SSTO Without Rockets Challenge

[700NitroXpress]

The challenge is simple, make a plane that can achieve orbit of Kerban with a minimum altitude of 70,000 meters for both periapsis and apoapsis. You are forbidden from using mods, cheats, editing files of any kind. You have to make your plane out of all stock parts. The plane must take off from the space plane hangar. It must have wings and use at least 1 jet engine. It must seat 1 brave Kerbal. You can't use any rockets, liquid fuel or Solid Rocket Boosters. You can use RCS and Ion systems along with your jet engines. You can't jettison anything from your plane during flight either.

The scoring will be as follows:

Person with the heaviest plane = Heavyweight Gold Medal

Person with the lightest plane = Lightweight Gold Medal

Person with the fewest parts = Skilled builder Gold Medal

Person with the greatest orbit = High Flyer Gold Medal

Land on Another planet or moon = Master of Flight Medal (Insert Planet name here)

Leaderboards will have the top 3 people for each category and a masters category for those who achieve more than one gold medal. You can get Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. Everyone else gets a special special commendation award for completing the challenge. This challenge has been proven to be possible so it can be done (special thanks to: allmhuran). Good Luck

Submit screenshots showing the part count, weight, and the orbital view of the periapsis and apoapsis shown.

Leaderboards:

Right - Lightweight Gold Medal, Skilled Builder Silver Medal, High Flyer Bronze Medal

Tembaco - Heavyweight Gold Medal

carazvan - High Flyer Gold Medal, Skilled Builder Bronze Medal, Heavyweight Silver Medal, Lightweight Bronze Medal, Master of Flight Medal (Laythe)

allmhuran - Skilled Builder Gold Medal, Heavyweight Bronze Medal, Lightweight Silver Medal, High Flyer Silver Medal

Special Commendations:

Yasmy

Edited November 28, 2013 by 700NitroXpress

[Tembaco]

It must have wings and use at least 1 jet engine. It must seat 1 brave Kerbal. You [b[can't use any rockets, liquid fuel or Solid Rocket Boosters.

That's bit of a contradiction isn't it? You are required to bring and use at least 1 jet engine, but you aren't allowed to bring fuel for it?

Anyway it seems like a fun little challenge, brings back memories of my first SSTO plane ever. Which used RCS instead of rockets. Let's take it for a spin again.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Heavyweight: 12.57 t

Lightweight: 12.57 t

Skilled Builder: 241 parts

Highflyer: 118,445m

[Right]

This is the first SSTO I made that used RCS and no control surfaces Fun challenge!

Apoapsis: 149.655km

Periapsis: 71.478km

Mass: 3,612 kg/3,612 tons

Part Count: 27

Two side notes: 1. If someone goes to another planet, does that mean they have the highest orbit? Or does it have to be in Kerbin SOI? and 2. if you make more than one SSTO, can we get both the heavy and the lightweight?

[700NitroXpress]

That's bit of a contradiction isn't it? You are required to bring and use at least 1 jet engine, but you aren't allowed to bring fuel for it?

What I was saying is no liquid fuel, oxidizer, combo engines. So no aerospikes or regular rockets. Regular jet engines use just liquid fuel.

[700NitroXpress]

Two side notes: 1. If someone goes to another planet, does that mean they have the highest orbit? Or does it have to be in Kerbin SOI? and 2. if you make more than one SSTO, can we get both the heavy and the lightweight?

Highest orbit has to be within the Kerban SOI.

You can get all of the gold medals if you have the best design in each category. Use as many designs as you want.

[carazvan]

I believe the SSTO Flea (Ion) version from my signature qualifies for this challenge. With about 7k deltaV once in space you could get wherever you wish with enough patience:

Parts -155

Weight - 7t

Pe - 1.2M

Ap - 80M

About 1 hour RL to get it here ... and there's still more than half of the xenon to go

Then:

Pe - 80M

Ap - 80M

This took another 10-20 min and still more than half tank to go ... so it's off towards Jool now (RL Burn time at 4x time acceleration for the 2600m/s delta V needed is ~ 40-45 min)

And finally a hour and a very inefficient transfer (you never want to start in a high circular orbit) Laythe has been reached.

I could probably take it up to orbit around laythe easily enough but think all the moving around Kerbin burned up way too much deltav for a return.

Edited November 28, 2013 by carazvan
SSTO arrival at Laythe

[allmhuran]

Here's a little one to start off:

Parts - 18

Mass - 5016

Pe - 323,079m

[Right]

Highest orbit has to be within the Kerban SOI.

