SSTOs! Post your pictures here~

[Korsakovski]

On 15.2.2017 at 1:55 PM, mystik said:

There is another way to go about this. If you are looking for extra capacity you can still get away with it pretty easily. You can just install rover seats in the science bay. I mean, I do it all the time, especially when I need to rescue a kerbal from space also. You can drop 2 drills and stick with 2 instead.

The lab is, in my opinion not necessary, as you can get away with a big antenna instead and carrying that big thing in space. Besides, assuming you do go places and gather science, the lab will be full in a matter of minutes, with lots of science remaining that won't fit anymore. This is why I think the lab is not that great to carry around. It should be a better idea to save the space and weight. You can keep the bay for customizable purposes (I am trying to figure out how to place a rover in it that if I turn it upside down and lower the plane while lifting the rover up on landing struts to dock. I have plans for the docking bay, but none with a lab. However, I don't mind seeing the inventiveness that you show so far, which keeps me in front of the editor for hours tweaking your design to somehow fit that rover that I have.

Went and tweaked a labless version with a passenger cabin. Upped the number of Big-S wings from 8 to 12 too and that seems to have had a significant effect. CoM/CoL while empty hasn't been checked yet, I just posted this right after finding out what kind of dV readings it will give after reaching 81km orbit. (A pleasant 3,6km/s dV)

https://kerbalx.com/Korsakovski/Fafnir-D14

http://imgur.com/a/ThhPT

[mystik]

11 hours ago, Korsakovski said:

Went and tweaked a labless version with a passenger cabin. Upped the number of Big-S wings from 8 to 12 too and that seems to have had a significant effect. CoM/CoL while empty hasn't been checked yet, I just posted this right after finding out what kind of dV readings it will give after reaching 81km orbit. (A pleasant 3,6km/s dV)

https://kerbalx.com/Korsakovski/Fafnir-D14

http://imgur.com/a/ThhPT

Wow, you really did it this time, that dv is crazy balls. Looks like a winner. this looks like the thing I've waited for. I already found a method of carrying my rover without having to worry about ramps. I switch the bay upside down, lower the plane, then raise the landing gears installed under the rover and presto, it docks and it's good to go. Look at it. I needs so little customization. I'm thinking to test it by landing on the Mun already to recover a crashed craft I have since my first landing. I abandoned it there because I had nothing capable or bringing it home, but this thing can surely bring it back. You've done great work with this project. Well done.

[Korsakovski]

59 minutes ago, mystik said:

Wow, you really did it this time, that dv is crazy balls. Looks like a winner. this looks like the thing I've waited for. I already found a method of carrying my rover without having to worry about ramps. I switch the bay upside down, lower the plane, then raise the landing gears installed under the rover and presto, it docks and it's good to go. Look at it. I needs so little customization. I'm thinking to test it by landing on the Mun already to recover a crashed craft I have since my first landing. I abandoned it there because I had nothing capable or bringing it home, but this thing can surely bring it back. You've done great work with this project. Well done.

Increasing wing surface seems to have done the trick. The Fafnir climbs way smoother than the Kraken.

Ofc this is still yet another unfinished prototype, forgot to add an upward pointing drone core for VTOL control and stuff (Using an upward pointing drone core as the control point when in VTOL mode seems to help, especially with retrograde hold.)

[mystik]

1 hour ago, Korsakovski said:

Increasing wing surface seems to have done the trick. The Fafnir climbs way smoother than the Kraken.

Ofc this is still yet another unfinished prototype, forgot to add an upward pointing drone core for VTOL control and stuff (Using an upward pointing drone core as the control point when in VTOL mode seems to help, especially with retrograde hold.)

Do you have to switch to it via control from here command? I saw that thing there, but I didn't know what the purpose was. You need a manual for this thing.

 

Also, how do you fly this one? Do you still have to go low or can you go with a more steep climb? I could not manage to fly the Kraken well, because at 30000 I usually pull up to 45 and blast full engines to escape the atmosphere as quick as possible, I have an SSTO that does this very well.

Edited February 17, 2017 by mystik

[eddiew]

Created one of the worst performing spaceplanes I've ever flown...

Not so bad on the going up, reaches orbit with ~1600m/s left, so enough to get to your local fuel depot, but... somehow I failed to notice that it has absolutely no pitch control. Didn't matter whether the fuel was pumped fore or aft, it simply can't get the nose up under 250m/s, even with all elevons set to 150%. Really, I should have foreseen this - long necked delta with no canards, it's a recipe for control problems, but I haven't built an SSTO for quite some time and frankly, I forgot how to spaceplane.

But technically it is an SSTO! And the crew did survive, without a single F9 being involved, so... yeah. Here's a lesson in how not to build a spaceplane  

[Korsakovski]

1 hour ago, mystik said:

Do you have to switch to it via control from here command? I saw that thing there, but I didn't know what the purpose was. You need a manual for this thing.

