My SSTO designs!

[CinnaTiger]

Hello, I've recently started playing ksp with "some" prior knowledge,  or so I thought, it's not as easy as it seems... but the main thing is I haven't gotten into dem rickits yet, I've wanted to do a spaceplane or shuttle launcher, my shuttle launches always tip over, and my ssto planes ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS, run outta dat fuel... I've tried extra oxidizer with rapier engines, but in the new updates, the all new jet engines never get me far and are weak without slowly and SURELY losing power... I'm trying a mk2 spaceplane design but it always fails with fuel! I tried BOTH jet and rocket, and the rapiers! it either is too heavy and stalls on the climb or loses fuel and falls like a dainty butterfly...

Edited January 5, 2016 by CinnaTiger

[Vanamonde]

It sounds like you're asking for help, so your question has been moved to the Gameplay subforum. 

It often helps others diagnose your trouble if we can see your designs. Could you post some screenshots? 

[Starhawk]

Hello CinnaTiger, and welcome to the forum!

It sounds like your best bet would probably be to take a look around the forum and see what people are building that works.  Spaceplanes are very difficult to get working properly.  Shuttle replicas are even harder - I've never tried to make a shuttle, myself.

As far as spaceplanes go, first thing to remember is that 'Drag is King'.  The second thing is that ascent profile is extremely important.  Even a small change to the ascent profile can be the difference between 'Orbit Achieved!' and 'You will not be going to space today.'

Happy landings!

[Evanitis]

All problems I hear about SSTO planes are usually either design flaws or bad ascent profiles.

Since you didn't share craft-files or screenshots, I can only give very vague design advice. Be very minimalistic first. Taking a barebone spaceplane to orbit is hard enough at first, having even the smallest payload (including docking ports and RCS) makes it -much- harder. Start with a single passenger SSTO, and make it more complex once you can orbit it.

Minimize the mass. You need a lot less wings for lifting than eyeballing would suggest, and the extra only adds drag and weight. Same with kinda' everything. Got solar panels? Hope only a pair or so, and it also means you don't need batteries. Maybe just one. Drain the useless monoprop from command modules, and drain the unused oxidizer too. Reaction wheel? It can be substituted with proper CoM-CoL alignment that stays still as fuel is geting drained during the flight. Science stuff? Leave it for the MK II version.

And about the ascent-profile.. It's really important, and the ideal one differs from plane to plane. Since I have no clue how is your design, I can't really help in that. Post some screens, or look in the plethora of SSTO-related threads for good examples.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Evanitis

[Streetwind]

Are you accelerating enough for the ramjets to kick in? Both the Whiplash and the Rapier are turboramjet engines, meaning their subsonic thrust is anemic and they only really start pushing once you're past the sound barrier. And it sounds to me like your planes have trouble getting that far.

[CinnaTiger]

Aright hold on ill get a screenshot, I'm on my phone right now so I'll have to use taht for the picture...

[CinnaTiger]

nevermind, ill use a screenshot, getting it now...

 

[CinnaTiger]

wait, how do I enter my screenshots?

[CinnaTiger]

and the whole saggy plane just flopsaround and blows up...

haven't built ONE rocket yet...

[Snark]

1 hour ago, CinnaTiger said:

wait, how do I enter my screenshots?

Once you've taken a screenshot by pressing F1, the easiest way to post it here is to use an image-hosting site such as imgur.  For example:

1. go to http://imgur.com
2. click "Upload image"
3. drag your screenshot into the little box they give you
4. finish the upload
5. when your screenshot is displayed on imgur.com, copy the URL of the image location
6. here in the forum, click the "Insert other media" button at bottom right, then choose "Insert image from URL" and paste the URL you copied from imgur

 

[Evanitis]

2 hours ago, CinnaTiger said:

and the whole saggy plane just flopsaround and blows up...

Sounds like an aerodinamics issue than... I'd start with keptin's excellent guide on the subject.

[MagicFireCaster]

If your planes already fly i would recommend you to use this fly technique, use your jet engines (supersonic ones, whesley won't do) to get up to around 8000 meters or higher, then turn your plane to around 20 degrees or less, to get a lot of speed, around 1250 m/s or more. Be sure you're getting really high so your plane don't explode, if you're gaining heat to quickly turn your nose up around 25 degrees to gain more altitude, then when you stop gaining speed turn on your rocket engines and slowly turn your ship up around 40 degrees until you reach 70000 meters apoapsis, wait until you're around 1 minute from it and start to burn your engines again towards the horizon if your apoapsis gets higher wait until you're near it before you burn more fuel, repeat this steps until you get into orbit.

Here is a video with an exampleof how to do it:

Hope it helps!

[CinnaTiger]

Thanks for all the advice guys!