Vertical Asparagus Stack Experiment

[Krasimir]

I take different aproach on asparagus staging for those who are tired of traditional look and style of asparagus rockets and want some kind of more streamlined feel while maintaining superb efficiency.

EDIT: Im finaly satisfied with my first big rocket with "vertical asparagus" staging, it was challenge and great fun to build, and it comes out as my largest, most complex and most beautifull design.It is capable of delivering 36 tons (full orange tank) to 150km Kerbin orbit.

Pretty, isnt she?

some stats without payload

in flight

in orbit with payload

Download here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/88787410/Drakon.craft

It comes stock, the nosecone fairings are from KW rocketry pack and are not included.

Add any payload to the top (up to 36 tons for 150km orbit).

Staging:

1.Turn on ASAS!

2. Start the rocket.

3. First staging occures when both lowest LV-Ts AND boosters empty!

4. Separate second stage when empty. (at this point rocket may start to spin around its axis - this is ok)

5. After separation of the third stage turn off ASAS and turn on RCS to correct spin and start gravity turn.

6. Separate Fourth stage and circularize desired orbit. when outside of athmosphere deploy solar panels (this stage works as utility module as well)

7. Separate payload when needed

Warning - parts heavy rocket 221 parts without payload.

Hope you like it and comments would be nice

Edited July 12, 2013 by Krasimir

[Princepapa]

I like the design, and I've considered designing a vertical asparagus system in the past, but those engines are terribly inefficient!

[Krasimir]

Im finding good results with larger rockets with radial atached LV-Ts.

This:

performs better than standart 5 orange tank asparagus.... considerably better... i think this deserves investigating because the fact that standart asparagus peels off 2 or more tanks, and this vertical staging 1 at a time.

[Death Engineering]

I've been wondering how to use fuel line between vertical stacks like this.. brilliant idea!

[Danger Will Kerbinson!]

I've been wondering how to use fuel line between vertical stacks like this.. brilliant idea!

Seriously.

Seems quite a simple idea and yet Ive overlooked it every time. Those are the bz52 radial attachment points right?

[Krasimir]

Those are the bz52 radial attachment points right?

i used small octagonal strut and oscar-b fuel tank on it to connect the fuel lines to it im glad you found something usefull in the design

here is my work version if interested: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/88787410/Jumbo%20Testbed.craft

So after extensive testing with this staging and comparing it to standart asparagus (same fuel, engines, weight a bit less to traditional) i found that that vertical stacking is slightly better even when bit more heavy (marginaly), and have in mind that frontal air friction is not modelled (less frontal area on vertical stacking).

So yeah worth a try

[Krasimir]

oh forgot, if you get message that something is damaged from engine - tilt it slightly outwards

[Nabiscovinco]

I've never thought about this design! I might just have to try it! Has anyone tried lifting something substantial with it, like a space station core?

[Krasimir]

you can allways add one more stage below or even go traditional asparagus on the lowest stage, add boosters, you can also mix LV-T30 and LV-T45 or other engines for more power while maintaining control, also you can play with numbers of radial engines on stages (thats something im going to test like more engines on lower stages, less on upper) I started experimenting today so i dont have any finished models yet. But the big one needs just a bit more to deliver full orange tank to orbit (try with boosters on lowest stage

[NoMrBond]

If you want a really nice way of radially mounting your engines on the side of the tanks, there are some nice looking radial nacelles by ZZZ

[DerekL1963]

i used small octagonal strut and oscar-b fuel tank on it to connect the fuel lines to it

You don't need those - just run the fuel line to the decoupler.

[Krasimir]

Post edited! Finaly sucsess in building and finalizing the rocket capable of delivering 36 tons to 150km Kerbin orbit. Check first post for info and download

[Death Engineering]

Curious to see how it flies when I get time later.

It's not really asparagus anymore.. more like salami. ;o)

[Oggula]

I personally use vertical asparagus like this for the 3 Nuclear-thermal interplanetary stages of my long-range ship. The idea is that traditional asparagus gets it up in orbit, then the vertical asparagus maintains structural integrity and efficiency for up to 4 orange tanks. In my opinion the design is much better suited to Nuclear Thermal engines and exo-atmospheric flight in general as then the TWR of the engines doesn't matter, so you don't need to radially mount as many.

[Captain Sierra]

This is something like an old craft I did back in the demo. The idea was a rocket that didn't carry the weight of non-firing engines with it. The resulting monstrosity was this: