Sentinel Mk. V Spaceplane [SSTMO] (Single Stage to Munar Orbit)

[Ganymede]

This plane is designed to be light, small, and quick to get into orbit.

And apparently it can get to the Mun in one stage.

The highest circular orbit I've gotten to was about 1,600km. If instead of circularizing, you burn to a Munar encounter, you'll have enough fuel to make it there and to even circularize!

Munar Orbit Mission album: http://imgur.com/a/baccK#0

Action Groups:

1: Toggle jets

2: Toggle rockets

3: Toggle intakes

4: Open docking port/activate docking lights

Instructions:

Take off: Nose up slowly (pulling up too fast will hit your engines on the runway). Keep nosing up until you reach 50 degrees. Stay at 50 degrees either manually or with SAS.

6km-10km Even with SAS or nosing up as much as you can, you'll dip between 35 and 45 degrees. This is normal; you'll nose up more later.

15km: Dip down to 40 degrees.

17km: Dip to 35 degrees.

19km: Dip to 30 degrees.

21km: Dip to 25 degrees.

23km: Dip to 20 degrees.

25km: Dip to 10-15 degrees.

28km-30km: This needs to be quick. When your intake air gets to 0.15, immediately start your rockets (with 2) and nose up to about 20 degrees. When your intake air gets to 0.13, cut the jets (with 1) and close the intakes (with 3).

Getting to orbit: Nose up until you get your apoapsis to the desired height. Instead of full-throttling your way there through the upper atmosphere (navy blue section), all the while wasting fuel, you should keep the rockets going at the lowest throttle possible. This keeps your apoapsis from dropping and conserves fuel.

Craft: http://www./download.php?sb34b312lz81p8s

Happy flying!

Edited May 15, 2013 by Ganymede
I found that the ship can go a lot further than I had initially expected it to go.

[Tada]

Is it stock or there are mod parts?

It looks great and I may consider it for PROJECT Babylon use

[Ganymede]

It's stock.

[Tada]

Ok, I´ll begin trials This looks very promising, current SSTO I use for project flies very nice in atmo but it has very short range.

[Ohm Machre]

VERY nice! It has a very simplistic look to it, which makes it all the more beautiful.

[cxg2827]

Very cool looking! Definitely gonna give this a try.

[HoY]

Edit wrong thread somehow

Edited May 3, 2013 by HoY

[Ganymede]

Update: I was wrong about its size limiting its range. In fact, it can go farther than most of my planes. After toying with it for a bit, I found it can get to a Munar orbit reliably

[Kerbol Prime]

Awesome SSTO, I love it!

[Rune]

Indeed it does! (Look awesome, that is ). I somehow missed it when you first posted, but the aesthetics are indeed worthy of praise. And Munar orbit is no small feat, too.

Rune. Kudos!

[Commander Zoom]

Sweet design!

[Lookup]

Looks really great, I currently developing some similar vessel but the maximum range is a problem for me at the moment. Maybe I can find some ideas here....

[Ganymede]

Looks really great, I currently developing some similar vessel but the maximum range is a problem for me at the moment. Maybe I can find some ideas here....

Reverse engineering is good engineering.

[zombiphylax]

That is a fantastic design! I like the bowed look you pulled off at the leading edge of the wings with only two pieces. I will certainly be one of the people reverse engineering this bird.

[NapoleonBorntaparty]

I made an interplanetary companion for this plane. It's surprisingly balanced. When the nuclear engines fire it wants to go up, but with SAS and Mechjeb it's entirely manageable.