Exo's Rubberband and Duct Tape Emporium. SSTOS, Weird Space Ships, and more!

[Exothermos]

WARNING:

(10/10/2014) All craft are for version 0.24 or lower. 0.25 has made most of these designs obsolete; where possible designs will be rebuilt with the new parts.

(Newest Items Are Added to the Original Post!)

(Older Craft are found in the Sub-post banner area and in the thread body)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Replicraft Pack" 8/27/2014

It was time for a break from my SSTO obsession, so I've been making stock Modern Jets! I've noticed a lot of interest in this sort of thing around here lately, and it kind-of swept me up too.

It's quite a challenge to mimic some of the shapes in modern fighter aircraft using stock parts, and it has really stretched my building techniques to the max.

Here is a pack of 7 of my more successful designs. Included are:

F-15 with Drop tanks.

F-16 with Drop tanks.

F-32A JSF

Dassault Rafale with drop tanks

YF-23

Mig-31

Avro Arrow.

Like most pure aircraft in KSP, these don't really DO a whole lot. But they are fun to turn & burn around the Space Center.

Thanks for looking and Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OLDER SUBMISSIONS

DOWNLOAD Info:

DOWNLOAD Info:

DOWNLOAD Info:

DOWNLOAD Info:

DOWNLOAD Info:

DOWNLOAD Info:

DOWNLOAD Info:

Edited October 15, 2014 by Exothermos

[sytaline]

Epic, simply epic!

[Mekan1k]

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

[SDIR]

Very nice, and very sci-fi looking. Are we allowed to post stuff as well?

[Exothermos]

Very nice, and very sci-fi looking. Are we allowed to post stuff as well?

Please Do! I'll just modify the original post to keep my submissions organized, but the replies are the wild west as far as I'm concerned. Let's see them!

[SDIR]

Then I'll be posting my shuttle here, as there isn't a thread for shuttles yet :/

Shuttle Simplicity on take off

Initiating gravity turn

Docked with a space station

3 shuttle versions:

Sky 1(Pioneer): http://www./download/m5a8cjtaxmqmaj1/Sky_1_(Pioneer).craft

Sky 2 (Simplicity): http://www./download/6e7h3s053sappj2/Sky_2_(Simplicity).craft

Sky 3 (Ability): http://www./download/8dablga76l17cdk/Sky_3_(Ability).craft

Edited June 27, 2013 by SDIR

[SDIR]

Whoops. Double post.

Edited June 27, 2013 by SDIR

[WooDzor]

@SDIR Please, I've been breaking my brain over how to build a 3 man shuttle. Maybe I should start small as well.

[SDIR]

@SDIR Please, I've been breaking my brain over how to build a 3 man shuttle. Maybe I should start small as well.

That's always a good idea. The main thing when making a shuttle is to crash repeatedly to figure out what is needed. In my case, everything happened be balanced for the shuttle to work. Also, use the CoM and CoT symbols in the SPH to try and align them for better balance. And it's recommended that the shuttle is built in the SPH, and testing it out first as a rocket plane is good too hope that helped.

[Exothermos]

Ajax SSTO added to Original Post!

[Rune]

They look gorgeous. Nice theme! I'm sure you could play with the fuel tanks so the rear tanks empty first, too. Hint: you can separate the engines from the tanks with decouplers so you can control the fuel routes. Also, aerospikes are counter-intuitively bad engines for an airbreathing SSTO: by the time you light them, other kinds of engines already give >90% of their vacuum isp, and spikes are heavy.

Rune. Why do something, if you can do it looking good.

[Exothermos]

Yeah, I've been messing with the fuel problem for a bit, and Actually I think I have it sorted, for the most part. I'm just trying to avoid external fuel lines and fuel line mazes, and it is really no big deal for me to pump fuel forward once during the long acceleration process. Others may disagree, I'm sure.

As far as the Engines go, you are totally right from an efficiency standpoint. Really, nothing beats the Airhogging/Nuke combo for SSTOs, but I'm really impatient I guess. I've tested them, but I don't want to spend so much time chasing my apoapsis. Anyone who wants to use that combo can simply slap those nukes in instead of the Aerospikes and it works fine:

The other rocket engines work fine too, being lighter and having more thrust, but in testing I didn't notice an appreciable difference in fuel useage do to their Lower ISP. I don't use Mechjeb, however, so that kind of precision in flight replication would probably show me I'm wrong.

p.s. i've been playing with your Razor, and it is awesome.

[Exothermos]

More stuff added to the thread! Check the O.P.!

Here is the now-removed Ajax Posting for posterity:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today I present the "Ajax", my first payload capable SSTO!

It shares a similar design aesthetic with my previous "Arrow" models, but is very different under the skin.

Now you can deliver a little over 4.5 tons (one FL-T800) to LKO in style! Perfect for small satellite and probe launches, and light refueling duty.

The .craft file comes with the generic probe shown in the pics. Build your own payload for your specific needs!

