SSTOs! Post your pictures here~

[Aerospacer]

Classic but useful - career single-pantheric SSTO MSS-1a for grabbing science from any point of Minmus surface. Also capable for missions on low Mun orbit with return to KSC.

Engines: 1P+2Ter

dV on LKO = 1733 m/s

Materials bay, service bay with equipment - full science kit for current tech level (science160).

Val is ready to first launch on Minmus.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Aerospacer

[Triop]

[qzgy]

Stupidly designed, has way too much liquid fuel. Gets into orbit in less than 5 minutes, courtesy of 2 rapiers. Apparently, once you get going fast enough, a single ram air intake is sufficient for both rapiers.

[Hodo]

SP-255 simple yet it works... even on a rescue operation.

 

[Soda Popinski]

Finally unlocked the Whiplash in my current game.  Until I get a chance to build a new SSTO, here's what I've got (barely) in orbit using the Panther.  I have yet to land it successfully (nobody killed).  I can get it to 72 x 72km with about 30m/s delta-V left.  And that's using a complicated 10 step ascent sequencer I wrote in kOS.

Here's an earlier version, where I couldn't even get it off the runway.

I've got it docked to my space-station.  The SSTO needed a boost from a tanker to get up to this altitude.

Edited April 13, 2017 by Soda Popinski

[PhylumCnidaria]

My friends and I started a DMP server where we built a base on Minmus. There had to be a way to get kerbals to and from the base, so I decided to chip in. 

It's insanely over-engineered, with over 4000 m/s of dV once it refuels on Minmus. It can get three kerbals to Minmus and back without breaking a sweat, but I have yet to take it anywhere else and it doesn't have the TWR to land at our mun base, so I guess for now it's sitting unused.

Edited April 15, 2017 by PhylumCnidaria

[AeroGav]

On 13/04/2017 at 10:01 PM, Soda Popinski said:

Finally unlocked the Whiplash in my current game.  Until I get a chance to build a new SSTO, here's what I've got (barely) in orbit using the Panther.  I have yet to land it successfully (nobody killed).  I can get it to 72 x 72km with about 30m/s delta-V left.  And that's using a complicated 10 step ascent sequencer I wrote in kOS.

 

It's probably unstable when empty because the engines a the back are heavier than the cockpit up front, it needs the forward fuel tanks to be full to be stable.

See if you can bring the engines fwd.

Also you're combining the high drag of a mk2 fuselage at the back with the low heat tolerance of mk1 inline cockpit.  Recommend stay with all mk1 parts but use the inline version of the cockpit and put it a few modules back, that way it doesn't receive much re-entry heat.

 

 

[Aerospacer]

Full screport of MSS-1a flight

(sorry for many screens)

 

[Tychonoir]

Two versions of a versatile cargo spaceplane in the 70-75 ton range. Can lift half its weight to orbit (orange fuel tank).

Each version has 4 large Mk2 cargo bays with Clamp-O-Tron Jrs, and can fit an orange tank in the center attached via a clamp-o-tron port.
They both have full RCS control, solar panels, probe control point, and relay antenna.

The first version is a bit harder to fly with an orange tank, it's front heavy, and you'll need the full runway to get off the ground. But it is a simpler symmetrical design and carries the tank from its end. Carries 2 passengers. The relay antenna is clipped when retracted, however.

The second version has the center portion raised up to carry an orange tank with a clamp on the side, and this is a more stable flying position. This also allows the carrying of more awkwardly shaped cargo.
Additionally, it has room for 4 passengers on the left side, and a stowed mini-tug probe with a claw in its own bay on the right side.

Both versions get to orbit the same way:
Fly level until the Rapiers can get to 500 m/s, then pitch 10° up and maintain until 70k, then circularize.

If carrying an orange tank, 2 additional FL-T800 will need to be fitted in the cargo bays (1 on each side). This will get you to about 60k, then use the nukes to get the rest of the way to orbit. Alternately, there's still room for even more fuel in the cargo bays.
(If part of a larger mission, the additional tanks can be clamped in as needed using the docking ports.)

Keys:
1) Rapier toggle
2) Rapier mode toggle
3) Nuke toggle
4) Ladder toggle
5) Cargo bay doors, Service bay doors, Clamp-O-Tron shield, Cargo bay lights
6) Claw toggle
7)
8) Solar panel toggle, antenna toggle (Make sure fully retracted before closing doors, or they won't register as shielded.)

Download:
https://kerbalx.com/Tychonoir/Bulk-Spaceplane-Medium
https://kerbalx.com/Tychonoir/Bulk-Spaceplane-Medium-Mk2

Edited April 16, 2017 by Tychonoir

[Soda Popinski]

On 4/15/2017 at 1:25 AM, AeroGav said:

It's probably unstable when empty because the engines a the back are heavier than the cockpit up front, it needs the forward fuel tanks to be full to be stable.

