MPOD's Efficient Stock Craft

[MPOD]

I'm doing a Hard Career Mode Playthough to show off some of my spaceship designs.

General Design Goals:

• Inexpensive
• Low tech
• Easy to fly

My first design of note, is the Pauper Kub

• Available for the low low price of only 8,018 funds. Mostly a safety deposit, fuel costs of 80 funds or less.
• Only requires researching Engineering 101, and Aviation.
• More than enough range to fly to the nearest desert, and back!
• Low stall speed, ~30m/s, to facilitate takeoff and landing from unimproved facilities.
• Taildragger with training wheels allows for taxiing, and rough landings.
• Perfectly stable in flight with a half tank of fuel, and fairly close with any other amount.  So easy to fly, a Scientist can do it.
• Designed for easy embarking, accomplish many objectives in one flight.

Edited May 26, 2016 by MPOD

[The Game Colonel]

Pauper Cub...Love it!

 

[otblock]

Nice. My current science turned sandbox is my current project, but this seems uber useful for career. How did you get around good ol' ice friction wheels?

[MPOD]

The wheels work just fine for 2.6t at 30m/s.  I think it has mostly been the heavy and fast landing aircraft that have had problems with the wheels.

[MPOD]

The Gallium II

• Just under 18t so it's able to launch from a basic charred dirt launch pad.
• Packed with all the scientific instruments known to Kerman. (At least at this point in a career.)
• Fin guided post launch roll, for easy, efficient, and consistent launches.
• Mun orbit and return capable.

Edited June 10, 2016 by MPOD

[MPOD]

The Mun Lander

• Only 30 part, so it's able to be built in the basic VAB.
• Packed with all the scientific instruments known to Kerman. (At least at this point in a career.)
• Fin guided post launch roll, for easy, efficient, and consistent launches.
• Mun orbit, landing, and return capable.

I originally put the solar panel at an angle on the pod, but fixed solar panel aerodynamics was changed in v1.1.3, and I had to rotate the panel fully vertical in order to keep the rocket flying a correct launch trajectory.