SSTOs! Post your pictures here~

[Rune]

On 5/8/2016 at 8:18 PM, Matuchkin said:

*Looks at future Rune*

"Nevermind, this isn't even that much clipping."

Oh my, that takes me back. The lil' thing could SSTO all the way to Mun, IIRC, and had tanks within tanks. And the old parts look so clunky now!

 

Rune. And yet, I still miss that cockpit.

[Dr Farnsworth]

On 8/7/2016 at 4:38 AM, Rune said:

 

Rune. And yet, I still miss that cockpit.

I second that

[Speed_Kerman]

1 hour ago, Dr Farnsworth said:

I second that

There is a mod to get it back. You just need to Google search it up.

[Jarin]

19 hours ago, Speed_Kerman said:

There is a mod to get it back. You just need to Google search it up.

The Kerbal Historical Institute doesn't seem to have updated past 1.0.5. Is there anyplace else that has it?

[Speed_Kerman]

Just now, Jarin said:

The Kerbal Historical Institute doesn't seem to have updated past 1.0.5. Is there anyplace else that has it?

Do a search for the Mk. 1 Prototype Cockpit.

[Jarin]

Oh, sweet. And making it a proper Mk1 spaceplane cockpit higher in the tree is sweet icing on the cake.

... dangit, that one's out of date too (with a primary DL on kerbalstuff). Got a link? I'm failing at google-fu this morning.

[Speed_Kerman]

8 minutes ago, Jarin said:

Oh, sweet. And making it a proper Mk1 spaceplane cockpit higher in the tree is sweet icing on the cake.

... dangit, that one's out of date too (with a primary DL on kerbalstuff). Got a link? I'm failing at google-fu this morning.

This is the one that I downloaded, and it works just fine for me.

Click here!!

[GraviTykillz]

My current SSTO

small cargo bay in front to deliver satellites to LKO

[Rune]

I finally cracked the airbreathing VTOL SSTO problem in the "new" aero. Turns out, it's not that complicated! Payload ratio is awful, tough...

 

Rune. And damn the lip of the VAB's roof, it could have been a glorious first test flight.

[Korsakovski]

Made a 20 kerbal mk3 mining ssto.

https://kerbalx.com/Korsakovski/Mobius

Edit:actually a remake of an older design, but the differences are significant enough for me to post it

Edited August 12, 2016 by Korsakovski
afterthought

[Korsakovski]

Also decided to push my old valkyrie design a little and got a 10-man minmus ssto (although with no mining capability, but it does have rcs and a docking port, so it can refuel even in stock without having to manhandle (kerbalhandle?) it with the claw.)

https://kerbalx.com/Korsakovski/Valkyrie-X2

[banderling]

The BanderStar (craft file) is technically an SSTO because you don't need to stage the ramjets to get into orbit, but I designed this to basically be a sort of swiss-army-knife machine with an indefinite operating lifespan beyond Kerbin and the ramjets just aren't necessary once you get out of the atmosphere.

It takes off from the VAB. I have a couple different modules, but the mining module turns it into a theoretical SSTA.

Dumping the ramjets and taking a mining module up. 

 

Mining on Minmus next to a previous generation BanderStar

 

Linking up with a Science module and a base module after filling up on Minmus... it took two trips to fill up the tanks in the base module and now we're currently en-route to Duna (I have a contract for a base around Ike that this will fulfill).

[McQuacker]

Here's my little masterpiece: the Decade Thrush. A fully stock SSTA (Single Stage to Anywhere), it takes 4 Kerbals, a complete set of science equipment and a full ISRU set to LKO with about 1,450 m/s delta-V to spare. I'm currently doing (and documenting) a Grand Tour which I'll post later on, but here's some shots of the ship itself in the SPH and in orbit:

 

242 parts, 320 tons. 3x Poodle + 22x Rapier engines gives it a TWR of 0.98 when full and in vacuum.

Small cargo bay containing the large ISRU converter and two Gigantor solar arrays.

Vehicle flipped upside-down for convenience. Medium cargo bay contains a broad-band ore scanner, 4 large ore drills and the front landing gear. Placing the gear inside a cargo bay protects it from overheating during ascent.

The last small cargo bay contains a narrow-band ore scanner, a battery, a large reaction wheel and a set of science equipment. Also visible are the four "Vernor" RCS thrusters which help preventing the vehicle from breaking apart when moving to a horizontal position after landing upright on a body.

CoM and CoL. It's quite stable and easy to control. However, it's unable to take off on it's own without the little dip at the end of the runway.

