Oolite Bulletins

(I didn't mean "big" as in you personally, I meant you pilot a big ship...I mean... ya, err, well anyways...)

Can you slot an Anaconda into the docking bay with one eye tied behind your back? If so, I need your help! }:] New ship is done, the D.T.T. Atlas is meant to be an upgrade to the venerable old 'Conda. Problem is, I have yet to get this thing into a dock with the paint job intact (or much of anything else for that matter!). Now, while I can manually dock when I have to, I generally use a docking computer as soon as I can afford to buy one. Also, I generally fly smaller ships, sooo... I need to know if it's just me being a klutz, or if I need to re-think this design before I spring it on the general populace! It's the same length as a 'Conda, and about the same width I believe. It is actually shorter than the 'Conda, so in theory it should be a no brainer (perfect for me then, ya, ya, I said it before you did!). The pilots view is about 9 meters above center, so that is part of the problem. I did make a custom "Docking View" for it, but without the cross-hairs to help line up, it doesn't help me much...
Anyway, need some feedback A.S.A.P. as to whether I need to re-design, or just have my eyes tested!
Thanks guys!
GET IT HERE!

Sounds like a job for our resident 'Conda jockeys! I believe we have a couple, Ranthe in particular..

I have some 'stick time flying a Behemoth.. but you can't dock those babies nohow.. just as well too, since they handle like a waterlogged brick on smack.

Will happily give your Atlas a crack, though..

Paradox wrote:

I have yet to get this thing into a dock with the paint job intact (or much of anything else for that matter!). Now, while I can manually dock when I have to, I generally use a docking computer as soon as I can afford to buy one. Also, I generally fly smaller ships, sooo... I need to know if it's just me being a klutz, or if I need to re-think this design before I spring it on the general populace! It's the same length as a 'Conda, and about the same width I believe. It is actually shorter than the 'Conda, so in theory it should be a no brainer

Umm.. you do know a 'Conda has to dock sideways, yes? As in, at 90° to the slot?

Diziet Sma wrote:

Sounds like a job for our resident 'Conda jockeys! I believe we have a couple, Ranthe in particular..

I have some 'stick time flying a Behemoth.. but you can't dock those babies nohow.. just as well too, since they handle like a waterlogged brick on smack.

Will happily give your Atlas a crack, though..

Umm.. you do know a 'Conda has to dock sideways, yes? As in, at 90° to the slot?

Umm... Ya, I knew that... Sure, sideways... everybody knows that right...?
Well then, for the bad news.. Atlas is wider than a 'Conda... But as I said, it really should fit right way up... I just can't seem to do it without bashing the he!! out of the ship... an the dock... my cargo... and any other ships in the vicinity... };] Let me know how you make out with it Dizzy!
And thanks again! };]

Paradox wrote:

Can you slot an Anaconda into the docking bay with one eye tied behind your back? If so, I need your help! }:] New ship is done, the D.T.T. Atlas is meant to be an upgrade to the venerable old 'Conda. Problem is, I have yet to get this thing into a dock with the paint job intact (or much of anything else for that matter!). Now, while I can manually dock when I have to, I generally use a docking computer as soon as I can afford to buy one. Also, I generally fly smaller ships, sooo... I need to know if it's just me being a klutz, or if I need to re-think this design before I spring it on the general populace! It's the same length as a 'Conda, and about the same width I believe. It is actually shorter than the 'Conda, so in theory it should be a no brainer (perfect for me then, ya, ya, I said it before you did!).

Diziet Sma wrote:

Sounds like a job for our resident 'Conda jockeys! I believe we have a couple, Ranthe in particular..

"'Conda jockey reporting for duty, SAH!"

The good news is that I've just taken the D.T.T. Atlas out for a circuit and have re-docked it on manual first go at Lave. I was able to line up successfully using the standard forward view (I'm using the Numeric / Chupacabra HUD) and match rotation with the Coriolis station with no real issue.

