SSTOs! Post your pictures here~

[Deadweasel]

Quick mission to the Mun, hadn't been to see the new terrain yet

Same here!

I took HSOC-01 Spectre out to check out some craters

It's a VTOL dream on the Mün, complete pain in the keister to get off the ground from Kerbin.

Bill apparently appreciates the effort though.

After a quick look around, Spectre returns to LMO and loiters at standby, waiting for IPEV Tailwind arrive and set up shop.

[Broco]

Here's something I like to call an SSTE (Single Stage To Eve). Without the extra orbital fuel tanks and heavy engines it can fly up to 2200m/s surface speed at 30km with the air-breathing engines. With the thermonuclear rockets... Yeah it can take off from Kerbin, climb to orbit, transfer to Eve and land there, without refueling. I call it "The Phoenix" for the re-entry flames.

But the trip to Eve is a one-way-ticket, isn't it?

I'm trying for very long to build a SSTO which is able to make it to Eve and back (though I allow to refuel in Kerbin orbit).

[Amphiprion]

U can't make it out of Eve in a single stage without seriously advanced/OP hardware (cheating).

Edited July 29, 2013 by Amphiprion

[Cupcake...]

Can I post this here? Or is this a wings only club?

Cupcake...

[Teutooni]

But the trip to Eve is a one-way-ticket, isn't it?

I'm trying for very long to build a SSTO which is able to make it to Eve and back (though I allow to refuel in Kerbin orbit).

Yep, a one way ticket. The thing uses air breathing engines to get off ground, and there is no oxygen on Eve, so even if it had fuel left it would be impossible to leave. I wonder if you could make some rocket (aerospike?) based design which would refuel in orbit and once or twice in Eve orbit, to make a round trip? Even then I doubt you could escape Eve on stock parts like Amphiprion pointed out. It's like flying through jelly. I think I slowed down to 30 m/s before landing, without parachutes or powered descent. Achieving orbit in those conditions... Impossible.

[Sean Mirrsen]

Thing is that it shouldn't be so impossible, with an aerodynamic (you could almost say hydrodynamic) enough vessel. Has anyone tried making an Eve ascent SSTO with FAR?

[Broco]

Well, actually I'm working on that.

Won't be possible in a spaceplane though. I built a SSTO spaceplane on Aerospikes and nuclear engines only, which can make it to Eve after refuelling but it needs thrust to land because it's rear-heavy, so no chance.

Next project is a vertically launched SSTO with wings, aerospikes and nuclear engines for far distance travel.

I found out that you need 2 nuclear engines to lift one FL-T800 Fuel Tank (including bi-coupler and a small cockpid). That ratio given I'll try to build it with nuclear engines only... It has to be possible!

[KissSh0t]

Can I post this here? Or is this a wings only club?

Cupcake...

You can post anything in this thread as long as it's an SSTO Aircraft.

Wings do not matter if it got into orbit using only one stage, it is considered an SSTO.

[Cupcake...]

Good to know, thanks!

Cupcake...

You can post anything in this thread as long as it's an SSTO Aircraft.

Wings do not matter if it got into orbit using only one stage, it is considered an SSTO.

[Broco]

Apophis SSTO with VTOL-capabilities:

It's also capable of landing on mun (because of the VTOL capability) but needs to be refueled after going to Kerbin orbit before doing so.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Broco

[0muffins0]

Hope a video is ok. Filmed it two days before the 0.21 update.

In glorious 1080p

http://youtu.be/-8UTWk7y-bk

It's a multi-mission, refuelable, rearmable SSTO interceptor. In the video I rearm and refuel before intercepting some space pirates in orbit. The thing barely has enough fuel to make a couple of manoeuvres and a de-orbit burn. I have no idea how some of you can get so far into space with a SSTO :/

[Cinocal]

I have no idea how some of you can get so far into space with a SSTO :/

Air hogging, and NERVA's. Both of which I utilize.

[0muffins0]

Air hogging, and NERVA's. Both of which I utilize.

Those things are very, very heavy. Would I be able to stick them on my current SSTO design or would I need a bigger craft to lug those things up off the ground?

[Swifty]

Those things are very, very heavy. Would I be able to stick them on my current SSTO design or would I need a bigger craft to lug those things up off the ground?

