SSTOs! Post your pictures here~

[Tex_NL]

He is referring to this image posted on page 57 by aeronerd.

Guess I missed that one. As far as I can see those are just the stock engines.

[Climberfx]

This is old craft hum Rune, but still effective and pretty jet.

[Rune]

This is old craft hum Rune, but still effective and pretty jet.

Old? How is it old? Because I would have sworn I hadn't built it before yesterday... :S

[speedboiae86]

So I did take Cupcake's advice, sort of, when he (or she?) said I should add more intakes, by redesigning the drop tank module so that more intakes could be stacked on. Of course as always, there were bugs to work out, but I'm much happier with how this looks now compared to how it looked before. For one, and this is a major improvement, the drop tank's jet engine doesn't extend past the landing gear and run into the ground anymore!! Secondly, the drop tank is now recoverable, as I have given it a probe brain and parachutes to deploy after it has been dropped, as well as it's own set of landing gear.

I have updated the craft file to reflect the new drop tanks, and it is available here: http://www./download/lxqcedwaz6oraod/Bison_Mk_VI_Proto.craft

Of course, for those who wanna just mess around, I have also made the Bison Mk. VI without the drop pods available here: http://www./download/lxqcedwaz6oraod/Bison_Mk_VI.craft

Edited September 1, 2013 by speedboiae86

[Ittiz]

I noticed almost everyone on here who make SSTO's make planes. Well I decided to do a VTOL rocket that takes off from the pad as an SSTO since I didn't see any on here that had absolutely no lifting structure parts or didn't drop at least some weight.

This is what I came up with. It does have one modded part on it but it's not magical or anything. Just modded some of the small rocket tanks to have only liquid fuel. They weigh the same and have the same amount of total fuel weight so it doesn't give an advantage. Just more convenient.

First it uses jet engines to launch, which have an ISP of about 800 on the ground.

At about 20k I use an action group to switch off the jets and turn on the NERVAs (which have a vacuum ISP of 800) simultaneously. If I'm just a few seconds too late the jet engines choking will cause the ships to tailspin.

Because of the low trust to weight ratio of the NERVAs I trust all the way to orbit. No shutting down then doing an orbital burn.

The ship in orbit, notice there is still enough fuel left to maneuver.

Randevu with the space station. If it were going to go on an interplanetary mission I could fuel up and continue on. Since this was just a dry run I decided to land the ship after.

Our favorite Kerbalnaught after a successful landing. I found that using the jet engines for a vertical landing was more weight efficient than parachutes, since the on orbit weight of this thing was so high that the number of parachutes needed to land it safely make it difficult to achieve orbit. Landing is a bit of challenge since since jet engines react a bit slowly in a VTOL situation.

[Radam]

Ittiz, check my creation from few weeks ago. http://imgur.com/a/bH6nu

Basically for the amount of turbojets you have I can bring 40 tons of cargo. But I dont use nukes.

[Ittiz]

Ittiz, check my creation from few weeks ago. http://imgur.com/a/bH6nu

Basically for the amount of turbojets you have I can bring 40 tons of cargo. But I dont use nukes.

Those "fins" (canards) generate lift. Once your going horizontal they probably help you a lot. I wanted no lifting structures what so ever besides the engines.

[Radam]

Actually no, they do almost nothing.

I thought they would help at stability, but they lock sideways when landing so that makes a fiery explosion...

I have 2.2 ram intakes per engine and they stop working at 23km at 1200ms.

[Ittiz]

Actually no, they do almost nothing.

I thought they would help at stability, but they lock sideways when landing so that makes a fiery explosion...

I have 2.2 ram intakes per engine and they stop working at 23km at 1200ms.

They do have lifting stats though. I'd be curious to see how well the rocket does without it. Also what the big white tank thing you have on top. A big cheat would be something that had a next to nil empty tank weight. Which is the main reason we don't have modern SSTOs. The tank weight is still too high when empty to work. Your craft also looks like it's just a lifter, my was supposed to be more of a lander design. This thing could take off from Laythe with ease for instance as long as it refuled before making the decsent. Now an SSTO would be a huge challenge from Eve.

[Radam]

http://imgur.com/a/LT3Wk#0

This is a better example, still not the latest.

Also if a plane has wings to take off at 100ms at ground level, at 23km those wings do 1% of the initial lift, ok multiplied by velocity so maybe 10% at 1000ms. Look a page back when I did the comparison between a winged plane and stripped of wings. Same fuel consumption...

[The Destroyer]

My first ever good SSTO

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[Ittiz]

http://imgur.com/a/LT3Wk#0

This is a better example, still not the latest.

Also if a plane has wings to take off at 100ms at ground level, at 23km those wings do 1% of the initial lift, ok multiplied by velocity so maybe 10% at 1000ms. Look a page back when I did the comparison between a winged plane and stripped of wings. Same fuel consumption...

That one is cool, what's with all the RCS?

[Giggleplex777]

That one is cool, what's with all the RCS?

It's probably part of the payload.

[KissSh0t]

Most Amazing flight I’ve ever had Ever in Kerbal Space Program.

