The Dark Side Epic Easy Challenge Of Epicness

[foamyesque]

That's easier said than done.

Granted, I haven't tried it with C7, but it's pretty simple with the stock parts. Stay within ten to twenty degrees and it's almost automatic.

EDIT:

For example, I've used winglets to line up my powered landers, including SFB ones, quite consistently. They put you reverse-TVV more precisely and with much less fuss than any other option. Doesn't even have to be steerable ones.

[Causeless]

Granted, I haven't tried it with C7, but it's pretty simple with the stock parts. Stay within ten to twenty degrees and it's almost automatic.

EDIT:

For example, I've used winglets to line up my powered landers, including SFB ones, quite consistently. They put you reverse-TVV more precisely and with much less fuss than any other option. Doesn't even have to be steerable ones.

If you want it to land as a space-plane does, it gets a lot harder. Landing horizontally is the most efficent way to land, as you don't need to use up fuel to keep you speed down, you just need to trade off the vertical speed from gravity into horizontal speed.

[Sordid]

Well that has its own set of problems, doesn't it? Every time I come screaming down from orbit in a big ball of fire, I can't help but notice that the landing zone I'd selected from orbit is horribly mountainous and uneven. So even if I did manage to bring the plane down without it disintegrating during re-entry, I'd still have a huge problem landing the damn thing.

[foamyesque]

That's why I aim for the ocean.

Spaceplanes needing to land horizontally shouldn't affect the initial re-entry interface. I suppose you'd need to keep your nose up to avoid getting glued to a straight-down trajectory, but .10 has made that much easier. I'll give it a shot later.

[Sordid]

But landing on the water is cheating. >

[foamyesque]

But landing on the water is cheating. >

If it acts like a physics hypothetical, I'll use it like an infinite featureless plane.

[C7Studios]

I think it will be much easier to survive the whole re-entry thing once the atmosphere is blended out. As it stands right now, your wings go from generating no lift in space, to deflecting 800m/s worth of lift in a matter of seconds. I've tested this quite a bit and depending on your angle and speed it can have some rather terminal outcomes... Well the good news is that they tend to be rather entertaining to watch. Perhaps not so much when you've spent 15 minutes or more getting to the dark side of the planet.

[Sordid]

Actually my plane keeps disintegrating at around 20 km, way below the current atmosphere cutoff.

[Niarro]

So test it by just slipping out of atmo, then re-enter until you've got a good setup. Then go for broke XD

[Sordid]

Simpler solution: Stay attached to the retro rocket and jettison when only a few thousand meters above sea level. I think mine keeps exploding not because of excessive load on the wings but because it starts rotating too fast and the parts collide with each other. Remaining attached to the large bulk of the rocket prevents it from tumbling and allows for a safe re-entry.

In other news, landed on the dark side. Now attempting the return leg.

[foamyesque]

*shrug* After testing it, I had no troubles whatsoever with the reentry. Landing, yes, there's lots of wonky stuff, but re-entry itself is dead simple. =/

[Sordid]

Funny, I can land with my eyes closed, but I'm getting my butt kicked by the damn re-entry.

[Niarro]

I'm sure different approaches, different issues XD

[Sordid]

Ladies and gentlemen, I have done it. 8)

Edit: Feast your eyes on our intrepid trio's epic and not at all easy journey of discovery! Big thanks to Foamy and Akiraa from the IRC for some timely advice.

[Sordid]

Apparently, there is a limit of 20 attachments per post.

Continued.

[Niarro]

Great job. I've yet to manage to build a rocket with a plane atop it that doesn't pitch over XD Guess those other wings on the back are necessary.

[foamyesque]

Great job. I've yet to manage to build a rocket with a plane atop it that doesn't pitch over XD Guess those other wings on the back are necessary.

Yep. Wings at the top tend to make rockets aerodynamically unstable in most of the cases you'll seen in KSP.

[MyNameIsNotPa]

*Sniff* so beautiful. Just like a real space mission.

Derpal is outta business

[Aladran]

Perfect Challenge for my Phobos-II.

Except i've use some part from Silisko Industries, which i think are kinda legit.

[Aladran]

And failed lol, no easy to find a suitable landsite from orbit... i've crashed trying to land... on a mountain side.

I'll try again tomorrow

[Inquisigor]

The more I play around with it, I'm finding you can put whatever rocket design you desire underneath your plane (to some extent). But that plane design Sordid has in his screenshots is just pure win.

