Thorsten wrote in Tue Jul 19, 2016 9:19 am:and I've "defined" the properties of the necessary science-fiction technology: energy generators, thrusters, and artificial gravitation. The physics will be completely different from Oolite and much more realistic
Well, in case this is to run on JSBSim and you just invent the technology bits and not re-design the physics problem.
That's what I'm hoping for! I haven't thought too much about it yet, but thrusters will have thrust in a certain direction and measured in kN. Like a jet engine, but without fuel consumption and without any dependencies from speed, air temperature and density. This should be no problem with JSBSim, as far as I've seen. The ship will have well defined dimensions, a mass and a centre of mass, and it will have air resistance. Btw: Has somebody created something like a virtual wind tunnel where you can test 3D models? If not, I'll have to guess reasonable values.
Maneuvering will be done by small thrusters, so again we have no "strange" physics. Antigravity sounds more difficult, but I think I can define it as a vertical thruster with thrust depending on gravity field strength and the angle between the vertical ship axis and the gravity field lines. This is a relatively simple calculation with sine or cosine, so it shouldn't be a problem either - the result is a lifting force in kN. As you say, science-fiction is only hidden inside the technology bits, but the effects are real physics.
For instance, there's the orbital elements computation which converts current state vector to orbital elements, there's the attitude and pointing code which converts body vectors to LVLH, FG world and inertial coordinate systems and gives you for instance inertial yaw/pitch/roll rather than Earth-relative, there's Nasal routines to convert state vectors to orbital elements and back,...
I don't think I'll need orbital calculations at the beginning ,because in reality
this ship would just rise out of the atmosphere at a slow speed (compared to orbital velocities), and when the air density is low enough (perhaps in around 200 km altitude?), the hyperspace drive would be engaged. When arriving at a planet, it would jump (or warp?) to a position at about the same altitude, cancel out the gravity and slowly descend into the atmosphere - no heat shield needed. This is what most science-fiction ships seem to do, and this is what an Elite or Oolite ship would do if it could land.
But of course a ship like the one I'm planning could reach orbital speeds, and it could even make voyages to Moon or Mars without hyperspace drives in reasonable time scales. It's big advantage over real space ships is that it isn't limited by fuel quantities and Tsiolkovsky's rocket equation, so it can accelerate for hours and days.
Basically most of the nasty problems have been solved, so you should be able to get a running avionics for operating your ship in Earth orbit and the atmosphere easily. Let me know if you need some pointers with spaceflight, I suppose I have made most mistakes by now
Perhaps I'll get back to you some day, but as I said, this project will probably take months, if not years, because I first have to learn making 3D models, instruments, a FDM, and reasonably complex systems (I like to have a complex start-up procedure!). I'll be happy if I can lift off, fly at aircraft altitudes, and land without damaging something. Getting into orbit will probably the last thing I'll try - the Python is a big heavy freighter, and I don't think it will accelerate at much more than about 1 m/s²...