inigma

ok. 38 vs 48. I look forward to seeing what you can do to shrink your craft footprint. Do you think your Mk. II could pass SSI certification? If so, it would have to be capable of undocking fully fueled from 120km, landing at KSC, and flying back up and redocking at 120km without refueling. Let me know if you can do it. If so, post in the SSI thread in Rocket Builders forum (or click on our link in my sig below) and we'll get an engineer to test it for you (or you can post a video of your flight to self-certify and be automatically published in our General Catalog)!

aw thanks. I was aiming for exactly this. I hope to develop larger capacity craft that look similar going forward. I'm already developing the Type II (capable of carrying two Kerbals). The craft reminds me of the Delta Flyer from Star Trek.

Actually, its undock from 120k, land at KSC, and fly up to 120k and dock without refueling. However in my certification run, I think I had enough fuel to attempt another landing at least. It might work in reverse. I just haven't tested a double trip yet. It would be pushing it for sure. In fact, it was because I had so much fuel remaining in my test flights that I am convinced to try shedding a fuel tank in a later version of the Ion, or maybe in an even smaller new ship class. We'll see. I recorded the certification flight. Took 40 minutes. I will be condensing it down to a 5 minute or less presentation and posting a link to the video soon, as well as the craft files for the Ion and Ion Heavy. The Ion is why SSI was created - to glean the best ideas from everyone and develop the smallest closed-cockpit VTOL SSTO capable of docking with a station, or even dropping down from one and back up again! I want to see the Ion docked at a station near you. Our next development goal is to design a craft with capabilities to land and return from both air and airless bodies from 120km.

His Mk. III looks like its unmanned, so I'm not entirely sure that it's a true comparison. The manned SSI Type I Ion is 7.7 tons, 48 parts, and the footprint is smaller (even if the 6 clipped intakes were stacked instead of clipped). This is a healthy competition. As I said, if he or anyone can do better, SSI is definitely looking for you! We aim to catalog and certify the smallest closed-cockpit SSTOs on the market. His Mk. III unmanned could actually be even smaller if he shed a fuel tank, removed the struss, dumped an RCS tank, and replaced his forward wings with fins.

I love this! Thank you for sharing your space program vehicles.

great job!

I got ya beat. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/52317-SSI-Ion-Class-Shuttlecraft-%28Smallest-Operational-VTOL-SSTO-Spaceplane-Ever Now if you can top that, SSI could really use you! In fact your ship as-is is worthy if an SSI submission if you are up to it.

Can someone make a video of the tips in this thread?

I've got Scott Manley beat by a few parts and tons: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/52317-SSI-Ion-Class-Shuttlecraft-%28Smallest-VTOL-SSTO-Ever-Designed%29

I love the refuel truck. I'm thinking about adding a refueling station next to the landing strip at KSC fitted with various adapters meant to refuel different ships. The truck could come in real handy in refueling the station.

This is the Ion. It is a closed cockpit Amphibious Autonomous VTOL SSTO, perhaps the smallest ever closed-cockpit VTOL SSTO designed in KSP by anyone anywhere. It represents the best of SSI engineering and its design principles. The Ion Class: Is an SSI original Type I Shuttlecraft capable of undocking from 120km, landing at the KSC helipad, and redocking at 120km without refueling. Part Count: 48 Weight: 7.7 tons of pure joy. Fuel Remaining at 80km orbit: 100+ Real Time to Orbit: 12 Minutes The Ion is flameout resistant, and lands on its runners or in the sea using VTOL. The Ion Heavy Class: For though who love their wheels, the Ion Heavy is also seen below with standard gear bays that are recessed into the hull. I prefer this one myself for basic shuttling operations. Part Count: 52 Weight: 9.1 tons of pure happiness Fuel Remaining at 80km orbit: 100+ Real Time to Orbit: 16 Minutes The Ion Heavy lands on landing gear or nothing at all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLd7In_hiW8 SSI Type I Ion Craft File (runners) SSI Type I Ion Heavy Craft FIle (landing gear) Flight Profile: (100+ units of fuel @80km)(80 rcs) 1. Full throttle 85 degrees up to get above 10km. 2. At 17km pitch to vector. 3. At 22km pitch to horizon. 4. Cruise at 32km picking up speed until 2150 m/s or more (2300 preferred). 5. Keep gaining altitude and speed throttling down at flameouts until 1 tick throttle near 48km. 6. Coast to apopasis (should be over 51km) 7. At apoapsis, engage rockets full throttle 20 degrees up until desired new apoapsis target is reached (above 70km). 8. Thrust rockets occasionally to keep apoapsis above 70km until 70km is actually reached by the craft. 9. Circularize or adjust orbit to a parking orbit of 80km, and then circularize there. Controls: 1. Forward Jet 2. Rockets 3. Hover Jet 4. Air Intakes Your comments, thoughts, or suggestions are most welcome in this thread! Let me know what you think!