Simply "grab" the Structural Beam in the SPH and set aside the lid.

Constructing your payload directly on to the docking port is easiest, but you can import if you have the mod, of course.

Flying the Ajax is similar to my Arrow line in that pumping fuel forward once during ascent is a really good idea. The RCS can handle it if you don't want to bother, but why waste monopropellant? The Ajax is a standard "Air Hogging" design with lots of intakes so it will need to be flown in such a manner. Acceleration plateau should start at 24k with engines at 80%. At 30k meters, and 1600 to 1700 m/s, shut down action group 1 and fire up the Aerospikes for the climb to space. Run your remaining turbojets for as long as you dare! To dock, pump Liquid Fuel for and aft to balance the craft. Reentry and landing are simple and straight forward. It's best to use ASAS for most of the decent as the lightened craft has a ton of control authority, and is twitchy (but ballanced.)

As always, make sure to check out the Action Groups for the most efficient flight.

DOWNLOAD

Enjoy!

Edited July 28, 2013 by Exothermos

[KissSh0t]

I really like the idea of having internal storage like that.. I'm going to try designing something with that..

[GusTurbo]

Great SSTOs, beautiful and functional! I only wish I could design space planes.

[Exothermos]

Here is the posting that was removed from the front page for posterity. Check out the OP for new stuff!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been fooling around with a bunch of SSTOs and they all came to completion at the same time, essentially. So here they are!

First up is the Antilles SSTO Drone.

Actually, it's two ships as they have different styles of docking apparatus for different preferences:

They don't really DO much, I suppose, but they do perform well. Also, the intake design makes them look like that Batmobile from that really bad Batman Movie... we all know the one. So that's a plus?

Antilles Drone A

DOWNLOAD

Antilles Drone B

DOWNLOAD

Next up is a manned SSTO based on the design of the Antilles Drone; The Accipiter.

Really, it started out life as a testbed to mess with maximum intake spam, but came out pretty cool looking, so I figured I'd share it.

It's finicky during ascent and will need fuel pumping. Specifically it needs the last fuselage adapter in Locked mode so that it doesn't drain first, so do that on the runway. It also needs fuel pumped from the forward section to the side tanks to balance it out during it's acceleration plateau at 25k meters or so. If you don't do this, you will still be successful, but it will fight you the whole time.

Accipiter SSTO

DOWNLOAD

The last thing I'm presenting is The Ardent, a funny little 6-kerbal Space Bus. Look how cute it is!

The more surprising thing is that it works like a charm too.

It came into being during development of a 10 man bus that just wasn't working. During an aggressive rotation I had a tail strike and the whole rear end broke off leaving the forward section flying away like it was excited to be relieved of this burden. So we're going with it! Now you can shuttle crew to and from your Space Station or Interplanetary ship in style (?).

Ardent Space Bus

DOWNLOAD

Edited July 28, 2013 by Exothermos

[KissSh0t]

Trying to make an SSTO that can carry a probe up into orbit in it's belly like yours... my first try resulted in getting to 40 thousand.. run out of fuel, released probe just for the sake of it, re-entry, spun out of control, crashed into ground backwards, cockpit survived.... Jeb is darn lucky lol.

xD

[KissSh0t]

Here is my attempt at trying to do what you have done... I am trying to balance the weight so as the fuel drains the center of mass stays nearly the same : I

All I can say is trying to make an SSTO like yours is hard..

Here is some screenshots of it stripped down so you can see the engine and fuel layout with it's internal storage section~

[Exothermos]

Just by eyeballing it, I would say you have too much weight in rocket fuel. Once you get down to four -800s you could probably lose a set of jets, further saving your self some weight. If you are flaming out at less than 25k meters, add Moar Intakes! That should give you what you need to get her up to orbit. Good luck!

[Exothermos]

NEW STUFF HAS BEEN ADDED! CHECK THE ORIGINAL POST.

Here is the patch anticipation post for posterity:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's the Malaise Days Giveaways!

So we are all waiting for 0.21 to go live and no one really wants to put the effort into building cool stuff. Except for sickos like me (and a few others, you know who you are). If you want to play with something fun and not particularly challenging, then this is the post for you!

First up is a couple of SSTOs based on the same weird looking core with slightly different configurations.

The Agilus A is a small, agile (get it...hurr) Airhogging, Nuclear-engined one man SSTO.

It is pretty easy to fly as far as these things go, especially above 14k where the power curve of the single Turbojet kicks in and it really shines. Below 10k it is a little under-powered, but stick with it.

The Agilus B is a more conventional plan-form, and is fun because it looks like a Mig-25. Well, it's fun if you are into that sort of thing. Otherwise, performance is identical to the A model

Agilus A SSTO

DOWNLOAD

Agilus B SSTO

DOWNLOAD

Next up is my first non SSTO submission. Holy moly, breathlessly set off the klaxons and fireworks, because I've finally posted something different!

It's a space junk De-orbiter...thing.

