corinoco

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_and_a_half In the bizarre alternate universe known as the Real World this kind of staging system was used for the early Atlas rockets.

My next two unusual designs are complete; look in the main forum for the Jeb\'s Idea 1 & 2 - a reliable launch tower lift and a very asymmetric orbital craft based on the same rather dangerously unstable design ;P Challenging to fly, a real test of manual piloting skills and fuel management -including changing balance while fuel depletes having a huge effect on the craft\'s handling, inadequate parachute for landing requires skillful RCS use and unique use of components in odd and possibly insane ways. Both craft feature full backstory and pictorial user guides that are quite fun to write!

Not quite 100% Kerbal, as this is (as far as I can tell) a 100% reliable way of getting 3 Kerbonauts to the top of the Launch Tower. Every. Single. Time. I guess the massive explosion every it e makes it Kerbal. ;D

I certainly agree that being able to look up into your own engines is an advantage in a rocket.

My \'This Way Up\' design explored the same challenges; and yes, I already knew about the Rocket Pendulum Fallacy - but clearly Jeb hasn\'t heard of it. Very impressive to get all the way to the Mun with your design though; I was never able to keep the upper stages stable for long enough to achieve an accurate trans-Munar orbit.

Jeb wasn\'t kidding. He has gone and turned his asymmetrical Launch Tower Lift into an orbit capable spacecraft. No-one here at KSP is quite sure how it works, as no-one has been brave enough to touch the darn thing. The engineers are afraid it will fall apart if you look at it too hard. See for yourself: It\'s not pretty. It\'s not symmetrical. It\'s not exactly stable most of the time. It\'s certainly not safe. But it will get you to orbit. The following slideshow may provide some assistance in how to fly this, unique, remarkable, outrageous craft. http://imgur.com/a/kkAlJ Be warned, this craft is challenging, and RCS must be used carefully, sparingly and with a deft touch. It might be worth using duct tape to restrain Jeb.

It is perhaps best to read this transcription of the KSP Occupational Health & Saftey, Security, Sanity, Structural Health & Intergrity Team (OHSSSHiT) radio logs. It may help explain this 'design'. KSP Base Comms Channel: 'Has anyone seen Jeb lately? He\'s not on our CCTV.' 'Nope.' 'Me neither. His security escort is here though' 'Have they seen him?' 'Nah.' 'Crap. OK, this is a base-wide security alert - Jeb is someone in the base, unescorted, repeat, unescorted. Please secure all computer terminals, lathes, escalators and candy machines.' 'What.... he\'s where? The Design Team room? Well, he can\'t do any damage there can he?' 'He what? Logged in? How?.... Accessed the design blueprint drives? Anything deleted? No? Oh, good.' 'Something ADDED?' 'Well, where is he now? ... the Fabrication facility? Doing? Making engines? HOW MANY? Well, I guess we need a few, have QA check \'em out...' 'Now where? The VAB? What the hell? HE\'S WHAT??! WELL, STOP HIM!' 'Whaddaya mean he\'s already ON THE PAD? WELL, get him OFF THE PAD!' 'Bill? and Bob? Oh noooo.... Cut the power! Cut the power! HURRY!' *sounds of SAS gyro spoolup and liquid stage pre-pressurisation* 'Arrrgh! Too Late!' *sound of engine start, SRBs firing...* *sound of very large explosion, parts falling onto pad* 'sigh.... emergency crews... see if they survived... try to put out the fires.' 'What, radio transmission? From where? The CAPSULE? Which direction? What do you mean \'UP\'?' 'Where? The top of the tower? I\'ll be....' * * * TRANSMISSION ENDS * * * Here is what the pad CCTV saw: Before... After... Full gallery of images: http://imgur.com/a/x7COf In Jeb\'s version of events, he describes his revoltushu revlotiif revaret very clever idea for a faster Launch Tower Lift. The Jeb\'s Idea 1 saves 43.6 seconds on the usual long, boring lift ride to the top of the Launch Tower, and since time is money this will clearly save the KSP a mild amount of money if implemented immediately. He also highlights the designs reliability, with a 100% success rate for delivering three Kerbonauts to the top of the Launch Tower safely and swiftly. He also points out it provides plenty of training opportunities for the KSP Fire, Search & Rescue Teams. He claims the rumour that his brother-in-law is the prime contractor for Liquid Fuel tanks and the red paint used on the Launch Tower is a complete coincidence. However the rumours he is working on an orbit-capable design are completely true.

