What's your most useful craft?

[Agent86]

Most of the ships we make in KSP certainly do stuff, but usually to their own end. Lander lands, end of mission. IP ship reaches it's destination, job done. But some of them have functions that actively assist other ships, and don't have any set mission, just be there when you need them. So what's the most useful ship in your fleet?

I have this problem where I focus both of my braincells on one problem, and forget about another problem entirely. This is usually in the form of launching a solar powered ship, and time-warping before I remember to extend the panels, resulting in a sleek, well engineered orbiting ship with zero power. Happens all the time. Or worse, I send up a ship with no power generating capability at all. But rather than revert my missions, I've built and launched a few Orbital Recovery probes. They are just a big ball of RCS, RTG's and docking ports, that either reside on one of my space stations, or just floating about in their own orbit. When I find I've left a ship dead in space, I send one of these probes over to it, latch on, give it a bit of power and some RCS if needed, and send it on it's way. I find them to be super useful, and use them more than any other utility craft.

I made two models, a regular sized docking port one, and a large docking port one. I'm currently working on an IP transfer craft to send two of each to Jool with science packages aboard as well, to do a bit of recon, and also because I've managed to leave one ship so far dead in the water orbiting jool, after retracting the solar panels for aerobraking, and forgetting to re'extend them again.

[Whackjob]

My crafts are memorable in that none of them have a functional use.

[Gravaar]

My crafts are memorable in that none of them have a functional use.

Not true Whackjob............They test the fine line between Madness and pure Genius

A line that is getting thinner every time you post

Oh yeah and my most useful craft is my medium weight lifter with 8 nukes as Its final stage and remote guidance

I use it to move other space ships/Junk around then just deorbit it and let it BURN with it collected junk

Disclaimer: Almost no Kerbals were injured or killed in fireballs testing this design........Almost.....

Edited October 9, 2013 by Gravaar

[Kasuha]

My most useful craft is my lifter which gets everything up to Kerbin orbit. Because I construct my space stations and interplanetary ships there from parts delivered by this lifter.

And I'd also like to add:

[Whatshtisthis]

Well, since I mostly make atmospheric planes, I guess the most useful for me would be the WT-25, it is the craft that spawned more crafts based on it.

The default WT-25

WT-25 Arma, a transport craft that is expected to be able to fit a variety of roles after subassembly is in the game.

WT-25CR, craft now built for the Cocoon Concept.

And the latest, which is currently in development, the WT-25 Arma-GS

[Tw1]

I have this problem where I focus both of my braincells on one problem, and forget about another problem entirely.

Story of my life.....

maybe I'll sig this, my current one is ready to go

If it's usefulness in terms of versatility, I'll nominate Sh'tuule.

This is a shuttle type craft, with a theoretically reusable orbiter. I like to imagine it's the same craft each time.

It has the delta V to put satellites into Kerbostationary orbit, Tundra orbit, and possibly polar orbit (never tested), and return to KSC, if you fly well.

Also was used to install satellite networks around Mun and Minmus. It should be Mun landing capable (not yet tested), and has landed and returned from Minmus.

A more useful aspect of this craft, and its predecessors is collecting and returning crew. I have a version saved that has the cargo bay filled with external seats.

Station or Base crew rotations, picking up kerbals from craft without parachutes, dumping 19 kerbals in LKO...

All feasible tasks with this ship.

There is the argument satellites could be better launched with little rockets, rather than using the fuel it takes to put this thing up, but I like how cleanly it does it. Eventually, my space program will start making SSTOs.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Tw1

[PrivateFlip]

Like the design of the your orbital recovery probes. Do they have any regular engines hidden somewhere or is just rcs?

The Kadir - fuelsupply ship. Its main job shuttling fuel between the spacestation and planetary tugs in kerbin orbit. In practice it's also ends up doing the rescue missions not unlike the ones your recovery probes execute

[bsalis]

VTOL SSTO Spaceplane

...useful for me since I like Laythe so much. Also have a version with vertical lifting rockets as well.

[Spyritdragon]

Mine would be Mission Minmus. A repurposed lander, it does everything, once updated to .21. The newest concept is,powered by either two LV-N or five 909's, it sports twin docking rings, a large RCS tank, a large battery bank, remote control capability, easy docking at normals or seniors depending on version, 3 or 4 kerbals capacity, landing capability for the Mun and Minmus, and space for up to a full orange tank when fitted right. Possibility for implementation of extra panels and a science module at the cost of some fuel capacity.

