Platapoes

Yep, there's more video here. I did mention it in my previous comment but I didn't know how to join the two videos (I can only record 2 mins at a time) so here it is.

Thank you very much, but is the large R&D bridge not Francium? Also yep horizontal take-off and stable orbit, with Pe at ~92km and Ap ~130km, and the craft is name "Smokestack" Thanks!

The landing was a little sketchy (okay maybe a lot sketchy) but I luckily made it first try

Made it! Got to orbit and back (took many tries) and landed at the KSC, taxied (on the taxiways ) to the science centre bridge! Total cost: 14,557 creds. https://imgur.com/pV9wS5B Here's the craft, I think I took a video of the landing, I can try and upload it if anyone wants.

Here's the last successful attempt - 731 m/s. Anything past that seems to crash as soon as I slow down!

I've gotten to 655 m/s and down again with everything (and everyone) surviving, using the same build.

It's using 4 Whiplash engines and the crew capsule did survive. I'm going to try and get a recording of it today. Once I pass around 340 m/s the engines become more efficient and it really accelerates. I might back off to try and guarantee survival, last time it took a lot of tries to get it right, although the engines sit lower than the capsule so they seem to take the impact. Oh whoops I missed the jets surviving part I'll have to get it again now anyway

Got to 310 m/s and decided I could do better, here's the result: Just shy of 1333 m/s! I've hopefully got a video coming soon Careful analysis of the video reveals the fairing actually disintegrated at 1303.9 m/s, after that it fell to the water. The highest speed should be 1303.9, and not 1332.9 m/s. Whoops.

First attempt - 125.0 m/s, I'll update when I get better lol. I've never made boats before so I'm learning as I go.

Is this compatible with 1.8.x?

Are there any plans to update this someday?

Is this mod on CKAN, and what do I search to find it? "Near Future Aeronautics" has no (or even no similar) results, but all the other Near Future mods seem to be there.