Stage-and-a-half Designs.

[Skylon]

Edit: Accidental double post, delete if possible

Edited March 9, 2018 by Skylon

[Skylon]

Some testing reveals that, as far as I can tell, engines can fire through decouplers now (they have an actual hole in the collider rather just a visual one).
I decided to make a sort-of Atlas II, and it did work, although the half-stage completely broke apart after staging:

Spoiler

As far as I'm aware this was not possible with stock decouplers before 1.4, so I'd be interested to see what kind of rockets you all can create (hopefully without an RUD of the half stage).

[Capt. Hunt]

I'll have to post pictures later, but I put together a 1.875 meter Atlas.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ipsy4ksgze5qwhs/Muon I LV Test.craft?dl=0

Yes, I used the name from the Bluedog Design Bureau mod.  It is my own design, I just took inspiration from them.  The only mod part AFAIK is the core engine, which is porkjet's boattail variant of the swivel, everything else should be stock/DLC.

It got up into a 75 km orbit with something like 900 m/s of Dv to spare, and the half stage booster separated in one piece.

 

Edit:  That .craft also has FASA launch clamps, oops

Here's a pic:

This should have all the mod parts removed and just be stock+MH:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sphekjcsosnaanh/Atlas.craft?dl=0

Edited March 19, 2018 by Capt. Hunt

[sevenperforce]

It was already possible to do an Atlas-style LV if you invert a decoupler, attach it to the bottom node of the center engine, and offset it up above the engine. Gives you a terminal, jettisonable attachment node for a circular shroud. I always used the smallest Mk3 cargo bay but these new circular structures are nicer.

[klesh]

On 3/19/2018 at 4:59 PM, Capt. Hunt said:

I'll have to post pictures later, but I put together a 1.875 meter Atlas.

Here's a pic:

 

Hey, I was just making this same recreation myself, and I ended up coming up with a slightly different but very similar configuration for the stage and a half.

One of the things you might try, which I think works well, is putting those fuel ducts for the Thuds inside the stage and a half.  Like so:

 

 

I used an EP-18 engine plate, directly connected an FL-A151S fuel tank adapter on the single cluster node, to a LV-T45 at the bottom.   I connected a T-18 Structural Tube to the decoupler node of the EP-18, and the Thuds to that.  

 

Results are pretty reasonable for me:

[Capt. Hunt]

42 minutes ago, klesh said:

 

Hey, I was just making this same recreation myself, and I ended up coming up with a slightly different but very similar configuration for the stage and a half.

One of the things you might try, which I think works well, is putting those fuel ducts for the Thuds inside the stage and a half.  Like so:

 

 

I used an EP-18 engine plate, directly connected an FL-A151S fuel tank adapter on the single cluster node, to a LV-T45 at the bottom.   I connected a T-18 Structural Tube to the decoupler node of the EP-18, and the Thuds to that.  

 

Results are pretty reasonable for me:

looking good.  Ultimately I found that the Thuds don't have enough thrust to make much of a difference during launch, but it was still cool.