Also witched out to Zaonce and successfully docked on full manual control. I didn't notice any issues with parallax with the viewing position. Didn't even have to roll it sideways on either occasion.

And the paint job is still unscratched!

Ya can't help but admire the skill those big-rig pilots handle their craft with..

Been a little too busy to test-fly myself yet, what with newborn goats, bushfires 20km away, and duststorms so strong they're trying to lift the roof off! What a way to cap off 5 days of record heat!

Diziet Sma wrote:

Been a little too busy to test-fly myself yet, what with newborn goats...:

Of the 'Killer' variety I trust?

If killers come in a knee-high variety, perhaps..

He's more the cute and "OMG, why on Earth did I pick a 45°C day to be born?" type..


Meet Shadow @ just a few hours old

Aw! Certainly doesn't look too lethal.

Now, back to the ship.....

Smivs wrote:

Aw! Certainly doesn't look too lethal.

Rather the opposite, in a year or so.

Ranthe wrote:

"'Conda jockey reporting for duty, SAH!"

The good news is that I've just taken the D.T.T. Atlas out for a circuit and have re-docked it on manual first go at Lave. I was able to line up successfully using the standard forward view (I'm using the Numeric / Chupacabra HUD) and match rotation with the Coriolis station with no real issue.

Also witched out to Zaonce and successfully docked on full manual control. I didn't notice any issues with parallax with the viewing position. Didn't even have to roll it sideways on either occasion.

And the paint job is still unscratched!

Wow! Okay, then I, just suck at manual docking then (at least I didn't blow it up completely...yet!)! That's actually good to know! };] I will give it another day to see if anyone else gives opinion/feedback, before I finalize and put it up for general download. Thanks very much for the test Ranthe!!

Diziet Sma wrote:

Ya can't help but admire the skill those big-rig pilots handle their craft with..

Been a little too busy to test-fly myself yet, what with newborn goats, bushfires 20km away, and duststorms so strong they're trying to lift the roof off! What a way to cap off 5 days of record heat!

I had four goats when I lived in Tucson (Sonoran desert, so I can commiserate with hot!)! So cute when little! While I was at work one day, a dust devil picked up their little metal shed and dropped it in the top of a palo verde tree! The goats were evidently not in it at the time, though I can't help but wonder at their thoughts watching their "house" flying through the air!

beautiful design and texture Paradox, don't get your eyes tested it looks amazing, as well as something you'd want to get out of the way of pretty sharpish if it popped up on the scanner.

Griff wrote:

beautiful design and texture Paradox, don't get your eyes tested it looks amazing, as well as something you'd want to get out of the way of pretty sharpish if it popped up on the scanner...

Thanks Griff! This one is one of my favs so far.
Oh, the eye test was for my docking abilities, not the paint job (though I do think it needs a dirty/rusty version as well. Maybe someday...). };]
Didn't happen to give it a fly an dock test did ya?

Nice ship! My notes:

1. Do not roll at all during docking. Fly to the nav buoy then target exactly the center of the dock with crosshairs and do very small corrections only - worked well for me with your ship.

2. This topic contain a discussion about setting lower cargo space for Anaconda if you want to consider it on your ship.

Norby wrote:

Nice ship! My notes:

1. Do not roll at all during docking. Fly to the nav buoy then target exactly the center of the dock with crosshairs and do very small corrections only - worked well for me with your ship.

2. This topic contain a discussion about setting lower cargo space for Anaconda if you want to consider it on your ship.

Thanks Norby! And as an update, I was finally able to finally dock without losing paint and cargo by docking sideways! };] As for the age old question of how much cargo should an Anaconda haul... Since the core anaconda isn't going to be changed, and since I want this to be a competitor and upgrade to the 'Conda, I am going to leave it as is... Thanks for the test flight and the feedback Norby, I really appreciate it!

As soon as I finalize a discussion with Smivs and Cim, I will be adding some final touches to the Atlas and doing an official release, since it has been deemed dock-able by all you big ship pilots! };] Thanks to everyone for your help and input!