-height registration error

I keep getting problem with any velcro defined rocket where it does not correctly affiliate with the scenario specified launch pad. Namely, the velcro rocket does not reference the correct z-height off of the ground when spawning and it sits too low. For example, when trying to set a rocket on LC-39A, the mesh ends up clipping through the hardstand. Is there a way to correct or work around this bug?
 

sputnik

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Height off the pad

I keep getting problem with any velcro defined rocket where it does not correctly affiliate with the scenario specified launch pad. Namely, the velcro rocket does not reference the correct z-height off of the ground when spawning and it sits too low. For example, when trying to set a rocket on LC-39A, the mesh ends up clipping through the hardstand. Is there a way to correct or work around this bug?

Sure! Set the PADBIAS parameter.
PADBIAS gets added directly to the touchdown point, so to sit higher off the ground, you need to set PADBIAS to a negative number.
 

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Attachments

  • CTV + ATV Launcher.scn
    3.8 KB · Views: 740
  • CTV + Lander Launcher.scn
    3.8 KB · Views: 740
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gosavich

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Sure! Set the PADBIAS parameter.
PADBIAS gets added directly to the touchdown point, so to sit higher off the ground, you need to set PADBIAS to a negative number.

Thanks sputnik. I appreciate the response. Turns out it isn't a "bug" afterall, just something that needs to be accounted for in the specific scenario. :)
 
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