First I took off and proceeded to head to Duna legitimately without cheating fuel, I made it to Duna completely fine… I then tried landing on Duna but failed.. Landing on Duna with a conventionally landing aircraft is really really hard because the terrain is not flat.. Duna really needs a vertical landing system, which this aircraft cannot do. So I loaded a quicksave of before the crash.

I then proceeded to head back to Kerbin but run out of fuel… I contemplated scrapping this mission but that would mean these three pilots would die, which I did not want to do because they are my three favorites lol..

So.. I turned on Infinite fuel and thought, hey I’m going to try heading to Laythe.. because I had just watched the video by G4Virus “aka†pa1983 landing his new Falcon XIIIC Galaxy STOL on Laythe.

So I proceeded to try getting an intercept of Laythe which honestly took two hours… I’ve never headed out that far into the solar system before so it was unknown territory for me.

Finally get an intercept with Laythe but ended up crashing into it… I posted an image of that happening a few pages back xD

Then…. I decided to head back to Kerbin so I can recover these three pilots and did exactly that.

First... I did a Backwards Re-Entry….lolololol…

That went fine, the aircraft is rather controllable even backwards.

The only problem is that when the front fuel tank is empty the aircraft wants to pull up.. it’s controllable but I was not able to line up the runway and decided to land to the right of it.

As I’m slowing down and coming closer to the ground I start seeing puffs of smoke.. I’m like wtf is.. what’s happening.. I then notice parts of the aircraft are disintegrating!!!?

I’m like.. it’s all good.. I can do this… it’s still controllable… lets land this thing.. LETS SAVE THESE KERBALS!!!

So… I did it.. I landed a disintegrating aircraft lol.. Most Epic Flight Ever. I forgot to put the breaks on when I touched down and hit the bump part of the ground surrounding the building xD

If you would like to try flying this aircraft yourself you can download it here » www./download/lanwcr7vi1pwbh2/SSTO_Shuttle_Mk1.craft

[speedboiae86]

I just wanted to share this epic re-entry shot with you all. Took it last night while doing a standard de-orbit and landing test.

Before you all ask, yes, I did land safely.

[Cupcake...]

I just wanted to share this epic re-entry shot with you all. Took it last night while doing a standard de-orbit and landing test.

Before you all ask, yes, I did land safely.

Very pretty, I never get tired of those re-entry effects.

Cupcake...

[Rune]

The newest addition to the SSTO fleet is now mostly tested, and because the design went so well, the engineers at R-SUV went ahead and modified the prototype to create two different serial models to appeal to the discerning customer, a VTOL and a nuclear powered long-range scout. Not that the prototype is short range (flown right, there is enough for a KSO mission and return to runway), but the long range version, for example, is equipped with landing gear to allow tail landings on airless moons. But, you know, the discerning customer, mostly wants something that looks good and fast. This achieves both objectives with a minimal part count and awesome performance. And I seriously don't really know how I got it to look to... well, clean. I just love it. Ladies and gentlemen, the SSTO previously known as Mk XIX:

With the latest in Stabojet Technology to avoid flameout disasters, the whole family is an atmospheric airhogger that can get to terrifying speeds and altitudes thanks to the good T/W ratio on jets. As such, the main rocket propulsion should only be used to provide 200-400 m/s on the climb to orbit: Milk those turbojets as long as you can! The prototype also has amazing T/W on rocket power, so if you don't like tedious waits on the way to orbit, that is definitely your version. It also has somewhat cleaner lines, with less parts due to the missing subsystems. But if you are after efficiency or plain VTOL awesomeness, the other two versions get the added performance at the cost of a low T/W ratio outside of the atmosphere, so remember to make sure you keep your apoapsis in front of you during the climb to orbit with them.

IMGUR ABLUM:

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Dedicated Thread:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/48716-White-Dart-1-gorgeous-SSTO-3-versions-to-download

Rune. Do you guys think it's as good-looking as I do?

Edited September 4, 2013 by Rune

[KissSh0t]

Considering it's size.. it is pretty cool Rune...

[daOyster]

Tried to model the delta glider from orbiter. It has two turbojets and 2 atomic rocket engines.

[Guest]

Got a new stock SSTO up http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/48928-Space-Cowboy-s-Easy-Glider-SSTO-0-21-1

[Guest]

One more - kind of like a fighter http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/49063-Space-Cowboy-s-Fleet-Defender-0-21-1

[aNewHope]

My new nuclear SSTO. It is capable of reaching the Mun and beyond.

[JaneKermen]

deleted by poster

Edited October 4, 2013 by JaneKermen

[KissSh0t]

Ohhh my goodness it's a UFO!!

xD

[RocketTurtle]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Thank you for all the help guys! I got my first SSTO into orbit and landed safely with LOTS of fuel left, probably enough for Duna! Thank you so much for the tips and especially you KissSh0t, I used that intake technique and it works like a charm, the landing wasn't great, and I had to use RCS on re-entry to keep the nose up, but that's because I didn't manage the fuel at all... so I could do better, it also need more struts. But I still love this beauty, haven't decided for a name yet.

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Edited September 8, 2013 by RocketTurtle