SSTO Start Guide

[Gogeek]

This is a start guide to help build and fly SSTOs (Single Stage to Orbit) space planes.

I was looking for some SSTO help and did not find much except for http://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/1diign/the_pinolallos_ssto_guide/

That was a good start but I wanted a little more information.

SSTO’s have two sets of engines: Turbo Jet and Rocket. The concept of the SSTO is to use the Turbo Jet engine to get close to orbital velocity and then use the rockets to push your craft into orbit. The Turbo Jets are very efficient compared to rocket engines so you want to use them as long as possible in the assent.

So I after +30 tries (probably closer to 50) I managed to gleam a few design ideas and some better practices.

So to start we need to go the Space Plane Hanger. SSTO design is a series of trade-offs: takeoff, normal flying, hyper-sonic flight, orbital insertion, reentry, and successful landing. Though harder to design and fly, SSTO are more efficient (fuel-wise), have no debris, and completely reusable.

Design (Duct tape and Bailing wire):

Let’s start with a simple plane. This is a simple crew transfer plane to deliver kerbals to an orbiting space station in Low Kerbal Orbit (LKO).

As you can see that I highlighted the three (3) key center markers for the plane: Center of Mass (COM), Center of Lift (COL), and Center of Thrust (COT).

The relationship between the three (3) markers is crucial to how the plane will behave in flight. Over many failed tries, I found that all of them need close or in a horizontal line, with the center of mass and lift very close.

[armor22222]

nice explanation, but I couldnt open the plane because it was not stock

[Sirine]

Put plane wheels 'direct' under your COM, and you don't need that futuristic lifting(take-off) nose wings.