SSTOs! Post your pictures here~

[Tyr Anasazi]

Hello!

Thanks to help from Mesklin & TeeGee, I built this fully reusable VTOL SSTO, which carries 4 full orange tanks to RV with anything at 100km. Once done it has enough to de-orbit and land back at KSC. I am still tuning it but it works pretty well!

[Brownhair2]

My most promising spaceplane yet, the Uranus:

All jokes aside, this is the first spaceplane I've built that is capable of doing something besides orbit. It has a small cargo bay, capable of holding a small payload or an optimistic docking port. In this case, it's holding a small ion probe (sorry about the darkness, I was on the night side of Kerbin).

Getting this thing back was a pain. I wasn't able to be a perfectionist and get it into a near perfect circular orbit. As it was I was barely able to deorbit it; I was only able to lower my periapsis from 80 km to 40 km. Then, I had to waste electricity pointing straight down so I wouldn't overshoot land. And I won't even mention landing.

Despite all this, I still think that with some tweaking this could become a very handy spaceplane for probe deployment and possibly even refueling.

[david50517]

Space Craft 6-1

[Van Disaster]

Design brief - "Build a simple spaceplane from stock parts, using FAR, that'll make a 120km orbit". *Shrug* ok.

MJ just there for info, quite happy going up and down with stock SAS, it seems. I reckon it's way overcomplicated but I'm not very good with small stuff.

[Maelstrom Vortex]

My most promising spaceplane yet, the Uranus:

http://s23.postimg.org/bk4h7p6d7/Uranus_Takeoff.png

All jokes aside, this is the first spaceplane I've built that is capable of doing something besides orbit. It has a small cargo bay, capable of holding a small payload or an optimistic docking port. In this case, it's holding a small ion probe (sorry about the darkness, I was on the night side of Kerbin).

http://s24.postimg.org/olcc50yrp/Uranus_Probe.png

Getting this thing back was a pain. I wasn't able to be a perfectionist and get it into a near perfect circular orbit. As it was I was barely able to deorbit it; I was only able to lower my periapsis from 80 km to 40 km. Then, I had to waste electricity pointing straight down so I wouldn't overshoot land. And I won't even mention landing.

http://s15.postimg.org/v0cu4i5qj/Uranus_Reentry.png

Despite all this, I still think that with some tweaking this could become a very handy spaceplane for probe deployment and possibly even refueling.

I use a very similar model layout for most of my spaceplanes. Suggestion: Remove the two cycle engine, it consumes a lot of fuel. Instead, use turbojets stacked on top of a donut and one of the small 30 thrust high efficiency rockets. You can then exit the atmosphere at around 33km up and the rocket will push you into orbit and use very little fuel. Also, use a single turbojet. The twin intakes will keep it efficient up to very high altitudes.

[Van Disaster]

Much neater & marginally more efficient ( and still easy to fly too ).

[Frank_G]

Some new micronized SSTOs i have built recently. The larger one is for orbital passenger transfer while the smaller one is designed for science missions on Laythe. Both craft are available for download in my craft thread.

Stratocoaster X1b - Orbital passenger transfer SSTO

Stratocoaster X2 - Scientific Survey SSTO

Edited December 30, 2014 by Frank_G

[Brownhair2]

I use a very similar model layout for most of my spaceplanes. Suggestion: Remove the two cycle engine, it consumes a lot of fuel. Instead, use turbojets stacked on top of a donut and one of the small 30 thrust high efficiency rockets. You can then exit the atmosphere at around 33km up and the rocket will push you into orbit and use very little fuel. Also, use a single turbojet. The twin intakes will keep it efficient up to very high altitudes.

Great idea, but I'm having a hard time visualizing. Images would be appreciated.

EDIT: Not sure if this is what you meant, but it definitely worked:

Was able to get into a 90 km orbit with fuel to spare. Admittedly there's no payload, but that's coming next. They don't weigh much anyway. Stand by for landing results.

Edit 2: Besides a missing right wing, landing was a success. This is the third time I've lost a wing landing, which would be fine except I've only landed it 3 times. I suspect issues with the landing gear setup

Edited December 29, 2014 by Brownhair2

[Wanderfound]

Finally got a big 'un flying right:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/90747-Kerbodyne-SSTO-Division-Omnibus-Thread?p=1636232&viewfull=1#post1636232

[Captain Sierra]

What mod gives you that extra info by the navball? I can never find it or remember the name.

[Brownhair2]

What mod gives you that extra info by the navball? I can never find it or remember the name.

They added it into vanilla. Or are you referring to another mod? I can only think of enhanced navball

[blowfish]

What mod gives you that extra info by the navball? I can never find it or remember the name.

I think you're looking for Kerbal Flight Data.

[Maelstrom Vortex]

Great idea, but I'm having a hard time visualizing. Images would be appreciated.

EDIT: Not sure if this is what you meant, but it definitely worked:

http://s9.postimg.org/4lf6t1kjz/Uranus_Engines.png

Was able to get into a 90 km orbit with fuel to spare. Admittedly there's no payload, but that's coming next. They don't weigh much anyway. Stand by for landing results.

Edit 2: Besides a missing right wing, landing was a success. This is the third time I've lost a wing landing, which would be fine except I've only landed it 3 times. I suspect issues with the landing gear setup

I'd set an action group to switch from turbojets to rockets once I left atmosphere near top speed rather than use the small rockets in atmosphere where they consume a lot of fuel for little gain.

