Hikaze - medium cargo transport SSTO

[drewscriver]

My first attempt at a 1.04 SSTO. While there isn't anything groundbreaking in the design, I was fairly pleased with how it came out.

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66 tons, 132 parts without cargo. So far it can take about 10 tons to LKO, and I suspect more, if you can fit it in the bay and pilot well.

Action groups:

1 - toggle turbojet

2 - toggle rapier

3 - toggle nukes

4 - switch cycle on one pair of rapiers

5 - open/close intakes

6 - solar panels

7 - cargo bay doors

8 - unassigned

9 - deploy / retract escape pod landing gear

0 - escape pod parachute

abort - detach cockpit escape module

Flight instructions are fairly standard, from what I can tell.

Pitch to 20 degrees, climb to about 10k. At 10k, level out (about 10 degrees), or even dive slightly, until you hit 500 m/s. Resume climb until 20km up (don't overshoot). Level out and build speed; you should be able to hit 1400 m/s or more. When you stop gaining speed, fire up the nukes and hit 4 to toggle one of the rapier pairs over to closed cycle. Pitch up and begin the climb to orbit. Hit 1 to shut off the turbojet when it flames out, the rapiers will switch mode automatically. Gradually pitch down as your velocity increases, and ride the nukes into orbit. You should have a fair bit of LF remaining, and on a good run, you may have oxidizer as well.

A note of caution - it gets unstable if you try to fly at low altitudes at high speed when the craft is light. So don't try to just dive to burn off speed on re-entry, or you will be testing the emergency abort system.

Download link

Enjoy!

Edited July 25, 2015 by drewscriver
added info, videos

[stardestroyer]

Love that escape moule!

[GarrisonChisholm]

This is a beautiful ship. I had given up on my 1.02 SSTO attempts (first game) because I got sick of building beautiful vessels only to have to scrap them because they would not accomplish the objective. Seeing this has inspired me to attempt to build Ship 11 tonight. - Thank you Drew Scriver.

[drewscriver]

Thanks! I'm glad you both like it. It's good to be able to build something that is both striking and useful. Good luck on Ship11, GarrisonChisholm!

I'll also admit to perhaps having too much fun with the abort system; any flights without a specific purpose end up as 'emergency abort system tests,' it seems.

[FungusForge]

'Tis a beautiful craft you have there!

Although it almost looks like its next generation sibling would be Serenity.

[drewscriver]

Thanks! Maybe if I started using interstellar

Anyhow, I added some videos.

[SGamer11]

Looks a lot like the XB-70 "Valkrie"