Hi,

I have developed Andy's model, posted a few days ago, on Orbit Hanger Mods and added some more meshes for the parafoil and parachute. I hope to produce a couple more iterations of this model over the next couple of weeks or so. It needs some testing now to model the flight characteristics realistically. The new model is on Orbit Hanger Mods. Comments welcome.

Mark

Hi,

New version on Orbit Hanger Mods.

Bruce, thanks for the kind words. I've enjoyed making this add-on because the rocket has so many novel features and is based on present day technology - it could happen. Also thanks to Andy McSorely for the original work he has done on the DH-1 model.

The rocket has two stages. It is launched straight up into space where it releases the second stage which can acheive orbit by firing it's main engines and pitching slowly to a level position. THe first stage can then descend straight down back to the launch pad.

Hopefully I'll produce one of two more versions of the add-on but first I've got to figure out how to land the first stage. I think it involves flying the rocket so it remains over the launch site/landing site all the time (i.e. account for Earth's rotation). This is so the hover engines do not have to operate for a long time to get back to the launch pad. Also I've found that during launch, firing the main engines up to 40 km (instead of 30 km) helps get the second stage into orbit from Canaveral.

Here's some pics of the new version.





There's some better quality pictures on Flying Singer's blog site from the previous version of the DH-1:

flyingsinger.blogspot.com/

Cheers,

Mark

Thanks Mark, you've done some more great work on this add-on. As you point out, you can now fly essentially the whole flight profile in the book, and the Autopilot 1.7 (separate add-on from Orbit Hangar) scripts help out with some parts. It's still tricky to get it all done in a single session. I've made it to orbit with a little fuel left, but if I go off and worry about trying to land the first stage back at KSC, I usually run out of fuel in the orbital stage! Fortunately you've provided enough different scenarios to practice the many phases of the mission. The parasail landing is quite nice now, a slow, stable, and relaxing descent from final approach line-up (i.e., your test scenario).

Has anyone else had success with the DH-1, using either the suggested procedures or something different? This is very much still a test vehicle, so if you try it out and find any useful techniques or alternate procedures, please let us know, as the final documentation will be written in the next couple of weeks (and the add-on itself will be tweaked by Mark based on more flight testing). Be sure to read the "Rocket Company DH-1 v3.txt" file for keys and procedures. Using both spacecraft.dll and spacecraft2.dll, Mark had to do some special things to get this multi-mode system to fly.

There are many add-ons for Orbiter, many futuristic and high-performance ships, many fictional ships. The DH-1 is a little different in that it's a design based on current technology. More like the Shuttle, this means that fuel and performance margins are relatively slim, but with both stages piloted and fully reusable, it could be a very cost-effective system if it (or something similar) were built. The idea is that a launch vehicle should be more like an airliner - reusable with minimal reconditioning and very small ground crews, designed with operating cost as a major factor. As someone said, "a space ship is not ammunition." The DH-1 is fictional but it could really be built if someone wanted to fund it.

-Bruce

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Go Play In Space (new 2006 Edition): www.aovi93.dsl.pipex.com/play_in_space.htm
Space/Orbiter blog: http://flyingsinger.blogspot.com