Loop-the-loop landing challenge.

[Tw1]

Can your shuttle or SSTO do a loop-the-loop before landing from orbit?

The son of the emperor of a small country near KSC has a small request. He wants to see space planes to a few loops before they land.

Pretty reasonable don't you think?

This is how it will work. Your plane can be an SSTO, or some sort of space shuttle, but it must be able to make orbit. It also needs to perform at least one loop before landing safely at either KSC, KSC2, Airstrip island, or another location you have installed, like Kerbin City.

An entry needs the following: (pictures, or the one video.)

-Proof your space plane got to orbit.

-something showing that you landed it from that orbit.

-The loop/s that you performed, as video or a gif, ideally.

-Evidence the plane safely landed.

There will be three rankings you can achieve.

Gold Class:

The space plane performed the loops without needing any engine assistance. Hard.

Sliver Class:

The space plane performed the loops with a small amount of assistance from the engines.

Bronze Class:

The space plane needed a heap of thrust in order to do a loop the loop. Easy mode.

Scores on the leaderboard will be a combination of these classes, and the number of loops you perform.

Higher class loops outrank multiple lower class loops.

Flips don't count. It must be a proper loop, like in the diagram above. This is the most important part.

Mods are fine, but no debug cheats.

Now, lets see some loop-the-loops!

Leaderboard.

-TW1: Bronze, 1 loop.

Edited September 17, 2013 by Tw1

[Tw1]

Here's mine, to start us of.

It's a shuttle type.

Here we are in orbit-

Coming down!

And.. Loop the loop!

And landed safe.

This is a 1B entry.

Bronze class, I used 60% thrust of that main engine to pull the loop of, and only did the one, as you see.

Not at all a high score, so lets see what you can do!

Edited September 16, 2013 by Tw1

[Captain Sierra]

which scores higher? a B2 or an S1?

[Zeroignite]

I assume that the craft has to remain roughly prograde during the loop, so you can't just reaction-wheel spam a craft capable on spinning on-axis?

[Tw1]

which scores higher? a B2 or an S1?

Higher class will out rank a higher number of loops. S1 is harder than B2, as doing more bronze class loops mainly means carrying more fuel, but an S1 loop takes a more capable plane and skillful pilot.

But that's a good thing to raise, I'll add it to the OP.

I assume that the craft has to remain roughly prograde during the loop, so you can't just reaction-wheel spam a craft capable on spinning on-axis?

Yep. It must be a loop, not just a flip or tumble. Putting that in the OP.

It'd be good to see the navball to check, but as loops will look cooler with the displays down, I'm not going to worry about that.

Edited September 17, 2013 by Tw1

[Dispatcher]

I suppose that loop the loops after take off, before orbit, don't count? :-0

[skykooler]

What about infinigliders? I have an orbit-capable biplane that I can loop forever.

[Tw1]

I suppose that loop the loops after take off, before orbit, don't count? :-0

Yep. This is about landing.

What about infinigliders? I have an orbit-capable biplane that I can loop forever.

I forgot infinigliders!

I like infinigliders, so go for it, but I'll put infinigliders in another category.