Thanks for putting the \'This Way Up\' in! As you can probably tell, I enjoy making somewhat more bizarre craft; the weirder the better. A Mun-capable \'This Way Up\' has so far been ellusive, but work continues. I have also heard a nasty rumour that Jeb was seen around the Kerbal Space Program Manufacturing Facility unescorted by the usual Occupational Health, Safety, Security, Sanity, Structural Health & Integrity Team (OHSSSSHiT) and is allegedly working on something he described in a k-mail as \'ah sekrit pojekt whitch wull relvovvl rvelove relove revolutable mak betta teh KSP lornch faclititietiies\' Stay tuned.

*sigh* Now that Jeb has experienced the luxury of meat-paste, whisky & cigarettes in orbit, he wants to be the first Kerbal to get drunk while eating meat-paste and smoking .... ON THE MUN.

Now includes .craft file at no extra cost! (doh!) To explain the design, you\'ll have to read these post-mission comments from Jeb: [li]Too quiet in capsule - hard to tell when engines are on. Put engines closer so audible checks can be made - much quicker than reading these silly dial things.[/li] [li]Capsule too far off ground - could be major trip hazard when entering capsule. Also Bill is afraid of lifts.[/li] [li]Unable to visually check if engine is running. Sometimes I listen to my K-Pod during launch as the screaming from Bill, Bob & mission control distracts me. Would be handy if I could look out window and check if engine is working. Also Bob has never seen a rocket launch as he has always been in the capsule. He would be much happier if he could get to see a rocket launch from up close; he may even open his eyes.[/li] [li]Launch is very stressful - it would help to have an in-capsule supply of whisky & cigarettes. Can we also have some meat-paste-in-a-tube? I think it\'s yummy![/li] To address these severe failings the Kerbol Space Program work experience student drew up with the following design: The This Way Up - named thus as the student wanted to really emphasize which way up the rocket should be placed on the pad. Design features include: [li]Main engines in clear view above capsule. Right above you. Right above. There, just outside that cheap window.[/li] [li]Booster engines in clear view above and beside capsule. Easy to hear when they are working! Easy to hear when they separate![/li] [li]Large whisky & cigarette storage pod. Conveniently located at the main airlock. We had to make the parachute smaller to fit the meat paste, though.... [/li] [li]Convenient ground level access. Rocket control function & stability were compromised, also staging is pretty dangerous with the wreckage spent stages tumbling directly into your flightpath. Nothing that the...[/li] [li]Extra powerful RCS thrusters can\'t get you out of the way of. Assuming you turned them on. [/li] [li]Extra safe landings! (Provided you remember to save some RCS fuel - remember we made the parachute smaller?) Remember to turn the RCS thrusters on, too[/li] [li]Massive post-landing cross-range capability! At about 2m/s top speed, this will save you about 150m worth of trudging (drunk, smelling of cigarettes and meat-paste) back to base.[/li] Despite the revolutionary design, the rocket is fairly simple to fly. For those who wish to be like Jeb and just fly by the seat of your (admittedly brown) pants, the flight manual is classified. Everyone else, de-classify the flight manual by clicking the Spoiler below. Steps to obtain some sort of orbit are: [list type=decimal] [li]Place rocket on pad. Check it is the right way up.[/li] [li]Let Jeb into capsule[/li] [li]Coax Bill & Bob into capsule by laying a trail of space-cookies; quickly shut and bolt hatch once they are inside.[/li] [li]Switch on SAS, arm RCS and set throttles to full before launch.[/li] [li]Ignition! Be ready to steer rocket, as it tends to \'wander\' much like Jeb\'s concentration.[/li] [li]Slowly pitch to heading 90 - the attached pictures show the rate. Jettison SRBs when they burn out.[/li] [li]Pitch to level by about 35,000m - accelerate to 2,400m/s[/li] [li]MECO once apoapsis is above about 80,000m[/li] [li]Circularize (or ovalize?) orbit at apoapsis[/li] [li]Seperate booster stage. Be sure to have RCS armed and blip retrothrust right away to avoid colliding with wreckage seperated stages[/li] [li]Break out the tubes of meat paste, open the whisky and light a cigarette - you\'re in orbit![/li] [li]When the meat paste, whisky & cigarettes run out, point the capsule in your favourite direction and retro-thrust with the appropriate RCS quad. Leave a little RCS d/v for landing.[/li] [li]Atmospheric entry is mostly automatic, but try to remember to activate the chute before 1,000m[/li] [li]At about 100m activate the RCS retros - you will need these to slow down, as the meat paste, whisky & cigarette storage containers are quite heavy and slightly overload the parachute.[/li] [li]Any remaining RCS fuel may be vented in amusing ways, or be used to propel the capsule if at sea.[/li] Images of the successful first flight (well, ok, the first successful flight) can be seen here: http://imgur.com/a/0bmDy#0

