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

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to Merandix Starwhip and Cupcake... for completing the K-Prize challenge successfully. Thanks for sharing your mission reports and welcome to the guest list for the K-Prize party.

Cupcakes videos in particular deserve a mention for the creative depiction of a day in the life of a Kerbin spaceway patrol cop, nice work. The interesting lighting effects were surreally reminiscent of that toll gate sequence in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, might explain a thing or two. I am assuming the first vector of that take-off was horizontal since I recall we discussed that before.

Starwhip, thanks for the screeny, your word is good here. I linked the original mission and the update. Do you want the Gatecrasher listing removed?

Merandix congratulations on Svadilvari becoming the maximalist record holder. Thats one big horse you got there.

Sean Mirrsen, thanks for your gatecrasher mission report which I linked beside your other gatecrasher link..!

Edited January 19, 2015 by boolybooly

[Starwhip]

Nah, the gatecrasher link can stay. I like it.

[Sean Mirrsen]

Sean Mirrsen, thanks for your gatecrasher mission report which I linked beside your other gatecrasher link..!

Actually, can you remove that other gatecrasher link? It's from way back in 0.23.

[Merandix]

Hey, thanks for making such an awesome challenge!

Now to figure out how to get my signature to show up... I'd like to wear that awesome badge

- edit -

Ah, there it is...

[ValCab33]

I'm reeaaally bad at making/flying SSTOs, and actually this is the first SSTO that I made that reached orbit.

So, I present my entry to the K-prize, the Pegasus I:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Can put a small satellite in LKO. It's pretty much useless, but it works

[Cupcake...]

Congratulations to Merandix Starwhip and Cupcake... for completing the K-Prize challenge successfully. Thanks for sharing your mission reports and welcome to the guest list for the K-Prize party.

Cupcakes videos in particular deserve a mention for the creative depiction of a day in the life of a Kerbin spaceway patrol cop, nice work. The interesting lighting effects were surreally reminiscent of that toll gate sequence in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, might explain a thing or two. I am assuming the first vector of that take-off was horizontal since I recall we discussed that before.

Starwhip, thanks for the screeny, your word is good here. I linked the original mission and the update. Do you want the Gatecrasher listing removed?

Merandix congratulations on Svadilvari becoming the maximalist record holder. Thats one big horse you got there.

Sean Mirrsen, thanks for your gatecrasher mission report which I linked beside your other gatecrasher link..!

I pushed the nose forward as the jets were spooling up and did a rolling takeoff just how you like it. Thanks again for running such an awesome challenge.

Cupcake...

[TrypChangeling]

This is probably the Kerbalest thing I've ever done. Over the last two weeks, I've basically been trying to get this plane into orbit, and when it failed, just added MORE of whatever it wasn't doing right. At one point, I was told it looked like a fox, so I got the name there. All stock, 'cept for using Kerbal Engineer (and having Kerbal Alarm Clock and Docking Alignment Indicator installed, which did nothing useful).

Presenting...

At 335 Parts,

10.7m x 24.1m x 25.6m

and 133.6 Tons

The Fox Space-Triplane

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[Monsterlunch]

Hellou

Here is my entry for the K-Prize Challenge.

This beauty is called the Galadrian I. Completely reusable, it is in this configuration able to take 16 green men with preposterously large heads to LKO. I was able to dock the thing to my refueling station but it really needs some redesigning to make this process comfortable.

I think its the Pilot proficiency medal and the Advanced pilot precision award (1stClass), you decide

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Dry Mass 21.545 Tons

Dry Cost 92,397 C

Wet Mass 30.845 Tons

Wet Cost 93,518 C

This leads to a total fuel cost per flight of 1121 C.

-> Fuel cost per passenger. 70 C

Bill finally commercialized Kerbal Spaceflight

(I Have an alternative configuration which is imcapable of docking, but carries 4 more crew in offset.)

Mods used: Despite the install beeing really part-mod-heavy, the craft is fully stock. Using only KER for stats monitoring.

[Sean Mirrsen]

It won't do for me to miss the party in 0.90, so here's an entry both stock (where it counts) and SSTO: Stratogale Mk2.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

She's a pretty bird, with limited usefulness. Some RCS thrusters and docking capability to refuel in orbit, mostly she's just a single-seat luxury vehicle.

The dual-body engine pod is a MkIV Spaceplane System part, but it holds no fuel, and is not an intake, rather a mount for either intakes or engines. The fuel is in four standard 1.25m tanks stack-attached to the back of the pod and offset into it via gizmos.

edit: Hold that thought. I realized there's more than enough performance overhead to deliver something and get an extra commendation.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Just a bundle of four communication satellites to LKO. Should still count, right? The craft is fundamentally unchanged, save for added solar panels and the delivery mountings.

Edited January 20, 2015 by Sean Mirrsen

[Foxster]

Struggling to find the info in this big thread...Where are we for the lightest craft?

[Starhawk]

Struggling to find the info in this big thread...Where are we for the lightest craft?

It's usually up-to-date in the guest list on the first page. Looks like it's currently 2.543 t.

[Foxster]

It's usually up-to-date in the guest list on the first page. Looks like it's currently 2.543 t.

