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

[NikkyD]

that is inaccurate, intake air also depends on velocity.

And how did u calc the green line ?

[Laie]

that is inaccurate, intake air also depends on velocity.

And how did u calc the green line ?

a) the figures I give (18/24/28km for 1/2/4 intakes per engine) are from experience. You did notice how I prepended all figures with ~ signs, did you? Though you'd have to have a really strange ascent path if you found my figures to be off by more than 1km.

the green line isn't calculated. The red one isn't either. I shot up a kOS-equipped probe and on the way down, it logged kOS' idea of airspeed and terminal velocity to a file in 1000m-intervals. The tics are the actual data; the line is interpolated by gnuplot. The reentry was rather steep -- pretty much straight down, IIRC. Starting at ~1000m/s, I certainly wasn't coming back from orbit.

[NikkyD]

No need for long discussion, i just didnt know what you guys meant by airhogging.

3 or 4 ram intakes are the best ratio per turbofan from my calculations.

[RocketscientistV]

Javascript is disabled. View full album

My second Attempt, with both a payload and landing at KSC. The B has more batteries, a cube sat and an RTG.

[Overfloater]

Lots of intakes.

In this case 8 Ram intakes for a single turbojet, more than double the ratio any of my previous spaceplanes.

You need no more than 10 intakes for every 13 tons. That's just enough to circularize on jets.

===

Now then... I'd like to submit my new entry, Astro-Cruiser, to Dres:

Slightly modified, now i has less jet fuel (enough for orbit, and fly around a bit when back) and more rocket mix.

Craft file

There's even a newer variant, which has only the jet fuel needed for orbit, and even more rocket fuel!

If i manage to fly it to other places, that would rock :-I BUT in any case, i'm not removing the pilot's cockpit & living quarters.

[Captain Woof]

I present to you the Viper!

It's a re-build of my old SSTO from back in 0.19 when I had barely any skills and still got that to Jool (sort of... it didn't survive) and now here is the Improved version made a year later! It's completely stock and does not use any glitches, except for maybe a little air hogging (10 intakes for 3 jet engines).

No ion engines were used and to make it harder for myself, I installed FAR (makes planes harder) and interstellar mod (overheating) and yet it flies really well and is easily controllable without any overheating!

I am impatient and horrible at planetary transfers, but I got it to land on Eeloo with 1300m/s^2 delta V left. I heard that you need 6300m/s^2 from low kerbin orbit to get to Eeloo and back and the Viper has 7200m/s^2 at a 90km circular obit, so a professional (*cough* Anyone but me *Cough*) should be able to pull it off easily! Any other planet should be child's play to get to, though I haven't tried. Enjoy!

Download: https://www./?q31fz6ti91x1232

Image Gallery: (Order is messed up. First time doing this. )

http://s1311.photobucket.com/user/Captain_Woof/slideshow/KSP%20Viper%20SSTO

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s1311.photobucket.com/user/Captain_Woof/embed/slideshow/KSP%20Viper%20SSTO"></iframe>

[boolybooly]

Thanks everyone for you entries, which I have logged on the front page.

Ultraflight did your Babyeater 700 land in one piece and complete the challenge?

Likewise RocketscientistV, can you end the suspense and tell us if yours landed too and tell us its name please ?

Captain Woof, ditto, did Viper manage to return to Kerbin for a safe landing, it ain't over till the fat mission controller sings!

[Ultraflight]

Yes, the BabyEater 700 landed on its tail, in both water and ground landings during the several launches I conducted. The parachutes were enough to slow it down, but just to make sure, I used the remaining Skipper fuel to bring it to a safe stop. It's basically a HTVL spacefueltank.*

*you can't consider it a spacePLANE, it's a winged, plane-LIKE SSTO, but it's a fuel tank otherwise..

EDIT: well, actually, it's meant to be a K-Prize entry, but it could be both a K-Prize AND a Gatecrasher, if you lifted off vertically. That would improve the fuel level in orbit, but then again, I was aiming for K-Prize entry, not Gatecrasher.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Ultraflight

[Captain Woof]

I haven't landed it back on Kerbin yet, because my trip to Eeloo was too inefficient (lack of my flying skills), but I did get it close to Kerbins orbit around the sun.

Will try to fly it again, but this time more efficiently.

[boolybooly]

Thanks for explaining Captain Woof, good luck with your next flight.

BabyEater 700 is an intriguingly functional design ultraflight and from what you say is clearly a K-Prize winner, I was just curious how you fared with water landings since as you probably noticed ships seem to have a tendency to fall apart unless they are going quite slowly. A partly powered landing with chutes sounds like a good way to achieve that. Well played!

Edited August 7, 2014 by boolybooly

[Overfloater]

Thanks everyone for you entries, which I have logged on the front page.

Thank you very much :-]

I don't mean to question your authority, but is my 2nd entry supposed to be separate from my 1st one? (on the guest list)

[RocketscientistV]

oops! It did land safely. Sorry.

[AlexanderB]

Is there something "wrong" with the turbojet in 0.24, or is it just that much better than the rapier?

I managed 40 by 150+ on 3 radial intakes, (not even ram intakes), just needed a few seconds of thrust with the small rockomax engines to make it into a circle.

