The K Prize - 100% reusable spaceplane to orbit and back

[boolybooly]

Congratulations brainlordmesomorph on completing the K-Prize mission and thanks for your mission report. The flight of the GullWing 1 qualified for the Advanced Pilot Precision Award for finishing up on the runway, one way or another!

[Brainlord Mesomorph]

Congratulations brainlordmesomorph on completing the K-Prize mission and thanks for your mission report. The flight of the GullWing 1 qualified for the Advanced Pilot Precision Award for finishing up on the runway, one way or another!

Thanks! (and LOL)

[BrainiacBlue]

I present my first ever successful SSTO:'The Precarious'

http://i.imgur.com/8DgPQ3o.png

http://i.imgur.com/ANfw626.png

http://i.imgur.com/BSqGmTR.png

http://i.imgur.com/q87WghI.png

It can take a light payload to a 70km orbit and then land back at the runway. Just. I had 2 units of fuel at the end becuase I descended half a continent too soon and had to fly the rest of the way - but this design has promise for an LKO SSTO.

[boolybooly]

Thanks for your screenies and report BrainiacBlue and congratulations on successfully completing the K-Prize mission with the dual rapier, delta wing design of The Precarious. I linked this in the roll of honour as an Advanced Pilot Precision Award as this is what the images show but since you mentioned a payload capability, if you wish to confirm the payload mission was completed etc then this would deserve a utilitarial commendation as well. Welcome to the party

[bakanando]

I thought the rendez-vous and eating of an stranded kerbin would guarantee me a 1st class distinction :/

I'll have to try harder next time then.

For now, a mission in progress: Munar explorer Suzume Bachi, on it's way towards mun. Whether it'll be a success or not is still unknown.

Munar transfer maneuver

Maneuver finished, with 40% of its fuel left.

[GoSlash27]

I really want to single out Tsevion for special recognition for this achievement:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/85728-Ion-glider-collier-trophy!?p=1548671&viewfull=1#post1548671

There aren't very many "holy grail" accomplishments in KSP, but this is one of them and he accomplished it today.

He placed a Kerbal in orbit and returned him safely to the surface in stock KSP with an SSTO composed of all stock parts using ion drive and absolutely no physics loopholes. This has never, *ever* been done before!

A monumental achievement and we're all extremely proud for him!

Best,

-Slashy

[EdwardKu]

Here's my bid for the K-Prize, the AMX January

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[Treldon]

Here is my submission, the RTV Dragonfly

Can be flown with or without pilots - the original mission was to get Jeb and Bill back from my LKO station

All stock (except for the small lights from SurfaceLights)

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(Should the album not load, here is the link)

[Rakaydos]

FAR entry on the Manticore V3

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[boolybooly]

Congratulations to EdwardKu and Treldon for completing the mission. Thanks for your reports and thanks also to Rakaydos whose mission I linked as a gatecrasher with quip because it used FAR which modifies the lift characteristics. Maybe that will be integrated with KSP one day, or KSP aerodynamics will evolve, who knows.

Edited November 26, 2014 by boolybooly

[drewscriver]

Time to clutter up the thread again...

I just finished work on the Hypatia II, the latest iteration of my science gathering SSTO fleet.

My K-prize entry was the shakedown flight to the Mun and back.

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[RocketPilot573]

Gatecrasher... Couldn't quite make it off Duna.

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[boolybooly]

Well I hope they took lots of sandwiches RocketPilot573 linked as a gate crasher.

Congratulations drewscriver on another successful mission with Hypatia II, which has interesting Corellian lines. The escape pod is a nice touch, very cute.

[GoSlash27]

Question:

If I demonstrate 2 complete cycles (KSC-> orbital docking -> KSC -> orbital docking -> KSC) without refueling or gatecrashing, can I get double commendations on precision piloting? Also, if I do it while carrying 4 passengers and 2 flight crew, does that count as utilitarial?

Curious,

-Slashy

Edited December 2, 2014 by GoSlash27

[Starwhip]

It seems that this is still open. Hmm.

Here's my entry, a cargo variant of the Starstreaker Single Stage to Minmus spaceplane.

Took off, went to Minmus, landed on the surface of Minmus, got the probe out (Landed it with the plane to make sure I got any rewards associated with "Payload to Surface"), returned to Kerbin, then landed back at the KSC runway. (It was a bit of a lucky shot, I admit, but hey, I did it. )

EDIT: Hey, looky! Imgur cooperated!

