BlackWolf Aerospace eXperimental - ROMBUS

Kerbal Space Program Mod by Lupinarius

BWA-X - ROMBUS

Curse Forge: http://kerbal.curseforge.com/projects/bwa-x-rombus-pack

Spacedock: http://spacedock.info/mod/743/BWA-X%20-%20ROMBUS

License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

-

This is my first Mod for KSP and is still changing, but it is primarily stable and has been tested for playability.

This Mod contains the following parts:

• three custom pressurized toroidal LFO tanks
• two fun "Cube" tanks not associated with the ROMBUS
• one large and one small high temperature parachute.
• two adapter Service Module tanks, 2.50m to 3.75m and 1.25m to 2.50m
• two "Size 3" 36 port Truncated Aerospike engines, one each in LFO and Hydrolox with a 6:1 Fuel/Oxidizer Ratio (See Historical Note Below)
• three different length "Size 3" LFO tanks, and three in Hydrolox, with 6:1 Ratio to match the engines
• two decoupling, radially attached cryogenic tanks containing a 6:1 LH2/LOx mix by default

This Mod requires and includes the following dependencies:

-

Module Manager #

Website: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/55219

Source Code: https://github.com/sarbian/ModuleManager

License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

-

Community Resource Pack

Website: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/83007-11-community-resource-pack-050-hydrates-and-gypsum/

Source Code: https://github.com/BobPalmer/CommunityResourcePack

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)

This Mod recommends the following mods:

-

Crossfeed Enabler (Pre KSP 1.05 Only)

Website: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/index.php?/topic/69286-10-crossfeedenabler-v33-may-11/

Source Code: https://github.com/NathanKell/CrossFeedEnabler/

License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

-

Modular Fuel Tanks

Website: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/64117

Source Code: https://github.com/NathanKell/ModularFuelSystem

License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

I have created two separate module configuration files for MFT which are located in the Modules subfolder and they are called, "BWAX_modularFuelTanks.cfg" and "BWAX_TankTypes.cfg"

Historical Note

Background

When I first decided to take up modding KSP I found a very interesting, although unfinished tutorial about how to create parts in Blender/Unity. Just like the creator of the video (YouTube handle is TechyBen) I was interested by the unusual shapes of the tanks in the tutorial. I was actually so intrigued by them that I decided that I must find out what spacecraft they were from, and that I must make something like it to share with others in KSP. It took me a while but I did finally find out what proposed space vessel those fascinating tanks belonged to, and have also created the basic parts to make a vehicle similar to it's small first run version. It was the ROMBUS vehicle.

THE ROMBUS

Phil Bono of Douglas Space and Missiles Company (later McDonnell Douglas), designed the ROMBUS vehicle in the 1960's as part of what would become the Douglas Saturn Application Single Stage To Orbit or SASSTO vehicle concept. This vehicle was designed at the same time as the NEXUS booster and first ORION concepts. It had a much larger military based variant called ITHACUS and the PEGASUS was to be a civilian point to point sub-orbital model. this later spawned the HYPERION which later contributed to the PHOENIX B and it's developments eventually went into the very cool DELTA CLIPPER Project. A PDF about the history of the PHOENIX VTOL SSTO which includes some background about the ROMBUS and the Douglas SASSTO should be available at:

http://www.1000planets.com/papers/phoenix-history.pdf

-

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

If you can provide me with advice on any of these, or simply wish to give constructive feedback I am very happy to hear it!

-

1. Add animated covered parachute hatches to the top of the radial fuel tanks, so they can be used as a habitat when empty, like the original design.

2. Add limited emissive animation to the thrust ports on the engine, while maintaining the heat-shield animation ability.

3. Add texture switching and/or tank switching options via Firespitter or Interstellar Fuel Switch.