Carina: SSTO Heavy Cargo Shuttle (B9 Aerospace)

[ChronicSilence]

Carina

SSTO Heavy Cargo Shuttle

Allow me to present the Carina. This is a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane using the B9 Aerospace and Quantum Strut mods. It is capable of placing a 40 ton payload (> large orange tank full) into a 100km circular orbit. Best of all, it looks sexy as hell. It includes a fully enclosed cargo bay for the best possible aesthetics.

This video also provides a good overview of the methodology for achieving stable orbit with an SSTO.

Craft files:

Carina - VAB.craft

Carina - SPH.craft

Specifications:

- SSTO

- 40 ton payload to 100km orbit

- well balanced, capable of transporting any payload below 40 tons as well

- outstanding handling characteristics

- B9 Aerospace and Quantum Strut mods

Full Album

http://www.youtube.com/embed/lSKf6iFsdUI

Instructions (press 'i' in-game to bring up the info pane with action group descriptions):

For horizontal take-off version:

- set brakes

- open cargo bay and disable crossfeed to payload (don't use payload's fuel supplies), close cargo bay (action group 4)

- toggle lighting options (action group 8)

- stage, throttle to full

- when turbofan engines reach 120kN thrust, release brakes

- craft will not take off on runway with heavy cargo, so just let it go down the hill and pitch up carefully (prone to tailstrikes)

- pitch up to 55 degrees, use trim to keep it there

- retract landing gear

For vertical take-off version (still SSTO, no extra launcher):

- retract landing gear

- open cargo bay and disable crossfeed to payload (don't use payload's fuel supplies), close cargo bay (action group 4)

- toggle lighting options (action group 8)

- stage, throttle to full

- when turbofan engines reach 120kN thrust, stage again to release launch clamps

- when clear of clamps, pitch down to 55 degrees, use trim to keep it there

For flight (after either launch style):

- at 20000m, pitch down to 25 degrees

- when turbofan engines lose power and control (spool up and turn yellow/orange), around 30000m or 1000m/s, disable turbofans (action groups 2 and 3)

- pitch up to 30 degrees

- when SABRE engines lose thrust in air-breathing mode (around 35000m or 1700m/s), switch to rocket mode (action group 1)

- pitch up to 45 degrees to exit atmosphere quickly

- at 40000m, pitch down to 15-20 degrees to gain horizontal velocity and raise apoapsis

- cut throttle when apoapsis at desired altitude

- prograde burn at apoapsis to circularize orbit

Payload release:

- open cargo bay doors (action group 4)

- disable quantum struts (action group 5)

- decouple docking clamp

- use RCS on payload to move it out of bay, or use RCS on Carina to move the bay away from the payload

- take pretty screenshots because this part looks awesome

- close cargo bay doors (action group 4)

Re-entry:

- conduct retrograde burn at desired point for desired landing spot

- transfer all remaining fuel from the aft to the forward tank

- ensure solar panels are retracted (action group 7)

- just before entering atmosphere, point ship in exactly the prograde direction

- as ship re-enters, maintain prograde heading to prevent end-for-end flipping

- switch to air-breathing SABRE mode (action group 1)

- activate turbofan engines (action groups 2 and 3)

- fly to runway

- toggle brake button to activate air brakes if necessary, and to stop quickly on runway

- extend ladders for disembarkation (action group 9)

Edited January 14, 2019 by ChronicSilence

[Mekan1k]

Download please!

Do you mind if I use this in my after-action report? If so, would you like a specific company name to be associated with it? If so, Please PM me.

[ChronicSilence]

Craft files are available at the top of the post. You can use it in whatever you like, it's public now! What is this after-action thing you speak of?

You can call the company "Chronic Failure Enterprises", I think that's quite fitting

[Mekan1k]

In the tag under my posts, there is a story I am working on, it is an after-action report. (Pictures synced with the story recounted by the pilots in-flight)

I am looking for minimal-part SSTO's, and some other ships, such as Duna ascension vehicles, and single-piece orbit-drop bases. I will probably end up lowering the part count (I have a beast computer, but over 30 mod packs, - estimated part number is around 3000-, so to run at real-time I try to keep the part count of my ships down to a minimum.)

