BSC: Aeris 4a - AND THE WINNER IS:

[Ravenchant]

Kaeris I

I guess we're lucky KSP's drag model behaves the way it does

[Xeldrak]

Haha, the front mounted engine is an awesome idea.....

[Batz_10K]

Here's my entry:

Mako II

- Non air-hogging design (only 2 intakes like the original)

- Nice slow approach and landing speed (approach 50ms, landing 40ms)

- Very stable and controllable in all flight regimes (extra SAS unit helps!)

- *lots* of power so you don't run out if you forget to open the solar panels on-orbit

- RCS is located around the CoM for easy docking

Ascent profile:

Take off and fly about 45 degrees to 10km

Pitch down to about 20 degrees and fly to 20km

Pitch down to about 5 degrees and accelerate up to 1400-1600m/sec

The rapier will switch to rocket mode at about 30-31km, when this happens, close the intakes, pitch up to 45-50 degrees and burn until your apoapsis is outside the atmosphere

Once your apoapsis is outside the atmosphere, shut down the engine and set up a circularization burn

Action Groups:

1 - toggle intakes open/closed

2 - toggle dorsal (top) solar panels

3 - toggle ventral (bottom) solar panels

4 - extend/retract ladder

[Woopert]

Haha, the front mounted engine is an awesome idea.....

I remember way back in the day, like April or something, I used backwards facing radial orange engines to brake while in orbit haha

Gonna get cooking for this competition, I have an SSTO that I made not too long ago that with some good polish will make a nice entry for this contest.

[Pauly]

Lynx

Using 60 parts, weighing in at 8.8 tons wet, and powered by 1 turbojet and 2 rockomax 48-7S's.

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It takes off at around 40-50 m/s.

Pitch up to about 35 and hold untill 16,000 then pitch down to 10-15 and go for the speed run.

You can get 110,000 x 20,000 on just the turbojet.

Circularizing using rockomax 48-7S is usually only a few seconds.

Plenty of gas in the tank for orbital manuevers and deorbiting.

It has 87.5 monopropellant and a bottom mounted port for docking.

It is very easy to fly at low and high altitudes.

Glides very well and lands at high or low speeds.

Should be a good well rounded first time SSTO

I used AV-T1 winglets to cover up fuel lines, monoprop tanks, rcs thrusterblocks, and ports.

No parts clipping was used.

It could easily be expanded upon by making longer in the front to add more fuel, an inline docking port, or another cockpit. All you would need to do is add canards to the longer front end and move the front wheel farther up. So it would give a new player something to tinker around and experiment with.

https://www./?3lvzk8rccalz5sx

This is my first contest so let me know if I am doing something wrong.

[Silverchain]

This is the latest version of my entry, the Ceremonial Go spaceplane.

Older models: (links retained for reference)

Ceremonial Lite Fb spaceplane.

Ceremonial Lite B spaceplane.

Description:

The Ceremonial Go is a light spaceplane named in honour of test pilot Kiremone Kerman.

It can sustain turbojet flight almost to the edge of space and has an on-orbit delta-v reserve of approximately 1200ms-1.

It is capable of indefinite autonomous operation and extended rover operations on land, and is fitted with an emergency parachute for crew safety.

A front-mounted docking port and RCS thrusters allow orbital rendezvous.

This model is fitted with the standard suite of science instrumentation.

The Ceremonial is economical - it can fly three ascents and descents without refueling on less than two tons of fuel.

Action groups:

1. Toggle turbojet and air intakes.

2. Toggle rocket engines.

3. Toggle ladder.

4. Toggle science displays.

Suggested flight profile:

Climb sharply to about 20,000m and level off to a shallow ascent.

Maintain this shallow ascent as high and as fast as possible, throttling the turbojet down when needed.

Maximum surface speed is around 2200ms-1 and the turbojet may run at minimal thrust as high as 60,000m.

An ideal climb should use slightly lower than 80 units of liquid fuel.

Notes:

Vacuum rocket thrust may be slightly unbalanced; using lower levels of thrust when possible helps the gyro to compensate, but it isn't essential.

