CptRichardson

Why would you use a manned ion plane? Well, without a lot of OMS radial points for more Ion? LOX hypersonic nosecone, drone core, payload bay with... stuff in it, deep space module, and the adapter with ion drives and aerospike. Itty-bitty stubby wings, too. The whole idea is 'Spaceplane useful for interplanetary SCIENCE!', since otherwise it'd need a carrier vessel.

4: Combined Monoprop/RTG/Battery/Xenon multipurpose deep space support module for interplanetary drone flights. (With Mechjeb 'unlock features as you unlock tech' functions so it can come earlier in the tech tree and still be useful without being overpowering yet)

We really need a good strut pack like this...

Possible? Yeah. Sure, why not? Reasonable to? Affordable to? Probably not.

Rockets will be more expensive. Putting a plane on a rocket shuttle-style SUCKS and is a hyper-pain to do. Sticking a plane on the very tippy-top of a rocket involves lots of 'augh!'-isms.

Well, given that you're going to be putting satalites into orbit for at least 6 companies (and likely more, seeing as they said that these were the first six), you're about to have some more fun. Especially Kesseler Syndrome. Weeeeee!

Say, Porkjet, is there any way we could help lighten the load by letting us have a crack at textures? Say, if a part's textures get done by somebody before you do them, then you don't have to do them and can focus on the other parts.

Well, the idea would be to get a couple of 1.25 meter xenon tanks from somewhere and stuff them in the cargo bay. And build small for the thing, since it'd likely be an unmanned plane for scientific sampling of Lathe, Jool, or Eve. Also, once more giving Porkjet more stuff to do, but what about an inflatable station module that fits in the long cargo bay, to make the planes useful for taking up parts for a space station?

Hey, Porkjet, did you like the style of flavortext I provided, or would you prefer a more factual version? Never got a response back.

Like I said, for a micro-shuttle throwing a sat into orbit, you can get away with the stock docking module's RCS. If you're flying a big monster for lifting a major truss into orbit, or doing anything that involves leaving Kerbin orbit, 150 units of monopropellant is nowhere near enough for most work. Even with the new ion drive system. (though we really need a short fuselage section with xenon, battery, and an RTG to be set aside for a deep space mission pack.) And yes, theoretically, any shuttle could get away with an itty-bitty amount, but I'm not crazy enough to do docking without a pretty massive margin for error.

I've already floated the concept of turning the SP+ pack into mission sub-packs so that people can get what they want without the stuff they don't need.

For a serious spaceplane? Not really, no. If you're launching a major payload with the thing, or building it for deep space operations, 150 monoprop isn't NEARLY enough. For a tiny spaceplane crew ferry or microsat launch? It's okay, but kinda iffy. But if you've got to have engine nacelles for extra thrust, it isn't anywhere near enough delta v.

Do you have RPM installed to properly go with the interiors? Not having it might be causing the issue.

Hypersonic Nose/Tailcone: When scientists developed the Mk2 fuselage system, Kerbals finally had a way to punch the skies. When pilots hit Mach 3, the skies punched back. So, scientists came up with the K2-PM 'PunchMAX' nosecone in order to punch the skies even harder, steal the skies lunch money and get away before the skies could call the physics police to report the rocket propelled mugging. Comes in Liquid Fuel/Oxidizer, Liquid Fuel, Air Intake, and reduced weight structural variants for all your skypunching needs. Or would you prefer a more factual and boring flavor-text type?

Oh. Oh my. Um, do you need any flavor text for these?

DRE is designed for stock atmospheric models. Which... uh... is a problem with FAR.

You know, I hate to keep coming up with ideas, but what about a payload bay nosecone based on the existing cockpit formfactor? I'm putting together a micro-drone for launch, and the best way I've found for launching stuff with it would be a nose-cone like that.

You know, another thing to help out once you start getting a lot of stuff would be to start seperating out the various parts into mission packages to download. A basic package that contains the current parts. A deep space package with stuff like a fuselage section with RATO engine (Rocket Assist TakeOff), and the ion drive tail/other modules for deep space convience. A expeditionary science package with a fuselage that acts as a mobile science lab in manned and unmanned forms... etc, etc. Or: You don't have to make the same mistake B9, Novapunch, and so many others of the major part producers make. Don't be afraid to break it up and hand it out in chunks, so that we can customize what we want to use.

Nowhere near enough yet. I'd really like to see this become the new B9 pack.

*Checks to see if Imgur album works.* Nope. Sooo.... I present to you the Wyrm SX-1B, experimental spacecraft. Excessive RCS delta V, with a modest payload package of instruments, along with 2x 1x6 solar panels for power. Safely controlled by a drone core, theoretically it can travel anywhere in the Kerbin system, but we will have to wait for the SX-2 Ion craft for interplanetary sensor delivery. Part pack dependancies are: SP+, B9, and Mechjeb for takeoff guidance.

You know, what I would really like is for an alternate career mode focusing entirely on space-planes, built around this stuff.

Well, they thought about putting a klaxon on it, but it turns out that in Space, No-one can hear Bill scream. So, they just stick with obnoxiously huge lights.

You know, some practical mission-example planes might help. Anyone feel like designing some with me>

Yes, well... I really, really want dat Ion-friendly tail-section first. Annnd the air intake hypersonic nose for a drone ship. That'd be so Squee.

Space! INTERIOR SPAAAAAAAAAAAAACE! Yeeeeeeeaaaaaa-HAAAAAAW! *hits head on hatch* D'oh!