SSTOs! Post your pictures here~

[Captain Sierra]

More air and the RAPIERs did the job. Initial test flight had me in orbit with a little fuel left, though not as much as I want for cross range capacity (mainly because I suck at re-entering on top of KSC. Where do you aim to do that?). The problem was that the nuclear engine I had clipped into the rear wasn't getting fuel, so it was unable to be used to make circularization ridiculously efficient. Counting it as dead weight, I can easily get 8 tons to orbit. Removing the nuke and putting something useful there, like a docking port for proper IP stages means that I can get my 6 tons to orbit with plenty of range to spare.

SUCCESS!!!!

[KissSh0t]

Good stuff Captain Sierra~

--------

Now a good challenge to any SSTO builder is to create an aircraft that can Circularize an orbit using only Turbojet Engines.

If you can do this, then you're SSTO is very good.

[Rune]

Good stuff Captain Sierra~

--------

Now a good challenge to any SSTO builder is to create an aircraft that can Circularize an orbit using only Turbojet Engines.

If you can do this, then you're SSTO is very good.

By definition, impossible. You can't circularize an orbit with a periapsis higher than your current altitude, ergo with an airbreather you can't circularize above the atmosphere.

Rune. You have been SCIENCE!'ed.

[Captain Sierra]

By definition, impossible. You can't circularize an orbit with a periapsis higher than your current altitude, ergo with an airbreather you can't circularize above the atmosphere.

Rune. You have been SCIENCE!'ed.

I think (read: hope) he means establish apoaps outside the atmosphere, rather than circularize. It can be done, but only with some serious jet power and/or a really light plane.

[Rhomphaia]

By definition, impossible. You can't circularize an orbit with a periapsis higher than your current altitude, ergo with an airbreather you can't circularize above the atmosphere.

Rune. You have been SCIENCE!'ed.

Canned Air FTW

Not Circular, but with enough intakes...

Edited January 31, 2014 by Rhomphaia

[vitekc45c]

By definition, impossible. You can't circularize an orbit with a periapsis higher than your current altitude, ergo with an airbreather you can't circularize above the atmosphere.

Rune. You have been SCIENCE!'ed.

closed air intakes can be used as air "fuel tanks" allowing use of jet engines in space

[Captain Sierra]

Canned Air FTW

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/856/3vcr.png

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/401/jifj.png

HAAAAAAAAAAAAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

XD very clever usage of radial intakes.

[Rune]

I stand corrected. And amazed.

Rune. I've been hack'ed.

[Deadweasel]

Did someone say "HAX"? I finally decided to give Infernal Robotics a try, to great effect!

HSCC-101 Whitefang

The first flight-approved hull of the high-speed cargo courier design, Whitefang was designed to replace the more limited DV series dropships, eschewing the Sherpas' approach of using raw power to maintain level flight in atmosphere for a more elegant and reliable winged design.

Training for the big leagues

The ship was designed to be as fast as a fighter, yet capable of delivering crew and equipment to the surface of extra-Kerbin worlds. Whitefang was initially approved as an atmospheric flight trainer, allowing engineers to understand the effects of changing wing geometry in real-time, rather than being forced to constantly re-design and re-build the craft with each test series.

Vertical aspirations

As the wings rotate to vertical orientation, the secondary drop engines rotate along with them, configuring the ship for landing and takeoff to and from almost any ground geometry

VScale

The all-new VScale system allows the ship to remain on a selected course with ease, without ever needing to change the primary hull's orientation. Level flight can be achieved simply by selecting an appropriate angle of attack, instead of constantly pitching the nose to compensate for bad weight distribution.

Torqued-off

Whitefang's flight systems include a high-torque stability package, enabling the vessel to assume and maintain any attitude, regardless of its current flight vector. While the package is helpful in allowing the ship to maintain a selected attitude while carrying equipment, it turns Whitefang into one heck of a stunt flyer when unburdened.

To infinity...

With wing pods and primary drives active, the pilot will never be left looking for more power, but not for long! While Whitefang's design features twin "Juice Box" fuel converters, leaving all engines enabled will quickly overwhelm them and run the tanks dry. Thrust management is a primary skill for pilots of the HSCC line!