In short, it is a multipurpose, easily maneuvrable craft for orbital supplying, moving Kerbals, tugging small space stuff, and preforming return trips to the moons of Kerbin, Eve, Duna and a few of Jools moons, while based around the parent planet. Slightly less suitable for interplanetary flight.

[Requiem762]

My most useful craft is a 7 mainsail lifter. It looks a little like HOCgaming's spacier launch system

[Tommygun]

This is just my own version of Apollo that I always use.

It's not fancy, but it does what I need it to reliably.

I use it for a crew taxi, orbital tug or a local communication relay with RemoteTech etc.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Tommygun

[M5000]

It's not fancy, but it does what I need it to reliably.

Ain't nothing wrong with that, loving the good 'ol SPS engine on there.

Personally, the craft I've used so many times over and over is my Betelgeuse-I Delta Heavy lifter. That link is to download it on spaceport, which is a slightly outdated version of what I'm currently developing, but its' parameters are the same.

I love the Betelgeuse series of rockets, they have slowly evolved from something that was just a wild idea back in .18.2, to a highly refined, highly versatile lifter that it is today. It has evolved from a Stock/KSPX/KW Rocketry to cutting out the KSPX parts to streamline development and market to more buyers (users). While the new Betelgeuse-III Gamma is being tested for eventual release, the Betelgeuse-I Delta will remain the last of the first in the Betelgeuse series, and serves as the front technology demonstrator for the entire family, all future Betelgeuse lifters will take design and application cues from the Version I Delta, and it still sees very active use in my space program, while the Version III is developed. (Version II will be a smaller, 2.5m core lifter, while III and all variants after that will be based on a 3.75m core platform.)

Picture of Betelgeuse-I Delta:

Look at some of the amazing features that Version I can accomplish:

-Maximum recommended payload capacity of 65 tons, 67 ton tested.

-Can deliver 65 ton payload without tapping into fuel supply of payload.

-Payload test orbit at 100Km, circular.

-Upper insertion stage usually retains significant amounts of fuel after final insertion burn if optimal flight path is followed.

-Upper insertion stage contains supply of RCS for use of orbital maneuvering of large payloads, or translation.

-Upper insertion stage contains four RCS thrusters for orbital maneuvering or translation, assuming payload is balanced with thrusters.

-Upper insertion stage contains small power supply, autonomous capabilities for self-deorbit, and SAS systems for flight path use.

Betelgeuse-I Delta is designed for:

-Station building

-Small single-shot unmanned interplanetary missions, usually usable as a transfer stage for most of transfer burn

-Delivery of very large payloads safely and reliably to orbit

-Looking good while doing just about anything

The stock payload that comes with the Betelgeuse-I Delta is a microstation, pictured below. The Orbital Transit Vehicles attached to it, however, are not. Please note that this micro fuel station/fuel depot is smaller than the maximum recommended payload size and is designed for demonstration purposes and proving only.

So yeah, this craft has been with me since I started playing in .18.2, and, while it wasn't my first craft, it's certainly my proudest, most reliable, and most trustworthy craft I have. It's been under constant development, and has evolved incredibly since its inception. It has truly set the pace for my entire space program, with the model that "If it can't be put up by Betelgeuse-I, it's too big and needs to be broken down." Obviously this is changing with the advent of new parts and technology, but it still sets the pace for my entire program. I have built five stations using nothing but this lifter.

[Hodo]

For me it isn't one craft, its really three...

SP-400, the heavy lift SSTO, 72 ton lift capacity without using any of the cargo fuel.

SVO-4, its a crew shuttle and in system rescue craft.... oh and a VTOL

And my SP-313 medium lift SSTO.

[Rage097]

My launch stage of most of my rockets, It has two varients: The Cronos-V, and the Cronos-VII. Asparagus staging with Mainsail boosters and the core with the Skipper engine. Cronos-V has enough delta-V to reach an orbit of at least 80km and at most 100-120km. The Cronos VII has enough Delta-V to get to Mun orbit and circularize it. This all depends on the amount of weight of course.

[Meltro]

My standard space tug (latest variant). Has interplanetary range, excellent maneuverability, and a skipper for high delta-v work. Also works as an excellent longboat for my large motherships.

[mellojoe]

Most used? Heavy lifter. Typical orange tank asparagus thingy.

Most beloved? My 2-stage to orbit space plane. Modeled after Virgin Galactic's white knight and space ship 2. Both halves can fly independent after seperation.

Most useful in space? Interplanetary ship thingy. Basically a hitchiker can + medium 3m tank + a pair of nuke engines. Can transport Kerbals all over the Kerbolar system. Can include drop tanks to increase the delta-V to transport medium sized parts as well.