You can get all of the gold medals if you have the best design in each category. Use as many designs as you want.

Lol thats a painful mission length, even with physical timewarp x4. I know, I've made a few heavy xenon powered SSTOs to go to laythe.

[700NitroXpress]

Alright guys, the Leaderboards are now up and everyone's medals should be accurate on there, good job to all of you for doing this challenge, remember that you can get more than one gold medal, you'll just need another plane more than likely. Do not copy someone else's design.

[GraviTykillz]

i think im in for this challenge! is Clipping allowed?

[700NitroXpress]

i think im in for this challenge! is Clipping allowed?

Only natural clipping, don't turn on the clipping in the debug menu.

[Yasmy]

Well, I accidentally completed this challenge today in a SJTO (Single Jeb to Orbit). One jet engine. One fuel tank. Three air intakes. 27 parts including a launch stability enhancer left on the runway. I was testing a plane w/o chutes or landing gears. When my periapsis popped up out of the ground, I decided to go orbital.

The plane didn't make it out of the atmosphere (it's 18.7 km below Jeb in picture 2), but Jeb did, and he got into stable orbit.

So then a team of Kerbals assembled the Dammit, Jeb and rescued him in orbit.

Except, well, they packed too many snacks in the Dammit, Jeb, so they let him refuel his jetpack and returned to Kerbin. The Double Dammit, Jeb was packed with just as many snacks, but one fewer kerbolnaut, so the second rescue attempt returned Jeb safely to Kerbin.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited November 27, 2013 by Yasmy

[Blaster]

Is it required to have an actual cockpit or can I have a Open Cockpit design (External Seat)?

[carazvan]

updated earlier post with arrival at Laythe

[700NitroXpress]

Is it required to have an actual cockpit or can I have a Open Cockpit design (External Seat)?

No external command seats.

[Blaster]

No external command seats.

So no convertible planes :/ No problem

[British_Rover]

Another variation on my blackbird SSTO. I stripped off the extra turbo jets, removed the part clipped intakes, removed the modular rocket adapter and replaced it with more RCS and linear thrusters.

14.78 tons after dumping oxidizer on the runway, man that was a mess, and 103 parts. I think I could part count down considerably. I don't need so many solar panels for a short flight or so many RCS thrusters.

Final PE was 84ish and AP 90ish

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[700NitroXpress]

Another variation on my blackbird SSTO. I stripped off the extra turbo jets, removed the part clipped intakes, removed the modular rocket adapter and replaced it with more RCS and linear thrusters.

14.78 tons after dumping oxidizer on the runway, man that was a mess, and 103 parts. I think I could part count down considerably. I don't need so many solar panels for a short flight or so many RCS thrusters.

Final PE was 84ish and AP 90ish

You don't need any solar panels ever. Just put one electric generator on it and you're done.

[Blaster]

KermaJet has expressed great interest in making fuel efficient reusable space vehicles. The current concept vehicle uses a radical design to reach space.

KermaJet KJ106i (Download)

The 106i uses 6 ION engines and 6 large extendable solar panels to power them. The small fuel tank and single TurboJet engine are sufficient to make orbit. The Super Stack Air Intake system is able to draw in as much air as 9 Ram-Air Intakes, but causes considerable drag to the system. Remember to close this intake once switching to ION propulsion, as even in high atmosphere it causes drag.

Hotkeys:

1: Start Jet Engine, Shutdown ION Engines and Retract Panels

2: Shutdown Jet Engine, Start ION Engines and Extend Panels

3: Open/Close Super Stack Air Intake System

To those attempting orbit on ION engines:

Launch procedure is critical to your success. Launch too early, and you will waste fuel chasing the sunrise. Launch too late, and you will return to Kerbin on the night side. With the right timing, you can start your ION engine burn as the sun rises, giving you just enough time to get your night side Apoapsis completely into space for the night side. Once you have your Periapsis over 70km, you can go anywhere if you are patient.

As is customary of challenge vehicles, KermaJet is now releasing an unmodified video of the test flight. The Maximum altitude reached was 83.48 Million over Kerbin, the minimum being 83.14 Million. It is noteworthy that there is a lot of jitter in this flight path, being so close to the edge of Kerbin SOI.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Blaster

[GraviTykillz]

On runway

Lookin good Catching some Sun I may make it this time!!

went into the Shadow of kerbin and lost power.

Think i need a pre-dawn launch.

[carazvan]

Just thought I'd mention a quick note when checking the weight of an entry as the weight in the hangar and the weight on the runway usually differ since the landing gear and ladders don't have mass on the runway.