Snapdragon Compact SSTO

[Apatheticjester]

I tried to make the smallest SSTO I could and still have a very full featured craft. Very maneuverable, lots of lift. No unsightly intakes. A perfect craft for landing on duna or laythe and returning to orbit.

Craft here: http://d.pr/f/rkLv

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited August 3, 2013 by Apatheticjester
Previous Craft had bad fuel routing.

[astropapi1]

Drop tanks also count as stages.

[Apatheticjester]

It will go up fine without it, I just like the look of it. The craft actually has too much fuel but I wanted it to have good range once refueled in orbit.

[KissSh0t]

Try a small design including a nuclear engine and without drop tanks : D

[NASI Director]

'Tis not an SSTO if it has multiple stages, m'lord.

[astropapi1]

Guys, he already said it can go up without dropping it.

[sopwerdna]

Considering the response to the drop tank, perhaps it would be a good idea to replace the decoupler with something that won't detach, simply to avoid criticism and have it be a "true SSTO."

EDIT: Another idea might be to add an extra non-drop-tank (if the engines could support it) to give it a bit more range.

Edited October 10, 2013 by sopwerdna
added another suggestion

[Captain Sierra]

Drop tanks also count as stages.

Matter of personal opinion. My SSTOs all have two stages. I stage my jets and rockets separately. Does that then make then not SSTOs? I have had to use JATO on some of mine too. In my book, I don't count those. Neither would I count drop tanks. Even with things like this, SSTOs are still hard to build so let's cut some slack.

[aeronaut]

Matter of personal opinion. My SSTOs all have two stages. I stage my jets and rockets separately. Does that then make then not SSTOs? I have had to use JATO on some of mine too. In my book, I don't count those. Neither would I count drop tanks. Even with things like this, SSTOs are still hard to build so let's cut some slack.

Wikipedia isn't necessarily the best source but... "A single-stage-to-orbit (or SSTO) vehicle reaches orbit from the surface of a body without jettisoning hardware, expending only propellants and fluids." Source

[Cydonian Monk]

Semantics aside, this is a cool little spaceplane.

[Neotician]

Matter of personal opinion. My SSTOs all have two stages. I stage my jets and rockets separately. Does that then make then not SSTOs? I have had to use JATO on some of mine too. In my book, I don't count those. Neither would I count drop tanks. Even with things like this, SSTOs are still hard to build so let's cut some slack.

SSTO's are defined by their ability to reach orbit in the same state as they took off, minus the fuel.

As in, no stuff goes off nor parts that can't be refueled