Nich

Pro SSTO builder/pilot Challenge The Peitz Aerospace Corporation wants you to build a new SSTO for their private use. The problem is the Peitz Aerospace Corporation is terrible at flying planes. Because of this it is required that the SSTO is extremely easy to fly and land. Pilot Requirements -No saves -No Reverts -No Sims -No Joysticks -No TACs fuel balancer -Mech Jeb is ok for informational purposes however the craft must be flown with Stock SAS or no SAS -Must get to orbit and return to Kerbin on first attempt with a specific craft Builder requirements -No saves -No Reverts -No Sims -No TACs fuel balancer -All testing kredits must be tracked -Must be a new design (Must be created in the SPH or VAB after accepting the challenge) -Because all SSTOs are quite similar it is ok to copy a previously working design THE KICKER -You do not get to fly your own craft and scoring is based off PRO pilots (detailed above) flying your craft Points -1 per 1000 Kredits spent (Subtract recovery value) (negative points do not get multiplied) -10 per dead Kerbal +2 per Kerbal rotated at a station (1-6) +1 (7-20) +.5 (21+) +4 per ton of inert payload delivered to a station or orbit (0-3) +2 (4-12) +1 (13+) +4 per ton of fuel delivered to a station (units of fuel *5 /1000) (0-3) +2 (4-12) +1 (13+) Multiplier 1x Kerbin orbit 2x Mun orbit 2.2x Miniums orbit All others TBD Badge If you have safely completed a flight you may apply the Pilot badge If someone else has safely completed a flight with your aircraft you may apply the Builder badge If you have done both you may apply the Master badge. Rewards 700,000 Kredits for builders 500,000 Kerdits for pilots (I will post directions for modifying persistent file if anyone is successful) Pro Builders 1. 'Camacho' by GoSlash27(current cost = 0) (best score = 17.05) (12 Kerbals to 150x150) 1. 'Danob' by Nich (current cost = 1172) (Best score = 9.88) (6 Kerbals to LKO 100x100+) 2. 'PB2.0' by GoSlash27(current cost = 2068) (best score = 9.18) (6 Kerbals to 77x80 not much left) 2. 'Stingray' by Starhawk (current cost = 1358) (best score = 4.713) (6 Kerbals to 77x80 good amount of play) 3. 'Probuilder1.0' by GoSlash27 (current cost = 2,906) (Best score = 5.4) (6 kerbals to LKO 100x100) 4. 'Badhat' by Evanitis (current cost = 0) (Best score = 4.1) (3 kerbals LKO 100x100) 5. 'Deliverance' by Scarecrow88 (current cost = 8758) (best score = 1.34) (6 kerbals to LKO) 6. 'Vamanos' by Scarecrow88(current cost = 7000) (best score = -.093) (2 kerbals 1.5t to LKO 100x100+) 7. 'Noobs Friend' by Nefrums (current score = 0) (best score = -.987) (1 kerbal to LKO lots of reserve fuel) 7. 'Haste' by SpaceplaneAddict(current cost = 2,460) (Best score = -6.08) (2 to Duna surface 22 might be possiable) 8. 'Multicord' by Jakalth (current cost = 7283) (best score = -14.44) (2 kerbals to LKO 3.4t) 8. 'A Sandwich ssto' by Jakalth (current cost = 0) (Best score = -16.6) (Minimus -3.4) 10. 'Neagle' by Nich (current cost = 12,905) (Best score = -100+) (Minimus 28.21) 11. 'Space Plane]' by llanthas (current cost = 0) (best score = none) (2 kerbals to LKO) 12. 'Neagle Infinity' by Nich (current cost = 30,215) (Best score = None) (Minimus 54.2) 13. 'SSSP 100' by The_Rocketeer (current cost = 22,000) (Best score = None) (100 kerbals to LKO) 14. 'Barracuda One' by Stoney3K (current cost = 36,255) (Best score = None) (2 to LKO and payload or 6 to LKO) 15. 'Space Whale 1' by Vegetal (current cost = 0) (best score = none) (18 kerbals to Mun) Pro Pilots1. Nich flying 'Camacho' by GoSlash27 (best score = 17.05) (12 Kerbals to 78x80 a lot left over)1. Starhawk flying 'Camacho' by GoSlash27 (best score = 16.01) (12 Kerbals to 75x75 a lot left over) 1. GoSlash27 flying 'Danob' by Nich (Best score = 9.88) (6 Kerbals to LKO 100x100+) 2. Starhawk flying 'PB2.0' by GoSlash27 (best score = 9.19) (6 Kerbals to 100x100 nothing left) 3. Nich flying 'PB2.0' by GoSlash27 (best score = 9.18) (6 Kerbals to 77x80 not much left) 4. Nefrums flying 'Probuilder 1.0' by GoSlash27 (Best score = 5.4) (6 kerbals to LKO 100x100) 4. Nich flying 'Stingray' by Starhawk (best score = 4.713) (6 Kerbals to 77x80 good amount of play) 5. Jakalath flying 'Badhat' by Evanitis (Best score = 4.1) (3 kerbals LKO 83x85km ) 6. Jakalath flying 'Deliverance' by Scarecrow88 (best score = 1.34) (6 kerbals to LKO) 7. Nefrums flying 'Vamanos craft file' by Scarecrow88 (best score = -.093) (2 kerbals 3.7t to LKO 100x100+) 8. Jakalath flying 'Noobs Friend' by Nefrums (best score = -.987) (1 kerbal to LKO 102x103) 9. Jakalath flying 'Probuilder 1.0' by GoSlash27 (Best score = -2.9) (LKO 71x71) 9. Starhawk flying 'Haste' by SpaceplaneAddict (Best score = -6.08) (2 LKO) 9. Nich flying 'Multicord' by Jakalth (best score = -14.44) (2 kerbals to LKO 3.4t) 10. Goslash27 flying 'A Sandwich ssto' by Jakalth (Best score = -16) (6 kerbals to LKO 1t of fuel) 11. Jakalath flying 'Vamanos craft file' by Scarecrow88 (best score = -11.08) (2 kerbals .7t to LKO 100x100+) 12. Nich flying 'Badhat' by Evanitis (Best score = -56.22) (3 kerbals LKO 83x85km ) 13. Nefrums flying 'Neagle' by Nich (Best score = -100+) (4 dead kerbals) 14. Jakalath flying 'Neagle' by Nich (Best score = -100+) (6 dead kerbals) 15. Scarecrow88 flying 'Probuilder 1.0' by GoSlash27 (Best score = -100++) (4th attempt)

