SSTO Space Plane - Without external tanks and all those doodads

[SargeRho]

After many attempts, many kerbals smeared all over the runway and a few cases of kerbal-colored landing gear, and 2 spaceplanes stuck in space, I finally did manage to make a Space Plane with 3 engines all of the same type able to fly to space and get back on its own, taking off and landing like a plane - using the NovaPunch Remix pack:

[Suzaku]

Very nice, what engines are those?

Have you tried making a Stock Aerospike version?

That plane looks way too maneuverable to be a spaceplane lol.

Edited August 27, 2012 by Suzaku

[SargeRho]

The engines are Aerospikes I downloaded a while ago, funny enough, they also are in the NovaPunch Remix pack. It's called the "LF-A30 Liquid Fuel Aerospike Engine".

I'll see if I can get it to work with stock aerospikes.

[SargeRho]

Took me 13 launches, but I did it! Got to orbit, and back down kinda, with the stock aerospikes. For some reason, it stalled and tumbled uncontrollably in the end, so I had to eject and land with just the cockpit, parachute and canards. The rest went up in flames

[Suzaku]

Very nice! sounds like a dangerous craft to operate though.

[SargeRho]

Not so much dangerous, but it's very much of a "Pilot craft", like the Harrier Jumpjet, so you have to do most of the flying manually, not just Press space, ramp up the thrust and then let the ASAS do the rest. That will just deplete your fuel

Also I had to try the landing twice...both times the thing tumbled, and both times I ejected...but the first time I was still going so fast that the parachute just tore right off, after which I still managed a water-landing tho xD

Edited August 27, 2012 by SargeRho

[softweir]

That's a very promising design!

You would have lost control because once the fuel was burnt, the centre of mass was towards the back - further back than the centre of lift. It may work better if you move the wing further back, or add weight towards the nose.

[SargeRho]

I'll give that a try next time I fly this desing, thanks for the tip

Hmm, actually, all I changed was the engines. I managed to land it with the other ones without power a few times, without ever tumbling. I guess Einstein was wrong about Insanity here

Edited August 27, 2012 by SargeRho

[Suzaku]

What was your angle upon re-entry? Most stability and tumbling issues for crafts especially SSTOs I find are incorrect re-entry angle. As long as the craft has stable flight characteristics, it shouldn't ever tumble on re-entry.

Here's a video of my smallest SSTO. It has very stable re-entry characteristics as long as the angle is correct.

[SargeRho]

I tried multiple ones, usually I enter either a few degrees above horizontal, or flying flat. I always have the nose pointed slightly up before landing tho.

[Suzaku]

Horizontal might be too much sometimes even a few degrees above horizontal will cause a spaceplane to lose control.. Have you tried about 15 degrees above your flight path indicator? Nose pitched up is the perfect technique for landing.

[SargeRho]

Yeah, I tried that. That, and just a bit over horizontal are the ones I do best with.

[SargeRho]

Cross posting from the K-Price thread: