The K-Prize; I feel like my first Mun Landing Again!

[AmpsterMan]

After many, many months of trying out space planes in and out since I got the game back in 0.15. Today I have finally conquered the "Space Plane". Not only was I able to design a craft that can make it to orbit in one stage and back, but I was able to land back on the Runway itself which is another achievement. (I have never landed back on the runway before) Here are some pics to celebrate my most momentous occasion.

:D:D:D:D:D

[Curs0r]

Congratulations. Nice looking plane.

[Xionis]

Jeb's last pic just as you're about to hit the runway = amazing.

"LANDING? OMG SWEET, WE'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE! FIRST!"

*Bill in mission control quietly facepalms.*

[thes50]

Perhaps you could try landing at either the Dirt Runway next or the second space center, bonus points for low fuel consumption.

[bsalis]

Congrats man, welcome to the club. Why did you leave it to now!

Kudos for no airhoggin too.

[WolfGang]

Looks great, all mine break apart and just slide to a stop on the runway before take off. >.>

And I refuse to look at tutorials XD.

Kudos for no airhoggin too.

Is "airhoggin" a term I should know?

[loppnessmonsta]

Airhogging is putting ridiculous numbers of air intakes onto your vessel so that you can use your air-breathing engines well into the outer atmosphere. Usually with part clipping enabled.

[AmpsterMan]

About the Airhogging. The reason I didn't do it is because it looks pretty exploitative and makes flying in high altitude somewhat trivial.

To practice for this event I tried to make a hypersonic jet that flew really high up. I found that for that purpose having a lot of lift surfaces helps.

This spaceplane works a little differently. I actually did a very suboptimal ascent here. (that is why i have such little fuel left).

Something that I have learned is that with spaceplanes piloting is key. Before this trip I was able to do suborbital hops and even orbital trips pretty easily. But my piloting was not to par. Really my achievement here is 30% an engineering one and 70% a piloting one. That is why I felt like I just landed on Mun all over again.

[Scotius]

Congratulations Ampster! Very pretty and elegant design. How well it handles at low altitude?

[musicpenguin]

If only I was that good....

[AmpsterMan]

Congratulations Ampster! Very pretty and elegant design. How well it handles at low altitude?

It handles fairly well, though when it is out of fuel it wants to pitch up quite a bit. Still, if you keep ASAS on, it is very manageable through out the whole trip.

If only I was that good....

Lol You'll notice that I have an escape pod system. That is because of all the dozens of dozens of flights I have had, this has been the first that I have ever landed on the runway, and that did not blow up in some way, shape or form.

[Scotius]

*sigh* We sure could use a cockpit with ejector seat. Ampster, could you give me some more data about your plane? My newest invention Ariel is quite similiar to yours. It flies well in the atmo, even above 16 kms, but it can't climb into any kind of stable-ish orbit. I'm doing something wrong, and it's not my ascent profile because i have about 1100 m/s at 19 000 ms. So, how much your plane weights, how much rocket fuel it carries, and what is your TWR?

[katateochi]

that's a very nice elegant design man. I like the use of the two Mk2 to size 1 adapters joined back to back for the liquid fuel tanks.

How much fuel did you have spare after landing?

I'm still struggling with SSTO design. Got into orbit and came back down again, only I'd put way too many wings on it and without the weight of the fuel it behaved like a leaf in the lower atmo and was uncontrollable, kept floating back up, then tumbling down, whenever I got it level it would go up again! Thankfully I also put eject systems in my planes!!

I might have to copy your design and learn from it.

[Vanamonde]

it behaved like a leaf in the lower atmo and was uncontrollable

It's okay! You are a leaf on the wind! (Watch out for harpoons, though.)

[katateochi]

It's okay! You are a leaf on the wind! (Watch out for harpoons, though.)

haha, nice ref. Why did they have to kill him?

(soz, off topic)

I made a copy of your craft AmpsterMan, which I called the SSAmpster. I made it to orbit, but had very little fuel left, had to use RCS to help deorbit, so I guess I'm not doing the ascent right. What is your ascent profile like?

[AmpsterMan]

haha, nice ref. Why did they have to kill him?(soz, off topic)I made a copy of your craft AmpsterMan, which I called the SSAmpster. I made it to orbit, but had very little fuel left, had to use RCS to help deorbit, so I guess I'm not doing the ascent right. What is your ascent profile like?

Wow! I guess the saying that Imitation is the Sincerest form of flattery is true! . As far as the ascent goes, I've found two different ascents that I thought were both pretty useful. The first is to ascend at a 60 degree angle until I reach 7km, then I start leveling off to 30 degrees. From there I just continue accelerating until my air intakes read that they have 15 units left. There I activate the rocket engine and when i get to 10 intake left I close the intakes and shut the engines down. From here it is a pretty standard rocket ascent profile. I haven't really done this enough times to develop a consistent system however.