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Nerv-only SSTO


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This challenge is simple. Just make a SSTO which can reach safe LKO without any engine other than the NERV.

The rule is simple as well: No cheat menu, no kraken drive, no other kinds of cheating

Post appropriate screenshots to confirm the launch.

EDIT: As it seems that it's certainly possible, I'd add a scoring system: Lowest Mass Wins.

 

Leaderboard>

I. SSTO - only have to reach orbit

 1. 10.87t, @Reusables.

II. SSTO - flies back to home intact

Edited by Reusables
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Hmmmm. I don't know if this has been conclusively proven impossible, but AFAIK it has never been proven possible. An infinitely large LV-N-powered-plane has only 3900 m/s of dV, starting from sea level, though the amount of remaining dV climbs as the engine efficiency increases. However, this doesn't factor in allowance for lift or TWR at all. 

If someone can do it, more power to them!

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2 hours ago, Laie said:

IIRC, @AeroGav his entry for nukes to orbit was an SSTO. Or was it?

You mean this?

 

But here the wheels are detached.

 

Besides, I didn't know KSP's lousy & dumb physics engine could give limit to a small low part count plane. Found kraken trying with just 2 pair of wings. Wow.

Edited by Reusables
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K man, i'll get right to it. It seems incredibly hard though. I'll post back later tonight or tomorrow.

EDIT- Lol nope. I got one to 20km high, but accidentally flipped it. It didn't have enough delta-v though to get to orbit. I am also too lazy to redo it because it takes 10 minutes and time warp screws everything up.

Edited by Aiden.J
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Oh... so I'm the first one to complete this challenge... =P

https://imgur.com/a/oUeOF

CXzy4Ro.png

1b0ev4N.png

N2WZcDw.png

ZflhMcP.png

I used command chair, so I had to mount a command pod and blow it off before flying the craft. I think this is acceptable. isn't it?

Got to the end of the runway, and maintained the speed of 80m/s till altitude of 1~2km. Roughly followed prograde after that. (Pitch slightly down when it's losing speed)

This one has about 220m/s on orbit, so the margin is actually good enough.

I forgot the photo for the earlier ascent part. Instead, here's the craft file, you can try it to confirm it.

Big-S wing strake was right! (And I'm sad that my propellers were worthless =/)

EDIT: Here's how it flies. Lies before the above album.

Now I'd like to see a Nerv SSTO which can land!

Edited by Reusables
Imgur Album not showing up
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9 hours ago, Reusables said:

Oh... so I'm the first one to complete this challenge... =P

https://imgur.com/a/oUeOF

CXzy4Ro.png

1b0ev4N.png

N2WZcDw.png

ZflhMcP.png

I used command chair, so I had to mount a command pod and blow it off before flying the craft. I think this is acceptable. isn't it?

Got to the end of the runway, and maintained the speed of 80m/s till altitude of 1~2km. Roughly followed prograde after that. (Pitch slightly down when it's losing speed)

This one has about 220m/s on orbit, so the margin is actually good enough.

I forgot the photo for the earlier ascent part. Instead, here's the craft file, you can try it to confirm it.

Big-S wing strake was right! (And I'm sad that my propellers were worthless =/)

EDIT: Here's how it flies. Lies before the above album.

Now I'd like to see a Nerv SSTO which can land!

That's amazing.

 

I wasted a lot of time yesterday trying (Again) to do this. Thought it was impossible.

I will disassemble and reverse your craft for sure.

The extra command pod isn't part of the SSTO. Proof of that is that the SSTO can be loaded to the runway and a Kerbal can go to it from the launch pad in a rover.

Same difference.

 

ME

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On 2018. 1. 28. at 10:36 AM, Aiden.J said:

K man, i'll get right to it. It seems incredibly hard though. I'll post back later tonight or tomorrow.

EDIT- Lol nope. I got one to 20km high, but accidentally flipped it. It didn't have enough delta-v though to get to orbit. I am also too lazy to redo it because it takes 10 minutes and time warp screws everything up.

