Reliable Single stage to Mun - My best SSTM yet

[Roflcopterkklol]

I am proud to present my 5th generation single stage to Mun craft

White Lightning mk5

Description:

White lightning is capable of reliably going to the Mun and safely returning whenever the need arises, it can carry 4 extra Kerbals or return some home if that is the mission it is needed for.

This plane is very easy to control in the atmosphere at any fuel level, SAS is simply a cruise control button for this aircraft so do not be afraid amateur pilots you should be safe to fly this plane.

This SSTM does also have a docking port located behind the crew cabins.

Action groups:

1: Toggle turbo jet engines

2: Toggle nuclear engine

3: Toggle Rockomax engines

4: Toggle solar panels

Flight instructions:

On take off be careful not to break the tail section of the craft, once in the air pitch up at 30 degree and continue climbing until 12km, at 12km lower the pitch to 20 degree and continue until 32km, between 32km and 35km start the nuclear engine and lower the throttle as needed to avoid stalling the jet engines until 25% throttle, at 25% throttle engage the Rockomax engines and shut down the jet engines before throttling back up to 90%, from here you can continue until apoapsis reaches 100km then circularise your orbit in space, the rest is up to you, Good luck and have fun

Download link: Part count: 307

http://www./download/5kblua57lpb51c6/White+Lightning+mk5.craft

Take off

12km

24km

34km, Nuclear engine is turned on

41km, jet engines are turned off and Rockomax engines turned on

56km, nearly in orbit engines are off.

Circular 132km orbit

Map view of orbit

Out to 1 million kilometer circular orbit

On path to the Mun

In circular 100km Munar orbit

Leaving the Mun and returning to Kerbin

In a circular 225km orbit

Back into the atmosphere

Nearly home

And back at base

Edited April 20, 2015 by Roflcopterkklol

[Roflcopterkklol]

A video showing its low altitude flight capabilities

[Himynameisjake]

That is awesome. Looks great and actually performs!

[Roflcopterkklol]

That is awesome. Looks great and actually performs!

Thanks man, took a bit of clipping to get it to work

[panzer1b]

I actually like the look of this one, especially that i generally hate delta-styled wings on any craft (they are so overused in KSP regardless of realistic or not). Good job, especially that you managed to keep TWR enough to actually land (this is an issue with most of my SSTOs that use ions (hard to get above 0.25 TWR on kerbin).

[Roflcopterkklol]

I actually like the look of this one, especially that i generally hate delta-styled wings on any craft (they are so overused in KSP regardless of realistic or not). Good job, especially that you managed to keep TWR enough to actually land (this is an issue with most of my SSTOs that use ions (hard to get above 0.25 TWR on kerbin).

I based the design off my take on the SR-72 blackbird, the wing style made for a fun plane to fly so i figured i better refine the design and make an SSTO out of it to really make it my own As far as the TWR goes honestly i found getting it to take off while full of fuel yet not pull 20g turns and stall when out of fuel to be the hardest part, managed to make it so the centre of mass never moves so that was a bonus during the build stages at least.

In saying that i doubt it would ever fly in FAR or NEAR, it is 36 tons.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Roflcopterkklol