Edited June 6, 2013 by Mekan1k

[Yatesey14]

craft files dont work? just a link to like a notepad page?

[Rune]

craft files dont work? just a link to like a notepad page?

That's what a craft file is. Right click the link, then "save as".

And it looks good, the ship. But I have been playing around with the B9 pack too (I've gotten to a slightly smaller shuttle that looks very much like this) and... well, the Sabres and the intakes are pretty broken compared to the stock parts. I mean, usually it's difficult to keep thrusting on jets at >30kms. And with the B9 parts, that is where you actually level to gain speed. That said, they look awesome. Here's where I got:

It's roughly half the payload, but twice the kerbal seats and 1,800m/s left in the tanks while on orbit. Because I was going for "deliver a Mun lander to Mun, with the pilots". Might even post the craft file in my mod thread after a few more trials, what do you think, good enough?

Rune. Also, don't know why, but B9 parts look bigger than they actually are to me. :S

[Mekan1k]

The cool thing about sabers is that the ISP for the current test models is actually around 2500 isp in atmosphere, and nearly 750 out of atmosphere, making these parts actually WEAKER than their real-life counterparts.

[Rune]

The cool thing about sabers is that the ISP for the current test models is actually around 2500 isp in atmosphere, and nearly 750 out of atmosphere, making these parts actually WEAKER than their real-life counterparts.

You mean 375 in space, right? 750 would put it way beyond what any chemical engine could hope to achieve. 375, on the other hand, is the readout I get when right-clicking it, and yes, the RL SABRE is supposed to do over 400s (420, IIRC?).

Rune. I know it makes kerbal engineer redux have a fit trying to calculate delta-v's, that's for sure.

[ChronicSilence]

That's what a craft file is. Right click the link, then "save as".

And it looks good, the ship. But I have been playing around with the B9 pack too (I've gotten to a slightly smaller shuttle that looks very much like this) and... well, the Sabres and the intakes are pretty broken compared to the stock parts. I mean, usually it's difficult to keep thrusting on jets at >30kms. And with the B9 parts, that is where you actually level to gain speed. That said, they look awesome. Here's where I got:

It's roughly half the payload, but twice the kerbal seats and 1,800m/s left in the tanks while on orbit. Because I was going for "deliver a Mun lander to Mun, with the pilots". Might even post the craft file in my mod thread after a few more trials, what do you think, good enough?

Rune. Also, don't know why, but B9 parts look bigger than they actually are to me. :S

I agree, the parts seem to be quite overpowered. But, it lets me do such fun things as this, so I'm not complaining. I've seen stock SSTOs that can carry the same payload into the same orbit, so I'm not doing anything impossible here, just doing it in a much sexier way.

Also, I have changed the file server settings to download the .craft file instead of opening it in the browser.

Edited June 6, 2013 by ChronicSilence

[Bigred2989]

As soon as I hot 14km it decides to flip over and nothing can stop it. I've tried keeping the nose heavy with fuel but that doesn't work at all.

[Sufficient Anonymity]

Wow - carrying 40 tonnes up puts my SSTO family (shameless plug) to shame. What I class as a superheavy only takes up 15 tonnes at a pinch (plus 4 kerbals).

Edited June 8, 2013 by SufficientAnonymity

[Deadweasel]

Ummm...

Downloaded the SPH version, was presented with this:

I'm running .20.1.180

EDIT:

Nevermind, just needed to change the version number in the .craft file. It loads and runs fine now.

EDIT2:

Waitaminit.... Thinking on it, why am I not on .20.2? I know I downloaded and extracted it... *sigh*

Time to fix that bigger issue first.

Edited June 8, 2013 by Deadweasel

[ChronicSilence]

As soon as I hot 14km it decides to flip over and nothing can stop it. I've tried keeping the nose heavy with fuel but that doesn't work at all.