And finally, a little action shot. Ascent profile is typical - about 25 degrees up until altitude reaches 8km (airspeed will be about 500 m/s). Pitch nose down to about 15 degrees and build up speed. The nose will come *very* close to overheating, a tiny pitch correction might be required to prevent this. At about 29,500 m altitude (airspeed 1,450 m/s) Rapiers will switch to closed-cycle. Accelerate until apoapsis reaches 80km and switch engines off. In the picture I just finished the circularization burn. Not perfect, orbit is about 76 km by 86 km but even so, there's about 1,450 m/s of delta-V left in the tanks. More then enough to get to the Mun or Minmus and refuel using the ISRU equipment.

Edited August 18, 2016 by McQuacker
Hit "save" too early...

[Exothermos]

On 8/13/2016 at 6:23 PM, banderling said:

The BanderStar

Mining on Minmus next to a previous generation BanderStar

 

 

 

now THAT is pretty darned "kerbal".

[Castille7]

SSTO Energy Source

Photo Album

Energy Source was inspired by the Omega 7 Refuel Station and by others on the forum. It's an SSTO for refueling Omega 7, so far I've been able to Orbit very nicely but not able to deliver much fuel supply. My goal is to deliver Fuel, Propellant & Ore in large quantities. The craft is using 12 Vectors and 8 Rapiers.

[The Raging Sandwich]

My current SSTO in development. Will post an updated version soon.

[XB-70A]

Finally built my first own medium sized SSTO, with one constraint I imposed to myself, all engines has to be packed under the fuselage in the same block...

Super inefficient she's called the X-144SAB Nike-Beta, S cause it was the 18th concept, A for a confirmed flight model and the B for an updated variant with more fuel. As I was only able to reach a 80x80 km orbit I still need to work a lot to give her enough Dv to reach 150x150 km, at least. The model I try in flight is the first one and got less fuel onboard.

Any similarities with the Tu-144 prototypes, even in the name, will be pure coincidence.

 

 

Rest of the story here :

Spoiler

 

 

 

[ForScience6686]

I present to you, The Arrow.  Crew transport SSTO space plane for 6 to LKO then beyond.  Re-fueling options allow for (almost) limitless travels.  Included mining package.  Welcoming feed back.

Too many pictures so I've linked it.  Hope you enjoy!

http://imgur.com/a/Vuzac

Planned alterations:

-Adding full RCS package.

-Upgrade with limited science package.

[DaMachinator]

My only fully functional SSTO - the VSSTO lifter for the Caduceus disposable exoatmospheric lander. (It could probably land on an atmospheric planet, but I wouldn't suggest it. Has enough delta-V to get to Moho and land.)

It should be full stock. If you have problems loading it in stock (since I built it out of stock parts in a modded environment) let me know and I will rebuild it in a fully stock environment.

https://kerbalx.com/DaMachinator/Caduceus

 

[TeeGee]

Edited August 25, 2016 by TeeGee

[kepicness]

I call it the NISP XI (nuclear interplanetary space plane version 11, though I'll admit this one isn't entirely interplanetary, but that's a minor detail ). It can get to orbit with around 1850m/s dv left, with an empty cargo bay. The thrust/mass ratio is ludicrous thanks to the 6 rapiers and 2 nervs, which makes it a breeze to fly at any altitude. Thanks to the twr it can climb very fast (~50 degree climb after takeof while gaining speed), and get into orbit in a very reasonable (read: excessively short) amount of time. All the fuel is linked by ducts because it'd be a pain to transfer with all the tanks being covered up. Clipping was also kept at a minimum, but that didn't keep me from using a bit of trickery to increase the fuel a bit while keeping it compact:

It could probably be more efficient without all the extra wings, but I like my spaceplanes fancy 

If anyone's interested in getting the craft file just let me know and I'll upload it.

[XB-70A]

The X-144 is ready, in its SAC variant this time. More fuel, more power, MORE SPEED!

I will try to share it in some hours.

[RocketSquid]

On 8/25/2016 at 2:04 PM, kepicness said:

[snip]

It could probably be more efficient without all the extra wings, but I like my spaceplanes fancy 

If anyone's interested in getting the craft file just let me know and I'll upload it.

That looks absolutely amazing! The added wings are a nice touch, if it was black I wouldn't be able to keep myself from calling it the bat-spaceplane.

Please, do upload it.

[CdrFuzz]

Coming soon to the Spacecraft Exchange: "Bright Sister"

[Fellow314]

Three kerbal SSTO.  A little bit F15 ish, for no reason I can adequately explain.

 

Point the nose at about 25 degrees and get your foot down.  Barely scrapes orbit, but I'm sure there's a better launch profile, I just can't find it.  Comes with a docking port and everything

 

http://imgur.com/a/4qKdG

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xyxz2usisf2oolk/K-15 NMJ.craft?dl=0

Edited September 1, 2016 by Fellow314