The RCS tanks have space for extra monoprop if you're planning for extended rendezvous operations.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Silverchain

[1Revenger1]

Here is my Entry, it is SSTO Reacher!

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I am quite proud of this as this is my first SSTO

No mods were used(KLF will not effect craft. file)

The flight path is in the craft description. It can reach 1800m/s if you do it correctly!

Download:https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/8sz8hj15ufavt0b/SSTO%20Reacher.craft?dl=1&token_hash=AAE8ERw9VJo2vJdfxaqGbcuXyJcYHSPJSBV1e0P3WKtF-g

[sal_vager]

Great thread Xeldrak, though you may not know, HarvesteR intended the Aries 4a to be hard to fly

Stickied!

[Xeldrak]

Well, that came unexpected

[xoknight]

Introducing the Buffalo. This beast can fly up to an 120 x 120 km orbit with ease. Easy to fly with plenty of fuel, it is a beauty soaring through the cosmos.

Craft file: http://www./view/bbvxbky2czr427d/Buffalo.craft

Instructions:

1. 100% throttle and pull up when you are traveling around 65-70 m/s

2. pitch up to 70 degrees

3. Once the air get thinner push the nose down to 50 degrees to gain horizontal speed and more intake air. (Make sure that your periapsis marker is above the horizon of the nav-ball)

4. Around 30 km, throttle down to 2/3rds throttle and wait for Engine mode switch.

5. Push the apoapsis to the desired orbit height and circularize.

Action Groups

1. Ladder

2. Docking light

Edited March 2, 2014 by xoknight

[Cruzan]

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! I'll get cookin on a design

[Woopert]

SSTO Xeno/Circumnavigator, Download link here!

Description: The name was originally planned to be "Xeno" because the engineers thought it sounded cool, but after successful orbital tests (which is why it's called an SSTO) displayed how long it takes to get to orbit, it was given the name "Circumnavigator" because by the time it reaches orbit the spacecraft/aircraft will be about a quarter of the globe away from KSC! This SSTO features a single R.A.P.I.E.R. engine that auto-detects flame-outs and makes for ease of use of the craft. 4 Linear RCS engines on the back provide orbital insertion burn (though the R.A.P.I.E.R. can be used if desired for a quicker orbital insertion) and in orbit operations. The SSTO is also equipped with a RCS system!

The craft is very maneuverable with a carefully placed center of mass and center of lift!

Instructions:

Throttle-up to 100%. Disable fuel cross-feed from the front fuel tank. Activate engine and Take off like normal airplane.

Immediately after lifting off the ground, go into a 45 degrees climb. Keep flying at this pitch until 10km, then slowly ease down towards the horizon. Make sure not to get in front of the apoapsis, though. (this is the tricky part of SSTOs)

Engine will cut off at around 26-27 km up. Quickly activate the fuel cross-feed for the front tank and stay throttled up.

Go back to 45 degrees pitch and slowly ease down again (like a rocket ascent)

Circularize orbit. Tested to go to a 100km by 100km orbit, warranty void of going over (though feel free to try!)

Returning

De-orbit over Kerbin's desert west of KSC. Set end point to before the little island. There is a lot of leeway when returning, thanks to the dual mode engine which can be used in atmosphere. Fly like airplane when low enough and aim for runway. Enjoy!

Also note the decoupler is not a staging device and is meant for aborting in case of emergency

Imgur Albums:

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Edited March 2, 2014 by Woopert

[O-Doc]

Here's my entry, the Gecko. The concept is, what would a noob at KSP want in a space plane? I didn't try to build a plane that does everything. Just something simple. There's no special construction techniques like cubic struts, etc. The plane is something an absolute beginner with the SPH can build.

Design

This is a replacement plane so, the engine configuration along with the weight and fuel are more or less the same as the Aeris. I started with the Aeris in the hanger, pulled it apart and rebuilt it. The Gecko uses about half of those original Aeris parts. The layout was rearranged to clean up the performance issues, reminding me of what some of my earlier planes looked like. Obviously, aerodynamics was the main focus so, lots of wings were added. I've done what I can without using advanced construction techniques to make the plane look, well planey, rather than a rocket with wings bolted onto it.