Interesting. Have you tried following the video instructions closely? The only time I ever had an issue with that during testing was if I tried to climb at too high of a pitch at high altitude, or during re-entry.

[Mekan1k]

You mean 375 in space, right? 750 would put it way beyond what any chemical engine could hope to achieve. 375, on the other hand, is the readout I get when right-clicking it, and yes, the RL SABRE is supposed to do over 400s (420, IIRC?).

Rune. I know it makes kerbal engineer redux have a fit trying to calculate delta-v's, that's for sure.

No, I actually do mean 750- the engine is supposed to use a combination of chemical and magnetodynamic acceleration (In the final version anyway), and that would boost the ISP to 750. Still, the engine and power systems would weigh a ton and then some more tons, but still, results.

[Direk]

I was having the same troubles as Bigred2989. Spent 2 hours last night trying but always had it flip over like it gets too much lift in the nose to keep it down, at a certain altitude , I tryed with less thrust thinking the speed was generating too much lift in the forward section , yet when I reduced the thrust it seemed to lose control that much sooner. Even with ASAS on at 55degree angle it will continue to pitch up.

[ChronicSilence]

I was having the same troubles as Bigred2989. Spent 2 hours last night trying but always had it flip over like it gets too much lift in the nose to keep it down, at a certain altitude , I tryed with less thrust thinking the speed was generating too much lift in the forward section , yet when I reduced the thrust it seemed to lose control that much sooner. Even with ASAS on at 55degree angle it will continue to pitch up.

Hmm... have you tried using the trim controls? I've sometimes found that using them will have a better effect than ASAS. There is also a point at which you have to enable RCS (see the video to determine when) when there is too little atmosphere to stabilize with control surfaces only.

Finally, make sure your payload is connected to the front part of the bay and not the back. What are you using as a payload?

[Direk]

I'll try again tonight, Yeah using the trim gets me the most altitude before "flip out" , I got the same cargo (Large Orange fuel tank) connected in front. And I turn the RCS on around 10-12k(when the atmosphere bar changes color first) , It loses control everytime at 14-20k , at around 400m/s.

[p1t1o]

No, I actually do mean 750- the engine is supposed to use a combination of chemical and magnetodynamic acceleration (In the final version anyway), and that would boost the ISP to 750.

Don't know where you heard this but whoever told you was making a fool of themselves, and of you. Complete BS.

The closed-cycle rocket mode will have an Isp of around the 450s mark.

FYI, the theoretical maximum Isp for a chemical fueled rocket is around 550s - Reaction Engines looked at a triple-fuel rocket that approached this using Fluorine, Lithium and Hydrogen, but if one happens to know anything at all about chemistry, you'll know why they didn't go for that design! (fizz bang burn boom)

[Rune]

No, I actually do mean 750- the engine is supposed to use a combination of chemical and magnetodynamic acceleration (In the final version anyway), and that would boost the ISP to 750. Still, the engine and power systems would weigh a ton and then some more tons, but still, results.

Not the Synergistic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine by Reaction Engines Ltd., and that's the part the B9 pack models. A boopload of secs in the thousands effective isp in atmosphere sucking air it may have, but only 420 out of it burning H2/LOX in a conventional cryogenic rocket engine.

For higher isps, you really have to go nuclear, be it fission or fusion.

Rune. So like p1t1o says, I call BS.

[Pingonaut]

What an amazing craft, and an amazing post, with the video, pictures, etc.! Great work!

[almagnus1]

Any chance you can update the directions for a post .21 launch?

[AlciyaDragonash]

GReat design, flies good, but definitely need to readjust Launch sequence for reaching orbit in 0.21.. even with only 16t load, ran out of fuel before a 50km apo (not even circular) Gonna play with some flightpathing to see if i can max out efficency on it.

[Mikiesox]

Does this craft still work in .21? It looks gorgeous and I watched the video but my craft flips out at the 20km mark. The turbojets look like they completely die-out and cause the craft to spin out of control.

[Amphiprion]

only 1 orange fuel tank? pffffff.

[Fox62]

WHAAAAAAT?! How?! WHY?!