I got the idea from here:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43086-Open-Source-Construction-Techniques-for-Craft-Aesthetics?p=1009098&viewfull=1#post1009098

Edited December 30, 2014 by Maelstrom Vortex

[Brownhair2]

I'd set an action group to switch from turbojets to rockets once I left atmosphere near top speed rather than use the small rockets in atmosphere where they consume a lot of fuel for little gain.

I got the idea from here:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/43086-Open-Source-Construction-Techniques-for-Craft-Aesthetics?p=1009098&viewfull=1#post1009098

That is awesome. Because the Uranus (sort of) works, I'm not gonna change the engine layout, but stand by for other spaceplanes with that thing.

[Van Disaster]

Great idea, but I'm having a hard time visualizing. Images would be appreciated.

Easy to do with Mk2 shape:

Just plop a cubic strut down, flip it so most of it is inside & stick the engine on ( and nowadays offset it flush to the surface.

Mk1 shape is only vaguely more awkward but if you ran FAR with pancake shapes like doughnut tanks stuck in the airflow it'll hurt:

Strut out sideways,engine one side, the small nosecone the other offset back to the engine. For FAR it'd be better if the cone was longer really, but eh.

Edited December 30, 2014 by Van Disaster

[Vantage]

Hey guys! Here is my SSTO, it is a box-wing design completely inspired by this guy's SSTO: http://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/2qefdg/the_boxwinged_lagom_ssto_swedish_concept_mission/

It is very rough; I had no idea how to use procedural wings (so I just kept adding blocks and manipulating each one individually) and this is my first actual SSTO (everything else just never made it on its own into orbit)

To make this SSTO, I used Procedural Wings, B9 Aerospace, FAR/NEAR (I think this one was in NEAR), Aviation Lights, Near Future Solar, Mechjeb, and IR (There is an IR part that moves a solar panel into position inside the cargo compartment).

Edit: I'm not sure why the images are such bad quality

Edited December 30, 2014 by Vantage

[GeneralMDBK]

Here's a cargo SSTO I came up with to assist me in building stations or interplanetary ships in LKO.

It can bring up 45 tons (1 1/4 Orange Tanks) up to LKO easy.

It was responsible with the help of KAS to build this WIP Space Station in 3 launches.

[david50517]

Space Craft 4-5

[huggy]

Working on a VTOL interplanetary SSTO, This is the initial prototype.

[Brownhair2]

Easy to do with Mk2 shape:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7490/15956755390_7e50741f7b_b.jpg

Just plop a cubic strut down, flip it so most of it is inside & stick the engine on ( and nowadays offset it flush to the surface.

Mk1 shape is only vaguely more awkward but if you ran FAR with pancake shapes like doughnut tanks stuck in the airflow it'll hurt:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7549/16143303642_a783051d08_b.jpg

Strut out sideways,engine one side, the small nosecone the other offset back to the engine. For FAR it'd be better if the cone was longer really, but eh.

This isn't what he's talking about, but it's still cool. I'll keep it in mind

[Brownhair2]

Let me introduce "Tadpole", Dune and Laythe capable SSTO with a really big head

http://i.imgur.com/kJv9pxlh.png

http://i.imgur.com/xvQ4q8ch.jpg

Imgur album

I want download.

Seriously though, all the interplanetary SSTOs I've seen are a pain to fly, at least for me. That looks rather simple.

[Maelstrom Vortex]

Behold Big Bus Betty, the probe and station deployer:

Some brief stats: 8 shock cone intakes, 8 dual cycle ramjets, 8 side vent intakes, and all stock with no part clipping except the landing gear which are modified stock landing gear resized to x2 size. Makes orbit with little fuel left over, but I suspect if I wanted to put a booster stage behind her she'd go a very long ways. Mk 3 regular + shortened cargo hold makes for large object carrying. Can carry the default stock space station core. Forgot to add solar panels, really should do that. Makes use of what I cal two "fuel wings" basically a pair of mk2 bodies on the outside of the mk3 with the front and back having the dual inlet/outlet attachment points on the mk 2 ends. Add a couple of bi-coupler stacking joints to the nose of those turned vertical by 90 degrees and you can put 8 nose cones on the front of them allowing breathing to up to 30kkm before rockets kick. Nosecone is a regular docking port. Could double as a station itself if I added a few solar panels.

Craft file if you want to check out my designs.:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/94022667/Public%20site%20hosting/ksp/Shuttle.craft

You will need these parts:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/94022667/Public%20site%20hosting/ksp/MyCustomParts.rar

Which includes small, medium, and large landing gears. Just un-rar to your game data folder.

Edited December 31, 2014 by Maelstrom Vortex

[david50517]

Space Craft 4-6

[Hodo]

So I decided to build something after taking a short break from The Repopulation testing....

And I came up with this SP-150.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

It is cheap affective and well it doesn't look to bad. Not to mention it is easy to fly in FAR.

And this was made and is working in flight testing for the HARM division.

[fenya]

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[TD=class: b-layout-table__cell b-layout-table__cell_position_r] mass in orbit100-120tons; Dv ~ 4800-5000 m\s (with rover on board)

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other images

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