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

[Cupcake...]

Heh all, got another Dropship here for inspection. There's a bit of an intro but the main event is an SSTO mission to Duna and back. The only thing I want to mention is that I do have footage of the ship rolling backwards on takeoff but I had to cut it as it got in the way of the flow of the music, I can submit it on request though. Anyway, enjoy!

Cupcake...

[WafflesToo]

It is a very good badges. Thanks, WafflesToo.

Ahhh, thanks. As old and popular as this challenge is it felt like it needed one and I was happy to work with boolybooly to provide one.

But really, I was motivated purely out of selfish self-interest...

I just wanted another badge in my signature

Uploaded full-size and 128-px versions of the badges. Feel free to make use of the appropriate badge

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/56350-K-Prize-Badging!?p=748816#post748816

[Mesklin]

Here is brief report about double travel on the next route: Kerbin->Mun->Minmus->Kerbin without refueling.

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[that1guy]

Entering with a ship built in career mode, I present the Cetus I SSTO. This ship is capable (with a refuel) to make a round trip to Duna. As seen in the video, it is also capable of reaching Kerbin orbit and returning without a refuel.

[WafflesToo]

I bring you the 'Fireball-II' rocketplane!

It's payload capacity was quite underused... but I couldn't think of anything else I needed launched at the time

Edited November 2, 2013 by WafflesToo

[Cupcake...]

I bring you the 'Fireball-II' rocketplane!

It's payload capacity was quite underused... but I couldn't think of anything else I needed launched at the time

I enjoyed the video, great soundtrack although it could have done with more bass.

Cupcake...

[bombo1]

http://imgur.com/h335uDc this is the Hawk

It can make a 75x75 orbit with 50% fuel left and land back at KSC.

It has anti flameout tech and good gliding capability.

It can also go into a vertical climb.

Max jet speed: 1650m/s

Max jet altitude: 25km

I reccomend landing at 40-50 m/s

Action groups:

1 - Toggle Jets

2 - Toggle Aerospike

Download http://www./download/7s6aboq15hx46ge/The_Hawk.craft

SRBs sold separately:P

[boolybooly]

Thanks all for some excellent K-Prize winning mission reports.

SparTwo, thanks for your report with your compact and effective looking craft. Did you know that the K-Prize defines orbit as PE above 70km? I noticed your orbit proof screen was below 70km and altimeter was dropping which suggests the PE was lower and that maybe you didn't understand the rule. Please let me know if you did and actually made a full orbit which was not shown in the screenies you showed, alternatively repeat the mission with PE>70km and say so and I will enter your post as a K-Prize winner.

pinolallo your FatNose spacecans appear to be effective Kerbal transporters. See OP for honours

Cupcake... your craft, video and flying were as unique, stylish and watchable as ever, thanks, and gottalove Father Ted lol, glad to know it had a horizontal take off.

Mesklin, all that dV in the Ikar surely goes a long way, your double trip around Kerbin SOI has been logged as a winner.

that1guy thanks for your atmospheric Cetus nightflight video.

WafflesToo thanks for the badges and your hard rock-et plane video! An effective and workman like probe delivery.

Sorry I have taken a while to update, I got caught up in a side venture, playing career while running a "pen and paper" (well keyboard and notepad anyway) economy sim to regulate parts spending. When that produces a spaceplane I will share it.

Edited November 4, 2013 by boolybooly

[Spartwo]

Thanks all for some excellent K-Prize winning mission reports.

Spartwo, thanks for your report with your compact and effective looking craft. Did you know that the K-Prize defines orbit as PE above 70km? I noticed your orbit proof screen was below 70km and altimeter was dropping which suggests the PE was lower and that maybe you didn't understand the rule. Please let me know if you did and actually made a full orbit which was not shown in the screenies you showed, alternatively repeat the mission with PE>70km and say so and I will enter your post as a K-Prize winner.

70,315x69,845 With oxidizer left over(after de-orbit burn).Can I get away with it I was able to warp.Once you get past 69,600 the orbit is warpable.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Spartwo

[drewscriver]

The bouncers were giving me some hard looks and muttering darkly about docking, but I think I convinced them that there was no funny business going on.

Meet the Changeling: capable of many things, but for the K-prize, we'll keep the wings on, and stick to a simple cargo run. The K-prize flight was done with the mk1z; the most recent version is mk2d, which adds parachutes, SCIENCE! and improved landing leg positioning (at the cost of a couple of tons).

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For a more complete description of the Changeling's capabilities, as well as a download link, please check out the full post on the spacecraft exchange.

[boolybooly]

70,315x69,845 With oxidizer left over(after de-orbit burn).Can I get away with it I was able to warp.Once you get past 69,600 the orbit is warpable.

Spartwo, thanks for your clarification which presents a dilemma. 70km is a standard set in the rules (because the true edge of Kerbin atmosphere is 69,077.553m. The point about the min PE orbit is that anything more than 1km below that will degrade whereas every orbit with PE over that will not. However KSP measures meters and your PE will not degrade but is not quite up to the rules standard.

The standard was set both because it was easy to remember and because it was well clear of the atmosphere. This last factor is significant because some craft have dimensions approaching 100m so it would be fully possible for the capsule to be in space while the tail was dragging in the atmosphere ! So the 70km standard stands and this means the last Sabre mission is an honourable gatecrasher, feel free to lobby the K-Prize committee with beer and nuts in the snug bar of the Dog & Booster.

Your Sabre spaceplane looks capable of the K-Prize mission and from what you say had enough rocket propellant to make it, so why not have another go and beat the bouncers once and for all ?

