Sabre, career mode low tech SSTO (Tier 5)

[Rune]

So, I might as well put this up, since it's as perfected as it's going to be, and it's a nice file to have if you are in career mode and don't have yet access to the higher tiers but want to start fooling around with SSTO's. It's limited to tier 5 (the first time you get airbreather parts), so no docking ports, but it has RCS to approach other ships (so it can do crew transfer at LKO). Add a docking port as soon as you get them below the materials bay to refuel it for flights beyond LKO. Oh, and full science compliment for that tier, of course

It's quite heavy for a single jet with all that rocket fuel, so it'll take forever to climb to 10k (where the jet engine starts to become crap and you have to light the rocket engine and start behaving like a rocket), but you could always speed things up by doing some short bursts with the rocket (you waste fuel, though, and carry more excess jet fuel to orbit).

However, the glide characteristics when empty, or the flying characteristics at all times, are awesome. And the fuel load allows you to buzz the tower a few times before going to orbit, so be sure to check it out, and don't worry too much about reentry precision. Well, perhaps a little because those jets won't allow you to correct trajectory when you are going real fast and a little fuel goes a long way. But you have the endurance to cross oceans, albeit slowly.

Yup, that's what I do when I'm overshooting KSC: an inverted loop at reentry speeds and low altitudes. With full control of the craft even without cabin torque. And the plus side of having a SSTO that transitions to rocket power at 10kms and ~150m/s: if you refuel it on LKO, you have a craft with stupendous T/W and delta-v (on the order of 3km/s I believe, no kerbal engineer yet). That flight ended smoothly without engine use during the glide to the runway:

IMGUR ALBUM:

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DOWNLOAD:

http://www./download/p0wveqfgfp4lgly/SSTO+MkII+Sabre.craft

Rune. Plus, it looks very stylish and classical.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Rune

[GusTurbo]

Basic jet powered SSTOs are really impressive. This is awesome.

[Rune]

Basic jet powered SSTOs are really impressive. This is awesome.

Thanks! They may not be the most efficient way to do the job, but they sure are an interesting one to build. And they do teach you stuff, like the importance of T/W on rockets, or what an awesome SSTO engine the LVT-30 is. Glad you like it!

Rune. Unlikely that it sees much use after I research the turbojet, but still, fun.