chargan

If you're in the correct launch window, just do a burn of around 650m/s on Duna's sunny side. Once you exit the SOI you can do the course corrections in Kerbol orbit to get a Kerbin intercept.

Here's one for Contract No.001B. SSTO with 500m/s+ remining in orbit. It's just within the dimension limits without any wing folding. Carrier takeoff and landing videos included in the imgur album. https://kerbalx.com/chargan/Switch https://imgur.com/a/QHErQZT

Sir, I must protest! We at the TACo corporation did provide video evidence of the advertised cruise speed of at least 1300 m/s. Circumnavigating Kerbin proves that the range is at the very least equal to the planet's equatorial circumference of 3769km. Seriously though let me know where you're having trouble. I think I should have mentioned that after reaching 450m/s, only raise the nose to a maximum of 10 degrees attitude. Once you reach 700 m/s, you can hold prograde until you're flying straight and level. This should get you up to 1300 m/s. I will take this feedback and modify the design to make it easier to fly.

Hey I'll start. Here's the Firebird Model Supersonic Long Haul Jet from the Toasty Aircraft Company (TACo for short). Seats 160 and capable of circumnavigating Kerbin with fuel to spare. Buy now for the reasonable price of $108 million: https://kerbalx.com/chargan/Firebird Video: https://imgur.com/m70CRp9 Instructions: https://imgur.com/m70CRp9 Rotate at 100m/s for takeoff Accelerate to 450m/s at low altitude Climb to 16km and cruise at full throttle. Speed will range from 1300-1380m/s depending on fuel load.

Slight revision to get the cost down to 15474 by removing the reaction wheel and battery. Also managed to park it under the R&D bridge: https://imgur.com/ic5JfHt

Updated Firecraker Mk2. Now costing only 16959 by having fewer control surfaces and reducing the starting fuel in the Pollux. Smaller SRBs now moved to the center for better balance. Did the Island Airfield one. https://imgur.com/IWPjje2

Just momentum. Stepped off the brakes at 9m/s and kept it rolling. I can upload the real time speed version of the landing if you want. Cost is 20675. Call it the Firecracker.

Here's my submission: https://imgur.com/a/PgxwM2y

Reading through this thread has been interesting. I had fun messing around with that Duna helicopter concept. I think I can definitely optimize it with a tilt rotor design + nerv engines + ISRU. Does this count? Made an Eve SSTO a while back using props to gain altitude. Had to refuel in Eve orbit to get back to Kerbin though. https://redd.it/f39x5q Also search for the Eve SSTO posted by realseek. I think his is the most optimized design I've seen.

The Challenge: Design a single stage craft capable of reaching orbit from Eve sea level. My own entry: Video and Craft file. This used breaking ground propellers to gain altitude before firing the rockets. Rules: Single staged (must not jettison any parts) Capable of reaching Eve from Kerbin and survive Eve atmospheric entry. Can achieve orbit from Eve sea level. For submission proof, takeoff below 2km is fine since it's annoying to find land with very low elevation. Have at least one Kerbal on board. ISRU is allowed. Refueling from another craft is only allowed while in orbit. No part mods. Cosmetic mods, KER, mechjeb are fine. DLCs allowed. Leaderboards: Lowest takeoff mass Highest remaining delta-v upon reaching Eve orbit. For this leaderboard, I'll set an arbitrary minimum TWR of 0.05 so people can't just pack in 1 ion engine and a bunch of xenon. Sharing your craft files will be highly appreciated.

Added additional scoring options so you get deductions for having less control features on your rocket. Good suggestion. Added that as a deduction to the score. Feel free to suggest if you think different deductions should have different weights.

Challenge: Launch a rocket and land the first stage as close to the launchpad as possible. Rules: 1) Maximum of 2 stages. SSTOs allowed. 2) The first stage must escape the atmosphere before the landing attempt. 3) Must be able to deploy a Convert-O-Tron 250 (4.25 ton payload) into a stable Kerbin orbit. 4) No parachutes on the first stage 5) No wheeled landing gear or rover wheels on the first stage. 6) No parts destroyed on the landed stage. 7) No mods except KER and Trajectories. Scoring: Once the first stage is landed, spawn a craft on the launch pad (just a command pod will do). The distance from the newly spawned craft to your landed first stage will be recorded as your score. Lowest score wins. Additional Scoring Options: 1) If you're good enough to land on the launch pad, you may spawn a command pod on the launch pad ahead of time and launch from the runway. 2) You may claim the following deductions: a) No saving/loading: -10m (must be proven by having the ability to revert) b) No airbrakes: -10m c) No aerodynamic control surfaces: -10m d) No RCS: -10m e) No Reaction Wheels: -10m f) No Trajectories: -10m g) No KER HUD: -10m Screenshots required: Craft on launchpad First stage above 70km Payload deploy Landed first stage Close-up of distance marker to the newly spawned craft on the launchpad.

That's correct. 6 big fuel cells in the fairing, enough to power the 12 ions.

Made it to orbit using a rapier https://imgur.com/a/mgOf5Ol

6:29 but damaged the props landing back at the KSC. Hope that still counts. I think this is the best I can do with this core design. How do you design bearings that can handle more torque? I'm using rcs bearings wrapped in 14 thermometers and it can handle 8 medium reaction wheels max. More than that and it tears itself apart. https://imgur.com/a/UGV2Gmo