See if you can bring the engines fwd.

Also you're combining the high drag of a mk2 fuselage at the back with the low heat tolerance of mk1 inline cockpit.  Recommend stay with all mk1 parts but use the inline version of the cockpit and put it a few modules back, that way it doesn't receive much re-entry heat.

 

 

Thanks for the advice.  I've since unlocked a few more super-sonic parts.  Great idea with placing the cockpit back.  I actually did that with Science Hot Rod.  I went with the MkII as I needed the cargo hold to put in command chairs for rescues.

Edited April 17, 2017 by Soda Popinski

[Wanderfound]

Low tech semi-SSTM

 

Craft file at https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ha864hb7iidm8o/Minmus Panther C%2B.craft?dl=0

Requires a bit of piloting precision for maximum fuel efficiency, but could do Minmus even if flown a bit roughly.

[PhylumCnidaria]

8 hours ago, Wanderfound said:

Low tech semi-SSTM

 

Craft file at https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ha864hb7iidm8o/Minmus Panther C%2B.craft?dl=0

Requires a bit of piloting precision for maximum fuel efficiency, but could do Minmus even if flown a bit roughly.

This is a very interesting design, definitely kinda weird with the ascent profile. Probably the coolest semi-SSTM I've seen yet though. Awesome! 

[Hodo]

8 hours ago, Wanderfound said:

Low tech semi-SSTM

 

Craft file at https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ha864hb7iidm8o/Minmus Panther C%2B.craft?dl=0

Requires a bit of piloting precision for maximum fuel efficiency, but could do Minmus even if flown a bit roughly.

Cool design...

But doesnt SSTM, mean Single Stage To Mun/Minmus?   I dont mean to be a stickler but, if it is dropping ANYTHING, it isnt a single stage.

[AeroGav]

I stretched my Panther/NERV to add 3 more LF tanks, and quite bit of extra wing to lift it all.   Can now go to the Mun.   Pretty sure that with some Vernor lift engines, it could also do Duna, since the delta V requirement is less than the Mun (you can aerobrake and land deadstick).

https://kerbalx.com/AeroGav/Stretch-Ray

It still has the smallest retractable undercarriage from the original Voodoo Ray , which was attempting to keep tech as low as possible.   The stretch Ray is a bit susceptible to tail strikes on the Mun's bumpy surface however and could use more ground clearance.

If you really want to go Duna however, Val's going to be cooped up in that cockpit a very long time, better get her one of these beaded seat covers to massage sore back muscles - 

Check with the seller to make sure it still works in zero G, make sure they offer a money back guarantee in case it doesn't.

[Aerospacer]

@AeroGav - cool result, I suspected that 2 LV-N engines have more potential dV, my ssto 1P1N could reach just 2352 m/s in best attempt. Do you not use any oxidizer in this?

My craft PlutoNiKa (inspired by idea of @MustaKotka, assembled and launched in april 1-2)

Spoiler

Single-pantheric, single-nuke, no oxidizer.

LKO dV=2352 m/s (in best attempt). Enouch for one-way trip to Laythe though.

Edited April 17, 2017 by Aerospacer
add pict

[53miner53]

I have 2 rocket only SSTOs. No craft files yet, because I can't upload them from my phone, and they aren't complete yet.

Challenger ended up as an SSTO, though it does separate the shuttle from the boosters after it achieves orbit. It also has an escape system consisting of the entire crewed section. I don't know exactly how much it can take to LKO though, but it does include up to 20 Kerbals.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0eMT8zRijNmVWEtb190M3pMYXc

pics are a little out of date, and because of this they do not include the third launch booster, the recovery equipment for the boosters, and the generation 2 escape system which allows for pad abort.

The other, named Reusable SSTO 1, is not entirely complete, as I'm planning on adding more fuel to optimize it. It currently can take 20.9 tons to LKO.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0eMT8zRijNmdXU2MjZma3ZvRjQ 

It flies reentry tail first and lands on parachutes, and is surprisingly stable while tail first when it has little to no fuel left. 

[Wanderfound]

7 hours ago, Hodo said:

Cool design...

But doesnt SSTM, mean Single Stage To Mun/Minmus?   I dont mean to be a stickler but, if it is dropping ANYTHING, it isnt a single stage.

Yup, hence semi-SSTM.

[hurdurdur]

Something from the boring and practical crowd. An mk2 lifter with no kerbals endangered. Avoiding cockpits intentionally and also sort of out of need, i am running out of kerbals in the ksc, too many of them have flown off to explore Eve and Minmus.

