Project Ares :: Mars Glider

[Tom]

Here I go, with the presentation of my first addon : Ares.

Ares stands for :

Aerial
Regional-Scale
Environmental
Survey of Mars

It is a glider that seems to be currently developped by the NASA.

Here is the official website : http://marsairplane.larc.nasa.gov/

And here is the first screenshot of my model somewhere in the martian atmosphere :

No coding has been done yet, I intend to build a first version with vinka's module spacecraft3, and after that more complex version using C programming which will reproduce the entire deployment sequence.

Anyway this is my first addon, so I'm waiting for your remarks and suggestions ! Anything that could help me !

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I can't offer any suggestion as of yet, only encouragement (ship building at the moment is beyond me). What you've got so far look nice and clean.

 

[Arthur Dent]

Wow! You did a very accurate job! Especially for your very first addon! This is going to be very interesting to fly, I guess!

Keep up the good work!

 

[Donamy]

Very nice !! I was thinking of doing this, but you've got it perfect.

 

[RisingFury]

Wow nice!

Interesting design too! The website says it's powered... though... what the hell could power it? A propeller is kinda high drag and would have to spin at insane speeds.... EDF?

Also, the power generation worries me. If they're planning a mission longer then a few hours, they'd have to cover the whole surface area with very efficient solar cells and put in loads of batteries... or fly continuously west at the speed that the planet rotates. Thankfully achieving such speeds would be easy - they're probably required just to keep flying.

Also... what about survivability of the plane? The first sand storm could knock it right out of the sky, no?
I mean... I've flown in 5 m/s crosswinds with my RC plane and I know what that does to it

 

[Yoda]

Isn't this the exact same add-on for a mars glider that has been around Orbiter hanger for a few years ?

 

[Tom]

Well, I should have looked on OH before ! Anyway, I'll try to make this a flyable addon just to get a hand on addon making for orbiter !

Then I'll try something else !

 

[Donamy]

Turns out Kev33 did one back 2006.

 

[Tom]

Yeah ! I tested it, it was a great realisation but I think it can be improved. I will contact him with some proposition. I'll keep you posted ;-)

 

[Yoda]

Here's a picture of the old version; Correct me if I'm wrong but that looks EXACTLY like the version you "developed" ?????

Maybe I'm off base here..........

 

[RisingFury]

Here's a picture of the old version; Correct me if I'm wrong but that looks EXACTLY like the version you "developed" ?????

Maybe I'm off base here..........

Blue color is different, tail is different, wing tips seem different, NASA logo seems different, tail paint is different, nose seems less defined on the young model, compared to the old one...

 

[Tom]

Here's a picture of the old version; Correct me if I'm wrong but that looks EXACTLY like the version you "developed" ?????

Maybe I'm off base here..........

I downloaded it, and yes it is the same plane, but it sure isn't the same 3D model (only thing I've finished for now), the wings for exemple don't have the exact same shape and the textures are not the same.

If you still have some doubts I can email you my model !

 

[Hielor]

Hmmm--as has been pointed out elsewhere on the forum, your flag on the right side of the plane is backwards, the starfield should be "forward" on the vehicle.

 

[Tom]

I just had a response from Kev33 authorizing me to use his addon to make mine. So i'll use some of his code ans try to add some things to have a nice addon.

I'll keep you up to date with updates and I will begin to fix the flag orientation as soon as I find some time !

Don't hesitate for advices and/or remarks !