Innuce

Unfortunately, they're only images, no data like a csv file.

It's going to take massive amounts of fuel any way you slice it. A large craft will end up being the solution here. Especially if we're talking a manned craft. Has anyone successfully taken a manned, rocket-only SSTO spaceplane to 100Km orbit over Kerbin yet? If one can accomplish this feat, I'm sure Eve wouldn't be too far out of reach.

I'd say your first problem is not giving MechJeb at least 40m or so to do maneuvering. To save on RCS, in my experience, it helps to get the ports at least somewhat lined up before engaging autodocking. Then you can engage closer.

Seems to me it will take a very massive craft to do this. Especially if we're talking a true SSTO from KSC. Maybe reduce some size if it were allowed to be carried to Kerbin orbit first using a lifter stage...

So simple fix. Change your screen resolution. Problem solved!

Might be able to turn on selective RCS thrusters using action keys. Perhaps creative use of linear RCS thrusters even. I have been wanting to experiment with this myself, but have been distracted on other things... Ideally, I'd like to see MechJeb make use of the rocket engines and torque as priorities before using RCS at all. I mean, it does this already with the Rendevous Autopilot and other maneuvers. Sadly, for now, it only makes use of RCS in Smart A.S.S. and Auto-Docking.

So it might not even be worth using ion engines at all? Getting a manned, horizontally launched, ion/jet engine powered spaceplane into orbit probably wasn't the best solution either. Probably could have replaced all the ion engines with a couple aerospikes and a tank of fuel to accomplish the same thing. I think I did it just to see if it was possible, not for the sake of efficiency.

It's not an issue of whether ion engines can compensate, but at which point they would contribute. The unique problem with ion/jet engines on Kerbin is the inability of throttling up the ions to full-throttle at the same time you need to throttle-down the jet engines. Once I was well over 40Km, I was able to shut down the jet engines entirely and finish the orbit with ion alone. In this case, on Eve, we can supplement the main engine(s) with ion at around 40Km (once the solar arrays can be deployed), at full power. Presumably, exhausting rocket fuel after 70Km, then switching to 100% ion drive and perhaps RCS for docking (unless you have a docking port on the nose).

I have done this on Kerbin. Only with jet engines and ions. Problem is, the jet engines do about 90% of the work getting you up to speed, then it's up to the ions to circularize. To emulate the same thing on Eve, you'd have to essentially do the same thing I've done on Kerbin, but with aerospikes in place of jet engines. So, we're talking about a manned SSTO that can take off from Kerbin, make it's way to Eve, land, then take off again back to orbit. A couple of refueling stops along the way of course. I have been working on another project, but I may have to put that on hold now, haha.

I believe there was a fix in one of the Dev builds. Make sure you have the latest version of MechJeb2.

The MechJeb2 tab is actually above the new buttons. If you move it below the buttons, then there's no room for the MechJeb2 menu items once you open the tab. However, there is a gap between the top of the new buttons and the MechJeb2 tab. It could be moved down some at least.

Does anyone know what minimum altitude you can deploy solar arrays on Eve? Once you can get your craft to that altitude, ion engines should do the trick! I know on Kerbin, you can deploy them safely around 27Km. Sounds to me aerospikes/ions are the way to go, that is, if this is even possible at all.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for utility... I'm thinking of adding a small tug craft to my megaship. Technically, my fueler/station functions as a tug, bringing the lander/rover to whatever world I want to explore. But at times, it would be nice to have a smaller, nimbler craft to jockey things around. My initial concept was to just dock together the modular fueler/stations, but it would actually add alot of redundant parts to the overall station. I have a redesigned lifter stage to get 2 of the fueler/stations into orbit simultaneously. Once in orbit, they would detach from their vertical connection, then redock radially. Ready for liftoff... Two (mostly) full Jumbo tanks in orbit after staging complete. This payload ends up being actually 104t, heavier than my other craft with the lander/rover! Re-docked radially. This craft could conceivably power itself to another world with it's 8 engines now, with accomodations for 2 more kerbals, or just hang out as a station/refueler. Perhaps all I really need is one of these in the center, and add on extra fuel tanks to the four sides with a small tug? Basically leaving off the command pod, ASAS, and mechJeb stuff from the outer tanks.

Reducing this challenge to "let's see who can launch the most empty fuel tanks into orbit" seems cheap to me. So I agree, the scoring is flawed. I would add some kind of requirement that the final "payload" not be a bunch of empty fuel tanks strapped together. I would emphasize the "payload" be something useful rather than empty fuel tanks. A payload would be defined as delivering something, such as fuel, or crew, or an interplanetary craft. Perhaps even penalizing for emptied fuel tanks. But one could argue that the empty fuel tanks indeed are the payload if your mission is to build some uber refueling station.

I managed to get a stock, manned, ion-powered/jet-powered SSTO into orbit around Kerbin. I'd have to modify it with a couple aerospikes and some fuel. Probably need to have my refueling station in orbit around Eve to top off the tanks. The biggest problem will be carrying the dead weight of the jet engines. That is, unless I remove them altogether and replace them with the aerospikes. Hmmm, but that would mean more fuel/weight to get off Kerbin... I know I have seen people make rocket/ion spaceplanes before. Anyhow, here's a video of my craft going to orbit over Kerbin...