AeroSpace Simulation Project

I recall someone (a Battletech fan) posting at the ina forum about a year or so ago mentioning some work that was being done or going to be done on a battletech mod using EoC, but there was nothing beyond that mention, and it sounded almost like a "wouldn't it be neat" rather than "it's actually happening" so I kind of glossed over it, then forgot about it.

Who knew.

I'm impressed by what I've seen at their site, and will likely dl what I can this weekend and try it out.

It just goes to show how easily all this can get lost on the internet...even amongst a highly cohesive niche specialty interest group like our own. There's a reason why publishers sink about a third (or more) of their budgets into marketing.

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Hot4Darmat

I ran across this a couple of weeks ago while looking for a Tug mesh I could use in Orbiter. Would have posted about it if I'd known it was compeltely unknown to everyone.

I suppose realistically the most efficient shape for a spacecraft is a box, but it sure would be ugly

Making a box airtight is a nightmare, all those seams are points of failure, no matter what you do. Spheres and cylanders are natural spacecraft forms, lifting bodies even, but boxes are not.

Making a box airtight is a nightmare

Why do you say specifically making a box airtight is a nightmare? How often have you done this?

Since every space vehicle will be replete with seams I don't consider that a design factor. And I don't see how sealing a straight seam is any more difficult than sealing a curved one (in fact, experience has shown me quite the opposite). Remember also that the pressure is pushing outward, so spheres and cylinders don't provide any additional natural structural support, as they would if the pressure pushed inward. And a box is still the most efficient use of volume. Much more so than a sphere or cylinder. However, I certainly don't know that a box is the most efficient shape for a spacecraft either. Which is why I said "I suppose..."

*edit*
Just as a side thought; since we can assume a craft structure made up of multiple sub-assemblies, a spherical or cylindrical shape has the potential for many times more seams than a simple box.

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If you put enough pressure inside a box it will try to become a sphere or cylinder, this disortion causes extra stresses, a sphere however will stay the same shape it will just get a bit bigger but with no stress concentrations.

In practice a sphere or cylinder the most efficient use of materials,ie it saves weight, which is always important. For less demanding applications curved surfaces still offer great advantages over flat sides and angled intesections.

Complex shapes can be made with few seams so a curve does not more seams, however a bad place for a seam would be at a stress concentration, a shape with few stress concentrations give more choice of where to put the seams.

Have look here for a random example of pressure vessel design.
www.adoptech.com/pressure-vessels/main.htm

Yes I did once have a job working with low and high pressure gasses.

Jumbo

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Great point about stress concentrations, Jumbo! I definitely see where you're coming from. My experience comes from aircraft air-conditioning and pressurization systems (not engineering), which are definitely much lower pressures than what we're talking about. I hadn't taken into account the advantages of smoothly curved surfaces with fewer stress concentration points. Pressures that high would indeed put tremendous warping pressure on the seams of an non-reinforced box. Possibly leading to seal failure.

But I still don't see how you would consider a curved object a more efficient use of volume. It's why storage space is always flat and sqared off when possible. A box will always give you more internal volume for a given cross section. And remember; we're also talking about useable volume, places to mount and store equipment. It's very annoying to mount equipment along the inside of a curved surface. Especially standardized equipment, which is whatever shape it is, and not specifically designed to be mounted in a curved area. If streamlining isn't a factor storage space should always be square.

I agree that a spheroid is an excellent pressure container, but it isn't a very good people and equipment container. So designs become compromises. Streamlining isn't a factor so the ship should be boxy. But the ship is containing enormous pressures, so it should have smooth curves and be stress point free. And so on, and so on...

Isn't it funny how you never know where a post is going to go. Just to remind everyone; Aerospace Project.

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The Ultimate Guide To Modding: I-War 2 - Edge Of Chaos (on hold during SW MP mod)
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Hi there, I'm glad to hear from you all that you have found the project interesting. I have tried it for several weeks. And now some of aircraft models of it have become the main battle fighters of my skull squadron.


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