Large scale SSTO in progress

[Guest Space Cowboy]

I found this on my hard drive. It had 12 stock type jet engines and I installed 4 of my strange high altitude engines and tweaked a few things. It is intended to be a large airliner type SSTO, or space station crew shift type vehicle. At the moment it's too heavy. My first instinct was to try 4 but I may try 2 tomorrow. When the rocket kicks in it's all about low mass.

[Othuyeg]

You seem to be using a massive amount of structural wings and wing connectors which do not give you lift really. You seem to also be lacking horizontal control surfaces. Also, the radial intakes are way less efficient than ram intakes. Also you need struts to reduce wobble, which those wings will inevitably have. It is very very heavy on the nose so I imagine lifting the nose will be impossible.

You need to substitute structural wings with delta wings. Also that landing gear looks very unstable, even a small wobble or bending will prevent stable movement on the runway.

The looks are cool, but it needs a lot of work if it is to be a viable space plane.

[Guest Space Cowboy]

You seem to be using a massive amount of structural wings and wing connectors which do not give you lift really. You seem to also be lacking horizontal control surfaces. Also, the radial intakes are way less efficient than ram intakes. Also you need struts to reduce wobble, which those wings will inevitably have. It is very very heavy on the nose so I imagine lifting the nose will be impossible.

You need to substitute structural wings with delta wings. Also that landing gear looks very unstable, even a small wobble or bending will prevent stable movement on the runway.

The looks are cool, but it needs a lot of work if it is to be a viable space plane.

It's not that bad LOL

I do find myself using a ton of the small control surfaces - the visual can be misleading. They're only 30% less than a large control sfc but almost 70% smaller in size (roughly). I agree the intake efficiency is not good. When you start rolling I am not using their full capacity - and I never do. The intake / engine configuration is well suited for high altitude operation though.

Edited March 15, 2014 by Space Cowboy

[Overfloater]

... It is very very heavy on the nose so I imagine lifting the nose will be impossible...

BUT the engines make it very heavy on the back as well so it should work fine.

I find one thing a bit wrong though, the jet fuel seems too far behind, I usually put all tanks in one line so that the C.O.M. won't go anywhere...

Is she completely stock? cause it looks that way :oP

[Guest Space Cowboy]

yeah I took some care to ensure balance wet to dry. Here are the only jet fuel tanks, which I can relatively easily change without affecting COM. The rocket fuel tanks seen burn at the same time at the same rate and do not change COM either. It is stock.

[KissSh0t]

If you can.. try centralizing you're design.. What I mean by this is having fuel "center of mass" instead of stretching it along the body, and engines "center of mass"...

@ Overfloater

There is a question for you on the SSTO thread.

[Guest Space Cowboy]

I think I am ok. Although the fuel is not centralized, "fuel COM" does not move. The rocket tanks are (almost) equidistant from the COM, and burn at the same time and rate. The jet fuel - the middle tank is tapped for all jet engines, and "jet fuel COM" doesn't move either. Definitely a good point to bring up.

[KissSh0t]

Perhaps something to think about in a future design ;>

[Guest Space Cowboy]

Well, I added some jet and rocket fuel and it went in orbit. Had enough for a de-orbit burn too. I have split the jet engines into two groups so for final jet burn, only two of each group of four are running, but using all the intakes. For that phase I ran the rocket as well.

[KissSh0t]

Very nice..

Most important question.. Did you land it!!

[Guest Space Cowboy]

Yep but in the desert near a volcano! Still working on a presentable full flight video.