Space Shuttles in TW sims

[+Jarhead1 27]

Hey folks, has anyone ever thought of modeling a space shuttle? I mean, there is only so far u can go up and u cant actually land on planets, but I think it would be kinda cool to be able to take off and fly in the Discovery or Columbia or another shuttle and go up to sayyyyyyyy, 70,000 Ft, or higher, since I believe u can change the max altitude in one of the inis. I think it would be super cool to mod it so u could go super hi up and see the earth from that height. If anyone has any ideas if this is possible, add em, or if it cant be done, hey, it was just a thought.

[Viggen 644]

That'd be cool. Actually, it could lead to lots of ideas. FC already has the ASAT and that massive death laser developed. We could start space warfare....OR STAR WARS!!!!!

Edited March 30, 2009 by JA 37 Viggen

[fallenphoenix1986 603]

I've never seen anything relating to Oribital flight in WOX however there is an NF-104 in the DL section to wet your apetite Highly recomended, had some of my most memorable flights in her :)

 

CRaig

[+streakeagle 871]

Nothing wrong with adding the space shuttle to this sim, but this game engine really won't handle it that well.

I would say that the maps are too small even if it does let you go into orbit around a sphere.

 

If you want to fly the space shuttle, I suggest you download the free spaceflight simulator, oribiter, whose game engine is designed from day one to let you experience everything from liftoff to orbit to spacewalks and re-entry. Like Third Wire sims, there are tons of addons. You can recreate Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. The Apollo simulation is amazing since it includes a very detailed cockpit that can be used to simulate the entire mission according to the NASA procedures. There are also some science fiction addons like the Eagle from Space:1999.

 

Go here for more info: http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/orbit.html

[pablo10692 4]

I agree with streakeagle. The maps are to small to fly with a SS, but maybe a AI aircraft?

 

An SS interception misson would be really nice thought!

[Silverbolt 104]

btw, there is an outdated version of Orbiter hosted here at CA(a bit more than 40mb)

 

 

and , btw...Orbiter is awesome!

[charlielima 328]

H.E. Double Hockey Sticks NO!

Why are we yammering about this when we don't have a proper or adequate COIN campaign or even a bitchin' trash hauling mission in a C-130? Space Sims are cool, but I believe where the F-104, U-2 and SR-171, can't go, it does'nt belong here. If it does then so does a drivable PBR for WOV.

I'm irritated but keep thinking gruppe.

:ph34r: CL

Edited March 30, 2009 by charlielima

[FastCargo 412]

Little too much Red Bull today?

 

FC

[+EricJ 4,244]

Everybody has their moment. Me? everyday but I feel him. WOV is nice... but since I haven't really done a campaign there, it still seems kinda "sterile". Then again CAS missions are always fun but anyways...

 

But then again, a "Space Shuttle" (Baikunor) target would be interesting.

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

TK's sim can do surprisingly alot to simulate spaceflight. I've seen it. Try setting up a hand made mission starting player at 100 miles or so altitude. Experiment with initial speeds and stuff. I never got round to trying it, but the vector thrust thing should work, and to simulate rocket engines, the sim's jet engine thrust table might could be tailored for orbital heights.

 

Maps can be made large enough with good game play performance. Just need a fresh generation of terrain ideas. I got up to 6000km, but that's all I needed for myself. Almost the whole Earth could be mapped, although with extreme distortion, and it won't be spherical, but flat. As far as I know, no combat flight The Sim has ever modelled a spherical Earth, although the FighterOps Forever project will be doing so.

FO ~> http://www.fighterops.com/

 

we don't have a proper or adequate COIN campaign...

Excellent! Its very distasteful once you read up on the "western" bankers, now getting bailed out hehe. That's why I stick to pure fantasy high speed high altitude nuc war but with a small grounding in historical Cold War strategic recon operations over the Soviet Union.

 

Good introduction to hypersonic vehicles ~> http://www.aerospaceweb.org/design/waverider/main.shtml

 

I like to wonder what would have happened if military aviation didn't die roundabout 1960. Mach 4 and higher, faster, further, until near orbit aircraft are operational.

[eraser_tr 29]

Space shuttles probably wouldn't be terribly good in this sim, it is nothing more than the worlds heaviest glider in the atmosphere.

[Guest rscsjsuso5]

a space ship/shuttle might be good if the wing tip has ecm pods and two vulcans under the fuselage and weapons bay opening up on the top fuselage and of course flares and chaffs coming out of the area close to the rudder.

[+Jarhead1 27]

H.E. Double Hockey Sticks NO!

Why are we yammering about this when we don't have a proper or adequate COIN campaign or even a bitchin' trash hauling mission in a C-130? Space Sims are cool, but I believe where the F-104, U-2 and SR-171, can't go, it does'nt belong here. If it does then so does a drivable PBR for WOV.

I'm irritated but keep thinking gruppe.

