Ugh Spaceplanes

[hunter558]

So i\'ve been quite interested in using spaceplanes lately but have had the hardest time getting half of them to get off the ground and stabilize, let alone fly anywhere. I\'ve successfully made a few simple designs that can only fly across the ocean to the next continent from the runway and land but cant make orbit using anything but rocket thrusters which is still hard to do. Its just too hard for me to add fuel and thrusters without the thing being too heavy to make it off the ground or just flipping around in air. I dont have any pics to share because i have yet to design a comprehensive plane.

I also heard that the games engine isnt yet equipped to deal with spaceplane physics so that maybe why its so hard to make anything that works. I just wanted to know what people have to say about designing and working spaceplanes without too much of a hassle.

[GoodGuy]

Did you forget to add ailerons?

[PeriapsisPrograde]

Universal Grappling Hook (UGH) equipped spaceplanes are currently not possible in KSP.

[vexx32]

The most important thing with spaceplanes is balance. If they\'re too nose-heavy, they won\'t takeoff. If they\'re too tail-heavy, they\'ll want to climb too much. Either can get you killed. Also, make sure you have enough thrust to balance out the weight (at least!) but preferably more; you don\'t want to be relying entirely on lift from the wings.

It\'s often better to set the wheels so the the nose will be pointed slightly up on the runway to assist takeoff.

If you need assistance with designs, post them or look around the Exchange for some designs to get ideas from.