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And yes, they are all stock parts. (I have a .CFG that installs MechJeb and KER on all capsules, but MechJeb was only used for Delta-V readouts, Surface and Orbit data.)

Edited December 2, 2014 by Starwhip

[boolybooly]

GoSlash27, Kerbals dont count because they dont weigh anything.

Starwhip, well played and congratulations on completing the K-Prize challenge successfully. Look forward to seeing your mission screens whenever Imgur decides to play ball. I am assuming all parts were stock in the absence of images? (Since you were careful to observe the rules. Please let me know if that is not correct.) So welcome to the Guest List for the K-Prize party aka roll of honour.

[Damaske]

Once more The Mass Key Shipyards appears with the Midget Beta II 0.25 edition.

She is powered by a twin cubic strut basic/turbojet engine unit, two LV-T30 liguid fueled rockets.

Craft is capable of vertical climb off runway without slowing down.

Currently only able to able to reach low kerbal orbit just barley with enough to deorbit and return to Kerbal space center.

Cargo bay equipped but during test flight no cargo was carried.

Made orbit as shown here,

Empty center of mass and center of lift was not playing nice and despite a 2nd fly around to attempt a 2nd landing it flipped out and broke apart on landing HOWEVER the main fuselage and cabin survived intact with both kerbals. Coming to a rest just off the runway.

Shown here is the 1st flight of the Midget Beta II that reached orbit. I have corrected the troublesome center of mass/lift issue and will take off once more. There is no part mods in use of this craft however Mechjeb is used for information, and part count of craft. I have used no debug menu clipping EXCEPT for the two ram air intakes I only have a total of 6 intakes on this craft with the four air-breathing engines.

Below is the results of the reworked Midget beta II, Smooth flying with very little instability issues, and safe landing on the runway.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Damaske

[CocoDaPuf]

I figured I'd give this challenge a shot, so here it is...

I'm flying my jack-of-all-trades spaceplane, the Space Goose. The mission will take the Space Goose to orbit, then dock with a space station, transfer a bit of fuel to the station, then travel to Minmus, deliver some cargo, and finally return to the KSC runway.

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[Space.exe]

Dood, You should make this a vtol. It would look amazing.

[GoSlash27]

http://s52.photobucket.com/user/GoSlash27/slideshow/KSP/DoubleDipper

The SX DoubleDipper. Runway to orbital docking to runway to orbital docking to runway to orbital docking to runway.

I believe that's 6 advanced pilot precision awards

Best,

-Slashy

[CocoDaPuf]

Dood, You should make this a vtol. It would look amazing.

Funny you should mention that, I actually did make this plane a VTOL for a different challenge. Here's the post.

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to Damaske, CocoDaPuf and GoSlash27 on completing your respective K-Prize missions successfully. Well played all.

The guest list is updated and GoSlash27 that worked out at 3x APPA *1st Class* since the 1st Class is awarded for achieving both APPA objectives in one launch. I hope that makes you happy, I believe that is the best number of launches yet for APPA 1st Class on a single load. Previously Pinolallo made x2.

[GoSlash27]

Congratulations to Damaske, CocoDaPuf and GoSlash27 on completing your respective K-Prize missions successfully. Well played all.

The guest list is updated and GoSlash27 that worked out at 3x APPA *1st Class* since the 1st Class is awarded for achieving both APPA objectives in one launch. I hope that makes you happy, I believe that is the best number of launches yet for APPA 1st Class on a single load. Previously Pinolallo made x2.

It does, and thank you!

-Slashy

[gm537]

Hi All,

my friend challenged me to build a SSTO VTOL and after doing that I figured why not get the K-Prize for it too?

I show a traditional horizontal takeoff too since that is a requirement. Haha (It definitely does vertical better however...)

Imgur Pics Here

Not sure if this qualifies for any of the awards... Though landing on the Admin building seems like it should be worth something...

[boolybooly]

Hi gm537, congratulations on completing the K-Prize challenge successfully with your SSTO VTOL, since the craft did take off horizontally even if the pilot did drop in at the admin helipad restaurant for a coffee on the way up! The K-Prize panel concluded that while this shows advanced pilot precision, landing twice in the same mission only counts if it is on different planet to the one it took off from and coffee is, in any case, its own reward! (The APPA 1st class requires orbital docking as well, but you do get a VTOL mention in brackets in the guest list / roll of honour, I hope that will suffice though it is a bit redundant since the name you gave includes VTOL anyway).