Hopeless with SSTO spaceplane, give advices please!

[Rune]

On 20/9/2016 at 0:56 PM, Sharpy said:

I don't quite see the Rapiers from this perspective. But I see three engines in the staging list. Two Rapiers and one LV-N or two LV-Ns and one Rapier?

Actually, three Vectors. That's a rocket, Jim. But also technically a SSTO spaceplane, using Vertical Takeoff and Horizontal Landing, like the acronyms on the name imply. For low mass, high volume payloads, they work great, since the payload can sit on top with a fairing, and a gliding runway recovery is relatively easy to nail.

 

Rune. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

[Sharpy]

@Rune: So, not always rapiers after all...

[HalcyonSon]

How about some Low Tech Level SSTOs?  Panthers and Mk1 parts will work, if you put in the effort.  Just two Panthers and a Reliant can get a Crew Cabin to orbit with about 400 m/s remaining.  It's not fancy, and it's not huge, but it works.  I haven't had time to complete a Mk2 design yet, but am fairly close with four Panthers and two Reliants.

 

[Rune]

On 21/9/2016 at 9:45 PM, Sharpy said:

@Rune: So, not always rapiers after all...

Just because something is best, doesn't mean you can't do something else just for the lols (and the quick rocketlike ascent). That bird's GLOW is 409mT, 50 of which can be payload, or in other words, about 12% of GLOW get to be used in orbit. For a similar payload mass, the RAPIER-powered Claymore maxes out at about 180mT on the runway. Quite the striking difference, right? So yeah, the RAPIER is hands down the best engine for SSTOing, even if you only count airbreathing SSTOs, which are a subset of SSTOs in general.

On 21/9/2016 at 10:20 PM, HalcyonSon said:

How about some Low Tech Level SSTOs?  Panthers and Mk1 parts will work, if you put in the effort.  Just two Panthers and a Reliant can get a Crew Cabin to orbit with about 400 m/s remaining.  It's not fancy, and it's not huge, but it works.  I haven't had time to complete a Mk2 design yet, but am fairly close with four Panthers and two Reliants.

As I said, not best is not necessarily the enemy of fun. Go ahead and tinker! Just remember that a RAPIER will always do a better job, so shoot for lower payload fractions.

 

Rune. Always RAPIERs... if we are talking about airbreathers, of course.