can you build an ssto?

[PakledHostage]

Nope. Well, not an SSTO space plane, anyway... I've never even tried.

I like building small unmanned probes and flying them around the Kerbol system on efficient trajectories. It's the mission planning and navigation that I enjoy. I even go so far as to delete the space plane parts from the game directory to improve the game's load time.

Edited June 28, 2013 by PakledHostage

[Flixxbeatz]

For those people who have "that" mentality, feel free to call me a newbie and/or unskilled for my inability to launch a spaceplane (or any SSTO craft) in orbit and land it back to Kerbin. I'll accept it. KSP was not all about them anyways in the first place

[Whackjob]

Um. I may have accidentally built the biggest SSTO ever. Maybe. I was working on my AEIA Mk3. I came up with a nice new engine cluster.

Now, normally I load in drop-tanks in the center carousel. I haven't gotten that far yet. I wanted to do a "dry run" to get a feel of the engines. There are 168 engines on the Mk3. 21 engines per cluster, at eight clusters.

Looked quite pretty at takeoff. Even if it is a slideshow takeoff.

What I wasn't expecting was how bloody far it made it on limited fuel. If I can get the attitude correction systems working well, I could have probably put it in orbit. Which was a shock to me. I never thought something that bloody big could be a SSTO. It still isn't, technically, because I didn't make orbit, but the potential is absolutely there. The numbers there look convincing, and I wasn't controlling my speed to maximize fuel while in the atmosphere.

I'll try tomorrow.

Edited June 28, 2013 by Whackjob

[PakledHostage]

For those people who have "that" mentality, feel free to call me a newbie and/or unskilled.

Sure, lump me in that pile too.

[The Destroyer]

How do you land that beast?

Um, you... don't.

It isn't meant for that, its more of a interplanetary cruiser, to be refueled in orbit and then go places.

I could put a billion parachutes on it, that would work.

It honestly isn't a beast anyway, it's quite easy to build and make, I made it while fooling around really. But it looks epic.

[rodion_herrera]

Yes. And I consider it one of my KSP milestones, both winged and non-winged.

[AmpsterMan]

I have, both plane anf traditional rocket. Though the mass fraction is so low I can't get anything useful to orbit

[Bareck]

Yes, and very suprising I have two winged craft that do this well.

[Whackjob]

Bah. I put even more control on the Mk3, and still can't orient correctly to achieve orbit.

[acealeam]

A rocket would be no problem. A spaceplane, doable, it's hard, but I can. Can't land them though :/

[Ferrit]

I can, and have, built SSTOs but in each case they've basically been just for the challenge, they didn't do anything apart from take one pilot in to a low orbit and back again safely. One that can take a payload and/or extra crew in to orbit as yet exceeds my abilities, though going to keep trying.

[Spleenslitta]

I can but whenever i make one it's with extreme effort/time wasted on failures and i can't accomplish much with it.

[Tw1]

Yes.

A useful one?

....

Not quite.

(Or, not yet.)

Edited June 28, 2013 by Tw1

[Richy teh space man]

Yeah I've built a space plane SSTO. Even brought it back in one piece on occasion too.

[maackey]

[Brofessional]

Yep, I've done it without rocket engines too, and landed on the runway.

[Whackjob]

I've got the control finally figured out. Tonight, I take the Mk3 into orbit :3

[The Jedi Master]

No. In fact, "moved to the SSTO program" has become slang among my Kerbals for "fired"...

[Kimberly]

Yep, I've done it without rocket engines too, and landed on the runway.

How can you possibly get a craft without rocket engines into orbit, if the jet engines don't work in the upper atmosphere?

[The Jedi Master]

How can you possibly get a craft without rocket engines into orbit, if the jet engines don't work in the upper atmosphere?

I see ion engines.

[astropapi1]

Yeah, I built three or four, but there's no real use for them.

The problem is that they're complicated, difficult to fly, and in most cases, useless.

Most SSTOs people build can't take a useful payload to orbit, and take much more time to get there than a normal rocket.

When money and reusability are implemented in the future, I'll take a look at them, but for now I'll stick to my multi-stage rockets and pretend to re-use them by using parachutes on boosters and soft-landing upper stages on KSC.

[Sirrobert]

How can you possibly get a craft without rocket engines into orbit, if the jet engines don't work in the upper atmosphere?

In theory, if you go fast enough before the engines cut out, it should be possible?

Anyway I believe there are some ion engines strapped to the back. And unless I'm mistaken, gigantor solar pannels on the front side of the wings that don't have air intakes

[Bunsen]

In theory, if you go fast enough before the engines cut out, it should be possible?

Approximately nope. The engines cut out before you reach 70km, and your orbit always passes through the point at which you last had thrust (gravity assists excepted). That means whatever trajectory you're on still passes through some point that's inside the atmosphere. The only way around that would be to get going so fast you either get an assist from the Mun or Minmus, or escape Kerbin orbit.

[Sirrobert]

Approximately nope. The engines cut out before you reach 70km, and your orbit always passes through the point at which you last had thrust (gravity assists excepted). That means whatever trajectory you're on still passes through some point that's inside the atmosphere. The only way around that would be to get going so fast you either get an assist from the Mun or Minmus, or escape Kerbin orbit.

Ofcourse, stupid of me.

Kinda reminds me of the way I (and probably everyone) used to think on the first few launches, before knowing what a gravity turn was

[Brofessional]

I see ion engines.

That is correct. You have to time the launch so you have enough sunlight to power the ion engines in order to get your periapsis up before re-entering the atmosphere.