Stock SSTO "Lifter"

[KerikBalm]

I've been struggling to design a certain craft, so I'd like to see what others can come up with... only stock parts, of course....

What I've been trying to make is really two craft:

1) A SSTO space plane that can carry a

2) pure space craft using a nuclear engine and supplementary ion drives

I want (1) and (2) to be joined by docking/clamp-o-trons

Basically, I'm looking for a space launch system enabling 100% re-use/recovery, but one that doesn't require wings and jets to be attached to everything I launch into space.

I tried having my spacecraft on the front, docked to the space plane behind, but it was unstable.

I even capitualted and gave it some wings and wheels for support, but no jet engines), and used a decoupler to attach it... still couldn't even get it off the runway.

I tried a lifter design like "White Knight" (The carrier for Rutan's Spaceship 1), can't get that off the ground either... for added stability, I had a fore and aft docking port, so it was attached by 2 docking ports.

So, for a more formal set of rules:

1) Nothing may be discarded or lost, no strut/fuel line connections may be broken. After reaching orbit and undocking the spacecraft, it must be possible to redock and have the set be the same way it was as on takeoff (minus some fuel, of course)

2) The craft to be lifted into orbit must have: a capsule big enough for 1 Kerbonaut (such as a mk1 pod, but a mk1-2 pod is also acceptable), anything may be used on the lifter, including probe cores

3) The craft to be lifted into orbit must also have at least 1 nuclear engine, at least 1 FLt-8000 fuel tank, at least 1 reaction wheel, 2 ion engines and the equivalent of 2 radial xenon tanks worth of xenon propellant, and enough power generation/storage to run the ion engines at full throttle for 5 minutes

4) The craft to be lifted must get to orbit with a full fuel load, and no wings.control surfaces/jet engines.

5) The winner is the one with the simplest (fewest part #) lifter craft, only stock parts

Edited November 19, 2013 by Johnno
Removed crudeness

[Pds314]

Tips:

Build your vehicle with an intake/engine ratio of at least 4 or 5.

More wing area is good. In vanilla, use the wings with the highest lift/mass ratio and use a lot of them. Yes, this will create drag, but it will be necessary for take-off and landing.

Get as high and as fast as possible before using any non-jet propulsion. Even if you have to throttle down to basically zero, don't lose speed and air.

Put as much jet-fuel as you need and no more in the craft. If you have extra fuel, bleed it off before trying to burn for orbit.

Don't send the thing to a 500 km apoapsis, 80 km should be plenty.

Get away from the lower atmosphere ASAP.

Once you start making your burn to orbit, pitch up slightly. The lower you are, the more you should pitch. Don't pitch noticeably if you are above 35 km.

Put your spacecraft piggy-backed or in the middle trying to land a plane shaped completely differently from how it took off is too difficult.

Since you will likely be dealing with flame-outs, don't put your jet engines on the wings, put them exactly behind center of mass.

[Nao]

I know you want to build a plane, but just a friendly reminder that probably easiest way to fulfill your challenge is by using 2 mainsails and 7 orange tanks. (complete with struts, docking ports and parachutes for landing it took me 30parts to quickly make and that kind of launcher).

[Hodo]

Not really a challenge, more of a ship request. I may have to suggest you check out this post or some of Cruzans work.

Cool craft - the detachable aero section reminds me a bit of the Changeling.

I'll be interested to see how you develop the concept further.

[vincespeedmk2]

This sounds pretty challenging. I will have a go as soon as I finish my current challenge.

[KerikBalm]

Put your spacecraft piggy-backed or in the middle trying to land a plane shaped completely differently from how it took off is too difficult.

Piggy backed, with only docking ports holding it, was far too unstable in my designs. So I tried slinging it underneath from a raised midwing, with most of the mass (engines, fuel, etc) on the sides - but this turned out to be rather flimsy, and I couldn't get it off the ground, or get SAS to keep it in a climb if I managed to get it off the ground (I hear SAS got better post version 0.19 ?)

I may have to suggest you check out this post or some of Cruzans work.

Impressive to be sure, but very complex, I'm looking for simple designs, preferably ones that don't exploit the game's partially developed physics model (ie excessive air hogging), or use clipping - but not so much that I'd call it a "rule" for what I want.

just a friendly reminder that probably easiest way to fulfill your challenge is by using 2 mainsails and 7 orange tanks. (complete with struts, docking ports and parachutes for landing

Hrmmm.... My ultimate goal is to use one of these designs as inspiration for a design with non-stock parts.

I would like to place one of these "lifters" in orbit around every planet with an atmosphere, as a re-usable descent and ascent stage (fueling will be difficult, but thats where non-stock parts come in :-) ) for nuclear/ion powered pure spacecraft

I want to make every launch vehicle reusable (not just recoverable on Kerbin) - that mainsail launcher couldn't really be re used unless it somehow lands tail sitting, ready to launch again after being refueled.

[capi3101]

Would you take a parts list as a submission?

PAYWAD:

Mk1 Lander Can x1

Clamp-o-Tron Sr. x1

Z-1K Rechargable Battery Bank x1

Gigantor XL Solar Array x2

FL-T800 Tank x1

LV-N Atomic Rocket Motor x1

Inline Reaction Wheel x1

PB-ION Electric Propulsion System x1

PB-X50R Xenon Container x2

Such a craft would have 4,484.208 m/s of delta-V from its NERVA and its ions would provide 360.238 m/s of delta-V, for 4,844.446 m/s total. Eleven parts with a mass of 9.19 tonnes.

Now for the booster:

BOOSTER:

RC-L01 Remote Guidance Unit x1

OX-STAT Photovoltaic Panels x8

Clamp-o-Tron Sr. x1

Z-4K Rechargable Battery Bank x1

Mk2-R Radial mount parachute x16

LT-2 Landing Strut x8

RV-105 RCS x12

Rockomax "Mainsail" Liquid Engine x3

Rockomax Jumbo 64 Fuel Tank x9

That's 59 parts plus 32 struts for 91 parts, plus 11 for the payload is 102 parts total. Booster TWR is 1.288 and it has 4,549.405 m/s of delta-V.

This isn't a space plane, obviously, but it is an SSTO. Subtle difference between the two terms and all that.

I dunno - I'll have to build this myself to check its viability; sixteen radial chutes and eight lander legs isn't going to cut it, I think. But it's a start. Maybe with a deorbit on RCS and saving any remaining fuel in the tank to slow for chute opening. Maybe if the legs were extended out with I-beams; they'd have to stretch past the engine bells. Hold on this as a submission until I get pics.