 

Also, how do you fly this one? Do you still have to go low or can you go with a more steep climb? I could not manage to fly the Kraken well, because at 30000 I usually pull up to 45 and blast full engines to escape the atmosphere as quick as possible, I have an SSTO that does this very well.

Well, the way I usually fly it to orbit is starting as shallow as I can, then not touching the controls until at 20km (you should be going at 1300m/s or over at this point) when you activate the nukes and level off to around 10 degrees nose up until your speed starts to drop at 25km-ish. Then toggle the rapiers and pitch up to 20 degrees, then keep burning until you have your apoapsis.

There's probably a more efficient way to fly these things, but that seems to be the best way I have found. Plus, I am extremely lazy, this way the ascent only needs a few control inputs. Other than the nukes/rapiers at 20-25km and circularization at your apoapsis of choice, you can basically go AFK for the rest of the ascent.

As for the VTOL, controlling from an upward oriented drone core during VTOL flight seems pretty much an absolute must have to prevent horrible things from happening. We are effectively trying to land a 600-something ton rocket sideways, while it is effectively balanced on the tip of a knife. And let's not forget how ridiculously overeager vectors are to swing your craft around.

As for balancing, there are two ways.

1.Adjust thrust of front-/rearmost vector engine. If your nose is raising, decrease front vector thrust. If it is dropping, increase thrust. And considering how far back my center of mass ended, probably no need to touch the rear vector. I might actually have to rethink the vector arrangement because of this. The kraken was already bad enough having to run the front vector at something like 35%, I wonder how little this will have to be. Again, unfinished prototype warning. VTOL thrust definitely needs to be arranged better so that I am not hauling around a mostly unused vector.

2.Pump fuel around to shift center of mass. Nuff said.

Again, I am no expert on VTOL, The Kraken/Fafnir is actually the first functional VTOL SSTO I made. I did make some prototypes ages ago that managed to pull off stable VTOL maneuvers like landing and takeoff, but I never built those to go to orbit and none of them were over 60 tons or so.

[INTERKOSMOS]

I have a small request for experienced SSTO designers. I have a problem with designing an efficient (and good looking) tail for my medium-sized SSTO. Everything is described in this post:

I belive I asked my question in wrong (or rather - not the best) section of our forum, and I belive this is a thread I was suppose to visit first.

My problem is, that I ran out of creativity. I need somebody to look at this design with fresh eyes and mind. Perhaps you will be able to came out with some interesting tail configuration for this craft? Because, let's be honest - I'm stuck here.

 

Thank you in advance.

[fourfa]

[Jett_Quasar]

Katana-SSTO

 

 - Jett

[mystik]

9 hours ago, Korsakovski said:

Well, the way I usually fly it to orbit is starting as shallow as I can, then not touching the controls until at 20km (you should be going at 1300m/s or over at this point) when you activate the nukes and level off to around 10 degrees nose up until your speed starts to drop at 25km-ish. Then toggle the rapiers and pitch up to 20 degrees, then keep burning until you have your apoapsis.

There's probably a more efficient way to fly these things, but that seems to be the best way I have found. Plus, I am extremely lazy, this way the ascent only needs a few control inputs. Other than the nukes/rapiers at 20-25km and circularization at your apoapsis of choice, you can basically go AFK for the rest of the ascent.

As for the VTOL, controlling from an upward oriented drone core during VTOL flight seems pretty much an absolute must have to prevent horrible things from happening. We are effectively trying to land a 600-something ton rocket sideways, while it is effectively balanced on the tip of a knife. And let's not forget how ridiculously overeager vectors are to swing your craft around.

As for balancing, there are two ways.

1.Adjust thrust of front-/rearmost vector engine. If your nose is raising, decrease front vector thrust. If it is dropping, increase thrust. And considering how far back my center of mass ended, probably no need to touch the rear vector. I might actually have to rethink the vector arrangement because of this. The kraken was already bad enough having to run the front vector at something like 35%, I wonder how little this will have to be. Again, unfinished prototype warning. VTOL thrust definitely needs to be arranged better so that I am not hauling around a mostly unused vector.

2.Pump fuel around to shift center of mass. Nuff said.

Again, I am no expert on VTOL, The Kraken/Fafnir is actually the first functional VTOL SSTO I made. I did make some prototypes ages ago that managed to pull off stable VTOL maneuvers like landing and takeoff, but I never built those to go to orbit and none of them were over 60 tons or so.

This latest design is awesome, is so legendary. I removed some of the extras and I gained some dv. I did remove the VTOL feature because I have no real use for it. This allowed me to squeeze in a cargo bay for my rover. Moved all drills to the first bay that had the extra engines. I did not affect the center of weight too dramatically. Made it to orbit with 3200m/s left. Even for someone as noob as myself to be able to have this much left... Just wow. I'm ready for the Grand Tour now. I will upload my modified version once ready. All credits go to you, of course, definitely top builder.