Handling

This plane maintains trim and constant maneuverability under all altitude and fuel load regimes. It's agile but not twitchy. A beginner will always have predictable control over the plane, with the exception of flameout. Ergo, you can only crash it through a piloting directional error. It does require the slightest bit of control trimming nose upwards to fly without ASAS though. Otherwise it's good to go out of the box. The Gecko is very easy to land with an excellent glide ratio. The undercarriage is a very stable platform for wonky, high speed landings and positioned ideally for a VSTOL takeoff with no possible tail strike.

Range

It has enough fuel to get into orbit with about half a tank left over on a pretty average ascent so, a novice is going to get into space quite easily once they know how. There's no air hogging and all the part arrangements with the intakes make sense. I've also put a payload docking port which is balanced up to 2 tons for delivering small satellites to LKO. I've wrestled 5 tons into orbit to see how much it could take but, it's not designed or balanced for that sort of payload fraction. There's also a reaction wheel for most space maneuvers with alot of RCS fuel for docking using economic thruster placement in the center of mass. This will give the pilot plenty of time to practice docking once in orbit. The docking port has also been moved to the front to make the whole process easier.

Profile

• Empty side tanks for a double apogee orbit
  
• Otherwise, you can make a triple apogee orbit
  

I strongly recommend for beginners to practice achieving orbit with the side tanks empty. If you cannot make orbit(my first attempt had 23L LOX to spare) then practice your turbo jet apogee(highest and fastest sustained flight). Next practice your combined turbo jet and rocket apogee to prepare for an orbital insertion burn. Once you are comfortable with orbiting on the light configuration, practice the full fuelled ascent. Add an FL-T400 drop-pod payload for bonus points.

Upgrades

This is most definitely an inferior spaceplane. Done so, to teach how to fly and build planes. The improvements to the basic design are to add air intakes at the back of the side tanks which allows you to swap out one turbo jet for a basic jet engine to get an economical single apogee orbit. A nuke replaces the standard rocket for range and some retros are added to the undercarriage for versatility. That completely changes the craft from one with about 1km/s at LKO to 5km/s delta-v which gets into orbit using the fumes from an oily rag. That range increase gives you enough for your next winter holiday at Duna or Laythe. Would I use the upgraded craft? Not sure, I built the craft around an inferior engine setup. I have more capable craft built specifically for their engine arrangements with far, far better range and handling. Having said that, I hope someone can give the Gecko loving home.

Download

Here's the challenge entry craft file.

Gecko v1.0

And, here's the advanced model for those without a solid medium range SSTO in their hanger.

Gecko - MK II v1.0

[BagelRabbit]

...I'm done. I can't go any further without overworking this.

The Plover

Features!

>Super simple! Only 52 parts, and every one counts.

>Intuitive flight path to orbit! You can flub up and still have fuel left to do the job.

>Good at gliding! It can land at under 40 m/s at sea level. I'm not making this up.

>A wonderful plane, in general! Effective and wonderful to fly.

>No intake spam! Only two ram air intakes.

>Easy to reverse-engineer! Almost no part clipping.

It has a docking port on top.

It has plentiful RCS.

It has a probe core for unmanned flights.

It has a ladder for Kerbal EVA ease (seriously, some people don't have this.)

It is very, very compact.

It can fly to a 150x150km orbit and return safely, without refueling, and without using ANY action groups except for SAS and the spacebar.

The Plover is specifically aimed at beginners. It is reasonably easy to launch it to orbit. It is built so that beginners can see every single part, and have a better idea of how they fit together. Its not-too-clippy nature makes it a cinch to build (or reverse-engineer) and its surprisingly powerful thrust system is quite effective at launching to orbit. It has limited range - it can only reliably return from a 150km orbit. But it's a joy to fly, at all altitudes and at all times. It glides astoundingly well and is exceedingly stable in all layers of the atmosphere, and its landings are smooth and gentle regardless of terrain.

