Single stage rocket SSTO?

[Corw]

This really doesn't look right. I was fooling around with new engine and accidentally got to orbit?

Can someone confirm the build, my config files might be borked (upgraded install that used to be modded) and I can't be redownloading right now to confirm (I'm off to bed).

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Note: it is just a cockpit, large rocket fuselage, that new rear plate part, new engine, tail, wings and single control surface pair for both pitch and roll... It is literally minimum parts I've thrown in to test engine gimbal...

Edited November 9, 2015 by Corw

[fourfa]

1000kN of thrust on that Vector is very powerful, and its efficiency isn't bad. Does seem overpowered on smaller craft. When does it come in the career tech tree?

[Guest]

This really doesn't look right. I was fooling around with new engine and accidentally got to orbit?

No payload but would make a great crew shuttle. Not like you can't do this a million other ways in stock KSP either; Kerbin is easy.

[Alshain]

1000kN of thrust on that Vector is very powerful, and its efficiency isn't bad. Does seem overpowered on smaller craft. When does it come in the career tech tree?

Very last tier, with the Mammoth.

[Corw]

No payload but would make a great crew shuttle. Not like you can't do this a million other ways in stock KSP either; Kerbin is easy.

But this is not easy, this is trivial

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Oh, just to make it clear, it lifts off from runway, horizontal takeoff...

[Alshain]

But this is not easy, this is trivial

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Oh, just to make it clear, it lifts off from runway, horizontal takeoff...

It's not trivial, it's overbuilt. You can build a far cheaper rocket only SSTO capable of bringing nothing but 4 Kerbals to space. I can slap a Mk1 command pod on a mainsail with an orange tank and get to orbit too, but that doesn't make the mainsail overpowered.

[Guest]

But this is not easy, this is trivial

This is KSP, a game, what did you expect?

E: I mean, seriously, you've been able to make SSTOs with ridiculous ease since at least 0.20 when I started playing.

Edited November 9, 2015 by regex

[Corw]

It's not trivial, it's overbuilt. You can build a far cheaper rocket only SSTO capable of bringing nothing but 4 Kerbals to space. I can slap a Mk1 command pod on a mainsail with an orange tank and get to orbit too, but that doesn't make the mainsail overpowered.

It is trivial in a way I wasn't actually trying to build anything. It is just the bare minimum parts throw in together, without intention to build an SSTO and it worked from the first try. I wasn't even trying and I'm not that good.

I have no experience with rocket only SSTO, can you show me?

[Alshain]

It is trivial in a way I wasn't actually trying to build anything. It is just the bare minimum parts throw in together, without intention to build an SSTO and it worked from the first try. I wasn't even trying and I'm not that good.

I have no experience with rocket only SSTO, can you show me?

I just told you. Take a Mk1 command pod, put the Rockomax Orange tank on it, put a mainsail on it. SSTO without even trying. It's real easy to 'accidentally' build a really powerful rocket when you are in sandbox and don't have to worry about cost, but the vector is insanely expensive given it's ability. I costs over 3 times the cost of the Mammoth when accounting for specs.

[Corw]

This is KSP, a game, what did you expect?

E: I mean, seriously, you've been able to make SSTOs with ridiculous ease since at least 0.20 when I started playing.

It wasn't easy for me, I struggled a long time till I got it right the first time. And their flight profile can be tricky. Besides, they were never really my thing, I make one or two at each patch, nothing with payload. I prefer multi stage rockets, hence my shock with this rocket only/horizontal takeoff design.

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I just told you. Take a Mk1 command pod, put the Rockomax Orange tank on it, put a mainsail on it. SSTO without even trying. It's real easy to 'accidentally' build a really powerful rocket when you are in sandbox and don't have to worry about cost, but the vector is insanely expensive given it's ability. I costs over 3 times the cost of the Mammoth when accounting for specs.

OK, consider me schooled. Marked thread as answered.

[fourfa]

That horizontal takeoff rocket-powered plane has 1.37 TWR on the pad, and 3675m/s of fuel. Might as well launch it vertically, won't make any difference.

[Guest]

It wasn't easy for me, I struggled a long time till I got it right the first time. And their flight profile can be tricky. Besides, they were never really my thing, I make one or two at each patch, nothing with payload..

Single Stage To Orbit does not automatically mean Spaceplane.

[More Boosters]

That horizontal takeoff rocket-powered plane has 1.37 TWR on the pad, and 3675m/s of fuel. Might as well launch it vertically, won't make any difference.

Except you know, gravity losses and no benefit from those wings. But yeah the thread is pretty pointless.

[Corw]

That horizontal takeoff rocket-powered plane has 1.37 TWR on the pad, and 3675m/s of fuel. Might as well launch it vertically, won't make any difference.

That is correct. It would probably be more efficient to launch vertical. It wasn't deliberate design. Which was the point of the whole thread, actually...

Single Stage To Orbit does not automatically mean Spaceplane.

I know it doesn't, but in practice mostly it is. Especially for me

Except you know, gravity losses and no benefit from those wings. But yeah the thread is pretty pointless.

Seen worse threads over the years. And their duplicates. Well, I was just taken by surprise how can something just work like that out of the box without any thought or design in mind. It felt completely wrong so I was wondering if it was some kind of problem on my side or even a bug...

[KerikBalm]

As always.... if you just put a crew compartment, tons of fuel, and an engine with a sufficient TWR... you have enough dV to get to orbit.

That engine's TWR isn't out of whack with the mammoth, nor is its Isp out of whack with the mammoth.

I'll remind you that the mammoth was used to make a SSTO from EVE.... although it was only pushing a mk1 pod, and started from a tall mountain on eve... it was still a SSTO from eve!

The question is, how much dV/fuel did you have once in orbit?

That is a big craft to only get 4 kerbals to orbit (for stock tiny Kerbin.. RSS would be quite another scenario)

[Pecan]

Except you know, gravity losses and no benefit from those wings. But yeah the thread is pretty pointless.

Except, you know, how much benefit do you get from those wings compared to pulling their mass and drag? Given the thrust on that engine you just blast a rocket ascent. Wings are only useful for air-breathers, where you spend a significant amount of time in (comparatively) horizontal flight at a (comparatively) low level.

Notwithstanding; wings (and landing-gear) are very useful for horizontal landing, if you can't target KSC with a vertical descent.