 

Edited February 18, 2017 by mystik

[Korsakovski]

5 hours ago, mystik said:

This latest design is awesome, is so legendary. I removed some of the extras and I gained some dv. I did remove the VTOL feature because I have no real use for it. This allowed me to squeeze in a cargo bay for my rover. Moved all drills to the first bay that had the extra engines. I did not affect the center of weight too dramatically. Made it to orbit with 3200m/s left. Even for someone as noob as myself to be able to have this much left... Just wow. I'm ready for the Grand Tour now. I will upload my modified version once ready. All credits go to you, of course, definitely top builder.

 

Non-VTOL version got me thinking and this is what I ended up with

https://kerbalx.com/Korsakovski/Bahamut-DD1

https://imgur.com/a/JKMVt

[mystik]

1 hour ago, Korsakovski said:

Non-VTOL version got me thinking and this is what I ended up with

https://kerbalx.com/Korsakovski/Bahamut-DD1

https://imgur.com/a/JKMVt

5000. Insane. Told you this is top design.

[Kryten 2X4B 523P]

Had a bit of a hiatus (personal stuff), but started dabbling again recently in sandbox.

First attempt at building a Mk 3 based SSTO capable of taking a Big Orange to 80km by scaling up the calculations off my earlier successful SSTOs.

And -- it works! Manages to get to 80km with 770 dv left in the tanks, and is pretty easy to fly. Still need to add some ancillary systems, but pretty happy with this prototype so far.

[Reusables]

http://imgur.com/g3ZYs3kTired of designing propeller engine, made a mk3 SSTO. Tried to make a bird. The result was not satisfying...

Many improvements should be made.

Album: http://imgur.com/a/gDdZK

Craft Specifications:

Spoiler

Total Mass : 105t

Mass left on LKO : 71.3t

Fuel left on LKO : 31.2t of LF, 5.8t of Ox

Dv left on LKO : 4.5km/s (With a nuke)

TWR on LKO : 0.1 (With a nuke)

+ Capable of Refueling on pretty much everywhere (a large drill & a large ISRU)

 

Edited February 18, 2017 by Reusables
Added pictures.

[Andetch]

The Widowmaker. My small and very hard to fly SSTO. It only takes 1 passenger into a LKO and does not have any docking ports. It is also capable of extremely atmospheric flight should you wish to visit other continents, and is surprisingly easy to land providing you have LF left in the tank. Can recover from 1 spin on ascent and make orbit, 2 spins and back to KSC.

Usually it just crashes into the sea though...

http://imgur.com/a/wDnZp

[Speed_Kerman]

1 hour ago, Andetch said:

The Widowmaker. My small and very hard to fly SSTO. It only takes 1 passenger into a LKO and does not have any docking ports. It is also capable of extremely atmospheric flight should you wish to visit other continents, and is surprisingly easy to land providing you have LF left in the tank. Can recover from 1 spin on ascent and make orbit, 2 spins and back to KSC.

Usually it just crashes into the sea though...

http://imgur.com/a/wDnZp

No pics, no clicks.

[Andetch]

Yeah well how'd I make it show the pics? Never seems to work for me

3 hours ago, Speed_Kerman said:

No pics, no clicks.

 

[eddiew]

I... did not expect this to work at Kerbin/Gael...

Built it for Rald, which needs about half the delta-v to get to orbit, but... yeah. Contains mining/processing gear and a Near Future reactor to power it. Basically it's 5 years worth of biome hopping O_o

[septemberWaves]

1 hour ago, Andetch said:

Yeah well how'd I make it show the pics? Never seems to work for me

 

Right click on the image. Click "Open image in new tab". Go to the new tab that is opened which contains the image. Copy the url of that tab. Paste that url into the forums. Follow those instructions and the image will be automatically embedded. There's currently no way to embed albums because Imgur had an update a while ago that broke a lot of things.

[Aerospacer]

4-juno-based SSTO Z-Wing M5(model5).

Tech level = science 90 (need 4 technology from 8). dV on LKO = 1136 m/s.

 Full flight album (Imgur)

[eddiew]

How does this even fly to orbit? I don't even...

 

[Levelord]

On 2/17/2017 at 9:24 PM, eddiew said:

Created one of the worst performing spaceplanes I've ever flown...

-snip-

What MK-1 cockpit mod is that?

[eddiew]

@Levelord that'd be this one  

 

 

[George van Doorn]

Hey @eddiew what mod is that, that makes your sky look so friggin amazing in all your screenshots?

 

Sorry for the offtopic, but I need to know :P!

[eddiew]

@George van Doorn here you go