Ha ha well that sucks Nefrums. That was the exact plane I was about to design but I wanted to use the shock cone infront of the other command pod (which violates the rules)

Have you found the perfect entry? From the Mun with a PE about 33-34sh this will reduce you AP to 45ish assuming you dont explode from the heat. Once you pass PE use monoprop until 45ish and you may slow enough to pop chutes. Otherwise just go with the claw.

So i have built an MK2 2 rappier 1 nuke design with 5 km dV in LKO. Even better it has full science and room for 6 kerbals. Now I just need to figure out the route

I have always felt the should have taken the best challenges from the forums and added them as contracts to the end game after you have finished the tech tree.

Actually that is not a bad idea to put together a 10km dV probe and just go play around in Duna's SOI before the transfer window comes up.

I am sorry but parachutes should be able to open at 2500 m/s all the air behind the shock cone is subsonic i.e. less then 343 m/s. Force at low density would be minimal and heating would be limited to the shock cone. Only way a chute would break is if you get to low in the atmosphere while still carrying significant velocity.

Positive graviolies congregating in space

So just like the real NASA once I have explored the Mun and Minimus I have been having a very hard time putting the effort or time into planning any exploration of Duna. Any advice on how to find the love for KSP again?

YES back in first place for SSTOs Even thought it is a technicality it feels so good

To much lift, too much thrust, to much rudder. Go to a smaller rudder, add a small mk3 tank of fuel, and fix you assent profile and you should be quite happy. Should be doing 1400ish on air

What is the most cost effective way to leave Miniums? Burn down to Kirbin for oberith effect or just leave directly from Minimus?

The best SSTOs i Have seen have hit 1450-1500 while still airbreathing

I try to do way to much in too little time. At one point i had an alarm to launch a lander on the Mun to rendezvous with its orbital refueler, an alarm to launch a lander on Minimus to rendezvous with its orbital refueler, and science/crew return craft entering Kerbins atmosphere all within 10 minutes of each other.