Undertow

Once above the thick lower atmosphere, the wing pods are shut down, and the wings reconfigured to Undertow mode. When carrying cargo, the wing pods will provide primary power while in atmosphere. In this configuration, the wing pods are brought lower to compensate for the weight offset of the cargo, ensuring HSCC-101 will be able to maintain horizontal flight in any atmosphere.

Plenty O' Power

Both sets of engines generate power while running, feeding the greedy Juice Boxes and keeping them online long enough to sustain the flight. Once the engines are shut down, however, the pilot must also remember to shut down the generators, or risk finding himself piloting a cold, dead bird!

Catching a winged horse

As part of its initial flight test, Whitefang was tasked to rendezvous with LRC Pegasus, a carrier vessel deployed on its own testing flight by the Wayland Corporation. Once lined up for docking and receiving clearance, Whitefang reconfigures its wings to stowed mode, ensuring the plane can be tucked into tight spaces with little fuss.

Hopping in the saddle

Docked and tucked in, the pilot can spend a few hours celebrating their shared accomplishment with the Pegasus crew, while Whitefang's generators top off the carrier's fuel supply.

Fly away home

A day later, HSCC-101 returns to the KSC to complete its testing mission, landing easily with a flourish for show.

Unfortunately, while Pegasus was retired shortly afterward (it proved to be too difficult to control at all times), photos from the mission inspired KSC engineers to begin working on their own carrier design right away.

[KissSh0t]

By definition, impossible. You can't circularize an orbit with a periapsis higher than your current altitude, ergo with an airbreather you can't circularize above the atmosphere.

Rune. You have been SCIENCE!'ed.

Yes you can actually circularize in atmosphere.. myself and a few others have done it.

But, if the engines lose power while in atmo, you will lose circularization of course...

The main reason for doing this is the transition from atmo to orbit becomes very easy.

[KissSh0t]

These are screenshots of SSTO Type 22 Ghost.. I never released this aircraft due to some problems with re-entry on empty tanks, but it is very fast and can circularize in atmosphere. I flew this to Duna and crashed on it *wipes tear from eye*

** Damn... this is the wrong image set.. I cant find the correct one : T

Edited January 31, 2014 by KissSh0t

[Rune]

Yes you can actually circularize in atmosphere.. myself and a few others have done it.

But, if the engines lose power while in atmo, you will lose circularization of course...

The main reason for doing this is the transition from atmo to orbit becomes very easy.

I don't think you get why I've been proven wrong... You can't put the lower point of your orbit above your current altitude (try and prove me wrong), so you can't put your periapsis above the atmosphere while you are still inside the atmosphere. You can, however, exploit the fact that intakes store a tiny amount of air, and use turbojets outside the atmosphere to bring the periapsis above 70kms.

Rune. As for getting a very high apoapsis on jets, I usually manage 120kms with the beetle, from about 40.

[Captain Sierra]

I don't think you get why I've been proven wrong... You can't put the lower point of your orbit above your current altitude (try and prove me wrong), so you can't put your periapsis above the atmosphere while you are still inside the atmosphere. You can, however, exploit the fact that intakes store a tiny amount of air, and use turbojets outside the atmosphere to bring the periapsis above 70kms.

Rune. As for getting a very high apoapsis on jets, I usually manage 120kms with the beetle, from about 40.

You cannot put your periapsis above your current altitude. It defies the laws of orbital mechanics. you can, however, establish apoapsis outside the atmosphere and then use so little rocket delta V, you could get away with using RCS.

[Overfloater]

I flew this to Duna and crashed on it *wipes tear from eye*

Damn that place, it's unlandable!

Those are pictures from different takes.. I tried more than 10 times in a row, with same resaults! But than again... Astroliner I-B had it's landing gear too narrow and I didn't pack any chutes for the road xD

[Captain Sierra]

Probably because the atmosphere is so thin it's impossible to get any lift. All those wings do you no good, so unless you can build a VTOL, you're screwed.