Here is the new Ion (the old Ion was a quick slap around of parts never meant for distribution) that I finally finished tonight and is now going through Shuttlecraft Systems Inc. trials: VTOL SSTO, capable of undocking from 120km, landing at KSC (at the Helipad), and flying back up to 120km and redocking without refueling. 48 parts, 7.7 tons of pure joy. See more pics and get the craft here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/41898-Shuttlecraft-Systems-Inc-%28SSI%29-NOW-HIRING!?p=689559#post689559

Simple answer: boost your forward speed as you land. This will generate more lift which will allow you to land on your wheels. I was crashing all the time. Until one day I figured to try speeding up with engines on during landing...only to find that I got more lift which slowed my fall and actually hit the deck with my wheels. Darn good wheels. I never trusted them before. That was the prob. I was thinking parachutes, when I should have been thinking wheels.

I have one rcs tank in the empty space between the command module in the fuel tank, created by the separator itself. Not really part clipping from an ethics perspective, but technically yes. I also have a battery stashed in that space too. Both parts bleed into the fuel tank slightly. Parachute can be seen where the radio antenna attaches to the command module. It sticks through a corresponding solar panel. The panel/antenna combo is squished next to the parachute. Kerbal Engineers figured out a way to pack a parachute around a telescoping antenna body radiating through a solar panel. You can see how its configured by looking at the craft profile below. Look where the antenna attaches to see the solar panel it sticks through, and the parachute container below that. The corresponding transfer stage is autonomous, and actually for Minmus, it carries one small tank too much of fuel. This lander by itself should even be capable of landing and taking off from the Mun. And I always put a docking port and computer core on every craft. You never know when you need to rescue something that is stranded.

It's a flying brick! Not the most nimble of aircraft, but it gets the job done while completing the look!

From: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/46574-SHOWCASE-Bring-out-your-LANDERS!!?p=680354&viewfull=1#post680354 My Minmus lander. Has everything you need to get from Low Kerbin Orbit to Minmus and Back:

that u can delete a maneuver node by right clicking on it to get the red x to delete it.

The Ion. 1 kerbal VTOL SSTO, 52 parts only, capable of undocking from 120km, landing at KSC on top of the VAB roof no less, and then returning to orbit, and docking back at 120km, all without refueling. Shed the computer core and sacrifice its capability for autonomous flight, and you get 51 parts.

this is small enough to be considered a shuttlecraft, but calling it such would do injustice to BSG. ill fly it as soon as i get my next spread of KSP time.

wow. just wow. this is proof that you are top notch VTOL SSTO engineer Cruzan. another well done creation!

Fellow, submit that beauty to SSI.

Cupcake, SSI thinks you might be interested in this: from: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/41898-Shuttlecraft-Systems-Inc-%28SSI%29-NOW-HIRING!?p=685838&viewfull=1#post685838 thoughts?

Nifty, I look forward to your adventure. This ship is the fastest shuttlecraft in the SSI fleet, capable of orbit in 7 min, which is about as fast as your standard VAB orbiter.

Updated Op to publish the new Viper Class Shuttlecraft Type I.

posted to the SSI General Catalog. Thanks Cruzan. Awesome ship!