Dreamer

Vertical Launch Space PLane with Cargo Bay and Docking Nose Cone!

Update V1.3 – Updated for 1.0.5 – balanced for reentry with new heat and aero model!

Update V 1.2 – Includes a brand new IVA with completely custom props, so there's no more Alcor dependency. I also fixed a couple of texture mapping issues and made it a little easier to control in the atmosphere. It's STILL tough to land, by design. Please keep feedback coming – I'm not actively playing the ship much, at the moment, so you guys are the only way I'll know what needs work!

What's included besides the basic ship:

• Three payload bay modules – a generic tank (comes preconfigured for TAC life support, but the idea is that you can edit the .cfg file to add any resource from any mod that YOU use… so reconfigure it for snacks or karbonite or anything else), an LFO tank that adds additional delta-v to the ship, and a KAS workshop module that, if you have KAS installed, gives a winch, a pipe attachment, and a storage crate, turning this into an awesome little maintenance and upgrades platform.
• An Atlas V two-stage launcher to lob the thing into orbit. This is lower detail, as I wanted to spend CPU cycles and memory on the ship you actually fly all mission, not on the launcher you discard in three minutes. But it's there, and both stages terminate at 2.5m so they're useable with other payloads… though you'll probably have to have an adapter fairing of some sort for the upper stage, because the top of the centaur isn't flat.  

The launch vehicle adapter is 2.5m, so you can hypothetically launch it on top of any 2.5m parts from the game… but… there's a lot of aerodynamic surface on this thing, and it's way up front in the launch configuration. My Atlas V has increased gimbal range to let you counter act the instability instead of fins (just like the real thing) so if you launch this on stock parts, you may need quite a few fins at the base of the rocket.

The IVA requires: (not necessary if you don't want to IVA)
Raster Prop Monitor – http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/57603-0-25-RasterPropMonitor-putting-the-A-in-your-IVA-(v0-18-3)-8-Oct

The IVA has 4 unique stations – up front are the pilot and commander who have flight instrumentation, rear facing camera control and resource management options, as well as full control of mechjeb.   In the back a science officer has access to action groups and wing cameras, payload bay controls, and similar, while a docking module pilot has a docking interface and appropriate mechjeb command buttons for target referenced functions.

The Ship Requires:
Firespitter. It makes the landing gear and airbrakes work. Does anyone NOT have this at this point? http://snjo.github.io/

Kerbal Joint Reinforcement seems rather necessary these days…  didn't used to be… but something's changed since .90 http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/55657-1-0-5-Kerbal-Joint-Reinforcement-v3-1-4-6-22-15

Notes:

The centaur loads with less than full fuel tanks… and the Dreamer loads with more fuel than you probably need. I highly recommend planning your missions and adjusting the fuel in these two stages appropriately. 

There's an electric generator built into the capsule. And the output is HIGH. I've had to do this to make the batteries last all the way through re-entry. I suppose I could turn the power down on the flywheel system. I'll play with that. But at the moment you'll never run out of electricity. Which is a little hacky. I need to get this into balance.

The mod supports DRE and FAR. The Far support should be considered a WIP. Please give feedback. The ship isn't designed to be EASY to fly, but if it's uncontrollable it's probably a bug.  In general – space planes are hard to fly…  Over the course of development I've bowed to pressure a few times to make this easier to handle during reentry and landing….  but it still isn't stupidly forgiving…  I recommend reentering such that a ballistic landing would put you right on the KSP pad, so your lifting surfaces will make for a long overshoot… then out over the water at around 10,000m of altitude you can come back around to point west for landing.  

The Atlas V 402 launcher is low detail, but it exists. I've put the .blend files in the abandoned model thread and you're welcome to start with my cfg files.… so if anyone is looking for a mod project, a day texturing what's already there… a couple of days building fairings and payload adapters, and a day modelling the single nozzle Centaur engine and you'd have a stand-alone Atlas V mod ready to release. All I ask is the option to include any improvements you make back into this mod if they fit with it! I may move on to this project eventually myself… but I've got a couple of projects ahead of it, so please feel free. I'll gladly help someone along, if it's their first project!

Important Note: This ship draws inspiration from several places, both real world and fictional craft.  Any resemblance it bears to specific craft, however, is purely incidental.  I've been asked not to use any trademarks belonging to a certain real world company working on a certain real world vertical launch, horizontal recovery shuttle, so let's enjoy this for what it is – a purely fantasy ship with many design features of it's very own.

Related mods:

Vertical Propulsion Emporium Dr. Jet’s Chop Shop SpaceX Historic Archive by LazTek HAWX In With the New and Old Mod OPT Space Plane Parts V2.0 Blipper’s Conical Command Capsules (Alpha Release) SSTO [Ravenspear Mk.o] RoboBrakes