Ajiko

Seems interesting, but what the conclusions? Seems Skipper+Poodle pair must have top cost efficiency for LfOx rockets stages, right?

Test my new SSTO for roofs landing capabilities. Accidentally did it on Baikerbonur too, after descent from low orbit. Have someone ever been on Baikerbonur VAB roof?

About rotation stabilization they know EVERYTHING.

My congratulations on the International Day Of Human Spaceflight, guys! It's a good day to drink a bit, and maybe launch something to Kerbal orbit.

Soyuz in fact painted in green-orange, it isn't a mistake. White color of them, that you can see on launches videos and photos - it's the ice on the oxydizer tanks with liquid oxygen. Ice freezes on them from atmosphere, when Soyuz sets up to launchpad and prepares to launch.

I have an ultimate solution of SPACE-bar problem. SPACE-planes doesn't worry about SPACE-bar.

Surface, of course. And this isn't the flameout speed, I actually never trace on which speed they flameouts on my crafts, 1500+ approximately, I think, usually on flameout speeds rocket engines already works, so it doesn't matter for me. It's the speed that I use as the signal to turn on rocket engines. You must understand - that 200 m/s isn't an "dV bonus for using Rapiers", by much reasons. On the same spaceplane fuel fraction - Rapiers already fires more than 200 m/s thanks to their low Isp, while you reach 1600 m/s velocity.

You are mistaken, 1450-1470 can be reached with Whiplashes easily, it depends from aerodinamics and flight profile. I think it needed to reconsider some common beliefs about spaceplanes effectiveness. Payload mass - means nothing (I think, you understand why). Payload fraction - means nothing (deliver 30% payload fraction to orbit with start wet mass of 30t much more heavy, than even task on 300t-wet-mass-monster, at first because for 300t monster you can did proper engines configuration). Next thing a bit heretical - "LKO dV" means nothing (at this point some peoples pull out their rotten eggs for me, I know). I think its better to use for spaceplanes more universal efficiency marker - ratio between LKO dV and craft fuel mass fraction ((LKO dV) / (craft fuel mass fraction)). It removes the difference in the graduation between cargo-sstos and passenger-sstos for example, for heavy-sstos and lightweight "birds". Try to graduate your crafts by this indicator. Maybe you find something interesting?

Any spaceplane needs proper engines configuration for better performancy, and elaborated flight profile. Rapiers is a good choice for lightweight spaceplanes (less than 20t wet mass, or something), for good drag-optimized spaceplanes, and good for combination with another engines.

Whats a million-ker$ question. You forget what besides to be a simple and reengageable - hinge also must be light, kraken-free, and have the low part count. It's one of the reasons why I construct SSTO-VTOL's for low orbital flights only. But, is it really required to? After you reaches stable orbit - I found no obstacles to refuel SSTO through the orbital infrastructure. I mean, it isn't a separate goal, it just the one way to increase dV reserves. The point, which I seems to be more important for comfort-to-fly VTOL-SSTO - maybe Minmus, with landing (vertical landing, of course ), and I think it's achieveable.

Ok, guys, I did something especial for you. After the years of hard work - ummm, ok, months of hard work - I presented the "Fidget". It doesn't a spaceplane which broken dV barriers, which can fly to the Eeloo, or did something similar. No, it's a workhorse. Cabotage ship, to orbit and back. But - with style, comfort, and without any recovery. Just refuel it, and fly to orbit again. Characteristics Ship class Spaceplane Wet mass 31 494 kg Dry mass 19 994 kg Part count 73 Cost 79 807 ker$ Engines 2 JX-4 Whiplash 3 J-404 Panther 1 T-1 Aerospike Dart 1 LV-N Nerv Fuel mass fraction: 36.5% Crew 1 pilot, 2 passengers Max atmo speed on ramjets 1450 m/s For vertical takeoff and landing used a group of Panther's, no LFOx engines. Transfer of center of mass close to zero for all flight time. Powerful RCS, reaction wheel, and good classic aerodinamic scheme did it stable on reentry, stable on vertical takeoff and landing and highly maneuverable (for spaceplane, I mean). dV reserves on orbit - 150-200 m/s for Aerospike, plus 500-700 m/s for LV-N, so it more than enough to reach space station on low orbit, docks with it, and returns to Kerbin with good Lf (and Ox) reserve to vertical landing. Runway doesn't needed more. Of course, its pure stock. Some more pictures: Full album: Download craft from KerbalX: https://kerbalx.com/Ajiko/TA-28VN-Fidget Flight profile and some notifications on the page of craft on KerbalX.

With all of this aerodynamic surfaces, which produces drag too - it looks close to impossible. Unfortunately, wings generates drag (and lift) even under the fairing.

So, maybe also separate airlock? Without crew containment functionality, just hatchway, exit door for kerbals, which you can attach on surfaces where you need to.

Fairings excluded from staging, everything will be OK I think I will write some instructions how to control it, on KerbalX craft page, after some more testing, Maybe tuning. Forgot what fuell cells needed Ox, need small LfOx tank, for example.

Finally I did it. After two days which I spent in the fight with KSP's buyoancy model, it finally works. Hard to control, have some unexpected features, but works. Controlled by ballast transfer: Have an ore drillers and converter, so you can be totally autonomous for unlimited time. Also, solar panels duplicated by fuell cells array. And of course, no mods, stock only parts. Launching system included. Download from KerbalX: https://kerbalx.com/Ajiko/Little-Submarine