Edited November 4, 2013 by boolybooly

[boolybooly]

drewscriver ... awesome, Changling is a very remarkable craft and deployment is like something out of a Bond movie! Thanks very much for sharing that with us, at first I thought it must be robotics behind the wing swivel but then I saw your main post and understood it is pylon flexing, those wobbly white ones no doubt. There is something curiously satisfying about a full orange tank in orbit around a distant planetoid, so well done on a big mass for your utilitarial commendation and also current maximalist record for v.22 etc.

[pinolallo]

drewscriver: something new!

I do adopted similar solution (separate the cargo/shuttle from the aereo parts then rejoin and land) to shuttle to the moon in a B9 SSTO lifter, but never imagine to do the same using stock stuff. Well done!

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Edited November 4, 2013 by pinolallo

[drewscriver]

boolybooly, Thanks! Though now I'm going to have to find a new secret lair mutters darkly. You are correct, sir - structural pylons FTW - another trick I picked up from pa1983. It is satisfying to loft an orange tank, though by now I have a small constellation of them from all the testing. You may have noticed that there are two around minimus? I actually completed the initial design under .21, but was still working out a few bugs when the update hit, so I reflew it under .22

Interesting craft, pinolallo. I've eschewed part mods so far (though infernal robotics would have made this sooo much easier), but it's interesting to see I'm not the first one who has kicked around the idea, though our implementations differ. I guess I've always seen stock parts as a bit of a challenge that force creative thinking.

[Cupcake...]

boolybooly, Thanks! Though now I'm going to have to find a new secret lair mutters darkly. You are correct, sir - structural pylons FTW - another trick I picked up from pa1983. It is satisfying to loft an orange tank, though by now I have a small constellation of them from all the testing. You may have noticed that there are two around minimus? I actually completed the initial design under .21, but was still working out a few bugs when the update hit, so I reflew it under .22

Interesting craft, pinolallo. I've eschewed part mods so far (though infernal robotics would have made this sooo much easier), but it's interesting to see I'm not the first one who has kicked around the idea, though our implementations differ. I guess I've always seen stock parts as a bit of a challenge that force creative thinking.

This crafts just crying out for a video.

Cupcake...

[Mesklin]

Almost last fortress in Kerbin system has fallen. I made it, SSTO Dedal was made successful round-trip to Tylo with landing and of course Jeb was a pilot.

See details here:

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[zekes]

Almost last fortress in Kerbin system has fallen. I made it, SSTO Dedal was made successful round-trip to Tylo with landing and of course Jeb was a pilot.

See details here:

you sir, win KSP. you just did the impossible.

[BigFatStupidHead]

Here's my first SSTO spaceplane, the Stiletto - d. Though it currently lacks everything desired for a spaceplane: no docking ports, no RCS, and no solar panels; and has equally little appeal as a high altitude jet: a lack of control authority, a very dangerous twin-engine design, a difficult ascent profile, not quite enough intakes, and a touchy take-off; it made it to space and back to the KSC. I am very proud.

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[drewscriver]

Almost last fortress in Kerbin system has fallen. I made it, SSTO Dedal was made successful round-trip to Tylo with landing and of course Jeb was a pilot.

Impressive craft, Mesklin, and clever approach to modularity and part reuse

This crafts just crying out for a video.

Thanks! Even if it's not a dropship, I'm glad you approve. I just wish I had the skills and the software to do it justice

[pinolallo]

Mesklin, nice idea, really: but is a 2 stage mission (undocking and redocking). The only SSTO I see is the landing engine: but is a vertical takeoff one....

Welcome to the brilliant gateCrasher club

[WafflesToo]

I enjoyed the video, great soundtrack although it could have done with more bass.

Cupcake...

Thanks, I'll work in more bass next time. Your drop ships are interesting in their own right. How did you get the LV909s mounted inside the jet engines?

[Mesklin]

but is a 2 stage mission (undocking and redocking). The only SSTO I see is the landing engine: but is a vertical takeoff one....

Welcome to the brilliant gateCrasher club

I can not agree with you, no one K-Prize rules were broken, see:

Rules

1. The craft may not lose any parts in flight, no decoupling allowed. (Satisfied, no one parts were lost)

2. The craft must lift off horizontally, reach orbit (PE > 70,000m) and land intact ready for 'refuelling'. (Satisfied, lifted off horizontally from Kerbin, orbit reached and craft landed in same condition. And no one words about horizontally landing)

3. All fuel tanks, wings (lift generators) and engine parts must be stock, for fairness. (Satisfied, only stock)

Edited November 5, 2013 by Mesklin

[pinolallo]

Mesklin I was wrong, is a three stage mission not two.

Edited November 5, 2013 by pinolallo

[boolybooly]

Pinolallo, I put FatBob on your gatecrashers tab!

Very ingenious mesklin, clever design! IMHO you are right in principle the mission plan doesn't break the rules but it didn't land intact so... it could only be a K-Prize Exploratory Kosmokerbal Commendation for the orbit (landing was interesting and a real accomplishment but doesnt count for the K-Prize as the whole craft did not make it) and then only if you hadn't lost solar panels on the way back! Since solar panels cannot be repaired or repacked by a Kerbal the same way a parachute or a wheel can I am sorry to say they count as lost parts. So unless you can reload and land again without losing the panels the K-Prize mission is not complete... but I will wait to hear what you say.

BigFatStupidHead, thanks for your mission report and the elegant looking Stiletto -d. You did well to get a twin aero engine craft with so many extra parts into orbit with so few visible intakes and richly deserve your K Prize with Pilot Proficiency Medal

[pinolallo]

"Pinolallo, I put FatBob on your gatecrashers tab!"

Hmmm sound familiar.....