Phil 4 terriers seems like overkill and your fuel looks a little low to make it back to Kirbin but if you did I am quite impressed. I am assuming this was before 1.0.4 aero? nm I missed the 3 detaching that is an impressively optimized craft

My only question is how did you do the pitch dark landings with no landing lights?

Ok lets take it to an extreme. Lets pretend Mechjeb PRO comes out. When you start up the mod you get a pop up window that asks you what you want to do. I pick the complete Jool challenge option and select all science experiments from all biones option. And because I am in a hurry and have plenty of funds I select the holman transfer(no sling shots) option. Mech jeb pro then calculates the optimal launch window, calculates all required dV, builds a ship with the required dV, takes off at the perfect time on auto pilot, lands on all the planets/moons and collects all the science. Then it flys back and gives you your nice pretty science. Personally I had no fun here. However that being said after you have done 100 circulations it does get quite trivial. After 1000 docks it is quite trivial even without RCS or target tracking. After 10 transfers to the Mun/Minimus they are now so trivial I no longer need patched conics or maneuver nodes and can simply eyeball them. I have yet to go to Duna but I am sure after 10 missions or so I will be able to eyeball them as well. I personally think Mech Jeb should be part of Stock but features should unlock higher in the science tree i.e. transfer window planning should be 2000 science level. This is the same reason I dont use kerbal alarms transfer window planner because I have not learned it yet and it is not trivial yet however I know I am on a lower orbit and it will take 5-6 orbits to catch up with a target I have no problem using find closest intersection alarm because stock only shows 2 intersections and I am too lazy to get out a spread sheet and to the math for orbit periods.

First off remove your vertical fins (2) and go with a single smaller fin those are VERY draggy for some reason and you dont need that much yaw control. Also get rid of your strakes in the front they may be blocking airflow for your intakes. Finaly switch to shock cone and precooler as I feel this gives more air when you going faster then 1100 m/s for less drag. Just like with everything else less here means less there. Less wing area means less weight and less drag. Thus you can have less engines. less engines means you need less fuel which means you can have less lift. My SSTO achieved 21.5t per engine and i think 12.9t per lift Basically if it can barely takeoff you probably have a good chance of making it to space. I do want to try trading lift for thrust i.e. 18t per engine and 16t per lift and see if that works better. Aiming for something that can hit 200+ by the end of the runway and just barely fly until 350ish. This should be able to hit 1470ish at 22km on air saving you a ton of fuel.

Shock also takes in more maximum air at higher speeds .01*10 < .009*12. I think I normally run 2 or 3 engines on 1 intake anyways so I don't think it really matters

First off you never launch a new design with a kerbal in it. Secondly the cost of hard is just a grind all of the contracts are easy to do profitibilly of 100 percent or higher the problem is that profit is only two percent of what you need to do anything

Actually modern fms systems can takeoff fly and land all by themselves with no input from the pilot. But that is a job and I do not play ksp to work. I think I would like to have access to the sas dampening filters in flight so I can keep ships from shaking apart or waisting a ton of electrical power on momentum wheels on a ship by ship basis.

The 30 minute orbital period is not necessarily true if you have 45 minutes to your launch window and you are at the latitude longitude you want to launch from you cansimply do a pre-burn and extend your AP so you have a 45 minute period. This will allow you to burn exactly when you want to to get your munar flyby.

I have seen ppl use 2 lifting engines on the sides of there LF tank keeping the COL close to the COM with a couple of fins

Gravity is a vector and I do not like to use negative vectors as it makes cos() and sin() calcs very confusing And yes rotation at a specified rate depending on the distance from the COM

Well it is good we agree at least there ajburges. I just tried it again with my launch vehical and I was unable to get past 45. Not even close to circularizing. Tried it again at 30 degrees (about 15-20 degree AOA) with the same results but it felt like I was just about to bring PE out of Kerbin. My best results are 15' until 10 km tip down to 8' very slowly (should hit 8' around 16 km at 1200ish) switch the rapes at 23ish and 1390ish then just set up 5-8 degrees above propgrade. Burn until AP reaches 73km (this will bleed down to 70 km (PE will already be at 18ish km by the time you need to circularize)