[Showcase] Crew carrying SSTO's.

[DreadZombie]

I thought I'd start this thread to get some inspiration for an SSTO I'm trying to make.

I haven't made an SSTO as an example but the closest I can think of is from one of Macey Dean's videos, the HDF - Marine Transport:

Basically, what I made this thread for is a ship that...

• Other than the pilots in the command module, carries crew in the command chairs inside some form of cargo hold
  
• Uses something like RCS to nullify the relative velocity, or is able to dock with a space station.
  
• Using either or all of these; the B9 Aerospace Mod, TV Aerospace and stock parts.
  
• Preferably a large or medium spaceplane.
  

[Bothersome]

How about the KT-130 Transport?

[Captain Sierra]

The Orion crew shuttle. Has 2 pilots and 6 victims to be delivered to orbit. Can reach and dock in LKO or can be refueled and go to the Mun easy.

[ThePsuedoMonkey]

A five-kerbal module for one of my payload lifting spaceplanes:

It detaches from the spaceplane and docks with the target via RCS, then returns to the plane and docks in order to return to Kerbin.

Edited August 4, 2013 by ThePsuedoMonkey

[Cinocal]

1 Pilot + 8 passengers to a station @100km orbit and back, or refuel at station for Mun trips.

[Captain Sierra]

That thing has the fuel to make it to orbit? That's amazing.

[Exothermos]

19 kerbals to any sub 200km orbit and back.

6 Kerbals to any sub 150km orbit.

Both fully stock.

Cinocal, thats one of the best looking b9 creations I've seen. Nice.

[Amphiprion]

Edited August 4, 2013 by Amphiprion

[agentweez]

craft files!? Please!

[DreadZombie]

The Orion crew shuttle. Has 2 pilots and 6 victims to be delivered to orbit. Can reach and dock in LKO or can be refueled and go to the Mun easy.

That's awesome. What instructions would you give on getting that to LKO?

[Captain Sierra]

Take it up to about 18km up (at a 45* climb angle), cruise and build speed. You want to be between 1100 and 1200 m/s before you commit to orbital insertion. When you are fast enough (you should be getting plasma heating effects, your engines will NOT overheat even though they get the heat bar), pull up into at least a 50-60* climb and keep an eye on your air. When you hear your jet engines spooling down (your intake air should be just over .10), hit 1 to disable air breathing engines and switch on the SABRE rocket mode. Soon as you break the stratosphere (enter the dark blue range on the atmosphere gauge), pitch down to 20-25* and keep going. Soon as your apoapsis hits 75km, cut throttle. Hit 2 to disable 2 of the 4 SABREs. They eat fuel and the outer ones are slightly below CoM causing it to pull up. Use just 2 to circularize. Then expand your orbit up by burning at periapsis to rendezvous with a station and offload and/or fill up. If you fill up, you can proceed to the Mun.

You want the craft file?

Some notes:

it is slow to turn, you can use RCS. IT has 480 units of monopropellant and I never need more than 100 even using the fuel eating mechjeb docking autopilot.

It will run off the runway. If you pull up immediately, it will not crash. It has the thrust to climb very steep.

Some earlier versions required KW rocketry. This final version does not.

[DreadZombie]

Take it up to about 18km up (at a 45* climb angle), cruise and build speed. You want to be between 1100 and 1200 m/s before you commit to orbital insertion. When you are fast enough (you should be getting plasma heating effects, your engines will NOT overheat even though they get the heat bar), pull up into at least a 50-60* climb and keep an eye on your air. When you hear your jet engines spooling down (your intake air should be just over .10), hit 1 to disable air breathing engines and switch on the SABRE rocket mode. Soon as you break the stratosphere (enter the dark blue range on the atmosphere gauge), pitch down to 20-25* and keep going. Soon as your apoapsis hits 75km, cut throttle. Hit 2 to disable 2 of the 4 SABREs. They eat fuel and the outer ones are slightly below CoM causing it to pull up. Use just 2 to circularize. Then expand your orbit up by burning at periapsis to rendezvous with a station and offload and/or fill up. If you fill up, you can proceed to the Mun.

You want the craft file?

Some notes:

it is slow to turn, you can use RCS. IT has 480 units of monopropellant and I never need more than 100 even using the fuel eating mechjeb docking autopilot.

It will run off the runway. If you pull up immediately, it will not crash. It has the thrust to climb very steep.

Some earlier versions required KW rocketry. This final version does not.

Thanks for that, I'd love the craft file. Does it have MechJeb on it, currently?

[Captain Sierra]

Negative on the MechJeb. I do use MJ but this only requires B9. Craft file will be in this thread within about 12 hours. The full showcase may be up on the forums later today or tomorrow as well.

[DreadZombie]

Ok, thanks again. Could you link me to the full showcase when it's up, please?

[huggy]

Here's my attempt at a cargo/passenger SSTO. It carries up to 7 kerbals and can haul a Rockomax Jumbo-64 fuel tank into orbit. It looks crazy but, it's designed to make connecting modules to stations simple. Also flies well with or without cargo.

Edited August 4, 2013 by huggy

[Rune]

Something "a bit" smaller. The Gladius passenger version, with seats for seven kerbals:

Rune. One of my all time best-sellers, BTW.

[Cinocal]

That thing has the fuel to make it to orbit? That's amazing.

Yea, and it does it without excessive air hogging. It usually has an avg of 650dv left after a achieving a circular 100km orbit.

[antbin]

Basically, what I made this thread for is a ship that... carries crew in ... some form of cargo hold ... is able to dock with a space station ... preferably large ...

Some good examples in this thread. Here's another, a modular heavy lifter that can fit 8 Hitchiker modules in the cargo bay.

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[Captain Sierra]

Yea, and it does it without excessive air hogging. It usually has an avg of 650dv left after a achieving a circular 100km orbit.

Any SSTO that doesn't air hog to the max is good IMO. I did a little air hogging on the Orion but not too much. I could probably cut that down a good bit and make it less hoggy.