Dream Chaser Style Spaceplane/Rocket

[EndOfTheEarth]

Inspired by Sierra Nevada's Real-life Dream Chaser concept ( http://sncspace.com/space_exploration.php ) I decided to see if I could build something similar in Kerbal Space Program.

Here's what I came up with:

The DreamChaser1 Manual has enough fuel to get you all the way up into orbit, and today I managed to get it all the way to a wheels-down Minmus landing with a little help from MechJeb (which I just strapped on to the back of the spaceplane fuselage; you can do the same, but the attached file doesn't include it). It also has enough fuel in the atmospheric engines for a fairly controlled powered landing. As this version is entirely stock parts, you don't need any mods or plugins to run it.

IMPORTANT!!!!!:

1) Do not allow MechJeb to try to circularize this ship while the core launcher stage is still attached. I have found that the program overcompensates during turns, and will tend to overshoot, making the whole rocket swing back and forth.

2) Either perform your own roll-program shortly after takeoff or in the middle of MechJeb doing the initial launch profile so that the plane is either rightside up or upside down relative to Kerbin before the radial boosters separate, otherwise you risk getting the core stage blown up during stage-separation.

3) The spaceplane itself is a bit sluggish in atmosphere. It will respond to controls, but the turns are kind of slow.

4) You MUST either re-order the staging or deactivate the atmospheric engines before launch, otherwise the thrust WILL destroy the radial boosters. I left them on the bottom stage so that I would be reminded fix it before launch rather than come in for landing and discover that I burned aviation fuel in a Minmus landing, but you can change it as you please. Similarly, you may wish to stow the landing gear before launch.