kerbal SSTO program!

[EndTraveler]

you know how difficult it is to launch an ssto? well, try running an entire career game like that! your goal is to design reliable ssto planes to fly into the cosmos! you can cheat for science to unlock aviation first. NOTE: if wanted, post ssto crafts here!

[MostExcellent]

An SSTO challenge could be fun

Are there rules? A scoring system? Refer to the challenge submission guide

Edited April 18, 2018 by MostExcellent

[EndTraveler]

this is rather falling under the mission ideas part of "challenges and mission ideas".

[AeroGav]

I've played career games this way, but with standard difficulty it is harder to get tech than to get funds,  and what funds are required are mostly spent on upgrading facilities than on vehicles.    For any given mission, it requires a larger (more facilities) or higher tech vehicle to accomplish with re-use rather than 100% disposability.   Plus, landing all those re-usable craft eventually becomes a chore in itself.

 

Suggest you create a custom difficulty game and Lower Funds Rewards to 30%,  as well as Funds penalties to 30%, then give yourself just enough starting tech to unlock aviation.

Lowering Funds Penalties reduces cost of building upgrades , so they are no longer the major expense , and cuts down the grind.   However lowering Funds Rewards means you get less money per contract and have to shoot for 100% re-use on most flights if your space program is to be profitable.

As for the airplanes I use :

Juno / Terrier

 

https://kerbalx.com/AeroGav/Juno-basic-ssto

4 junos and a terrier, just gets to orbit with tight margins.

Panther / Terrier

Still rubbish payload fraction, but a lot less sweaty.

Simple 30 part low orbit tourist ship  

https://kerbalx.com/AeroGav/Basic-Tourist-SSTO

Something that can actually tow station components to orbit behind itself (no cargo bay)

https://kerbalx.com/AeroGav/Aero-Tug-1

Panther and Poodle, self launching science lab - https://kerbalx.com/AeroGav/lowtec-flylab2

 

Panther / N.E.R.V

 

Now you're in business.   Worthwhile performance possible.

Here's the basic Voodoo Ray   https://kerbalx.com/AeroGav/Voodoo-Ray     possibly able to put flags on Minmus,  it will certainly do Munar flybys with ease.    It is very stable aerodynamically and can be flown by non-pilot Kerbals.

Here's a stretch version of the above, with larger wings and fuel tanks.   A bit slower getting to orbit but enough fuel to get you to the Mun surface and back.

https://kerbalx.com/AeroGav/Stretch-Ray

I

To reduce drag and to make the lower TWR easier to manage,  the wings and control surfaces are angled such that you just use Prograde Hold in Surface mode for the flight to orbit,  minor adjustments to climb rate can be accomplished by action groups 1-3 which deploy nose/up down trim flaps.   Whilst none of the parts are higher tech than the basic Ray,  it requires a trained pilot for the Prograde hold mode and that your Hangar supports custom action groups.    The longer wingspan may not be launchable on the basic runway either.

The final Panther/NERV jet is this dinky little mk2 with a small cargo bay.    Can deploy small satellites but with an auxilliary fuel tank,  could also get you to the surface of Minmus pretty easy (then drive it as a rocket rover over multiple biomes to max your tech tree)

https://kerbalx.com/AeroGav/Firefox-I

 

Whiplash / DART / N.E.R.V

 

The NERV is a 500 tech point part, and overall i can do more with a Panther/ nerv than  i can with a Whiplash/Terrier.   But If you have both 500 tech nodes,  you can make something nice like this -  https://kerbalx.com/AeroGav/X949-Xanadu-B

 

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by AeroGav