selfish_meme

Kerbin SSTO's are a dime a dozen, Laythe has been SSTO'd, even Eve is much easier. The real test is Tylo. An SSTO on Tylo is quite easy but getting down is hard. Getting down and up again in a single stage really hard. If Eve is where Kerbals are stranded, Tylo is where they are buried. The Challenge: Land from and re-orbit to 80km the most mass-efficient SSLTO possible using stock parts only. So start with at least 80km periapsis and end with at least 80km periapsis. The Rules - Stock parts only. KSP version 1.0.4 only, entries from earlier versions will not be considered. - No cfg editing, save editing, debug menu, or any other shenanigans. - No physics exploits, the vessel must be lifted by engine thrust alone. - Kerbals must be in a capsule, lander can or passenger module, no chairs or ladders. - Flag must be planted. - Images or video of your attempt is required for entry, showing resources, orbits and maneuver nodes, and enough in between to show how your vessel works. Craft files are encouraged so we can learn from each other's techniques. Permitted mods: Visual/immersion mods, informational mods, autopilot (probably required) and Hyperdit to orbit. This is primarily a design challenge. Forbidden mods: Anything that modifies stock parts, adds new parts, or changes the game's physics in any way. Aside from that, be creative. Build big or small, mix and match propulsion types, whatever makes it more efficient. The Scoring: Score is derived from points awarded for difficulty, efficient design, usefulness, starting mass below the reference design and Kerbals greater than 1. Masses to be taken from the information screen in map mode, not the editor, and must be of the form 176.20t. +1 for every 3t below the reference design mass (176.20t). +10 for Jebediah mode, no autopilot +.5 for every Kerbal EVA'd to the surface and returned to orbit +10 for a full science module, power and antenna to return science to Kerbin +10 for a Science Jr on a rover which can dock with lander equipped with antenna to send science to Kerbin or with it's own power and antenna to return science The Leaderboard: [TABLE=width: 500] [TR] [TD][/TD] [TD]Name:[/TD] [TD]Mass[/TD] [TD]Kerbals[/TD] [TD]Jebediah[/TD] [TD]Score[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]1.[/TD] [TD]Foxster[/TD] [TD]15.12t[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]No[/TD] [TD]53.69[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]2[/TD] [TD]Foxster[/TD] [TD]18.00t[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]No[/TD] [TD]52.7[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]3.[/TD] [TD]Foxster[/TD] [TD]21.10t[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]No[/TD] [TD]52.2[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]4.[/TD] [TD]Dbowman[/TD] [TD]30.10t[/TD] [TD]2[/TD] [TD]No[/TD] [TD]49.2[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]5.[/TD] [TD]Kaboom![/TD] [TD]86.61t[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]Yes[/TD] [TD]40.3[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]6.[/TD] [TD]Foxster[/TD] [TD]880.20t[/TD] [TD]80[/TD] [TD]No[/TD] [TD]40[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]7.[/TD] [TD]Dbowman[/TD] [TD]97.86t[/TD] [TD]4[/TD] [TD]No[/TD] [TD]28.1[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]8.[/TD] [TD]Nefrums[/TD] [TD]340.16t[/TD] [TD]32[/TD] [TD]Yes[/TD] [TD]26[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]9.[/TD] [TD]Foxster[/TD] [TD]265.58t[/TD] [TD]32[/TD] [TD]No[/TD] [TD]16[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]10.[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]11.[/TD] [TD]Reference[/TD] [TD]176.20t[/TD] [TD]1[/TD] [TD]No[/TD] [TD].5[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] The badge: Wear it knowing you are part of a select group of rocket builders.

That reminds me of the phoenix VTOL SSTO. I remember it from the book Fallen Angels by Niven and Pournelle.

The patcher hasn't worked for many versions.

I saw the pics earlier, maybe the host is up and down

The atmosphere on planets other than Kerbin is a bit stuffed right now, especially Jool. It goes from zero to full destruction within metres I have heard there is a magical place around 198,500. Everyone sane uses Tylo and Laythe to brake.

Most jet engines are several metres long what's ridiculous about it? J58 in the sr71 was over 5 metres long before intakes and nozzle. I think the whiplash is modeled on it vaguely.

There is also the jet engine pointing down, it puts the cg below the surface which helps prevent flipping.

I sort of suspected it wouldn't, it's my first go at a liquid only, Ok I need to reduce weight, which should be easy. I'll fly and recover, let you know the cost. I like this challenge, it's good prep for the Laythe one.

