MrChris

Made it! And landed! Just! Thanks for the suggestions. One big error I was making was using the boosters in a side-by-side strap-on configuration. Without aerodynamic caps, they add considerable drag. One problem, I should have said, is that I'm to be gaining very little science through my launches. Otherwise I would have been putting more effort into 'levelling up' and gaining more powerful engines and larger fuel tanks. My final vehicle had three RT-10 stages, and one LV-T30 with 8 FL-T100 tanks. I pitched to a heading of 270, initial periapsis of 75km and then burned all my remaining fuel at that. This was just enough (like, by about 5 m/s) to hit 2500 m/s and I completed about 2-3 orbits before drag brought me down.

Unfortunately I don't have access to more parts than I listed in my first post, and I can't reach even orbit with those.

Thanks for the lightning-quick response. My problem is in achieving an orbit at all given my weight limit of 18 tonnes. Generally I have been aiming for an initial (suborbital) apoapsis of about 50 km, and then try burning prograde at that to achieve orbital velocity. But I run out of fuel long before I can achieve 2500 m/s.

Hi all. As a newcomer, I'm struggling to achieve the early "Set speed record of 2,500 m/s" contract in Career Mode. I note the earlier thread on this same topic, but it doesn't really address the problem I'm facing, as the proposed solution is not possible to me at present. My resources are not great. I have the following parts available: Fuel tank FL-T100 Engine Liquid fueled: LV-T30 [*]Solid fuel: RT-10 Hammer booster RT-5 Flea booster Structural TR-18A stack decoupler Plus parachute, Mk1 command pod, and a few other elements I don't think are of use to me here. I've mostly tried a three-stage design with a pair of the RT-10 boosters, a liquid engine and a couple of fuel tanks so that boosters and liquid engine run out together and are jettisoned. The other two stages are liquid engines. Yet, try as I might, I cannot reach the 2500 m/s achievement. My best was 2340, and that was orbit speed. I suspect my ground speed was lower. Any advice on how to pass this?