Vector36: Skimmer Engineering

Overview

This Guide is intended to provide an indepth look at designing skimmers in Vector36, and how simple choices impact the handling of yoru craft.

Introduction

“Skimmer Engineering” part of a series of guides intended to provide new pilots with a path to mastery.
guide updated 4/9/19, V36 version: 1.5
This Guide is intended to illustrate important concepts that will help you be more successful with your personal engineering efforts.

If you’d like to see skimmer designs from other players, beat their replay time on the leaderboard and then purchase their skimmer from your custom shop.

If anything I have here doesn’t ring true, please let me know in the comments and I will correct it.

TLDR; Best Practices

• Don’t be any heavier than your League requires.
• Anchor your Lift Vectors above your center of mass for less body roll.

Minimum Mass per League

Skimmers fall into one of 5 Leagues based on their mass and power. For optimal performance a skimmer should have the lowest mass possible with a given Diverter to qualify for a League.

The Diverter is your engine. It supplies all the power that gets used for your components, and divided between your Lift Vectors and Thruster.

League Qualifiers are based on the function 2(Power)/Mass.

If any of the values above turn out to be inaccurate, please let me know in the comments.

Skimmer Chassis Details

The chassis types available in Vector36 have unique qualities that are not readily apparent.

Nanowave Entrapod

Mass: 1500 Kg

• The low center of gravity makes this chassis remarkably stable.
• If you aren’t precise with your positioning of internal components, the craft could be imbalanced.

Phi90 Hopper

Mass: 900 Kg
Notes

• The narrow, short frame puts the Lift Vectors closer to the center of mass, making the craft a little less responsive.

Quill RS-800

Mass: 585 Kg
Notes

• The quill has the lightest frame available, and the most popular.
• The flat, round shape gives plenty of distance between your lift vectors and the center of mass, helping the craft to be more responsive.

GK Kissaki

(TO DO: Fix Image)
Mass: 900 Kg
Notes

• The long, thin shape of this chassis makes it prone to over steer if components are imbalanced.
• The cockpit for this craft is the lightest in the game, making it a must-have for Nanite-League races.

Hammerhead

(TO DO: Fix Image)
Mass: TO DO Kg
Notes

• TO DO

Component Descriptions

Before you modify your skimmer, you should know exactly what you can expect from the choices you make.

The most significant difference between the cockpits is weight and Multi-Function-Display (MFD) Slots. If you’re slightly too heavy to qualify for your target league, check whether there’s a lighter cockpit available. You can only own cockpits by purchasing other entire skimmers.

The Main Thrust Vector directs energy from the Diverter into forward motion. If mounted at a small angle, it will also push the nose of your craft up or down. Be aware of your Main Thruster’s ‘Max Power’ attribute. If you’re using a Diverter that’s too powerful and your Bias is set too high, you can cause the Main Thrust Vector to spark out, causing temporary loss of speed.

The Lift Vectors direct energy from the Diverter into ‘Magnetic Grapplers’ that provide lift and control for your skimmer. If you are too far from the surface, your Lift Vectors will become ineffective and craft handling will suffer. Be aware of your Lift Vectors’ ‘Max Power’ attribute. If you’re using a Diverter that’s too powerful and your Bias is set too low, you can cause the Lift Vectors to spark out, causing temporary loss of control.

The Radiators are used to dissipate heat generated by the other components on the craft. You can have multiple radiators on your craft. If you can provide ample cooling to your craft, you can maintain boost continuously until fuel runs out. While multiple Radiators keep temperatures down, they incure more weight.

The gyroscope reduces body roll and pitch on your skimmer. The help text suggests that stronger gyroscopes reduce the responsiveness of your craft, but differences in handling can be overcome with practice.

The Reactor is just your fuel tank. The most significant difference between reactors is the fuel capacity and mass. All reactors have enough fuel to get you through a ‘normal’ 2 lap race while permaboosting, so choose a reactor with the most appropriate mass to get your craft into the desired League. Each reactor has a unique “Purge” effect, that acts as an obstacle for opponents, use it wisely.

The Diverter can be considered the engine for your skimmer. This is the most significant single component for determining your craft’s handling and League. Consult the Leagues table above to choose the most appropriate Diverter for your craft’s desired League.

The ECU allows you to perform advanced tuning for many of your craft’s components. There is only one ECU in the game, so this isn’t really a matter of choice. More ECU’s may become available over time to satisfy different controller scenerios.

Component Positioning

The way you arrange the components on your skimmer has a profound impact on the handling of your craft.

• Adding components to your chassis will effect the weight and balance of the craft.
• Internal Component mass is applied to the skimmer at the point where they are anchored.
• External Component mass is applied to the skimmer at their center of gravity regardless of rotation.

• The further your Lift Vector is from your center of mass, the more force it will exert on your craft.
• If you anchor them ABOVE your center of mass, your craft will resist roll.
• If you anchor them in line with your center of mass, your craft will be more responsive.
• If you anchor them BELOW your center of mass, your craft will handle like a garbage truck.
• If you angle your Lift Vectors forward, they will act in opposition to your Main Thrust Vector.
• If your skimmer is balanced in idle, your lift vectors are correct. If you skimmer is balanced in thrust, your main angle is correct. (see below)

• Your main exerts a lot of power upon the center of gravity of your constructed skimmer. If your main is not manually aligned with your COG, you will experience upward or downward torque.
• Also take into consideration your external parts, and their COG’s effect on the skimmer.
• If you anchor this ABOVE the center of mass, and point the thrust vector upwards, you will exert…
• if you anchor this in-line with your center of mass and point the thrust vector upwards, you will exert a moderate upward tilt on the nose of the craft.
• If you anchor this BELOW your center of mass, and point the thrust vector upwards, you will exert considerable upward tilt on teh nose of the craft. Losing altitude may be difficult.
• The main thruster is capable of providing reverse thrust.

• Internal components like the Diverter, Reactor and Gyro can add significant weight to your skimmer. Keep this in mind, and try to position them to move your center of mass where it best suits your design.

Troubleshooting Common Design Problems

Skimmers in Vector36 can feel slow at times, especially if you’re not boosting or if you’re travelling at a high altitude. Try flying closer to the ground, and ensure you have enough cooling to use your boost all the time.

Your main thruster could be positioned too far below your center of mass, or pointed too far up. Try to position it right along the plane of the ecliptic, and give it a 1-2 degree angle.

If your craft is imbalanced (heavy components all in the back or front), your craft could be getting too much momentum during your turns, causing the front or back to whip around in response to input. Try positioning heavy components closer to the center of mass.

Is your craft handling poorly, and you don’t know why? Leave a comment in the Skimmer Construction discussion forum.