[KissSh0t]

I don't think you get why I've been proven wrong... You can't put the lower point of your orbit above your current altitude (try and prove me wrong), so you can't put your periapsis above the atmosphere while you are still inside the atmosphere. You can, however, exploit the fact that intakes store a tiny amount of air, and use turbojets outside the atmosphere to bring the periapsis above 70kms.

Rune. As for getting a very high apoapsis on jets, I usually manage 120kms with the beetle, from about 40.

Ohh.. You can actually do this too.. it's like flinging yourself out of atmosphere, but.. it's very hard to do that, you need to be going so so very very fast.. faster than what I've been able to do in atmo.

I think you are misunderstanding what I mean by circularize "in atmosphere"... I mean "getting the speed" from the Air breathing turbo jets, then punching yourself out of atmo with rockets, which saves you A LOT of fuel. Instead of getting close to leaving atmo then getting the speed needed mostly by the rockets.

This is why I have started using only turbo jets + nuclear rockets in my newest builds : D

Edited January 31, 2014 by KissSh0t

[Rune]

Oh, I get what you mean, don't worry. I have been known to airhog now and then, and I have built planes worthy of a submission to the maching bird thread . Still, my point was, you cannot get a circular orbit higher than your current altitude. You can get an apoapsis higher than your current altitude, sure, but that is not circular, and the periapsis will be at least as low as you are at any given time, pretty much by definition (if your periapsis is above you, it wouldn't really be the lowest point of your orbit, right?). So to "circularize above the atmosphere", as we were talking about, you have to somehow provide thrust above the atmosphere.

Rune. Silly me, I thought that meant non-airbreather engines.

[Andrew Hansen]

I thought I'd share a simple SSTO I made recently. What's interesting about it is that it can land vertically on its tail (besides normal horizontal landings as well), and it features two Ruggegized rover wheels for rear landing gear. After toggling them on, you can reach speeds of over 45 m/s on rover wheels alone! I call it the Go Anywhere Machine.

Download Here!

[Overfloater]

Probably because the atmosphere is so thin it's impossible to get any lift. All those wings do you no good, so unless you can build a VTOL, you're screwed.

Well that's not really the prob, cause my plane was a gliding on Duna like a champ at ~70km/s, AND just to improve my chances I checked "kerbal maps" to find the lowest elevation on the planet, and went there.

But then when I touch the ground I'm screwed... everytime I hit the ground, the plane wants to go back up and the wheels won't do any braking.

VTOL ability is a good option, but I was thinking about placing an engine that faces retrograde, for braking! xD It'll work, I know it...

[Captain Sierra]

. . . gliding on Duna like a champ at ~70km/s . . .

Good God! How do you have interplanetary velocity in the lower atmosphere! ANYTHING will glide with that kind of momentum!

[KissSh0t]

Still trying to figure out how to make hinged doors xD

I want to make an SSTO that can open up it's belly and have things inside it.

[Captain Sierra]

Still trying to figure out how to make hinged doors xD

I want to make an SSTO that can open up it's belly and have things inside it.

Infernal robotics. the stock solution is a HUGE pain to deal with, trust me. It involves lots of parts like small RCS tanks as axles inside rings of cubic struts and securing them via docking ports and opening with probe cores and RCS.

[Overfloater]

Good God! How do you have interplanetary velocity in the lower atmosphere! ANYTHING will glide with that kind of momentum!

*Repeatedly bangs head against a wall*

Aghhh clumsy me U know I ment METERS!

Still trying to figure out how to make hinged doors xD

I want to make an SSTO that can open up it's belly and have things inside it.

Pa1983's planes are still downloadable. Try to investigate their design, that's what I'm trying to do also. But than again, designing a cargo bay plane means lots of parts... maybe one time I'll commit the ultimate sin and use mods...?

[KissSh0t]

Ohh that's right.. He has the cargo one.. I'll have to dissect it.

[Silverchain]

Prototype crew shuttle carrying tourists to the realms of the boreal pole.

Lenfred, did you lose the port turbojet again?

Edited February 2, 2014 by Silverchain