[Captain Woof]

I launched a second Viper and 'tried' to make a more efficient direct burn and eventually ended up with 15m/s extra delta V when landed right next to my first try. I actually ended up doing the same maneuvers... but dipped into Kerbin's atmosphere a bit and lost a little part of the wings... I can't do gravity slings, skills too low. If a pro were to fly my plane and use gravity slings or something else than pushing buttons in Mechjeb until something sort of happens, then they would make it all the way... but I can't! XD

I also got a third Viper to Laythe with 3570m/s^2 delta V left on the nukes (or 12,000 with the jets) after flying around the planet to find a place to land... in the middle of the night; wasted a lot of fuel. Then tried to get in orbit again, only to find it being 50 degrees eccentric because I ended up having to land close to the north pole to find land. Then I tried to escape Laythe's gravity, only to be caught by it again a few minutes later and crash landing in the ocean again.

I seriously need to go to special Kerbol Training Classes... Now Jeb, Bill and Bob are all stuck on planets.

I can guarantee that I can get it to Duna and back, but where's the challenge in that? Well... I couldn't do any other planets so far yet, so I better be off to do that!

Anyone can give a try if they want! Just show me how far you got! XD

Edited August 7, 2014 by Captain Woof

[boolybooly]

Thank you very much :-]

I don't mean to question your authority, but is my 2nd entry supposed to be separate from my 1st one? (on the guest list)

lol Luckily my authoritah is paper thin and easily repaired Overfloater, though I had better put that right or it might confuse the bouncers!

RocketscientistV thanks for providing the final screenshot and congratulations on completing the K-Prize with a craft named Falcon B.

Captain Woof, bad luck on your second attempt, I am sorry if this is pointing out the obvious but maybe if you didnt go quite as far you could at least complete the K-Prize! Alternatively I could always link your mission report as a gatecrasher, your call.

[Concentric]

Is there a lower limit on payload mass? And if I take up a payload, decouple it and redock with it, does that count as orbital docking? I ask because I think I may be able to fit a tiny (<0.5t) payload to the undercarriage of my planned Laythe plane, and want to know if it's worth trying.

[Mesklin]

Let me introduce nano SSTO, pure ion SSTO - "Neutrino" in action: round-trip Kerbin - Mun - Minmus - Kerbin again

Mass - 0.74t (looks like it is new minimalist record)

Parts - 125

dV on low Kerbin orbit - as minimum 4100 m/s (theoretically can make round-trip to Dune)

Only one ion engine

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[boolybooly]

Yes and yes concentric. It counts as orbital docking because it requires precise piloting and also counts as a payload providing all the provisos are met.

Neat craft Mesklin, looks like you do indeed have the minimalist title plus a few awards. Congratulations and welcome back to the K-Prize.

Edited August 8, 2014 by boolybooly

[carazvan]

Let me introduce nano SSTO, pure ion SSTO - "Neutrino" in action: round-trip Kerbin - Mun - Minmus - Kerbin again

Mass - 0.74t (looks like it is new minimalist record)

Parts - 125

dV on low Kerbin orbit - as minimum 4100 m/s (theoretically can make round-trip to Dune)

Only one ion engine

http://imgur.com/a/Y44md

Very nice ship Mesklin!

[Mesklin]

To Moho and back with landing on SSTO

I made it , after several unlucky tries, Jeb made round-trip to Moho on space plane "Arctic tern"

Brief stats:

Start mass/dry mass - 31.22 t / 9.36 t

Details - 107

Crew - 1 brave kerbonaut

Engines: 2 turbojets (4 intakes per engine) + 1 atomic engine

dV on LKO - 8700+ m/s

(for details, click on picture)

Edited August 14, 2014 by Mesklin

[It'snorocketscience]

You guys know what, there shouldn't be just one type of K prize, just like the real-life X-prizes, like the automotive X-prize etc. Is it okay if I make a thread like this but for rovers, but with a similar/identical name?

[It'snorocketscience]

To Moho and back with landing on SSTO

I made it , after several unlucky tries, Jeb made round-trip to Moho on space plane "Arctic tern"

Brief stats:

Start mass/dry mass - 31.22 t / 9.36 t

Details - 107

Crew - 1 brave kerbonaut

Engines: 2 turbojets (4 intakes per engine) + 1 atomic engine

dV on LKO - 8700+ m/s

http://i.imgur.com/6UFgL59.jpg

(for details, click on picture)

Whaoh! You lifted a nuclear engine and so much fuel with that?

That must be impossible, or really hard, just 2 jets for all that? No, too little wing surface area, too little thrust, wayy to heavy, and way to low of a TWR! I call "hax" on this entry, but give me a video and I won't say that anymore.

[O-Doc]

Whaoh! You lifted a nuclear engine and so much fuel with that?

That must be impossible' date=' or really hard, just 2 jets for all that? No, too little wing surface area, too little thrust, wayy to heavy, and way to low of a TWR! I call "hax" on this entry, but give me a video and I won't say that anymore. [/quote']

This is legit. I've got an SSTO with almost identical configuration. Only 7.3km/s dV@LKO because I spammed intakes and wings, but I could probably lift even more fuel to boost the range. A single turbo jet, when flown correctly, will lift about 22T into orbit. You have to know what you are doing and Mesklin knows what he is doing.

[mivanit]

i love the fact that this thread is 2 years old and still alive

KSP, you have the best community ever

[RocketPilot573]

I'm thinking about trying to make a new cargo SSTO for my .24 entry... But I'm not very good at them...

If only Space Shuttles where SSTOs...