inigma

Yeah we are converging designs but only to a certain line. SSI shuttlecraft efficiency only comes second to the final craft footprint. It has to look like a Trek shuttlecraft profile. Cupcake's dropships have no such limitation. It is my hope that my particular SSI crafts will complement Cupcake's dropships...maybe even accompany them in a future video?

I know. In fact deploying gears in SPH has saved me about 10 development hours on the Proton alone. The Proton's gears start undeployed and for those that can manage it land undeployed (thus the reason for the bottom intakes acting as landing pads). Proton gears are simply landing training wheels for new pilots if you will. You will need to undeploy gears to ingress and egress.

Ah, the new in-development Proton III. I can't seem to get enough tweaking this base model before offering the other models. Featuring a complete rebuild for even better aesthetics, universal sunken docking ports, better landing legs (again), intakes under the wing and not jutting over it, and balance, balance, balance. It is almost done. I have to do a certification run to make sure the added tonnage of the regular docking port plus cubic strut it took, will complete a Minmus return. I expect it to. I noticed no increase in takeoff time (30 seconds) over the Proton or Proton II, so I have no doubt it will do it. I might release it Sunday night.

Yes. I've discovered that feathering a RAPIER toggle with TJE flameouts is the equivalent to managing two separate thrust controls. Since the game currently doesn't allow independent thrust control, feathering is the only option that remains, and though its crude, it works well to maximize efficiency of both engines. Also, two TJEs would simply not have the overall combined power of a RAPIER and TJE at all altitudes. Try it and see. Rune developed a Proton look alike with two TJEs. He still couldn't beat the Proton's TURAN engine (Turbojet Rapier Nuke) yet on performance. SSI has patented the TURAN engine and made it available to the public for free. No credit necessary.

For the universal docking port, Cupcake like this bro (I think that's what he means. I tested it and it works.) btw, thats my Proton III (in re-development, I can't seem to stop tweaking this thing to perfection)

clarified rules.

SAS unfortunately is not allowed. Great attempt though! See http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/64413-The-Auto-Orbiter-FULLY-AUTOMATIC-ORBITER-JUST-HIT-THE-SPACEBAR!!!! - he did it without SAS.

Hey thanks for the compliment! I'll be the first to admit that the Proton is a complicated craft to fly, but not impossible. It seems to me that you might be climbing too fast without gaining enough speed first. If you're not jetting into a 34/100km orbit with jets alone, then you're wasting fuel and efficiency. That's prob what's happening. Have you checked out the flight video and the flight profile instructions I posted on the OP? In it it shows an exacting flight profile. 1. After VTOL launch, Engage Turbo Jet Engine (TJE) and RAPIER 70 degrees up to 20km 2. At 20km Pitch down to 10 degrees until 25km 3. At 25km Pitch down and up to keep altitude about 29km until 1800 m/s surface speed (use the rise indicator on your HUD to keep that needle above 0 but not too high) 4. At 30km Pitch up to 10-15 degrees until 40km. 5. Above 30km the TJE flames out with RAPIER enabled. Simply turn of RAPIER to restart TJE then immediatley turn RAPIER back on while TJE "warms back up" and then flames out again. Keep "feathering" the RAPIER with the TJE until near 34km, then cease cruising with the RAPIER. Your speed should be near 2000 m/s by 40km. 5. At 40km pitch down to 0 degrees and keep TJE full throttle until flame out usually near 42km, then throttle down by one tick as needed to re-engage TJE. You should actually be able to tick all the way through 68km. By that time, your Apoapsis will be above 100km, and I've even hit 105km. 6. At total flameout (68km) Coast to Apoapsis and circularize with the LV-N (Key 6). Flying an SSTO is simple once you know the basics: 1. Get above the heavier air fast. 2. Cruise (fly at max Jet throttle) gaining speed until near orbital speed or higher (1800 m/s for most craft) (Cruise altitude is defined as the highest altitude possible which will continue to feed air to all your jets at full throttle - this is no higher than 29.9km for the Proton). 3. Climb out of cruising altitude steadily and decrease your throttle little by little to prevent flameouts, or to reignite after flameouts. (For the Proton this means turning off your RAPIER when the TJE flames out, to reignite the TJE and utilize its more efficient thrust; and then cease using the RAPIER above 40km) 4. Jet your apoapsis above 70km (Proton target's 100km easy) 5. Circularize with your space engines at Apoapsis.

Just in case you missed it over the holiday. I finally fixed the download link and added a Mediafire since Spaceport appears to be having issues.

Warping allowed.

