Most efficient plane change for highly elliptical orbits

[LambdaCactus]

I'm thinking of an orbit such as when transferring from Kerbin down to Moho. When the destination at Moho is below the solar plane, what's the best way to transfer there?

In a circular orbit, it's easy to think of plane changes as "twisting" around a line from the craft to the planet's center of mass, and the same happens in an elliptical orbit: If I add some "North" component to my ejection velocity at Kerbin (the apoapsis of my transfer orbit), then the plane of the transfer orbit will be inclined through the Kerbin-Sun line: the craft makes a rising arc above the solar plane as it falls towards Moho, but the periapsis will just be back on the solar plane again.

Yes, I could look for a launch opportunity when Kerbin is lined up with Moho's ascending/descending nodes and do that. But let's say I launch 90° from there.

In other words, the Kerbin-Moho transfer apoapsis needs to end up really far north of Kerbin, in order to get aligned with Moho's orbital plane. I'm guessing this requires more than one impulse?

Edited September 24, 2012 by LambdaCactus

[QuantumFlux]

As long as your initial burn point is not aligned with the ascending/descending node you will most likely need at least two burns, yea.

[Excalibur]

Using Moho as an example:

I wait until Kerbin is on the exact opposite side of the Sun to Moho's apoapsis. I then launch and perform my injection burn, bringing my solar periapsis down to that of Moho's Ap. Once that is done my solar Ap is usually slightly in front of Kerbin, so I warp to that point. I then burn either north or south to give my orbit basically the same inclination (barring the fact that my Pe may well be above/below Moho's Ap). Then exactly half-way between my Ap and Pe I burn either north or south again to ensure my Pe matches with Moho's Ap. You're then in the same inclination as Moho. You'll probably then have to burn again at Pe, either retrograde or prograde to change your orbital period, thus allowing you to catch up or be caught up by Moho.

I'm sure it's not the most fuel efficient way of getting there, and takes longer than a direct injection (as you'll make two solar orbits) but I find it the easiest way to get there using only the Mk1 Eyeball.

Hope you can understand my method, as I find it rather hard to concisely describe in writing.

Here's a gallery link that may help explain it better.

EDIT: I know you requested the most efficient transfer but unfortunately my grasp of the maths involved isn't good enough. Notice the MET and how I end up rendezvousing with Moho on my second solar orbit.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Excalibur