The "Almost Good" Stock Craft Challenge

[Whirligig Girl]

So on Last Squadcast (10/10/2014), Maxmaps mentioned that the stock crafts are "almost good." They are just almost good enough so that you can see how they might work if they were improved. (Well, aside from the Kerbal X, which now can land and return from the Mun thanks to 0.24 buffing Rockomax parts)

Here's a list of what each craft teaches you, and why it doesn't work.

EDIT: Added Learstar A1 (Space Shuttle Replica)

VAB

Ion-Powered Space Probe

This little probe shows you how to arrange an Ion engine. Unfortunately it doesn't have the power to run at full thrust.

Kerbal 2

This craft is a training craft. It is designed to be used with beginners to show them the controls. Indeed, you use this in the Tutorials.

Orbiter 1A

This craft seems to have been made with prettiness in mind. It's another training craft, used in the Tutorials. One problem is the use of winglets when it would be placed above the center of mass of the rocket. It's also just inadequate for fuel, and it doesn't really need landing gear.

Kerbal X

The most competently designed stock craft, (with the possible exception of the Aeris 3A), this rocket was used by many as a high Delta-V crew carrier. Of course, to do this they added RCS thrusters and a docking port. People also tried taking it to the Mun, where they found it to be shortfueled so that a return trip would not be possible. Since 0.24, it's engines' higher efficiency mean that it can do a Mun mission and return safely.

It has enough fuel to be used as an orbit trainer craft for noobs, and it demonstrates Asparagus Staging. The problem with the Asparagus Staging is that the boosters are too small to be useful in an asparagus arrangement.

Learstar A1

This spaceplane/rocket combo is a space shuttle replica that is pretty... fun? to fly. It is hard to control as it drains fuel, so be prepared to mess around with thrust balancing. This space shuttle will teach you (sort of) how to build a side-mounted space shuttle!

Rover+Skycrane

This craft is a good demonstrator of the Skycrane technique. Unfortunately, it has VERY low fuel margins, and no parachute.

Space Station Core

It's pretty good, actually. It shows how you can use the Station Hub to build out larger stations. It's only main problem is that it lacks a launcher.

Super Heavy Lander

The problem with this lander is that it has a HUGE waste of mass, and not enough fuel. The RCS arrangement is all over the place! It is HEAVY! And that's its problem.

Two Stage Lander

It's a little shortfueled on the ascent stage, and without RCS it makes it harder to dock with the other spacecraft. But it does nicely demonstrate how Munar Orbit Rendezvous is supposed to work!

Z-MAP Satellite Launch Kit

This fully functional rocket is really rather good. The satellite design is rather wonky, and the TWR at Launch is WAY too high!

SPH

Aeris 3A

A training plane, it seems. The Aeris 3A flies very nicely, and demonstrates basic Aircraft design. Unfortunately it's not very useful! It's just for stunts, really. One problem with it though... The ladder.

Aeris 4A

This Spaceplane demonstrates the arrangement of an SSTO's rocket/jet engines. It is, however, VERY unstable and the fuel lines pointed the wrong way. In addition, the LV-T30 provides a tailstrike hazard.

Albatross 3

The Albatross 3 is an... interesting plane. It's hard to fly, and very wobbly. This is basically the devs' way of giving you permission to build stupid.

Ravenspear Mk1

Not the most stable plane, but it works... sorta. The ladder's all messed up here as well. It shows how multiple engines can be used for efficiency at multiple altitudes.

Ravenspear Mk3

This plane works pretty well. It shows an interesting and useful feature of RCS ports to be used for control at higher altitudes. Unfortunately, It uses the wrong intakes for the job. Also, Ladderbork.

Ravenspear Mk4

This plane works very nicely. It's basically a larger counterpart to the Aeris 3A, as it isn't really useful for much.

Rocket-Power VTOL

It's a pretty nice craft. Utterly useless, it's just a novelty. I guess it might give players the idea to make a VTOL aircraft.

Stearwing D45

This plane has ALMOST enough fuel to reach orbit. But not quite. It was designed to demonstrate multi-staged spaceplanes. It also has an interesting crew holding capability.

So, unlike the old Better Stock Crafts challenge, your goal is to make new ships that are ALMOST good. It must have a good idea behind it, but have ONE fatal flaw. There's no real scoring system for this challenge, but you might get rep if you're almost good.

RULES

-Must be stock. Beauty mods are allowed, but nothing that changes ANYTHING about the playstyle of the game. No FAR, NEAR, DR, or any part mods.

-You may either make a new craft that is almost good, or take a good or awesome craft and make it almost good. If you edit someone else' craft, give them credit!

-No huge mega-partcount monsters.

-No Size 3 (NASAmission) parts.

-Make it n00b almost-friendly.

-It must have one or two easily definable flaws.

-Bonus points if you also redesign the craft to FIX the flaws, and show it off separately.

-Must have a Kerbal-ish description! (New rule)

Edited October 12, 2014 by GregroxMun

[SelectHalfling0]

Introducing, The Star Fire Mk 2!

This revolutionary (almost) space plane is designed for taking a 2 ton cargo to a 85 by 85 km orbit in it's cargo bay! It's one flaw is that the CoL is in front of the CoM. Surprisingly, the plane is not prone to flipping, however does become somewhat-unstable at 30 km. It has as of yet performed numerous missions with only 1 accident (prototype careened off the runway and smashed into the runway fuel tank)!

Flight Instructions:

Press 1 to activate rapiers

Run at 40 degree angle until at 28 km

Turn to 0 degree angle until at 1444 m/s

Bank to 40 degree angle until you have desired apoapsis (rapiers will auto switch sometime in this step)

When rapiers run out of fuel press 1 to shut them down and press 2 to activate rockets

Congrats! You're in space!

