What's your "workhorse"?

[Daiya]

Do you have a workhorse? I've found it useful to have a general purpose craft that has a consistent level of performance I'm familiar with.

Mine is the Daiya CSM, a <del>ripoff</del> homage to the venerable Apollo.

Everything's stock except for the Engineer unit. It has 2281 m/s of delta-v and 300 units of monopropellant, more than enough for extended jaunts through the Kerbin system. I like to have mission equipment and crew rendezvous at their target so I can send a lander to Mun and Minmus each and one Daiya can operate both.

[TheCanadianVendingMachine]

I don't have a picture, but it's my Delta-VI. Can lift a 20ton payload to Eeloo

[boomerdog2000]

My general Heavy Lifter. I use it for virtually all 2.5m payloads and it can deliver them to virtually anywhere in the Kerbin system.

[Killerdude8]

My generic Asparagus Heavy Lifter, Use it on all missions, Usually for lighter Payloads, I'm left with my final Radial Stage still half full with fuel.

No pics, But you probably know what it looks like.

[spyker92]

Call it the "Sasha" comes in about a dozen variants so far (shown: 2), used as station cores, science modules, planetary landers/hoppers, local system rescue ships, and so on. Backbone of my operations once I've established operations in any SOI.

[Starwhip]

Still working on an original design, but one inspired by the wiki was the Koton Launcher, and could lift 10-13 tons of payload into Kerbin orbit.

[Don Quixote]

I currently have three "workhorse" boosters which can carry nearly all of my payloads into orbit. They're basically just variations of the largest booster with one or two stages removed. All are designed to deliver their payload into a 400-600km Orbit.

Booster "King": Payload 25 tons.

Booster "Tsar": Payload 50 tons.

Booster "Emperor": Payload 130 tons.

I'm sure Freud would have loved these designs.

Back in 0.21 I also had an even larger version of the "Emperor" with an added asparagus first stage. Weighed 2600 tons and could deliver some 250 tons into orbit. But so far I have not found any use for such a monster...

[fatfluffycat]

[Kinglet]

The Flaming Goldcrest.

The whole rocket:

Second stage:

[Don Quixote]

[snip]

That's what I'm talking about

How many stages does your version have? Can't tell if that's one huge first stage or flush first & second stage as in the actual Saturn V...

[fatfluffycat]

That's what I'm talking about

How many stages does your version have? Can't tell if that's one huge first stage or flush first & second stage as in the actual Saturn V...

Its a mod, Just like the real thing.

[Giggleplex777]

The Munshine Family:

And Munshine X's derivatives:

[DisarmingBaton5]

The Munshine Family:

~snip~

What he said.

[boxman]

I havent really built a new heavy lifter yet, but here is some old screenshot of my first heavy lifter i used for colony base modules and space station:

[CalculusWarrior]

My favourite launch vehicle is my Moho II, it's light, simple, and can carry a payload of about 20 tonnes to LKO, which is plenty enough for the trips I make (and for my computer to handle). My favourite crew vehicle is the Orion capsule; I downloaded a mod which gives a very stock-like Service Module which resembles the upcoming Orion MPCV (here's the mod). A gallery of a sample trip to the Mun is below:

<iframe class="imgur-album" width="100%" height="550" frameborder="0" src="http://imgur.com/a/xzSrL/embed"></iframe>

Edited November 4, 2013 by CalculusWarrior

[Merinsan]

I have my own "Heavy Lifter" which I use for everything (including light loads). 6 mainsails, 1 skipper.

It gets most of my payloads into orbit with plenty of left of fuel in the final launch stage. I then can use that final stage to initiate transfer burns, leaving it in a highly elliptical orbit. The final stage then deorbits using RCS.

I used to have a tug that flew around everywhere also, was my favorite ship. Medium and large docking ports. I dare say something like it will be made in my latest save at some point.

[wolfedg]

The term "Workhorse" is somewhat subjective so I'll introduce different crafts for different purposes.

For LKO and light Munar missions, the Quest 5M or (VM) is the ticket. (If I had to choose one It would be this one.)

For Interplanetary missions, the Pluto I is used (A Pluto VM variant is available for Apollo style missions)

Pluto IR (Rover Variant)

Pluto VM

For Long-distance atmospheric Kerbin flights there is the Kesna V which only very recently (somewhat replaced) the X-7R with its detachable rover that also allows refueling at specially designed fuel tanks via docking ports.

Kesna V

X-7R

[magnemoe]

My modular science lander.

Here on Gilly, works on any low gravity world but require an drop tank for Vall or Moho. The pod on the top is designed for returning the second crew member to Kerbin, however I docked it to the lander to get an two man lander.

The science module is docked to the lander and can be replaced. This let you return more science by using multiple modules or simply have one for atmospheric use and one for vacuum nice for doing Duna / Ike or Vall, Bop and Pol. I can dock an spare fuel tank on top or bottom, as the engines draw from center first

[Whackjob]

[AlamoVampire]

well, when I was doing the career mode, I used this badboy as my science work horse. based off the stock lander can, but 100% unmanned. All it could not do was: EVA reports and take soil samples. Crew reports and all science module work was possible with this thing.

A true, Multi-purpose, Multi-Environmental Science Laboratory Jebediah was soo proud!

Loadout: more batteries than it needed. 6 1x6 solar panels, 4 goo cans, 6 each thermometer, gravioli, atmospheric box, seismic sensor, 1 materials bay, and that new avionics module that used to be useless in .21 and back. only problem with it was the lack of a descent stage, so it had to land on the cruise stage and literally leap of faith it the last few meters to the ground in no atmosphere. in atmosphere, it has several novapunch pack chutes under the avionics package.

Edited November 4, 2013 by AlamoVampire

[annallia]

I have a general use lifter that I use for almost anything (anything over 150t needs a new one though). However the true workhorse in my KSP is my orbital tugs. They are basically a flying fuel tank with a nerva engine but they do everything from station assembly to being the interplanetary stage for rovers to rescuing stranded kerbals.

[CrazedGunman502]

A 704t (I think?) Single launch eve and return rocket with about 22k Delta-VEEEEEEEEEEE

[Kasuha]

My workhorses are my lifter (shown at generation 8 with a jumbo tank payload) and my modular interplanetary ship (shown with 3 jumbo tanks, remote control unit and combined interplanetary engine/lander unit).

[Pipcard]

Symphony rocket SSTOs (5000 and 10000 kg into low Kerbin orbit)

Returns to launchpad with MechJeb

[Scotius]

70 tons to LKO I have medium version too, using Skippers and slightly less fuel - 40 tons of payload to LKO.