NoobTool's Modestly Proportioned and Perfectly Reasonable Spaceplane Emporium

[NoobTool]

 

"No, You're Compensating for something!!"

Below is a brief compilation of perfectly practical and reasonably-sized spaceplanes for the pragmatic, utilitarian buyer.

 

Czar Galactica Mk5

https://kerbalx.com/NoobTool/Czar-Galactica-Mk-5

Itself the culmination of a design series whose every successive iteration represented a significant leap forward in terms of design and performance, the Mk5 set the standard for all subsequent spaceplanes to roll out of NoobTool design studios.

Though not without it's shortcomings, the Czar Galactica Mk5 is a sober, practical, and able spaceplane, capable of modest payloads to LKO in the 500 ton range. With lighter payloads, she's more than able to reach interplanetary destinations especially if In-situ refueling is utilized.

She does suffer from balance issues owing to the bulk of the engines being situated so far aft. Even with active management of CoM and CoL with fuel transfers and deployable control surfaces, atmospheric re-entries with low fuel/cargo loads require a relatively low AoA to avoid stalls and spins. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Osiris

Because her successor was released before testing was complete, Osiris was never released to the public (and not on Kerbalx). An early attempt to overcome the limitations of the Mk3 cargo bay, the Osiris is a competent lifter in her own right, roughly mirroring the maximum payload capacity of the Czar Galactica Mk5. She suffers from many of the same balance issues as the aforementioned craft, but still makes a great addition to any moderately-proportioned spaceplane fleet. While passenger space is practically nonexistent, she does come standard with a full complement of mining/refining gear in the ventral opening cargo bay. 

 

 

Oso Grande

https://kerbalx.com/NoobTool/Oso-Grande

The spiritual successor to the Czar Galactica series, the Oso Grande alleviates many of the balance issues that design series suffered from by moving the primary lifting surfaces and the bulk of the engines closer to the center of mass. The improved aerodynamics have allowed for increased cargo volume and payload capacity. 

 

 

Loggerhead

https://kerbalx.com/NoobTool/Loggerhead

Building on lessons learned from the Oso Grande, the Loggerhead is again an attempt to rectify the balance issues suffered by her predecessor. The Loggerhead represents a significant improvement over the Osiris. Part placement was planned to allow for the fuel load to be easily reconfigured to meet specific mission requirements. All of the Mk3 fuel fuselages can be swapped for LF+O with only a few node snaps. This allows for longer-range interplanetary missions with lighter payloads, or payloads in the 600+ton range to LKO when fitted with more oxidizer, making the Loggerhead the heaviest lifter currently in the showroom.

 

 

The payload adapter can also be modified to allow for more imaginative payloads.