Brainstorming Missile, Torpedo, Rocket and Bomb Designs

[a_rhizome]

Hello, I'm currently experimenting with torpedos(unpowered, just inertia right now) and I was wondering how other people have designed explosive devices. In particular, what do you use to couple and uncouple the device from the carrier vessel? I'm currently using Merge blocks, but I've also heard something about Grinders? How do you tackle this?

[Wulf_Jarlson]

The grinders are used to detach a projector created missile in a reloading system.

I personally prefer a more conventionl system. I mount a remote controlled torpedo under the wing with a merge block. I group all the systems into a group called ready. this is in the ships toolbar. along with the merge blocks, the camera, and the remote control unit.
I turn on the Torpedo, take control of the remote. view from cam and unmerge.
In that order.

Torpedos can be hard to build. I use mods like the torpedo parts by Not7cd and small merge blocks by Colt.
I also use the very OP Gotta go fast mod race engines. Only on unmanned craft like weapons. They really are to OP for manned craft.

I hope this helps.

[a_rhizome]

So what you're saying is they use a Grinder to detach the block after they're done building it in Survival with a projector? Or use a Grinder as the actual decoupling device and literally cut the missile off of the ship?

As for RC missiles, the way I see it, in the heat of battle you don't want to be flying an RC missile around while your ship is under fire. However if we're talking about a large ship at long ranges, I would do that. RC would be very nice for some sort of huge station-based cruise missile, possibly with the famed "nuke" instead of just individual warheads.

I've been watching some of Bronzite's videos and I've copied his sensor drone design, so I'm almost at the point where I can build tracking missiles. I can HIGHLY recommend his YouTube channel(look up "John Brewer Space Engineers").

An idea of mine as far as unguided torps goes, is to add a sensor(set to 5-10m detection) to the missile set to start Thrusters(set at maximum override) when it stops detecting the ship. In addition, I could add another sensor at the front(set to 5-10m detection) set to start the timers on the Warheads(set to 2-5 seconds). That way, as long as the missile is armored enough, you should be able to get it lodged reasonably far in the enemy vessel before detonation. Some of the problems would be that you would need to have both your ship and the target ship be correctly aligned(friendly and enemy, respectively). Another problem is that that design would only work well in a 1vs1 battle scenario(what if an enemy fighter buzzed your ship before the armed missile was fired?).

[SievertChaser]

Uh, use armoured launch silos?

[Ekuah]

Just my 50cent.
On one of our ships we have a build in torpedo production facility. They are powered and the root block is a conveyorblock. Because of this we can fuel the reactor before launch.
We have made four different torpedo types so far.
Kinetic (just with heave armor)
Explosive (quite susceptible to FLAK fire)
Grinder (funny to see a torpedo slowly digging its way to the main reactor)
Driller (good for attacking an asteroid base from its blind side)
See here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgObXkRFgGo
and here:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=369631999

[SievertChaser]

That's why you use Grinder "decoupler". I'm planning to use Battery-powered torps - haven't yet tested them in an autoloader, but I only need 5 sec of autonmous power anyway.

FlaK (it's capitalized that way) susceptability is a major concern for my explosive ones as well. However, I haven't yet tested them, and my Small torps could fly past a wall of missile turrets unscathed.

[Ekuah]

It's is not the missile turrets, it Gatling and even interior turrets which guns down the explosive torpedoes. So you should tip the explosives with an heavy armor block. It immensely increases the survival rate in heave fire.
And by the way FlaK is a quite seldom used capitalization. Flak is more common. (btw Flak stands for Flugabwehr Kanone ~ Air Defense Cannon)

[SievertChaser]

Thanks, sorta knew that. And it's German, so it's actually one word - you should never forget the Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft.

Tipping with heavy armour is naturally, mandatory, but I still doubt the suvivability of the exposed warhead, plus, the Warheads sometimes fail to explode on impact and are simply destroyed.

[Ekuah]

You forgot an f in "...schifffahrt..." and I'm also German. And somehow "..elektrizitätenhauptbetriebs..." sounds off, should be "...elektrizitätshauptbetriebs..."
Tipped warhead are quite durable. As long as they are attacking head on. Defense fire from the side is another story. I've tested them against an old Military Transported Mk1. (The one with many turrets, not the down rated current ones)

[SievertChaser]

You and Wikipedia[en.wikipedia.org] can agree.

[Ekuah]

It is not always right what is written. And Elektrizität is word without a plural, or at least, if the plural exists, it is never used. So there is no "Elektrizitäten" so the singular is used with an s for grammatical reasons. But could we go back to the main topic?

[a_rhizome]

Originally posted by dennis.danilov:

Uh, use armoured launch silos?

I meant if the fighter buzzed your ship and set off the warhead's timer. Though I suppose if the sensor detection field is only 5-10 meters, and you have a missile docked in a reasonably large ship....yeah never mind, I didn't think that through.

Still though, in a 2 vs. 2+ battle, enemy fighter could trigger the warhead timers prematurely while it's in flight.

[a_rhizome]

Originally posted by Ekuah:

Just my 50cent.
On one of our ships we have a build in torpedo production facility. They are powered and the root block is a conveyorblock. Because of this we can fuel the reactor before launch.
We have made four different torpedo types so far.
Kinetic (just with heave armor)
Explosive (quite susceptible to FLAK fire)
Grinder (funny to see a torpedo slowly digging its way to the main reactor)
Driller (good for attacking an asteroid base from its blind side)
See here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgObXkRFgGo
and here:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=369631999

The speed you get on your missiles is amazing! Gravity launcher, correct? How do you decouple your torps?

[SievertChaser]

Ever tried not storing your armaments with their fuses armed? Or set the sensors not to react to Small Ships?

Start timer on release. Timer shuts down the artificial mass (because otherwise gravity shields would deflect those rounds) and arms the proximity fuse (Sensor).

[SievertChaser]

@Moff: I can see the Grinders. And the ship is immobile.

It was even explained to you - they're using Reactor-powered torps, so they put conveyor lines to them.

[a_rhizome]

Ok, I got it about the grinders.

And the whole missile-fuse-warhead-sensor thing is still in the brainstorming phase while I work on other stuff.