:ph34r: CL

 

 

It was just an idea, didnt have to bite anyones head off about it.

Edited March 30, 2009 by Jarhead1

[Rodent 0]

Orbiter is awesome space flight simulator. It is completely free too so whenever you feel like taking up a shuttle I recommend trying that out. It has a lot of regular airplanes modeled for it too that you can fly around with, including military combat jets, but there is no combat and weapons are not really functional. For military aviation Strike Fighters is where I get my fix, and for my space flight fix I go to Orbiter.

 

Back to the idea of the space shuttle in thirdwire series sims though. It is an interesting thought but I think it would be difficult to implement, There are no true orbital mechanics in tw sims as far as I know so even if you got it up there it would just fall out of the sky again, but somewhere far outside the map most likely. So if we had the space shuttle here too, what would it be doing? I imagine a landing scenario for it would work, and could work quite well too. What else?

[+Jarhead1 27]

I know there is no real purpose, but we have alot of aircraft that have no purpose, just something to fly around in and have fun.

[+aleks 9]

i thought once making a real cold war scenario, a "silver bullet".in this case, apparently in late 70's-early 80's i immagined a preventive hit in order to stopussr or usa on launching satelites in the famous"star war"scenario

targets could be the columbia shuttles in theilr launch bay, and the buran shuttles also!to be frank, the space shuttles could be ground targets. we have all the interceptors of the times and most of the bombers.i think somebody can make the start or join efforts with many of us, in order to have a real hard and interesting add-on!!

[Stick 773]

I think its a superb idea-infact the FM high up is way cool-the controls have little or no bite, and its just raw power that keeps you going...

[+Julhelm 266]

I like to wonder what would have happened if military aviation didn't die roundabout 1960. Mach 4 and higher, faster, further, until near orbit aircraft are operational.

Hypersonic Kingfish/Suntan-type planes with advanced missiles and possibly particle beam weapons.

[Rodent 0]

Or we could go the super ridiculous humor approach on the space shuttle and make it a combat plane with the booster rockets turned into huge missiles and the fuel tank a 900 gigaton bomb.

[Mladuna 0]

900 gigaton bomb.

 

Detonate that one in game and your computer processor will probably melt

[JediMaster 451]

Well, I could see making a 747/Shuttle combo, or an An-225/Buran combo. Actually, we have a Bison now and it carried the Buran initially.

 

Does TK's code allow for Mistel-style combinations, where you can hook 2 planes together and then detach? I think Il-2 is the only one that lets you do it right now, and it has some serious issues working right.

[fallenphoenix1986 603]

There was a WIP somewhere of a B-52/X-15 combo so depending on how that got on it may be possible to have Mistel combos.

 

Craig

[+streakeagle 871]

If TK's world isn't modeled as a sphere, why would anyone want to fly an "orbit" that isn't one?

I know for sure TK's atomsphere model isn't designed for super high altitudes, he did what he needed to do to support the aircraft he wanted in the game.

Making a flat map large enough to permit re-entry/landings is theoretically feasible if you don't mind the limitations of the game: no physics to support extremely high altitudes including the drag/heat from re-entry.

A mission where you start at say 70,000 feet and have to finish the glide landing is far more practical, certainly well within game physics limitations.

 

Is the purpose to be able to shoot at a space shuttle?

If not, then a sim like Orbiter still makes a lot more sense.

If you have cash to blow, there are several options.

At a minimum, X-plane will let you simulate the re-entry (and also permits you to fly the X-15 from under the wing of the B-52).

There is an actual game/sim dedicated to space shuttle missions that is far superior to anything else, Space Shuttle Mission 2007, http://www.space-shuttle-mission.com/

 

Game engine limitations aside, what is wrong with someone asking for the Space Shuttle in TW sims?

What is wrong with a modder spending his time making one?

Modders working for free can do whatever they want without regard for anyone else's wants or needs.

Modders working for cash are free to decide what they think will make them the most money if they want to maximize their profits, otherwise, they will behave as modders working for free.

 

So who has the authority to decide what any modders should be working on other than the modders themselves?

Is that same person the designated forum police to prevent people from asking for things not on the authorized list?

[charlielima 328]

Sorry about the intensity Gruppe!

A landing mission would probably be appropriate and probably an eye opener.

I didn't want to suggest it as a target because of the 2 losses.

Sugar! Who am I to keep anybody from getting what they want.

:ph34r: CL

[Syrinx 13]

I read a book once about the Soviets hijacking a US shuttle and attempting to land it at Baikonur. Would make a good mission, trying to intercept a shuttle on final approach (sitting duck) but all the while being harassed by Foxbat's and Fulcrum's.

 

It was called Storming Intrepid and featured SR-71's overflying Russia, B2's in Soviet airspace and an ultra-secret US spaceplane called the Kestrel (something akin to the Dyna-Soar project, but armed with modified Sidewinders and Phoenixes for use in space).

 

It was pretty good stuff.