Leviathan Heavy Lifter

[700NitroXpress]

This is a subassembly unit for you guys. I developed it to lift heavy payloads into orbit. It uses slack tank asparagus staging and has an increasing TWR because of this. To fly it, make sure to watch the fuel gauges of the orange tanks by right clicking on them. Wait for the gauge to hit 0.0 and then eject and click on the next tank in line. Once all of the orange tanks are depleted, start your gravity turn and throttle down to 3/4 or less depending on the weight on your payload. Now you can watch the engine fuel gauge as you normally would and hit each stage as the engines flame out. If you experience structural failure at the decoupler, reinforce the coupler to the tanks and also be sure to attach struts to your payload as well. Only attach struts from the payload to the tops of the nose cones and not the orange tanks.

This lifter has been tested up to 200 tons of payload. At 250 tons I was having trouble, so that's your benchmark. The craft in the picture below is 144.55 tons and the Leviathan gets it into orbit with no problem and with fuel to spare. This is a one size fits all design for a single attachment point. I'm working on making a multi-point version.

You can download it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-vTRL2n8wvzQkEtUTBCNHpIMW8/edit?usp=sharing

Be sure to put it in subassemblies.

[Febin]

Looks good, could you post the part count?

[700NitroXpress]

Part count of the lifter is 375. The current one in the picture is an older version, the new version has more docking clamps for better stability when loading in super heavy payloads.

Edited November 10, 2013 by 700NitroXpress

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

When I open it it doesn't have any engines, what could be the problem?

[700NitroXpress]

When I open it it doesn't have any engines, what could be the problem?

Post a picture please so I can see what you're seeing.

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Tried both as a sub-assembly and as a standard craft.

Other than that, the thing works perfectly.

[700NitroXpress]

It looks right to me. The decouplers on the bottom are hiding the engines. This method allows for better stability on the launch pad when you put a heavy craft on top of it. On the bottom of those decouplers is a metal plate that attaches to the launch clamps. When you go to launch a craft with it. The decouplers will detach and the lifter will slide out of the fairings. Everything looks the way it should here, there's the right part count and everything so you should be good. When you first launch, you want to hit the space bar again after the launch because there will be an empty sage in between the next stage. After that, watch the fuel of the orange tanks by right clicking on them. When the meter hits 0, hit the space bar for the next set and right click to watch the fuel again. You only have to do this for the orange tanks. I usually don't start a gravity turn with it until the all of the orange tanks have depleted.

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

That's why those plates where there?! hahaha I thought something was strange with those plates.

Nice work, man.

[700NitroXpress]

That's why those plates where there?! hahaha I thought something was strange with those plates.

Nice work, man.

Yeah, they help support the craft and prevent structural failures when it loads in the physics on the launch pad. This also helps you put more launch clamps on the inside to support the payload because the other ones aren't in the way. It's a useful technique for launching any craft.

[700NitroXpress]

Here's a video showcase of the lifter and how to fly it.

[Rockyfelle185]

Good video, even though half the video was showing pretty much nothing

[700NitroXpress]

Good video, even though half the video was showing pretty much nothing

Well, it was going over the process of how to make it, then you get the launch.

[lantay77]

Thanks for posting this, I was having trouble making a lifter to get 206tons into orbit, mainly because it is tall and parts kept exploding on the launchpad. I love the stablizers you have under the engines. And also I don't have that much time to devote to design atm due to school assignments, just wanted to get my payload of a Kethane lander with interplanetary stage to duna and kethane/ore scanner probe (the ore is for extraplanetary launchpads mod) to Duna. Your launcher got it into orbit! I had to modify it some by adding some extra liquid fuel tanks on top of the orange tanks though, and bunch of solid rocket boosters to get above 4500 delta V to get in orbit though.

My payload in orbit with 622 Delta V to spare on the Leviathan stage =) Thanks again!

The modified lifter taking off:

[700NitroXpress]

Thanks for posting this, I was having trouble making a lifter to get 206tons into orbit, mainly because it is tall and parts kept exploding on the launchpad. I love the stablizers you have under the engines. And also I don't have that much time to devote to design atm due to school assignments, just wanted to get my payload of a Kethane lander with interplanetary stage to duna and kethane/ore scanner probe (the ore is for extraplanetary launchpads mod) to Duna. Your launcher got it into orbit! I had to modify it some by adding some extra liquid fuel tanks on top of the orange tanks though, and bunch of solid rocket boosters to get above 4500 delta V to get in orbit though.

My payload in orbit with 622 Delta V to spare on the Leviathan stage =) Thanks again!

Cool, glad it helped, I have a new version that can lift even heavier payloads and has a different center stage for more power.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-vTRL2n8wvzaVVOWHJlN3MxQms/edit?usp=sharing

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

I was wondering what launch profile to use.

I've been trying to put this 196 ton craft in an 80 Km orbit. I tried several altitudes for the gravity turn, different turning aggressiveness, etc. but I always come short on fuel...

[700NitroXpress]

I was wondering what launch profile to use.

I've been trying to put this 196 ton craft in an 80 Km orbit. I tried several altitudes for the gravity turn, different turning aggressiveness, etc. but I always come short on fuel...

I go straight up from the launch pad until the orange tanks are done, then angle 45 degrees and throttle down the engines to 3/4 power. Once the AP is at 70km I put it at 100 degrees and continue burning until the AP is where I want it. Then wait until I have 1 minute from the AP, then burn at full throttle until orbit is achieved.

If you're having trouble with the current lifer, try using the new one with more power.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-vTRL2n8wvzaVVOWHJlN3MxQms/edit?usp=sharing