Spoilers don't make things go faster, as the name says they spoil the airflow and push the vehicle down, they creates drag. A car with a spoiler is slower in a straight line. They do allow higher cornering speeds though.

I thought about rapiers, but looking at the Lathe SSTL challenge I thought it would be more efficient just to bring liquid fuel, That's my thought anyway, this isn't a Lathe plane, and I don't know if it will make orbit. But I am thinking something along these lines would work, probably without the MK2 parts.

Also in game screenshots are f1, f12 is the steam screenshot and aero overlay in game, better to use f1

Try the payload fraction challenge lots of great ideas there.

Thanks man, it took a lot of time and aero testing to get right.

Current Eve Delta-V is 7500m/s , the main problem is the new aero makes pushing through the air quite a challenge, it has to be streamlined, it has to be slow, a low TWR for a plane is not so bad, but you need to burn a looooong time. Suicidal Insanity had a plane that almost made it, if he had of launched from the tallest mountain he might have.

OK I think I have done it correctly. This craft has not been flown. I just built it. The SMA HIDC (Hope it don't crash) The cost of the plane to build is 44435.2 Cargo is 3t of ore Ah, how to fly, well I would shallow climb off the end of the runway, going really fast until about 20+km doing about 1400+m/s, once I stop accelerating then I would switch with action group 1 to the nuke. Once I had an apoapsis above 70km I would set up a circularisation burn and get on it, cause it's going to take a while with the nuke. Landing is the same as always, 25-30 degree pitch airbrakes deployed (crap, I just remembered I forgot to turn them off for pitch yaw) once atmosphere is thick enough action group 2 to turn the nuke off and the whiplashes on, land like a normal plane. Fingers crossed, head between knees, kissing my own sweet ass!

Ah, sorry I didn't read the rules properly, I build these things all the time so I will track another.

edited: Gatecrasher

Finished testing and optimising the OrbitMaster, and I am releasing it officially. Differences from the K-Prize Orbiter. 5t Lighter Faster due to Better Aerodynamics (and TWR boost from weight reduction) Carries more fuel for better range Has more control authority for easier operations in air and space Improved Balance Bigger Batteries and improved area placement of solar cells I don't recommend this SSTO for beginner pilots, but you only need a little experience to fly it. Detailed instructions are in the album, or you can read my how to fly. 110t on the pad with 36.8t cargo for 33% payload fraction (puts you high on the leaderboard in the Stock Payload Fraction Challenge) 4 Rapiers 1 Whiplash Designed to reach 71kmx71km orbit with maximum cargo Action Group 1: Mode Switch and Activate Rapiers Action Group 2: Shutdown Rapiers for in atmosphere return Craft File Some Images are from a slightly earlier craft than the released version and details may have changed

You need to do a shallower reentry, also make sure a blunt non aerodynamic surface is pointed forward like a heat sheild, also airbrakes help.

The atmospheric boundary is a bit messed up for all planets bar Kerbin, the zone between instant death, aerobraking, and no effect is quite small. I expect it will be fixed in the next update. Most people just come in too sharp and too fast expecting it to be like Kerbin.

The algorithm that attenuates the atmosphere was redone to help balance Kerbin. The other planets affected by it have not been fixed yet, this is why it is so hard to aerobrake currently. On Jool there is about 500m between not aerobraking, aerobraking and instant death. I wouldn't count on their atmospheres staying like this and Jets and Rapiers will probably stop air breathing at 10-15km on Laythe. Also: Use chutes.

So there is a definite effect, at least some of the fairings benefits remain and the weight is gone.

Your going to have to reduce your velocity, I think orbital is around 3k/s if you are coming in faster than that you will probably have issues. 100Km orbit to re-entry is definately survivable even without heat shields, just air brakes.

Also, once out of the atmosphere having a fairing counts against you, because it provides no aerodynamic benefit. So the fairing needs to be ejected at the right spot to provide the most benefit. Also the craft with the least weight will start to catch up once in space. So the longer you spend burning in space the the closer the gap will be. I just did another series of tests because I think Fosters had too much wing (which impacts an aerodynamic craft negatively) and I also think Mechjeb will fly the craft differently (limit speed etc) so I just used the prograde SAS. Interestingly the results I got show the unbuilt fairing get an Apoapsis of about 4000 km, the built fairing about the same but with a much more circular orbit with the periapsis of 10,000m. The deployed fairing achieved 9000 km. Can we explain that by weight difference?

What speeds were you doing, the craft has big draggy wings at the back, what if you go more streamlined (no wings) and faster.