Smallest SSTO with orange tank payload [STOCK 1.0.5]

[Val]

30 minutes ago, Nefrums said:

96,7t,  59 parts

Amazing 

[Kergarin]

On 29.2.2016 at 0:42 AM, Teutooni said:

Probably not a winning entry, but decided to tweak one of my heavy SSTO lifters for this challenge (master level).

Maybe not the lightest one, but still a master , and it looks nice!

3 hours ago, Nefrums said:

96,7t,  59 parts

That's just crazy  Even lighter than my first attempt for normal!!

Really impressive!

 

On 1.3.2016 at 2:34 AM, PacThePhoenix said:

Also, it flies like a skyscraper, made of cows.

Made me laugh so hard 

Can't wait to see the final version!

[Kergarin]

On 26.2.2016 at 5:08 PM, Val said:

I just angled the cockpit down, so the rest of the craft was always at 5° angle. Which looked great on paper, because I was flying prograde, right? I  at myself. It was very inefficient.

 

Most time of airbreathing ascend my heavy SSTOs do fly at an aoa of 5-10degrees.

Would it make sense to angle my air inlets down to around 5degrees? They would then directly face the oncoming air.

(I noticed that my engines flame out, if the oncoming air is "for some reason"  around 180degrees away from my inlet direction. So I was wondering if the 5degrees already impact the intake air?) 

[Val]

31 minutes ago, Kergarin said:

Most time of airbreathing ascend my heavy SSTOs do fly at an aoa of 5-10degrees.

Would it make sense to angle my air inlets down to around 5degrees? They would then directly face the oncoming air.

Why stop at inlets? Why not angle the whole fuselage down? Then not only inlets, but everything* else is also facing correctly into the oncoming air. And engines will be thrusting in the direction you're moving.

*) except the wings of course.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Val
Wings

[Kergarin]

Yes, I was thinking about Angeling the fuselage down, too.

But would it really make sense to angle down the engines outlets? Since I'm at + 5-10 degrees aoa because I want to go higher up. and so my thrust won't support my ascend, it would only be up to the wings.

On the other hand thrusting into the direction of travel is most times the more effective way

Really good question what's better.

 

In the end I would only need to angle the wings up, instead of everything else down

Edited March 2, 2016 by Kergarin

[Val]

21 minutes ago, Kergarin said:

In the end I would only need to angle the wings up, instead of everything else down

Exactly!

[Kergarin]

Or is it most effective to just add so much wingspace, that my aoa is nearly 0?

So many ideas 

[Val]

23 minutes ago, Kergarin said:

Or is it most effective to just add so much wingspace, that my aoa is nearly 0?

So many ideas 

That will increase your mass and lower your dV, with the possible exception of wet wings, which may balance out the dV loss.

But either way, 1° of Incidence will always use less fuel getting to orbit than none.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Val

[Nich]

2 hours ago, Val said:

That will increase your mass and lower your dV, with the possible exception of wet wings, which may balance out the dV loss.

But either way, 1° of Incidence will always use less fuel getting to orbit than none.

more wings more drag

[totalitor]

I have orange tank inside cargo bay and when launching it will detach from docking port. And when I add couple of struts it will remain still but then the fuel is emptying when using engines. Not from port, disable crossfeed ok but from struts? How do you tie that orange tank steady?

[Val]

28 minutes ago, totalitor said:

I have orange tank inside cargo bay and when launching it will detach from docking port. And when I add couple of struts it will remain still but then the fuel is emptying when using engines. Not from port, disable crossfeed ok but from struts? How do you tie that orange tank steady?

This is how I secure the orange tank.

On 25/02/2016 at 1:39 AM, Val said:

6:20 Undocking starts

I place 2 unconnected docking ports close to each other and aligned. When the craft loads up on the runway, they snap together and become docked.

To keep the engines from draining the payload, I simply lock the contents.

Hope that helps.

[Kergarin]

3 hours ago, totalitor said:

I have orange tank inside cargo bay and when launching it will detach from docking port. And when I add couple of struts it will remain still but then the fuel is emptying when using engines. Not from port, disable crossfeed ok but from struts? How do you tie that orange tank steady?

Are you on ksp 1.0.5?

I didn't notice behaviors like this in my game

[Nich]

Yes the rappiers will suck fuel though just about anything.  I am surprised they don't use fuel from craft they are not connected to while docking

[totalitor]

"To keep the engines from draining the payload, I simply lock the contents."

I have been playing this three years and I didn't know that...thanks Val, that really helps!

[Kergarin]

Seeing what i possible, inspired me for another challenge.

Are you ready for another one, or would that be to early?

[Val]

1 hour ago, Kergarin said:

Seeing what i possible, inspired me for another challenge.

Are you ready for another one, or would that be to early?

I don't think it's too early. I got out of bed hours ago. 

Edited March 5, 2016 by Val
Less ambiguity

[Kergarin]

So take at look at the "SSTO Hit and Orbit Challenge" 

 

This does not mean that we end here! 

I will still be active in both challenges!! 

[Hodari]

I originally made this for the K-prize challenge, but maybe can use it for this one as well?  Only problem is it uses a normal docking port, not the Senior.

 

 

[Kergarin]

On 13.3.2016 at 4:30 AM, Hodari said:

I originally made this for the K-prize challenge, but maybe can use it for this one as well?  Only problem is it uses a normal docking port, not the Senior.

I think this is ok 

And it's our first manned SSTO 

[Kergarin]

On 25.2.2016 at 10:05 AM, Nefrums said:

That is a engine mount plate with 3 bi-couplers.

@Nefrums May I steal your 6 coupler design for another project?