Spessplane: Critical Failure = Circumnavigation?

[Ehndras]

Behold: the Ceti V2b Space Plane - the only of its kind to fly successfully! Moments after takeoff, the damn thing's engine hit the runway and blew up the rear fuel tank, rocket engine, tail fins, and real landing wheels. Expecting catastrophic failure, I restarted. The same thing happened another 6 times before I decided to just go on with the show.

...Little did I know, this would be the first successful plane flight in my KSP gaming history - and a circumnavigation at that!

Somehow, beyond all possible odds, the damn thing flew stable between 150-300m/s at 5k-9k altitude - before I realized I'd circumnavigated the globe and was about to run out of fuel. I've tried to replicate this by modifying the Ceti V3b to fit the design of the damaged V2b, but the damn thing just back-flips to death - right into the launch pad or assembly.

...By some maddening miracle, Jebediah not only circumnavigated the globe in a broken V2b spessplane, but he lived to tell the tale!

...Forget landing on the Mun or Duna, this is probably my greatest ever achievement! Hahaha

http://imgur.com/tcaK6o6

http://imgur.com/9uNf161

http://i.imgur.com/6yYXBUJ.png

http://imgur.com/TyN3JEo

http://imgur.com/xMslgeI

http://imgur.com/I8JbQGt