Jeb wants economic reform! Access to space is expensive! What is the expensive part? - PLUMBING. The cost of plumbers these days, sheesh, no wonder they all drive fancy cars! What is a cheaper form of engine? - FIREWORKS! Jeb knows this guy who can get LOADS of unused fireworks. Jeb\'s plan is this: [list type=decimal] [li]Obtain Fireworks[/li] [li]Grind up fireworks[/li] [li]Stuff ground-up fireworks in old rubbish tins, jam jars - what ever you can find, really[/li] [li]Stack filled tins under capsule[/li] [li]LIght Fuse & Get Away. FAST[/li] How hard could it be? I give you... The LiFGaF! How To Fly: [list type=decimal] [li]Obtain a Fireproof suit[/li] [li]Activate SAS[/li] [li]Light fuse and get away. FAST[/li] [li]If on ground, KEEP RUNNING[/li] [li]If in spacecraft, it may help to put a paper bag over your head[/li] [li]Let the first 3 stages burn out - Fire stages ASAP after previous burnout - DO NOT TOUCH ANY OTHER BUTTONS (this includes you, Jeb)[/li] [li]Once you are burning stage 4 - pitch over. Some. Not too far. About half way should do it.[/li] [li]Once stage 5 is burning, pitch to the horizon. Try to hold it there.[/li] [li]Keep burning stages until your velocity is +2,400m/s[/li] [li]You should now be heading towards an apogee of about 200-300km, but you\'ll be heading back down...[/li] [li]When you reach apogee, use RCS to raise periapsis to +75km (and turn the apogee into an apoapsis!)[/li] [li]Break out the tubes of borscht and condensed milk - you\'re in orbit![/li] [li]Might be a good idea to put out any remaining small fires in the cabin at this point[/li] [li]Retrofire and atmosphere entry are left as an exercise for the reader & Jeb[/li] I haven\'t managed to fly this beast into a stable orbit solely on the solids yet - it must be possible though. I also suspect you could do without the first set of SRBs - I could get apogees on 400km or so, but without enough RCS to obtain orbit. Oh, and be warned: the first three stages are a bit of a slideshow! Oh, and if you are watching from the ground the first three sets of spent SRBs will fall pretty much on your heads - so KEEP RUNNING is good advice. A good rule of thumb is that if you can SEE the LiFGaF it can kill you (especially if it clips the launch tower)

Hi all, Another Kerbonaut steps up to the platform... this time from Sydney, Australia, where rockets are built out of beer cans, guidance systems are made from boomerangs (they always come back), Kerbals are REAL Kerbals, and sheep are scared (especially if they live downrange). corinoco