Look how almost happy Gusster Kerman is with his Star Fire Mk 2!

.craft file:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vmff0zlt6o0c6vm/Star%20Fire%20Mk2.craft?dl=0

I noticed a number of Star Fires in the Spacecraft Exchange. Maybe I should change the name...

Edited October 12, 2014 by SelectHalfling0

[TJPrime]

I've got some designs in mind, spaceplanes and rockets. So here is my series of craft:

SpacePlane mk1

This space plane was designed as a SSTO, with two rapiers and a good amount of fuel. It also has a docking port on the back to allow, as the name suggests, docking. The main issue with this is that it has poor thrust to get it up high enough and it's hard to get it above 4km.

It's not really an SSTO, it's an SST3KM (single stage to 3KM)

Edited October 12, 2014 by TJPrime

[Epthelyn]

-snip-

The pain, the suffering, the "OMG WHY DO YOU ASCEND SO SLOWLY", and 30 minutes of real time spent holding down 'S' lead to this:

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Congratulations, you built a SSTO spaceplane.

*Hides in a corner and sobs uncontrollably*

I'm assuming I replicated your design accurately; hard to tell on the fuel tanks, but given that getting past a few kilometers at a decent rate of ascent was extremely slow I think I might've

Let's just say it won't be docking with anything with the amount of fuel it has left.

Anyway,

I'll post something of my own tomorrow.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Epthelyn

[Pecan]

This is another spaceplane.

SP 40 B with Fuel Module payload

It's almost good - it shows you how to balance a payload so it can be detached without making the 'plane unflyable. It could put any payload you like, up to 40t, into a 75km+ circular orbit. It is, by spaceplane standards, fairly low-part.

The tiny flaw is that it no longer works in 0.25. Won't even take off. Hint: is it just a problem with rear landing-gear preventing it rotating?

[Whirligig Girl]

@SelectHalfling0 I like the payload capacity of it. [8/10]

@TJPrime Very nicely conceived, but the name could use some work. [7.6/10]

@Pecan Meh. That one doesn't really look like a default craft. It's just too ugly. Also, it uses airhogging. [1/10]

Edited October 12, 2014 by GregroxMun

[Giggleplex777]

I think can only make them better, not "almost good".

Although all my 0.25 spaceplanes are complete trash...

[Captain Sierra]

*grabs images from all SSTOs*

Literally none of my spaceplanes make it to orbit. As high alt planes, they're fantastic. They generally are BARELY short on fuel for orbit. Its depressing really. They'd fit in here. Grabbing screens.

[jaddbo]

i do not have any screnshots of it, but i once made a ssto that the rocket engines were below the com, and i did not have hardly any reacshoun wheels (one probe core), so i had to run at 25% thrust.

i do not have any screnshots of it

and i deleted it

[Pecan]

@Pecan Meh. That one doesn't really look like a default craft. It's just too ugly. Also, it uses airhogging. [1/10]

Yeah, you're probably right. It isn't nearly wrong enough for stock - 40t payload is too much for newbs too. I'll dig out one of my 2t 'fails' for you tomorrow.

Oh, wait a minute - how about Bantam. It handles well at low-speeds and altitudes (~60m/s take-off and landing) while also being able to reach orbital speeds and altitude on less than 50 units of fuel, leaving ~50-60m/s for rocket circularisation. Should you be scared of space for some reason there is enough jet fuel to circumnavigate Kerbin entirely within the atmosphere.

Bantam light spaceplane

The 'flaw' is that it still uses air-hogging. Take most of the intakes off for a perfectly normal spaceplane that still works better than anything in stock. Replace one of the fuel tanks with a 'cargo bay' if you want to carry payloads.

[vat21s]

An Interplanetary probe,

http://www.speedyshare.com/gJxuV/Probe-Launcher.craft

Flaws:

Too tall,

Oversized control fins causing drag,

Lander only works on atmospheric planets,

Not sure if it can make it to Laythe 13.9k D/V budget

Very low TWR, If wind were ever added this thing would fall and die.

[Epthelyn]

Not sure if it can make it to Laythe 13.9k D/V budget

You can make it to all planets and land on Eve, Duna or Laythe with 13.9k dV.

Can probably land on Gilly, Bop and Pol as well.

-----

My entry - Craft File: http://www.filedropper.com/roverwskycraneag

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Alternative to the stock "Rover + Skycrane" and seems to suffer from at least one of the same problems.

Flaws:

- The skycrane is far too powerful and has very little fuel

- No batteries. It can run at full speed on only the solar panels during the day though, provided you let it slow down for about a second every 30 seconds or so to recharge

- The wheels aren't correctly aligned and it's slightly tilted. That's more an annoyance than an actual flaw

The rover itself is actually surprisingly good. I'll have to fix the tilt and add batteries and start using it

[Whirligig Girl]

okay, seeing some interesting stuff.

[sal_vager]

TOTM is gradually turning into the GregroxMun show, but congrats again Greg, stickied

[megatiger78]

who cares everyone likes gregroxmun

[ThePsuedoMonkey]

The Firmguard II

Download Link

The Firmguard is a prototype rocket developed by ROKEA Inc. to show off their lineup of Mobility Enhancers. Early models sold very well after a live powered landing at the Rockets & Explosions Festival. This version uses an emergency parachute instead of the disco ball.

She was designed as an easy way for beginners to get some experience with making a powered landing. It's not very complex, but its RCS ports are well-balanced and it's easy to fly. The powerful RCS allows you to easily translate while hovering. Its flaws are a lack of lights, no power generation aside from the engine, a crazy amount of thrust (TWR~3), Monoprop in the command pod with no way to use it, and no free attachment nodes.