Its docking skills are also very good. While it requires a smaller docking port than most entries, it accelerates at a respectable rate with the RCS. This allows beginners to dock with the precision of a pro. Once docked, the Plover can fill its tanks until they are truly full. I would say (rough estimate here!) that this bestows 1,500 m/s Delta-V, enough to orbit the Mun or Minmus.

In addition, the Plover is the safest SSTO I have ever built. It not only has a working abort system but also a full-body parachute system. This allows it to safely land on water, safely resolve dangerous situations and encourage beginning pilots to try again. [No other craft on in challenge has both of these. Some call it overkill. I call it Progress! Landing on water is especially nice for beginners, who may find themselves landing over an ocean.]

.craft file! https://www.dropbox.com/s/t1nl9xmdei9b8fc/Plover%20SSTO.craft

Edited March 11, 2014 by UpsilonAerospace

[Woopert]

Can I edit my entry? I forgot some RCS and might want to tweak some fuel stuff. Sorry about this, I just got a bit anxious to share my creation!

[JABUSCUS]

Here is the contribution of Walrus Space Program:

SSTO 1

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DOWNLOAD LINK: http://www./view/c2ujgcdxf8ef0x7/SSTO_1.craft

Action Groups:

1: Toggle outside engines

2: Toggle Intakes

3: Toggle Docking Port Shroud

4: Toggle Solar Panels

5: Toggle Lights for docking

Recommended flight instructions:

1: Pull up at end of runway

2: Gradually point the SSTO at 90 degrees

3: On automatic switchover hit 1 and 2

4: Bring your apoapsis to 70-73 and wait until you reach it

5: Burn one engine until orbit is achieved. WARNING oxidizer is limited, so be careful(RCS can be used to deorbit)

6: Land on runway or flat ground, it will blow up on uneven ground

[Xeldrak]

Can I edit my entry? I forgot some RCS and might want to tweak some fuel stuff. Sorry about this, I just got a bit anxious to share my creation!

Yes, you can edit your entry as long as the building phase is active. Once we start voting, you are stuck with what you posted

[Pds314]

Something I've noticed is that in FAR, the Aeris 4A is surprisingly stable and flyable once you reach supersonic speeds, as well as having quite a lot of fuel left over even after putting it into a retrograde orbit.

[sploden]

Aeris 4a Improved 08

I don't see the original Aeris 4a as being an absolute beginner's SSTO, but more of a "next step" SSTO, given that it has a docking port and multiple engine types. My craft improves upon the execution of the original craft's scope.

• Takes off at about 50 m/s
  
• No tailstrike hazard
  
• Easy to fly
  
• Teaches a few "next step" engineering ideas
  
• Turbojet full throttle until about 39km
  
• Capable of achieving low Munar orbit and returning to Kerbin
  
• Capable of landing on Duna

• Awesome

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[Pds314]

Is it acceptable if the craft can only fly upside-down between 15 and 30 km in FAR when travelling retrograde but can reach Keostationary Tranfer Orbit retrograde (which, now that I think about it, is rather silly, I mean, why would you want something to Orbit in exactly one Kerbin day, but backwards?).

Whoa! The thing has some serious Delta-V if it goes prograde. About 1500 from a 120x120 orbit.

Oh... um... that's a rather serious issue.

WARNING: DO NOT open docking port or ship will explode.

Okay, issue fixed by switching the docking port for MOAR ROCKET FUELZ and then adding a junior port near by, the junior port generates several kN of drag at high speed, but it will have to do. I still don't like the top jet-powered speed of 1600 m/s in FAR, but I guess I can't complain with something that has like 1650-1750 m/s Post-orbital Delta-V, possibly enough for a low-Duna-orbit round trip with just a turbojet and two LV-909s.

It is kind of hilarious that in thin air it must fly upside-down to get a high enough AoA (Apparently also true when flying prograde).

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Download Aereon 4B .Craft File

Edited March 2, 2014 by Pds314

[LordFjord]

I have updated my entry, see the Spacegull 5 here.

