airbus_sai

I went for hydrofoil boat as soon as I launched 1.0.5, like someone in the past 5 pages, as a proof of concept. However, mine is only capable of 40 m/s and not as beautiful.

Could you please reupload it to another hosting? For some reason "*.live.com" is not working. Nevermind, must have been error with DNS servers, cos' several websites stopped working and now are back online.

It works (for me, at least), but needs some tweaking. Somebody posted a temporary patch for it. Check it's development thread, it's somewhere there.

And what to do if challenge starts like that?

Sorry, didn't know about it at the moment of writing, and found it when my post was waiting for approval. I can edit my wall of text, if you like. And thanks for the reward and warm welcome.

Hello! An hour ago I made my first working SSTO, and my hands are still shaking... Read further why. Sorry for the wall of text. So, here it is, SSTO Jet Mk1. http://smages.com/images/ksp201dxd.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201qhq.jpg Takes off nicely. http://smages.com/images/ksp201qdq.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201clc.jpg It also can go straight up at this point. =) But now I wonder if it could make it to the orbit. http://smages.com/images/ksp201ddd.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201uxu.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201wxw.jpg And yes it can! http://smages.com/images/ksp201tqt.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201mvm.jpg At this point I found out I have no crafts to dock to. I'm leaving this craft like this. http://smages.com/images/ksp201bub.jpg ----- And here it is, "SSTO Jet Mk2 Cargo", modified version of Mk1. Bob will be it's payload. Along with two complex fuel tanks and small command modules. http://smages.com/images/ksp201pmp.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201hrh.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201zzz.jpg This one is heavier, accelerates badly. http://smages.com/images/ksp201qvq.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201zvz.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201bib.jpg Seems like Bob is enjoying the ride... http://smages.com/images/ksp201pep.jpg Solar panels are unobstructed, payload is mounted on radial decouplers. http://smages.com/images/ksp201www.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201mmm.jpg - from later time. And yes, this one made it to the orbit, and even docked with Mk1 by itself. http://smages.com/images/ksp201ama.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201mkm.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201uyu.jpg I'm using Docking port alignment, yes. It's not game breaking, anyway. Bob looks like he had seen something nasty... http://smages.com/images/ksp201kyk.jpg But Jebediah is doing his best. He couldn't resist and pretended that he is Van Damme. http://smages.com/images/ksp201mrm.jpg ----- At some point I transferred some fuel from Mk1 to Mk2-Cargo. So Mk2, in all it's glory, is not fair. But Mk1 is still good. http://smages.com/images/ksp201ueu.jpg Here it is just before reentry. I lowered both crafts periapsis while docked, undocked, and finished retrograde burn with Mk1. http://smages.com/images/ksp201yny.jpg During reentry I used remaining fuel for one more acceleration, cos' I missed KSC. http://smages.com/images/ksp201afa.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201mym.jpg On final approach to KSC RWY09. http://smages.com/images/ksp201hvh.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201vlv.jpg Touchdown and roll-out. http://smages.com/images/ksp201mqm.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201lyl.jpg BONUS: Have you ever wondered, how hard are solar panels? Look, I deployed them with no cheats and... http://smages.com/images/ksp201vzv.jpg ----- Last part. So what about SSTO Jet Mk2 Cargo? Bob is finally happy... or crazy... http://smages.com/images/ksp201zkz.jpg On remaining fuel my jet was able to reenter, and after 3 atmospheric brake cycles it was descending into the ocean. I'm desperately trying to turn it towards island. http://smages.com/images/ksp201mqm.jpg I was able to do it, and now it glides without fuel. I got rid of fuel tanks, cos' they are meaningless. Some oxidizer left with them, too. http://smages.com/images/ksp201tyt.jpg 700 m ASL. I'm starting to doubt, but craft has proven to be very glidy. http://smages.com/images/ksp201jnj.jpg 400 m ASL. Looking good, seems like I'm gonna make it. But I feel very nervous... http://smages.com/images/ksp201eie.jpg Glides almost straight... Not it's yes or no. But water is so close... http://smages.com/images/ksp201vpv.jpg And... No. Too bad. But they are alive! http://smages.com/images/ksp201qkq.jpg After all this my hands were shaking like hell. 300 meters were between me and this island. If my hands were more straight, I'd chosen more good descend profile and made it to this island. But no. ----- Thank you for reading, if you are still reading. So I made it to an orbit and back with no payload on SSTO Jet Mk1, transferred some fuel out, and made it back to KSC in one piece.

May I enter, too? It's not really an aircraft... It's flying powerplant. "Birdie on steroids Mk1" Unmanned Stock, 0.23, no physics mods. Mod list: Docking Port Alignment Final Frontier RCS Build Aid http://smages.com/images/ksp201fpf.jpg http://smages.com/images/ksp201chc.jpg Rolling http://smages.com/images/ksp2014031.jpg Just took off http://smages.com/images/ksp201iwi.jpg Landing gear separation http://smages.com/images/ksp201ipi.jpg Flying http://smages.com/images/ksp201bnb.jpg Final flame-out http://smages.com/images/ksp201mdm.jpg Statistics http://smages.com/images/ksp201dqd.jpg Final speed over ground: 2307 m/s There is a room for improvement, I had too much vertical velocity at the top. I had over 2400 during practice, but... no proof, so I hadn't. May I post another one later, if I'll be able to set new record?