[stock and mod] The Great 0.20 Giveaway!

[Elmetian]

With 0.21 just around the corner I figured it's time to release all my working 0.20 craft in one megathread. RL has intervened on more than one occasion over the last 2 months (stupid business trips, women, working overtime etc) but I've finally returned to my happy place sitting in the lotus position outside the VAB on a pleasant summer's day. Sometimes I think I can actually smell the neatly-cut grass and liquid fuel fumes!

Some of these craft have been continually updated and tweaked since 0.18, and several have already been posted in the past but were lost in the forum catastrophe. I've also included a lot of new designs that I hope you'll enjoy. I've sorted them roughly into categories and listed and linked the mods for those that require them, but since those lovely spoiler tags are still missing you'll have to scroll down a fair bit.

Though my craft are designed for ease of use, some of them assume the pilot is experienced doing efficient gravity turns and airhogging. I've written down simplified flight instructions for the rockets and SSTOs, but I've learned how to fly these by trial and error and it's a bit difficult to put hours of tinkering into words, so expect the instructions to be tweaked in the future if I decide they're not accurate enough.

MEDIAFIRE DOWLOAD (all craft are bundled together in a zipped file)

Aircraft:

Drone UAV (Requires the Telescoping hull camera mod)

1 Toggles engines

2 Activates cameras

3 Switches between the cameras

4 Zooms in on the ventral spy camera

4 Zooms out on the ventral spy camera

This craft is designed to loiter over a target for SAR missions and observing launches. Its party-piece is being able to fly at low altitude at approximately 40m/s on only 6kN of thrust. Under these conditions fuel consumption is at 0.0038 units per second, giving it a theoretical flight time of about 10 hours and a range of 1500km, though I haven't had chance to test this because I get bored after the first 30mins...

Max altitude 7km

Max speed 330m/s

Cruising speed 240m/s

Cruising altitude 5km

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Swift Microplane

1 Toggles the engine

2 Toggles the ladder

This plane is tiny! The Swift needs a little bit of trim for best results (press alt and W or S) and I recommend leaving the SAS on most of the time. Due to the way the intake is clipped through the cockpit, it tends to 'eject' the pilot when you go on EVA. To get back in, press A and D when on the ladder and the Kerbal will get past the intake which otherwise blocks his progress a bit.

Cruising altitude 15km

Cruising speed 600m/s

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Kanard Light Fighter

1 Toggles engines

2 Toggles extra intakes for higher altitude flight

3 Toggles sepatron RATOs

4 Toggles ladder

Press 1 to start engines and 2 to close the extra intakes for take off. Pitches up at 100m/s. Press 2 when you get above 13km so that the engines don't flameout. The plane needs trimming a little at higher altitudes and speeds by pressing Alt and S.

Max altitude 17km

Cruising speed 600m/s

Approx range 700km

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Taktical Fighter

1 Toggles the engine

2 Toggles the extra intake for high altitude flight

3 Toggles the ladder

This one is a real

. I recommend flying with the SAS on most of the time, but it can pull a sustained 7g turn without it. Close the extra intakes for take off by pressing 2.

Take off speed 120m/s

Cruising altitude 22km

Cruising speed 1100m/s

Approx range 3500km

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Vanguard Long Range Bomber

1 Toggles the engines

2 Toggles the extra intakes for supersonic flight

3 Toggles the ladder

This plane requires some 'active' trimming during the flight as the CoM moves. I've set up the fuel lines to minimise this, but without a fuel balancing mod you will need to correct the trim every few minutes to ensure level flight. Otherwise it's very nice to fly. Good for sight-seeing or carpet bombing!

Take off speed 120m/s

Cruising altitude 22km

Cruising speed 1100m/s

Approx range 3500km

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Springbok VTOL

Remember that excellent stock SSTO VTOL that could even land on water? Well, I figure this VTOL I made back in 0.18 influenced Levelord's design quite heavily. I posted this in January and included a section describing how the Springbok could land and take off from water. Similar, no? His even used the same wing-mounted engine pods as mine

1 Toggles lift engines

2 Toggles turbojets

3 Toggles extra intake for fast flight

4 Toggles ladder

Press 1 and put throttle at 1/3. It will lift off at 64.5kN. Make sure ASAS and RCS are engaged for best results, but can be flown without if using a stick/pad. Some minor trimming is necessary as fuel is used during level flight.

Max altitude 25km

Cruising speed 1350m/s

Approx range 3300km

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Hypersonic Test Vehicle

1 Activates engines and toggles extra intakes

2 Toggles engines and all intakes

• Press 1 to start the engines and turn the SAS on. The plane naturally leaves the ground at 150m/s.

• Pull up gently and fly at about 25° pitch until you reach 10km. Level off and allow for a very gentle increase in altitude.

• Press 1 again at 12km to activate the extra intakes.

• Increase altitude, setting the nose at about 5° until you reach 35km. Gradually reduce the throttle whilst doing so.

You should begin reducing the throttle at 0.20 intake air, and aim for 1/2 throttle when it is at 0.10. Try and maintain an altitude of 33-35km and a throttle setting between the 2nd and 3rd notch as intake air increases and decreases. If the plane begins to yaw due to a thrust imbalance, reduce the throttle slightly.