Do you feel like ending the flights of your ill-planned space junk in the Tracking Center is pretty cheaterriffic? I do. So i made a grabby thing. I call it the HYDRA Deorbiter Claw 2. It works really well, actually. Well, most of the time at least. Sometimes you break everything off down one side of the vehicle as that piece of space junk you are decelerating suddenly rotates out of the claw and slaps against the side of the vehicle.

But that was a HYDRA Deorbiter Claw 1 problem. It's all been accounted for now i hope, so use with confidence!

To use simply rendezvous with the piece of space junk that is menacing your space station, or whatever. RCS over to it and get directly in front of it (Your Target icon and Retrograde pip should be overlayed), grab it with the gear legs if you feel it is beneficial, and gently burn until your periapsis enters the atmosphere. Now turn prograde and burn your self back to orbit. Rinse, repeat. If it all goes terribly wrong you have an escape plan!

It also runs double duty for me as a space station tug. The simple booster I use to get it to orbit is included in the .craft file.

HYDRA Deorbiter Claw

(No Longer Available due to Patch Changes.)

Lastly I want to share To the MUN! an Apollo-style rocket. Yes, yes it's another one, and yes I can hear the groaning all the way through the internet tubes.

It works great, but is only "generally" authentic because some of the maneuvers needed in the real mission are omitted with this design as they are just not needed in the game.

Specifically the TD&E maneuver is omitted, and the lander is capable of performing an authentic-style separation or simply flying off the surface and rendezvousing with the Command Module all in one piece.

Also, I did things the way I want, heavily borrowed from certain submitters here on this site, and went without worrying about trying to model the Saturn 5 exactly. So basically it sacrifices Authenticity for Usablility and I had a blast with it.

To the MUN!

DOWNLOAD

Ok I lied, there is one more. It's a stupid ugly biplane. And it is a lot of fun.

R&J Special

DOWNLOAD

Edited March 21, 2014 by Exothermos

[Rune]

I completely agree, the world needs more SSTOs. To the SPH!

Rune. Good job with the thread in general!

[joedude69]

Since I have found these I have fell in love with them, especially the AJAX. 10/10 guaranteed GG

[Exothermos]

Ridiculously tiny SSTOs added to the OP!

Here is the older Argo post for Posterity (get it? That's high comedy there).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You know what the world needs? MORE SSTOs!

These will probably be my last serious SSTOs for a little while as I have a mission to Duna starting to pique my interest. But I always seem to go back to them, so I could be full of it. XD

The first submission is one I have been working on for a long while. It is a 19 kerbal space bus.

Why do you need a 19 man space bus? I don't know. But, whatevah, I do what I want. Maybe your space station has had the same poor souls in it since 0.18. Mine did, but then I used my Argo Space Bus to relieve them! And how!

It's big, heavy, and well over 300 parts so it is a little hairy trying to dock at a space station if the station its self is taxing your computer. I had no problems docking to my orbiting fuel depots however.

Check out the action groupings to see what your options are. In general, one should fly this like any larger, airhogging nuclear wessel. Take off on all jets, once at 25k or so you will need to start dropping sets of jets with the action groups. at 33 or 34k you will need to fire up the nukes. Once your speed plateaus, fire up the aerospike for a kick in the pants up into orbit. Maneuver in space with the nukes, obviously.

Argo Space Bus

DOWNLOAD

The other craft on offer is a pure fire-breathing hotrod sort of thing. It has no payload or passengers, it just hustles one kerbal up to orbit.

I haven't seen a similar design on these forums so I figured I'd share.

Flight profile is similar to the above, just much more expedient. Once at 28k or so shut down all but the center jet and fire up the nukes when it starts bogging. Rotate up to 75 degrees and run the jet until it flames out. Space!

Accel SSTO

DOWNLOAD

[Exothermos]

Thanks!

I'm really glad people like my stuff. Now if only I could pull my self away from my SSTO obsession.

I'm trying! I delivered the Stock Rover and Skycrane to Duna. There were problems. I forgot to put a command module on the orbiter section so it went inert as soon as I separated after my reentry burn. How could I forget that? It was supposed to burn it's self back to orbit.

Oh well, I'll deliver the payload. This is seconds before disaster.

I dropped the heat shield, waited until I was sure the crane would have enough fuel to deliver the rover to the ground, separated from the parachute "Lid" and throttled-up. But apparently I had over-estimated the gravity on Duna and I immediately launched the whole contraption back up into the parachute lid, impacting without damage, but rotating the skycrane just enough to be unrecoverable.

Sorry I don't have pics. I was busy. And then I logged off in a huff after.

Lessons learned:

1) I don't plan well.

2) The mountain ranges on Duna are really a challenge for Parachute based landings.

3) The solution to the whole thing is... AN SSTO! (probably not)

Edited August 11, 2013 by Exothermos

[TheAndrewTaco]

I laughed way too hard at the Xzibit reference. Fantastic job with all the SSTO's though