SCI-LON micro C4 - My first upload

[CdrFuzz]

Hello! My name is Lewis, and I'm an astroholic. This is my first post here, I hope you like it.
Mountain Thrust Aerospace Technologies presents: The SCI-LON micro C4.

Capable of taxiing 4 brave kerbals up to a 250km circular orbit, the C4 is:

• Cheap!
• Cute!
• Easy & fun to fly!

 

Vital Statistics - 

Parts: 44

Mass: 22.23t

Height: 3.9m

Width: 6.7m

Length: 10.6m

 

Flight Manual - 

1. Engage the parking brake
2. Press 'Z'
3. Press 'T'
4. Check mirrors and blind spot
5. Release the parking brake
6. Hit 'space' or '1'
7. AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY* pitch up to ~10 degrees over the horizon
8. Sit back and be rocketed towards space with our patented THRUST OVERKILL TECHNOLOGY (TM)
9. At about 15km up, engage SAS prograde setting
10. When rapier thrust = 50kn, hit '2' to enter closed cycle mode
11. When your apoapsis reaches the desired altitude, cut thrust and coast. Then circularise with a manoeuvre node. Easy-peasy.

* disgregard this if you are comfortable landing without a parachute.

Action groups - 

1. Toggle Rapier engines
2. Switch rapier mode/toggle air intakes
3. Toggle monoprop OMS

The micro C4 is one of a range of multipurpose SSTOs that I plan on sharing soon. I hope she's a tasty enough bite to whet your appetite.

I guess the craft file would also help: https://kerbalx.com/cdrfuzz/SCI-LON-micro-C4---stock

Edited August 18, 2016 by CdrFuzz

[Majorjim!]

This is awesome! I love the idea of a micro Skylon, great work man, it's a perfect little craft.

[XB-70A]

Nice looking and able to reach 250 x 250. It's an awesome little one.

[adsii1970]

With such a small wingspan, how well does she take reentry? Is it best to do a powered descent or does she glide well?

I actually like several things you've done here:

• Docking port on the front of the craft: This just makes sense with something this size.
• Small size gives it several possibilities, such as a small lander for larger craft.

I also have a suggestion - by all means, don't think you have to do it:

• Air brakes on the wingtip engines. This will help slow you down when landing.
• You could also put air brakes on the fuselage aft of the crew compartment.

 

 

[Dman979]

44 parts?

I have the feelingthat @Rune is gonna want to take a look at this.

Nice job, man!

[CdrFuzz]

Thanks all!

@Majorjim! *salutes!*

@XB-70A Thanks!

@adsii1970 I've actually had no problems at all with re-entry, and the craft is surprisingly nimble, so it's pretty easy to bleed of excess speed by pulling a few high-G turns. The air-brakes might be an idea, but I'm not convinced they're necessary. Plus - I already have 3 more parts than I'd like, since I didn't realise the mk2 reaction wheel she'd featured previously wasn't stock and I had to hide a pair of the little ones in the wings, mounted on cubic struts.

 

@Dman979 Thanks! trying my hand at stripped-down efficiency for a change (not really my usual style!)

[Rune]

2 hours ago, Dman979 said:

44 parts?

I have the feelingthat @Rune is gonna want to take a look at this.

Nice job, man!

Yup, it's a nice little SSTO. The weight class is more of a single-RAPIER design (that would make it slightly more efficient), but hey, don't let that stop you form going all moar thrust! Alternatively, I'm pretty confident it could have twice the fuel and payload, and fly just as well, so room to grow (and nicely placed symmetrical tankage that is easy to expand).

Also, don't discount rear-facing docking ports, @adsii1970. When you are closing with a station you are usually facing backwards, so they save you one close-range flip at the cost of a control point swap. Plus, a pointier nose saves on drag (but the shielded docking port is an awesome heatshield precisely because it's blunt).

 

Rune. Fortunately this design can mount both.

[CdrFuzz]

Yeah, the heat shielding qualities are the main reason I've been putting shielded ports on the front of my SSTOs. That is an excellent point about putting them on the back though. 

I haven't actually attempted a docking with this yet, I should perhaps mention. I'm only just now getting into making spaceplanes and am still figuring out where to place the RCS thrusters.