Jump to content

XR-1, Orbit capable VTO-craft


Recommended Posts

Hello,

I want to share my new craft, a VTO-Orbiter.

As you can see in the Screenshots, the craft is build in the spaceplane hangar and launched from the runway. The first stage engages the 8 Atmospheric engines, while the second stage fires 8 solid boosters, which are enough to lift the craft into the air. It is possible to take-off pure vertically, but i suggest getting a little bit of forward velocity for better stability. Once airborne, the craft very stable, as long as you don\'t enter oscillations. In that case, it is likely that one wing will break off.

For jettisoning the boosters you got 2 options: Dropping them when they are burned out, with a huge possibility for them to hit the craft and destroy it, or jettison them before they burn out, so that they eject upwards and are out of the way. I suggest the 2nd option, although it comes with the remote possibility of the boosters hitting each other and destroying the craft in the process.

In case something unexpected happens, there is alway the possiblity to disconnect the cockpit and let it descent on a parachute to save your Kerbals, which works sometimes.

After that, it will fly like a plane, can accelerate with over 70° of climb and has some maneuverabilty. For orbit, just go to 75° climb and hold it there. In the lower atmosphere it is best to leave the ASAS off. Once you are about 14-16k high, fire up the rocket engine, get a almost vertical climb going, disable the air breathing engines, and you are good to go for an orbit.

I got into an 500*500km orbit with a little more than 7 fuel tanks, leaving me with almost 3 tanks for deorbiting.

Reentry can be a bit tricky, but if you got the craft to stop spinning, it is actually able to land.

Please feel free to comment, suggest improvements, download and edit the craft.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...