Spacegull 5 craft file download

Old post with initial entry is below:

So many great SSTOs here.

I've built so many SSTO now, so I just can't resist to post an entry.

Something simple and KSP-starter friendly. Something that looks like a classic plane, which is easy to rebuild. No fancy building tricks or clipping. Rapier powered for the sake of simplyness.

This is what I have come up with:

Spacegull 1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fy6gkvwtxwvlj9d/Spacegull%201.craft

It is well balanced, easy to fly, can reach orbit. It has a small docking port on the belly, balanced RSC ports, 44 parts in total. Cant get much easier than this

Edited March 11, 2014 by LordFjord

[Rhomphaia]

Here's my entry, the Gecko. The concept is, what would a noob at KSP want in a space plane? I didn't try to build a plane that does everything. Just something simple. There's no special construction techniques like cubic struts, etc. The plane is something an absolute beginner with the SPH can build.

http://i.imgur.com/LCjqwL8.jpg

[snip]

Download

Here's the challenge entry craft file.

Gecko v1.0

And, here's the advanced model for those without a solid medium range SSTO in their hanger.

Gecko - MK II v1.0

The craft posted doesn't match the description or the picture. Seems to be a half way between the picture and the Mk.II

here is my space plane

It is not beautiful but it can take you to the Mun and back safely

Download

http://imgur.com/a/6NX0j

Getting invalid/locked parts on this one. I'm guessing you forgot to remove the KER module i see in the pictures.

[Pds314]

Here is the contribution of Walrus Space Program:

SSTO 1

http://imgur.com/a/vseoG

DOWNLOAD LINK: http://www./view/c2ujgcdxf8ef0x7/SSTO_1.craft

Action Groups:

1: Toggle outside engines

2: Toggle Intakes

3: Toggle Docking Port Shroud

4: Toggle Solar Panels

5: Toggle Lights for docking

Recommended flight instructions:

1: Pull up at end of runway

2: Gradually point the SSTO at 90 degrees

3: On automatic switchover hit 1 and 2

4: Bring your apoapsis to 70-73 and wait until you reach it

5: Burn one engine until orbit is achieved. WARNING oxidizer is limited, so be careful(RCS can be used to deorbit)

6: Land on runway or flat ground, it will blow up on uneven ground

One wonders what sort of advantages this thing really has over the Stock Aeris 4A? It is bigger, more technologically costly, from the sound of it, more fragile, neither is meant to carry a significant payload, and it seems to have a more limited range despite carrying the same number of Kerbals.

[O-Doc]

The craft posted doesn't match the description or the picture. Seems to be a half way between the picture and the Mk.II

Thanks for the heads-up. I accidently saved the craft while exploring upgrade options. The craft has been fixed and re-upped.

Edited March 2, 2014 by O-Doc

[Exothermos]

This is a spit-polished version of my very first successful spaceplane, "Speedy Box".

It does not use any intake stacking or aggressive part clipping (some very mild aesthetic clipping is present). No 'advanced' building techniques either: no cubic struts. What you see is what you get! As such it does not fly on jets at extreme high altitudes, but the inclusion of RAPIER engines has greatly improved the performance of the original craft. The plane is capable of relatively high orbits (the above pic was taken just shy of a 300k orbit), and is stable and responsive in all regimes. RCS and a small docking port are included.

Here is the flight profile:

Climb on all 4 engines to 20k and 800kph. Accelerate while climbing slowly to 25k. Make sure to slowly throttle back to keep all four engines burning. Turn off Turbojets at 25k. Continue 100% throttle slow climb on RAPIERs. At approx 30k and 1800kph, RAPIERs will change modes; close intakes and climb at 50 degrees to desired Apoapsis. Deploy Solar panels when above 60k. Reenter at 10 degrees nose up relative to prograde pip.

It is possible to get even higher performance out of the craft if one wanted to juggle the engine types at the 30km threshold, but it is more work than it seems to be worth.

Download Craft File

Edited March 2, 2014 by Exothermos