That works! 1000 points for reaching orbit (Pe above 70km) 1000 Points Noob Certified Rocket: Using only spacebar (no other keys) Total: 2000 points Commendation: Jebediah Certified Craft heh, you've convinced me to add another 1000 points to the rules for Kerbin orbit with Ap within Kerbin SOI.

Shift allowed to throttle up only prior to launch. Ill update OP.

Another regular day at SSI

I updated the challenge to make it more broad, and with criteria and requirements.

Inspired by this post: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/64413-The-Auto-Orbiter-FULLY-AUTOMATIC-ORBITER-JUST-HIT-THE-SPACEBAR!!!! I challenge anyone to build a Noob Rocket to orbit, to the Mun, or Duna. Bragging rights and a place on the leader board to the first person able to do it. SSI will even offer the intrepid engineer who pulls this off with a cameo in the next SSI film. Rules: 1. No mods. 2. Craft must be manned. 3. No SAS or flight inputs allowed. 4. Spacebar allowed 5. Number keys allowed only for staging and one-time events. No toggling. Hit a key once, that's it. 6. Shift key allowed, but not after launch. 7. Warping allowed (comma and period keys). 8. Must share craft file. Special Awards: So Easy a Monkey Can Do It (Under 3 Spacebar hits) SPAAAAACE!!! (Under 10 spacebar hits) Jebediah Certified Craft (Under 10 spacebar and action key hits) Points: 1000 Points Noob Certified Rocket: Using only spacebar (no other keys) 1000 points for reaching any orbit (Pe above 70km) 1000 points for reaching Kerbin orbit (Ap within Kerbin SOI, Pe above 70km) 2000 Points for reaching Munar or Minmus orbit 4000 Points for landing on the Mun or Minmus 8,000 Points for orbiting Duna 10,000 Points for landing on Duna Leaderboard: 1. Kasuha - 2000 Points, Jebediah Certified Craft | [Craft] 2. Ketsa - 2000 Points, SPAAAAACE!!! | 3.

You know this could open up a whole new series of space bar only spacecraft. Hmm... Noob Rockets. I like. Challenge: Noob Rocket to Duna. Goal using only good timing and the spacebar, land a Kerbal on Duna.

Updated the craft to the Proton II - featuring better landing legs for easier landings.

Stock EVA attachable fuel lines.

Here's a few shots of the SSI savegame file showing various crafts in action:

All craft are compatible with .23. I am not sure I understand. Get rid of the fuel tank? The craft uses all of it to get up to orbit and back.

hmmm. looks ingenious. Certainly far simpler than this monstrosity: Oh that's an Arrinera by Mareczex333 on the left. Inigma finally sold enough shuttlecraft to be able to justify buying one for the company. The refueler is an SSI GR-2M. Great interior though:

By all means! Here's a few shots of the SSI savegame file showing various crafts in action:

Awesome craft. I'm glad to have inspired you to built a VTOL. Multiple engines is allowed by SSI design philosophy in that stacking engines within engines represents, if you will, Kerbal "miniaturization" technological progress. We don't clip fuel tanks of the same time either, and all tanks must not be over clipped where they are invisible and inaccessible (for anticheat and refueling reasons). Also, for the record, using the RAPIER to feather acceleration with the Turbo Jet isn't bug or cheat. In fact, it's the same principle as simply throttling down one engine versus another in any plane. Since KSP doesn't provide multiple engine throttle controls (yet), toggling the RAPIER while cruising with a Turbo Jet at high altitude is the equivalent of managing two separate engine throttles since all you're doing is flaming out your TJE toggling your RAPIER off, and then waiting for the TJE to flame back on, and during its low throttle warm up, re-enngaging the faster warm-up RAPIER for continued push thus maximizing the thrust potential of both engines in tandem. On a real life SSTO, a computer would simply automatically adjust the combined thrust for maximum efficiency. I don't see how it's a cheat more than a way to take advantage of two separate engine's strengths (TJE's slow warm up and higher thrust at high alt, and the RAPIER's fast warm up period but lower thrust at high alt). The pairing is beautiful in my opinion. It essentially gives any plane the opportunity to choose to manage one's TWR to either increase altitude or gain faster speed, but not both at the same time. Balancing the two is what feathering the RAPIER does until doing so becomes inefficient (you start to waste fuel) above 2000 m/s and 34km.

I added the newly certified Proton class to the OP. Enjoy!

Aw thank you. They took a little more than a month of development. I don't see the rover. Are you sure you uploaded it? Thank you! Your Proton comes with a signed certificate of authenticity. Enjoy!