Put an extra set of flaps on the front two wings and a backfire booster between the capsule and the first fuel tank. You'll be able to nose dive free-fall once into the atmosphere down to under 1000m, level out, fire the backfire burner and your down around 40m/s. Just be ready to nose dive during the 3-second burn cause it likes to point you straight up. With the extra front flaps you can level out in under 500m.

If you fire the backfire burner while your nose is still almost straight down, with a well timed 'PULL UP JEB!' during the burn you'll level out at around 90m/s. Plenty of speed to throttle the engine looking for a place to land.

I should have taken note of the g-forces.

[Salda007]

*Salda stands at a podium next to a slide projector, looking nervous. Bob and Bill are seated in the front row; Jeb is nowhere to be seen. Salda coughs, checks a small pile of notes, then gives a strained grin.*

Welcome everyone! I must confess, I feel somewhat of a cheat submitting this entry. C7's super-dense fuel tank is absolutely absurd in this sort of mission profile. I wasn't going to post it, but after two hours trapped in a capsule with Jeb, getting spun around near-uncontrollably, and suffering through two launches and deorbits, Bill and Bob here have persuaded me to share it with you all by gaving me a long, rather detailed list of unpleasant things they would do to me if I didn't.

*Bill and Bob glare at Salda. One of them twirls a popsicle stick idly; Salda flinches*

Err, yes! Right! I mean, uhh... I... I present to you all, the Firefly-2! *He pushes the slide-projector button, bringing up the first shot.*

Launch was nominal, with only a brief burn needed at apogee to circularize the orbit at roughly 88km to 91km up.

With apogee over the terminator, the reentry burn was fired in roughly the middle of the downward leg, to bring the Firefly down on the dark side of Kerbin.

Reentry was nominal, both parachutes deployed correctly and the crew made a successful parachute-assisted powered landing.

There was a brief pause while Bob brought his breathing back under control-- *Bob glares at Salda, while Bill stifles a chuckle* --and then the crew lifted off for the second leg of the trip.

The second launch also went well, and the orbit was stabilized between 130km and 144 km.

The re-entry burn was unfortunately fired a bit early--*Bob swats a sheepish-looking Bill on the arm*--threatening to drop the Firefly back into the atmosphere well short of KSC

Here I must commend Jeb, who, with a level head, and over the protestations of his crewmembers, performed a rather unorthodox burn just above the atmosphere to cover some of the shortfall before making a braking burn to ensure reentry.

Still short of the space center, Jeb piloted the FireFly in a spaceplane-like fashion towards the center. We directed him to aim for the large plain west of the launch pad for main stage separation and parachute recovery.

Bob released the main stage a bit early, but in his defense, Jeb had mentioned doing another powered landing 'for the practice'. *Bob shudders, Bill puts an arm around him consolingly.*

In any case, touchdown was in the hills just short of that plain. Flight Data Recorder information shown in the last slide.

Thank you all for coming! Please enjoy the coffee and cookies, provided for us by Ma Kerman.

*The lights come back up. Salda turns to Bill and Bob.* Are we done here? Can I go now? *Bill nods.* And you'll leave my house alone? *Bob nods.* And you'll call off Jeb? *Both nod.* Err, where is he, anyway? I was expecting to see him here--

*The doors suddenly burst open, and Jeb staggers in with a sombrero and Hawaiian shirt on, balancing a stack of slide trays. He totters up to the podium, sets his slides down next to the projector, and hands Salda a note.*

Oh! Umm... *reads note* Anyone who wants to see Jeb's 'EPIK VAKASHUN SLIDESHOW', please feel free to remain in your seats. *Salda swaps looks with Bill and Bob. The three of them flee.*

[Aladran]

Humm the C7 mini fuel tank are kinda a cheat no?

0.3 mass, 750 fuel unit..

I've reached orbit with half a fuel tank...

[Salda007]

Humm the C7 mini fuel tank are kinda a cheat no?

0.3 mass, 750 fuel unit..

I've reached orbit with half a fuel tank...

They really are; I don't usually use them. But I'd already spent several days banging my head against the previous incarnation of this challenge with full-scale designs, and didn't feel like trying to do it again.

[C7Studios]

They're getting nerfed next update. They're not needed anymore ;D