Any flat spots on Laythe the length of a runway & other SSTO questions?

[Rocket Farmer]

Hi

My stock SSTO program is finally at the stage where I should be able to make a return flight to Laythe with landing without refueling. The one fly in my ointment right now is if there is a flat spot on Laythe big enough to land a standard 60 tonne SSTO plane? I'm not asking for a landing strip but something about the length of Kerbal's landing strip without too many humps.

Are those spots common on Laythe? Anybody with any other advice on landing on Laythe and take off to orbit?

Other questions

1. How much less thrust then on Kerbal did you need (I run 6 jets on Kerbal, I'm hoping 4 will be more than sufficient to rise to altitude in laythe)

2. How high can you get in the Laythe atmosphere before running out of air for your jets? I didn't stack air intakes (just on the fronts of jets/rockets) so on Kerbal I can go to about 24K at good speed.

3. How fast do you guys get going before you hit the rockets in the ascent stage on Laythe? I aim for 1300 m/s on kerbal before I punch the rockets.

4. How was lift / air thickness at surface level on Laythe? On Kerbal I usually use a straight glider unpowered landing but I noticed on an attempt on Duna I really couldn't slow down to landing speed in the thin atmosphere. That's another ball of wax for later but I think I might try a drogue shoot there.

[CosmicScientist]

This thread might help you, a little way down will have a screenie of a possible landing spot: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/44795-Landing-spaceplane-on-Laythe?highlight=laythe+equator

I personally don't know what you need on Laythe, I haven't gotten there yet with any Kerbals so I don't know what strength jet number you need compared to on Kerbin, just try it out, if you don't want to risk it, you might as well cut down only when you're comfortable with design.

And yes I'd recommend a drogue on Laythe, I don't recall its atmospheric thickness but you might as well take a weak parachute for precautionary measures.

[MockKnizzle]

Aim for a beach. Oftentimes there's decently flat areas right next to the water.

[bsalis]

Ah, I think that is my post you are referring to CosmicScientist!

Here is the map view pic again...

As I said, both east and west coast have good flat areas near the equator. More specifically, they are...

West Coast. The peninsular here, is quite flat. At around 0 39' N 192 52' E

East Coast. Large plain here, not as flat but larger area. At around 0 07' N 197 48' E

[astropapi1]

Kerbal: The little green guys.

Kerbin: Their planet.

Kerbol: The sun.

You'll get used to those names.

[RoboRay]

I do happen to have some aerial and ground-level imagery of that island, especially the western peninsula area mentioned, in my Airship+Rover exploration system mission to Laythe...

Javascript is disabled. View full album

The airship module provides long-range transportation and serves as a base of operations while landed, with the rover allowing easier access to explore local areas around the landing zones. Both are electrically powered, for long-duration missions.

[Westi29]

Aren't the ice caps flat as well?

[bsalis]

Aren't the ice caps flat as well?

Yes - perfectly flat (well, apart from the curvature of the moon).

However inclination changes can be expensive dV wise. Or perhaps you could fly the distance north/south as needed.

[Yasmy]

I say just don't worry about it. I flew an unplanned circumnavigation of Laythe and had no problem landing at every island cluster without scouting ahead of time. The beaches present many opportunities for smooth landings.

[linkxsc]

Hahahaha airships on laythe. Maybe someday theyll implement wind.

On topic though. If landing is that much of an issue. Parachute landings on laythe work well-great. Can be kinda bad if you land in an odd spot though and cant take off (but i always use b9 landing gear. Can drive around and turn properly)

[Westi29]

Hahahaha airships on laythe. Maybe someday theyll implement wind.

On topic though. If landing is that much of an issue. Parachute landings on laythe work well-great. Can be kinda bad if you land in an odd spot though and cant take off (but i always use b9 landing gear. Can drive around and turn properly)

I'm trying to constantly launch and land the KSO on Laythe and well, I've had to relocate the base north to the pole because launch towers load underground even at 1 degrees slopes (FASA ones with the elevators) and the runways clip into the ground and explode lol.

[breakthrough]

had a lot of success making a seaplane, and the water will always be flat.