Rest of the pics of the first flight test on imgur:

 

[Laughing Man]

Designed this a short while ago. It's a multirole plane for hauling small probes and ferrying crew. It can carry a Minmus lander into 100km orbit and have enough delta/v to dock with my crappy fuel station.

Flies quite nicely. All I have to do is pitch down a couple of times during ascent then fire the LV-T30 and it'll ascend without having to touch the controls at all, even at very high AoA.

I have a tendency for deleting saves and starting over so this is as far as I've gotten with career SSTOs. I plan on building something much bigger once I've got MK.3 parts and Rapiers.

 

Edited April 18, 2017 by Laughing Man

[Triop]

Mig 15 + 21 SSTO

[Speed_Kerman]

So I set myself out a challenge of making a purely liquid fuel SSTO without using Rapier engines, just the Turbo Ram Jets and a pair of LV-N Atomics, and this is what I came out with after much testing...

The CF-106 Delta Dart Mk. 6. Purely liquid fuel, no oxidizer whatsoever. It'll have about 3.9 km/s left of delta-v in the tanks once it hits a stable orbit. She's a little hard to fly due to the center of mass being so close to the center of lift, but she can handle missions to the Mun or Minmus with ease. She seats one kerbal, and has no payload capacity, but with those beautiful lines, who'd complain?

Now, for the all important eye candy!!

 

 

Ain't she pretty?? I'm absolutely in love with her gorgeous, sleek, and sexy lines!!

It's up on KerbalX if anyone wants to take her for a spin. More information and action groups can be found there.

CF-106 Delta Dart SSTO Mk. 6 -- DOWNLOAD HERE!!

[System Error Message]

for fun i built a massive unbalanced SSTO, i gets into orbit despite its weight and is capable of carrying things in its hangar.

It weights more than 1.2KT full and above 400T empty and is an fps killer with almost 700 parts but is equipped to perform every task and is made using only stock KSP.

You can download it here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B01oBAU-nNuMaGNudGd3N01zNGc

Edited April 18, 2017 by System Error Message

[hurdurdur]

One more low tech ssto, this time shuttle style (but without throwing off parts) with space for 3 kerbals. All you need is reliant and terrier engines and some fancy fuel tanks (and wings). No jet engines involved at all. Lands in water since low tech has pitiful wheels. The 90x90 orbit in the gallery was achieved with the following flight profile: take off with reliants, full throttle, start gravity turn at 50-60 m/s , at around 190m/s throttle down until past 9500m , now the gravity turn should have you at 45 degrees already, full throttle, activate the terrier as well, continue the gravity turn normally. Once the apoapsis is above 65km turn off the reliants (their isp is horrible compared to terrier) (and in my case - forget yourself to accelerate to the 90km apsis, stop the burn , add orbiting nodes, do the orbit burn and still have fuel left for the deorbit).

Picture after the landing :

 

And here is the whole gallery on imgur:

 

 

 

[TedwinKnockman66]

Rostov swan mk-2

[Angelo Kerman]

On 3/2/2017 at 6:34 AM, Rune said:

dV, absent TWR considerations, is driven by tankage ratio (the coefficient between wet and empty mass). Because Tsiolkovksy. A Mk2 Fuselage has a way worse tankage ratio than a Mk1 tank... and the wings that would give it several times the lift rating of a Mk2. Not to mention the drag issue, which means you need much more airbreathing engine weight for a given fuel load to go supersonic. You could keep at it, and maybe you'll get somewhere (I doubt it, considering the exponential nature of the rocket equation, your size will balloon with diminishing returns). But if you put the exact same amount of fuel in different tanks, you will need less engines, and you will get better range. Math guarantees that.

Also, a Kerbin-Moho transfer should be 5km/s, capture included, not 6, so you should also check your navigating. You can actually shave off of that almost a km/s from launching form Minmus, of course. And dare I suggest you haven't seen all of what a Mk3 can do? Not that Mk3 has the best tankage ratio anyway.

Note: this two SSTOs are both powered by a single RAPIER and draw air using a single precooler. The first one has a TWR of 0.67, and struggles to go supersonic, needing to do so at basically sea level, flying level or slightly downwards, and taking its sweet time. The second one a TWR of 0.58, and goes supersonic much quicker, while climbing, in about a minute... with three times the frontal surface. Note the resource numbers, too. And of course my Mk3 designs usually make do with TWRs under 0.5, the secret to their payload efficiency. Mk2 fuselages, I'm sad to repeat, are broken.

 

 

Rune. Just trying to help!

This might explain a few things. I've always been lousy at spaceplane design, and gave up on it entirely until this evening. The Mk2 designs I come up with just don't have the oomph to reach orbit, and I'm about ready to go back to flying rockets. I'll have to give this a try though. Also, if you know of a good SSTO tutorial for KSP 1.2, I'm all ears.