Ultimate Tourer Challenge

[Wanderfound]

This is a challenge for those who like to do everything with one vehicle.

 

The challenge is:

1) Build an ISRU-carrying SSTO ship capable of making interplanetary landing return missions. Vertical launch, spaceplane, Mk2/Mk3, whatever.

2) Land it in the water near KSC to prove that it's prepared for Laythe.

3) Take off from the water.

4) Go to orbit, then head off into space.

 

Now, while you're welcome to go wherever you like, you don't actually have to. Just take it to Minmus or the Mun, refuel with the ISRU and pop back into orbit. Then give us a screenshot showing your available dV.

Score is dV/(cost/1000).

Two scoreboards: one for minimalist efficiency-optimised ships, one for ships with all the bells and whistles (laboratory, science gear, etc). Stock parts only, no cheats, Wheaton's Law applies. Mechjeb/FAR/etc okay.

 

Demo run: 

 

Score is 5104/(228385/1000) for 22.3, in the "bells and whistles" category.

 

[Kergarin]

What about this? (can actually land at Laythe, but without swimming)

 

Sadly I can't tell you my dV, since I play without mods.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Kergarin

[Wanderfound]

On 1 May 2017 at 10:10 AM, Kergarin said:

Sadly I can't tell you my dV, since I play without mods.

Actually, you can.

(note, all of the below is just FYI, I'm not actually expecting you to do this)

 

dV in m/s is equal to:

isp*9.8*ln(wet mass / dry mass)

 

Note the "ln" is the natural logarithm function. LN, not IN.

Just Google "scientific calculator" if you don't have one handy that can do logarithmic functions.

 

So, for example, if you had a craft that weighed ten tons empty but could hold twenty tons of fuel (so it weighs 30 tons when fuelled up), and it was using an engine with an isp of 300, the dV when fully fuelled would be:

300*9.8*ln(30/10) = 3,229m/s dV

The same ship with half-full tanks would have:

300*9.8*ln(20/10) = 2,037m/s

 

To work out the dV of something in orbit, you just need the engine isp, the dry mass of the ship (empty the tanks in the VAB and look) and the current mass of the ship (viewable in the map screen, or can be calculated with precision if you look at current fuel levels, multiply by the per-unit fuel mass and add to the dry weight).

Edited May 3, 2017 by Wanderfound

[Tidus Klein]

Or go into map veiw and look at the Info tag for the ship

[Thor Wotansen]

I have a prototype for this but it keeps disassembling itself on the runway.