Mini-Asparagus

[Corona688]

A tiny two-stage craft with a very small (and unlucky) number of parts.

It can make it to orbit at 70,000m and back. You can make it even smaller but that'd actually mean MORE parts -- a half-tank plus quarter-tank on each side.

I've used this arrangement in Mun and Duna landers, they tend to manage SSTO by accident... I love the 48-7S engine. It delivers 30 thrust with excellent efficiency in-atmosphere while weighing a fifth as much as the lander engine -- a fifth! That's crazy.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Corona688

[TheAwer]

Fantastic ship and very impressive! I'm going to attempt to build something like that.

What about putting jets instead of the rockets on the outer wings? Would that work better? Then you could save fuel on the way up.

[barrenwaste]

With it as light as it is you could probably get away with putting just a single jet with the main rocket clipped in the middle of it.

[Corona688]

Your logic is sound, my friend.

Ten parts.

[RocketTurtle]

Get rid of the decoupler and clip the jet engine on to the rocket. Then you would have the smallest SSTO I've seen.

[Corona688]

I don't see how I can clip ONE engine onto the side without unbalancing it.

Besides which the extra weight would need a LOT of extra fuel. It'd get bigger.

On the third hand, it wouldn't be single-stage if it had two kinds of engines, it'd just be failing to throw the primary stage away.

You might like my mini ramjet though. So close to redline, it had to use RCS to deorbit...

[Corona688]

Ohhh, clip, as in, put straight inside it. maybe. Possibly. Weight would be a problem.

[Corona688]

The extra weight of the engine means it needs 50% extra fuel, and makes its gravity turn at 60 degrees instead of 45. I also added extra intakes so the ramjet works up to 17,000 or so. But it works.

[SRV Ron]

A mini asparagus based upon all 48-7S engines. It is a bit tippy to fly. It can do a Mun or Minmus orbit and return.

The mini fuel cans are from Nova Punch.

Edited November 13, 2013 by SRV Ron

[Corona688]

Sorry, non-stock craft in stock thread. Looks nice though.

I gave up on Novapunch when I accidentally nosedived in the ocean full-blast and everything except the pod survived. The still-firing engine played submarine a while. Not balanced, not fair, not even close.

Edited November 13, 2013 by Corona688