Oh, right. I see it now. Thx!

[Right]

Greetings! I have had my share of experience designing space planes, so I decided to challenge myself... and boy did I. I aimed for the maximalist record. But thats not all, I wanted to more than double it! And of course, in style... I give you, my replica of Howard Hughes' H-4 Spruce Goose. I called it the Sprucer Goose

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Side Notes:

Its length/width dimensions as well as its weight are about the same as the real thing.

I didn't tweak the config files on struts or anything, I just discovered a helpful way of extending their length using offset in the editor.

The ascent could have been a lot more efficient if used manual switching on the RAPIERs.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Right
Imgur troubleshooting

[boolybooly]

Congratulations to ValCab33, TrypChangeling, Monsterlunch, Sean Mirrsen and Right on successfully completing the K-Prize challenge. Welcome to the guest list for the K-Prize party aka the roll of honour.

Actually, can you remove that other gatecrasher link? It's from way back in 0.23.

Yes... gatecrasher links can be removed for versions where players have completed the K-Prize, if you want your latest gatecrasher link to stay then the entire quip needs to stay to make sense, but previous version links have been removed. If you want the latest removed then it can be and the entire quip deleted since you have completed the K-Prize mission for this version. Up to you. Stratogale Mk2 has an interesting configuration, I agree the dual engine body is admissable since you say it does not modify lift, thrust or endurance which is provided by stock components only.

For other readers please see Page 1 for rules on which mod components are admissable.

FYI Monsterlunch the Pilot Proficiency Medal is subsumed within the Advanced Pilot Precision Award since the latter demonstrates a higher degree of precision.

Edited January 21, 2015 by boolybooly

[Foxster]

Thought I'd have a go at lightest craft. The Bag o Bits:

More pictures here: http://s395.photobucket.com/user/FoxMouldy/slideshow/Bag%20o%20Bits

Craft file here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l3bxy8x4tz5yktb/Auto-Saved%20Ship.craft?dl=0

Its 2.483t before lifting.

The "take off" is more a matter of firing up the jet, running along a couple of feet, dragging the nose vertical and then flying it like a rocket, ignoring terminal velocity for the hell of it. The jet will take it to ~70K altitude and ~70K Ap, then switch to the other engine to circularise. When in orbit it leaves about 600dV, which is loads for a deorbit burn towards the KSC and a bit of braking to help the 'chute before touchdown.

Think it meets all the rules but I'm sure someone will let me know if not.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Foxster

[astrobond]

Hi boolybooly and all

I thought that I could make a "minimalist" SSTO manned plane, here it is:

KSP 0.90, stock, 26 parts and 2.0Tons (without the MK1)

Control of the plane hardly recovered after rentry, but Jeb and the SAS made the Job ^^

34 Funds for an orbit xD

The album:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Fly safe with Jeb !

Edited January 21, 2015 by astrobond

[Right]

Fly safe with Jeb !

Lol he sure is snuggled in there

[Foxster]

Hi boolybooly and all

I thought that I could make a "minimalist" SSTO manned plane, here it is:

KSP 0.90, stock, 26 parts and 2.0Tons (without the MK1)

Control of the plane hardly recovered after rentry, but Jeb and the SAS made the Job ^^

34 Funds for an orbit xD

The album:

http://imgur.com/a/Xpoa6

Fly safe with Jeb !

Now I gotta beat that!

What was the exact weight 2.0xxx?

Edited January 21, 2015 by Foxster

[astrobond]

Lol he sure is snuggled in there

Hopefully, he is really heavily-built xD

- - - Updated - - -

Now I gotta beat that!

I'm sure you can !

- - - Updated - - -

What was the exact weight 2.0xxx?

2.040 Ready to takeoff with Jeb on the seat in the KER window

[Foxster]

Umm, I'm a rocket man and I'm gonna hate it if I have to resort to them there fancy "wings". But we'll see.

[Foxster]

Well I've managed to shave it down to 2.026t and even got a Kerbal onboard.

Its a pig to get airborne from horizontal but I made it.

Its also not easy to make orbit cos it uses the Vernor RCS engines, which are tricky.

Then landing wasn't easy either as I was nearly out of fuel and was coming in a bit fast, but after a bounce she was down OK.

If anyone wants to try it, here's a craft file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5n19iok95w8qrhc/Mun%20SSTO%208.craft?dl=0

The only way I could get it airborne was to light it up, steer left and off the runway, this let me grab some air and I pointed it up from there. A complete mess of a take off but my pilot lived to tell the tale.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Foxster

[astrobond]

Hey Hey Congrat's Foxster !

[Foxster]

Hey Hey Congrat's Foxster !

Cheers, mate.

[GeorgeG]

Is this a space PLANE challenge, or an SSTO rocket that moves horizontally for a few meters challenge? There's another challenge thread for non-winged SSTO's.

- GeorgeG

[Foxster]

Is this a space PLANE challenge, or an SSTO rocket that moves horizontally for a few meters challenge? There's another challenge thread for non-winged SSTO's.

- GeorgeG

I dunno but my craft meets all the rules. It was actually harder to make it without wings than with.

Think I'll leave it to the OP to decide.