#NASA Helios/Pathfinder/variants

93 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

unreal oasis
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https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/120318main_fs-068-dfrc.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroVironment_Helios_Prototype#Specifications

^ Links to stat and blueprints references the nasa one is great and very detailed!

So funnily enough the range is effectively infinite til of course the aircraft’s condition degrades destroying it. (Cause solar power)
It is also capable of weather surveillance.
This aircraft it beautiful its looks like an abstract painting in a sense like something out of fiction.
Adding all five variants would be very easy as they pretty much just stuck another wing and fuselage every time they wanted it to be longer.

The main negatives would be the face that the entire wing bends like 25 degrees on the longer variants when in flight. So it might be a choice of
do we make it look right in flight or on ground?

The positives are that these aircraft are fascinatingly unique like nothing I’ve ever seen and adding all of them would be getting a ton of planes added
With very little 3d modelling.

I would be insanely happy to have this in game and I also do believe some variants have equipment added onto them and removed which could be a nice advanced customisation.

(I didn’t write the stats here because to show them for all five aircraft would be annoying sorry.

IMG_3071.jpg IMG_3066.jpg IMG_3067.jpg IMG_3069.jpg IMG_1635.png IMG_3063.png IMG_2959.webp
AeroVironment Helios Prototype

The Helios Prototype was the fourth and final aircraft developed as part of an evolutionary series of solar- and fuel-cell-system-powered unmanned aerial vehicles. AeroVironment, Inc. developed the vehicles under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program. They were built to develop the technologies that would a...

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Some blueprints not sure which are from NASA.gov which means perfection!!

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Also clear parts on the wing are hopefully possible?

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I also think the solar panel texture on the wing should be non colourable or editable and a shiny textured part

pure haven
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i feel like designing the bend would be horrifying to whoever needs to model this

hushed cipher
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-# its flat on the ground

pure haven
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which is where you usually find aircraft

hushed cipher
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how would it land when the wheels cant touch the ground

unreal oasis
pure haven
hushed cipher
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looking at it mid-flight you can see the wing flexes enough that the outer gears would be floating substantially off the ground if the plane was modeled with a bend ingame

ed03-0152-50.png
unreal oasis
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In this photo of it landing it seems to kinda slowly droop less depending on altitude?

IMG_3069.jpg
hushed cipher
unreal oasis
pure haven
hushed cipher
unreal oasis
pure haven
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you could just make it flex with T or Y, or make it like the wing sweep so as you speed up, it bends more

unreal oasis
hushed cipher
pure haven
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unsure Dunno

unreal oasis
pure haven
hushed cipher
unreal oasis
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Smaller variant could be added too as it has very little of this issue

hushed cipher
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thats not how a typical mesh works

unreal oasis
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That is why I didn’t specify a specific variant

pure haven
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how do sweeping wings work pooo

unreal oasis
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Are sweeping wings a hinge constraint or something?

hushed cipher
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each wing is a separate part and swings on a hinge

pure haven
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exactly

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do that, but for the aircraft

hushed cipher
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again thats not how a mesh works

pure haven
unreal oasis
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U could prob compromise and just do that for one wing section right?

hushed cipher
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the sweep wings do not actually flex

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they just rotate around a fixed point

unreal oasis
pure haven
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you can probably do that here considering each part of the aircraft is very clearly separate in how much it flexes

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it's not a single curve

hushed cipher
unreal oasis
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Can’t u just do some recoding and make it sweep depending on altitude?

unreal oasis
hushed cipher
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either way if it was possible wing flex is a rejected suggestion

pure haven
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you're severely overestimating how many motors you'd need to make a square angle 45º pooo

unreal oasis
hushed cipher
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a smooth bend

pure haven
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thing is

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this specific aircraft

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doesn't do that

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each section bends as a single piece

hushed cipher
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its a smooth curve

pure haven
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you can clearly see the different angles each part bends at isntead of being a smooth curve

unreal oasis
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Tbh it’s kinda both

hushed cipher
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i researched this vehicle b4 cuz i lwk wanted to do it Smonk

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and the only way to in aero's architecture is to just make it how it is on the ground

unreal oasis
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Wait hold up what if u did the same thing as animated landing gear on the do31 and did it with wing angle?

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Then when u need to land u can just change the angle

hushed cipher
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again thats not how a mesh works unless you string a billion bones thru it in blender which would A: take eons and B: be unoptimized

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plus wing flex is rejected

unreal oasis
vague dragon
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This reminds me of something...

Oh I know, and the ace combat fans here know too.

wicked mortar
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anyways

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you could do just a few servos that each solar panel piece

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but it would look rather odd

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Especially in the center

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plus yk there’s kinda that whole range issue

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and electric aircraft aren’t addable rn anyways Shrug

unreal oasis
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If the wing flex is why it got denied then here is the solution of just cutting it in half

IMG_3071.jpg
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If these planes aren’t add able can u add it to rejected suggestions?

finite wigeon
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so when you get in the air you just press y and it looks normal

unreal oasis
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I suggested the same but with animated gear like the do-31

hushed cipher
patent aspen
pure haven
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Well, 2nd

unreal oasis
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Whats lowkey annoying me is this thing looks like its been rejected cause of the wing sweep but i suggested the entire aircraft class which includes the smaller version with way less wing sweep to the point u dont need it

wicked mortar
finite wigeon
elder hemlock