Nuclear Comet SSTO - The best way to get to orbit in 1.0.2

[Roflcopterkklol]

Edit:

Thanks guys for 100 downloads in a day! by far my most popular craft on the exchange to date

Well seen as i am going to have to live with these aerodynamics i decided to abuse them, Presenting

The Nuclear Comet mk1

120kmx120km orbit remaining resources

Low alt flight

Description:

Cost: 216,566

Part count: 243

Weight: 126.2T

Quite maneuverable in the atmosphere and capable of 1,000,000km+ orbits (More if you add more fuel in the cargo bay, less if you put a load in the craft other than spare fuel) the Nuclear Comet is about as good as it can get when it comes to single stage to orbit, With a choice of Nuclear or Rapier engines depending on how far out you need to go, once refueled this craft is an interplanetary explorer.

As an added bonus there are emergency parachutes for easy landing.

Flight instructions:

On launch it is easiest to just let it fly off the end of the run way before touching the controls, once in the air pitch up to 40 degrees until 12km.

At 12km bring the pitch down to 5 degree and gain speed until 1200m/s, at 1200m/s pitch up to 30 degree until orbit, at 22km engage nuclear engines, at 24km switch rapier engine mode. once apoaps is at 100km you can kill the Rapier engines and use the nukes to orbit.

If returning to kerbin after orbiting without refueling you will need to move fuel into the forward most fuel tanks for stability.

Action groups:

1- Toggle Rapiers

2- Toggle Rapier mode

3- Toggle turbo jets

4- Toggle Nuclear engines

5- Toggle solar panels

Download link:

http://www./download/9q7m4i8s3ymdit5/Nuclear+Comet+mk1.craft

40 degree pitch on launch

Gain speed up to 1000+m/s before pitching up for orbital maneuver

As a tip, if you add more solar panels this = more radiators for the craft.

And i stopped my joiurney after docking with my refueling station

Edited May 6, 2015 by Roflcopterkklol

[eddiew]

Lol, wow, that's certainly different For some reason I feel like it should have a fighter escort...

[Jakalth]

Ok, now that is a NICE way to abuse the aerodynamics. Heh. Would make an interesting blockade breaker.

[Gmack85]

Dang dude. Functional AND good looking! (Now if only I could find a girl like that... lol)

[DanDeg380]

Now this I have to try! Great work!

[Roflcopterkklol]

Thanks guys glad use like it, im currently working on making a VTOL version of this craft so it can land on bodies without an atmopsphere

[Windspren]

1,000,000 km? I'm pretty sure that's out of Kerbin's SOI...

[Roflcopterkklol]

1,000,000 km? I'm pretty sure that's out of Kerbin's SOI...

Honestly it will go a lot further than 1,000,000km, it has 1000m/s of delta v at a 100km orbit

[Roflcopterkklol]

Well i have the VTOL version of this craft working, just doing final testing, i will release it and my refueling station tomorrow

Still need to actually land it, game froze just as i intercepted the mun and for some reason my quick save did not work i shall try again tomorrow.

[panzer1b]

Not bad, and i have to say its a nice change from the usual SSTo style. That said, the part count is rather insane, or at least insane for my tastes.

It also weighs as much as 2 of my frigate class capital ships. Heck, this thing actually looks like a capital ship, maybee ill use it as target practice, or give it to the pirate faction i have orbiting minmus to use (and get shot up lateron).

[Roflcopterkklol]

Not bad, and i have to say its a nice change from the usual SSTo style. That said, the part count is rather insane, or at least insane for my tastes.

It also weighs as much as 2 of my frigate class capital ships. Heck, this thing actually looks like a capital ship, maybee ill use it as target practice, or give it to the pirate faction i have orbiting minmus to use (and get shot up lateron).

If you look inside you will find all the hidden weight and the extra 120 or so parts haha, 1.0.2 allowed part clipping to be viable again so i went crazy.

And enjoy yourself haha sounds like you have some fun things going on in your game atm

Edited May 5, 2015 by Roflcopterkklol

[SHiftER2O]

Cheesus hot dogs xD

[Roflcopterkklol]

Wanted to say thanks for 100 downloads in a day, this is by far my most popular craft ever.

[xtoro]

Very stylish! Although I don't think I can agree that its the best, even though its the most downloaded. There are several ships posted that orbit with more payload and more dv in orbit. Mine carries 6t with 3600dv remaining, but I'm still tweaking it, and it only weighs 60t... But major bonus points for good looks!

[Othuyeg]

You could add an ion engine there. It would be an extremely efficient way of tweaking orbits for rendezvous etc.

[michaelvf]

Landing was easy..... I landed like this with hardly any effort

http://i.imgur.com/c2xeYpC.jpg

[scharlesc]

It won't go faster than around 65m/s and I can't get it to gain enough speed for flight.

Edited May 11, 2015 by scharlesc

[Roflcopterkklol]

It won't go faster than around 65m/s and I can't get it to gain enough speed for flight.

Are you using both the turbo jets and the rapiers?

they are bound to different action groups, it normally gets to around 180m/s by the end of the runway

[scharlesc]

Are you using both the turbo jets and the rapiers?

they are bound to different action groups, it normally gets to around 180m/s by the end of the runway

Thanks for responding. I resolved the issue it had to do with real parachute. I noticed the parachute action group would disappear when I moved it to the runway and I had a sneaking suspicion the parachutes were deployed though they could not be seen because of some bug with real parachute. I removed real parachutes as a mod and the action group would remain visible and I was able to take off since they were not deployed.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for responding. I resolved the issue it had to do with real parachute. I noticed the parachute action group would disappear when I moved it to the runway and I had a sneaking suspicion the parachutes were deployed though they could not be seen because of some bug with real parachute. I removed real parachutes as a mod and the action group would remain visible and I was able to take off since they were not deployed.

I must have had a slightly out of date version of real parachute.

[Ulico]

I can't get this to 10 kilometers. I stay on the runway with the turbojets and rapiers and pitch up to 40 degrees with about 180 m/s. But from that point, I can't keep accelerating. I peek out at about 6k. Help!

[Val]

I can't get this to 10 kilometers. I stay on the runway with the turbojets and rapiers and pitch up to 40 degrees with about 180 m/s. But from that point, I can't keep accelerating. I peek out at about 6k. Help!

Try accelerating to 3-400 m/s at sea level, before pitching up. And don't pitch up more than 25 degrees.