It hard to say without a bit of trial and error. Though I'd guess that your aircraft is a touch too small to hauls Nerva up. I.e. too smaller wings and not enough thrust from the singe jet engine. But that is just a guess. I've only made huge SSTO 40tn+ payload to orbit ones.

[KissSh0t]

Please fix images Broco

[Cinocal]

My latest build. The OrbitXpress.

[KissSh0t]

Finally~ I have created an SSTO aircraft capable of carrying a probe in it’s belly, then leaving it in orbit, and then flying the aircraft back to the runway!!

As you can see in the last screenshot the probe was 5.55 tons.

This aircraft took so long to build (゜-゜)

Idea for this aircraft was sparked by Exothermos with his very impressive AJAX SSTO found here >> http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/37352-Exo-s-Rubberband-and-Duct-Tape-Emporium-SSTOS-Weird-Space-Ships-and-more!

[Amphiprion]

VTOL SSTO with payload bay.

Baws

[0muffins0]

I'm obsessed with trying to make SSTO craft as small as possible.

My current design I'm working on.

Docked with the previous version that struggled on a single jet engine.

That is just so incredibly clever. Attaching the bay door to a decoupler, and the way the engines are laid out too.

Edited July 30, 2013 by 0muffins0

[3_bit]

I don't have anything to show as of now, but I must say that this ought to be pinned. Pics of my cute little probe spaceplane later. Might modify the launcher to be SSTO...

[0muffins0]

I had such an unbelievable grin on my face when I got this thing into orbit.

I love this game.

[Deadweasel]

I had such an unbelievable grin on my face when I got this thing into orbit.

I love this game.

I dub thee "The Fork".

Looks like it would actually get up pretty darned fast with all those intakes.

[Lord Aurelius]

Here's my first SSTO spaceplane that I'm actually satisfied with. It's a pretty minimalist design, uses only stock parts.

I've built it since I installed FAR, so I'm not sure how it flies with the stock aerodynamics, but with FAR it's stable and easy to fly in atmo. I use MechJeb to fly it into orbit, stage once to activate the jet engine, set Smart A.S.S to a 30 degree pitch, let Mechjeb manage the throttle and prevent flameouts, fly up until MechJeb starts throttling back the engines, change pitch to 5 and keep going until you stop accelerating, change pitch to 0 until you get low enough that the engines are back to full throttle and pitch back up to 30. When your acceleration starts tapering off again, press 2 to activate the rockets and fly until the jet runs out of air and press 1 to shut it off and close the intakes. Keep going to your desired apoapsis and circularize. This isn't a long range SSTO, it only really has enough fuel to get a stable orbit at 125km and still be able to deorbit. I haven't had the patience to try landing it yet, but on reentry it still has enough jet fuel to fly roughly halfway around Kerbin at 10,000m and Mach 2.4 (used TAC fuel balancer to dump the extra oxidizer after reentry). I'm not terribly good at flying spaceplanes, so if someone has some tips to make for a more efficient ascent, let me know.

Anyways, here's the craft file for those interested (the pictures have the mechjeb part added, but the craft file is completely stock) note that action group 1 toggles intakes and jet engine, 2 toggles rockets.

craft

[Amphiprion]

A new b-9 HL4 VTOL SSTO that I built, with massive cargo carrying capability. (although I don't want to sit with having to get the COM right when adding cargo).

hmmm wonder if there is a mod for that...

[Exothermos]

Finally~ I have created an SSTO aircraft capable of carrying a probe in it’s belly, then leaving it in orbit, and then flying the aircraft back to the runway!!

As you can see in the last screenshot the probe was 5.55 tons.

This aircraft took so long to build (゜-゜)

Idea for this aircraft was sparked by Exothermos with his very impressive AJAX SSTO found here >> http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/37352-Exo-s-Rubberband-and-Duct-Tape-Emporium-SSTOS-Weird-Space-Ships-and-more!

Aw, shucks, thanks! Really glad you got it working and I love the jettisonable bay door! That first SSTO with a payload is the biggest satisfaction I've got out of building SSTOs. You have to know all the little SSTO construction tricks to even make it work. I learned by tearing-apart the master's stuff, pa1983. Wanna lift two orange tanks to orbit? No problem. Wanna take off in a cargo SSTO, fly a huge mobile base to Laythe, land, drive it out, and then fly BACK to Kerban? No problem. Incredible.

And since this is a sharing thread here is content. Just a couple of my spaceplanes docked at my station. Nothing fancy, it just gives me satsifaction.