Oh. I know that pain... :0.0: I used to flip tons of my planes for challenges as well.

Maybe you have too much dry mass? It didn't take as much time as 10 minutes for me - at least time warp could be used. Try wet wings, and shave off everything unneeded.

11 hours ago, Martian Emigrant said:

That's amazing.

 

I wasted a lot of time yesterday trying (Again) to do this. Thought it was impossible.

I will disassemble and reverse your craft for sure.

The extra command pod isn't part of the SSTO. Proof of that is that the SSTO can be loaded to the runway and a Kerbal can go to it from the launch pad in a rover.

Same difference.

 

ME

I see. Thanks!

11 hours ago, sevenperforce said:

@Reusables

Wow.

Just wow.

I think you may be the first person to have ever done that.

Thanks. I didn't know I was the first one to make a SSTO only with Nerv engine.

Still, I just got one step ahead from where @AeroGav had been - he only detached the wheels.

Edited by Reusables
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  • 1 month later...
On 28/01/2018 at 4:19 AM, Reusables said:

Oh... so I'm the first one to complete this challenge... =P

https://imgur.com/a/oUeOF

CXzy4Ro.png

1b0ev4N.png

N2WZcDw.png

ZflhMcP.png

I used command chair, so I had to mount a command pod and blow it off before flying the craft. I think this is acceptable. isn't it?

Got to the end of the runway, and maintained the speed of 80m/s till altitude of 1~2km. Roughly followed prograde after that. (Pitch slightly down when it's losing speed)

This one has about 220m/s on orbit, so the margin is actually good enough.

I forgot the photo for the earlier ascent part. Instead, here's the craft file, you can try it to confirm it.

Big-S wing strake was right! (And I'm sad that my propellers were worthless =/)

EDIT: Here's how it flies. Lies before the above album.

Now I'd like to see a Nerv SSTO which can land!

Is there any reason why this could not re-enter and land?  Well, apart from the fixed landing gear melting and falling off.  Would a water landing next to the space centre count?    Or maybe upgrade to the smallest retractables?

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On 3/11/2018 at 5:22 PM, AeroGav said:

Well, apart from the fixed landing gear melting and falling off. 

Actually... if he flipped the plane over it might not melt the landing gear....

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On 2018. 3. 12. at 6:22 AM, AeroGav said:

Is there any reason why this could not re-enter and land?  Well, apart from the fixed landing gear melting and falling off.  Would a water landing next to the space centre count?    Or maybe upgrade to the smallest retractables?

Oh, water landing. I didn't think of it - I'll say, it doesn't count.

It can reenter safely, as the heat has the same effect on the ascent and descent. The thing is, the small wheels are flimsy at best. Maybe upgrading it couls solve that, but not with the same vehicle - the dry mass takes over in the case.

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19 hours ago, Reusables said:

Oh, water landing. I didn't think of it - I'll say, it doesn't count.

It can reenter safely, as the heat has the same effect on the ascent and descent. The thing is, the small wheels are flimsy at best. Maybe upgrading it couls solve that, but not with the same vehicle - the dry mass takes over in the case.

With a 3 ton nerv would the few kg of the smallest retractable gear really cut your delta V that much ?  You'd get less drag too?

Have you actually tried landing it with empty tanks?    Unless it has horrible flight characteristics, I don't see the problem.     If it can take off at 75 m/s without breaking the gear,  surely it can land empty at half the mass (or less) at probably not much more than 30, m/s?

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On 2018. 3. 22. at 5:58 AM, AeroGav said:

With a 3 ton nerv would the few kg of the smallest retractable gear really cut your delta V that much ?  You'd get less drag too?

Have you actually tried landing it with empty tanks?    Unless it has horrible flight characteristics, I don't see the problem.     If it can take off at 75 m/s without breaking the gear,  surely it can land empty at half the mass (or less) at probably not much more than 30, m/s?

Hmm.. okay, I'll admit I never tried the landing. Sorry for being lazy.

I'll try it when I get to the computer.

Edited by Reusables
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