Max altitude 37km

Max speed 2200m/s

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Hybrid SSTOs:

Sanzuwu SSTO

1 Activates turbojets and closes the extra intakes

2 Toggles extra intakes

3 Toggles all intakes and the turbojets

4 Toggles the rocket engine

5 Toggles solar panels

6 Toggles ion engine

7 Toggles the docking port

8 Toggles the ladder

The action groups are designed to be used sequentially during the ascent for easy use.

• Engage ASAS, throttle to max, press 1 to start turbojets and close extra intakes. Be gentle pulling up as it can flip at this point.

• Climb at a 45° angle until you reach 10km, then begin levelling off to about between 5° and 10°. Press 2 to open the extra intakes when intake air drops to 0.20.

• Ensure that you decrease the throttle so that at intake air is 0.15 you are at 3/4 throttle, at intake air = 0.10 you are at 1/2 throttle, and at intake air = 0.5 you are at 1/4 throttle.

• If you experience a high-altitude flameout, cut the engines by pressing 3, then turn ASAS off and on to reorient your aircraft before turning the engines on again with 3.

• To achieve orbit, increase surface speed to about 1900m/s and altitude above 35km. Press 3 to turn off the turbojets and intakes, then 4 to ignite the rocket. Pitch up to at least 20° and increase your apoapsis to 80km before cutting the engines. This will be reduced to 70km by drag losses.

• Burn prograde at apoapsis to circularise orbit.

• Before reentry, remember to move all the liquid fuel into the front tank. This will make it aerodynamically stable.

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Spacebus

1 Toggles turbojets

2 Releases launch clamps and toggles extra intakes

3 Toggles the rocket engine

4 Toggles all intakes and turbojets

5 Toggles the ladder

6 Deploys the parachutes

This is my go-to rocket for shuttling kerbals around. It can carry 6 to orbit, and the ladder is neatly placed to allow for boarding on the pad. I tend to fly this in the orbital or chase view like I would a plane.

• Press 1 and wait until the thrust from each turbojet reaches 100kN or more.

• Press 2 to release launch clamps and close the extra intakes.

• Fly vertically until you reach 10km, then begin a gravity turn. You're aiming to put the nose at 15° by the time you're at 20km.

• Press 2 to open the extra intakes when the intake air drops below 0.40. Full throttle until intake air drops below 0.30, 1/2 throttle at 0.15 and so on. If you flame out, reduce the throttle and allow the ship to reorient itself before throttling up again.

• Air hog to about 30km altitude and 1700m/s surface speed before pressing 3 to ignite the rocket.

• Press 4 to turn the turbojets off and close the intakes, and then pitch up to 55° to raise the apoapsis before burning at apogee.

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Traditional Rockets:

Orbital Refuelling Station

1 Toggles the gimbal on the outer engines

2 Toggles the orbital insertion engines

This station was inspired by Temstar's excellent Orbital Propellant Depot Olympus II. I wanted a similar mission profile, but I figured the Olympus had far too much monopropellent and not nearly enough rocket fuel. I also chose to drop the Clamp-O-Tron Juniors in favour of a Senior. I place these into 75km circular orbits and then align them North for easy docking.

• Press 1 toggle the gimbal and set throttle to max before launch.

• Advance asparagus stages as tanks empty.

• Begin gravity turn to 40° at 15km.

• After the final asparagus stage has been jettisoned, decrease pitch to 15° and burn whilst gradually reducing the pitch further.

You should be able to place this station into an 80km orbit and have full tanks (5040 liquid fuel and 6160 oxidiser), just remember to transfer fuel from the orbital insertion stage before de-orbitting it.

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Large Tanker

1 Toggles the gimbal on the outer engines

2 Toggles the orbital insertion engines

3 Toggles the shielded docking port

4 Deploys the parachutes

5 Toggles the ladder

I use this tanker for everything. Not only does it help refuel my ORSs and interplanetary ships while simultaneously allowing crew rotation, it can easily be reconfigured to launch other payloads by removing everything above the capsule.

• Press 1 toggle the gimbal and set throttle to max before launch.

• Advance asparagus stages as tanks empty.

• Begin gravity turn to 40° at 15km.

• After the final asparagus stage has been jettisoned, decrease pitch to 15° and burn whilst gradually reducing the pitch further.

It can reach 250km orbit without using any of the cargo fuel, just remember to transfer over fuel from the orbital insertion module before undocking. You should also transfer the fuel before docking with a target station to ensure that the RCS is balanced.

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Kethane Spherig (Requires Kethane, spherical tanks (stock appearance tanks and kethane tanks) and Aviation Lights)

1 Toggles the nuclear rockets

2 Toggles the solar panels

3 Toggles the detector

4 Toggles the drills

5 Toggles the ladder

6 Deploys the parachutes

10 toggles the gimbal on the asparagus outer staging

• Press 10 toggle the gimbal and set throttle to max before launch.

• Advance asparagus stages as tanks empty and throttle down two notches when the engines begin to overheat.

• Start a gradual gravity turn to 30° at 15km.

• After the final asparagus stage has been jettisoned, decrease pitch to 15°.

With an efficient ascent it can reach a 70km orbit without using any of the rig's fuel, but it has more than enough thrust to finish circularising the orbit if necessary. Refuel the rig in orbit using your tanker of choice and then head out to the Mun or Minmus. It is recommended that you send a small kethane mapsat into a highly inclined orbit around the target body before sending the rig. If you can, place the satellite into a polar orbit aligned with the day and night terminators because the kethane detectors drain batteries quickly.

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Edited July 22, 2013 by Narcosis