Question about Rockets/Spaceplanes

[Thandir]

What is the difference? Besides how they look and stuff like that. I'm wondering what kind of jobs do you do with Rockets and what kind of missions do you select the spaceplane for?

[AlexanderB]

Well, spaceplanes are (were? before 0.23) harder to construct and fly, and thus a self-challenge for the bored player..

Rockets are the easiest choice at any rate.

[Taki117]

Spaceplanes are really just a fun thing to do. If you are trying to build an SSTO they are horribly inefficient for getting a payload into orbit (It can be done though) whereas a rocket can get much heavier payloads into orbit much better.

[Panzerbeard]

Well, the obvious benefit of spaceplanes is that they can be flown about on re-entry, letting you choose your landing site with better precision than you could with a parachute lander, and you can take off again it you've got the fuel. They're better for exploring the surface than a rocket based vehicle, especially if you have a way of refueling it.

[astropapi1]

You'll see the difference when money and reusability are implemented.

[Hodo]

Well, spaceplanes are (were? before 0.23) harder to construct and fly, and thus a self-challenge for the bored player..

Rockets are the easiest choice at any rate.

I find I have less uses for rockets than space planes. I use my SSTO space planes for anything, from sending replacement crews to and from the space stations I have in orbit at 125km and 350km orbits. I even use them to go to other planets, like Duna or Minimus.

My SSTO space planes actually have larger cargo capacities and range than any of my rockets. So this "space planes are harder to build than rockets" is just wrong. They just require a different frame of mind not the typical Jeremy Clarkson mentality of "POWAH!"

To anyone who says that they are inefficient for getting payloads into orbit I will show you these three craft.

SP-406

SP-406VB

SVO-24

And I will leave you with this.

SVO-9A see you soon!

[Panzerbeard]

I find I have less uses for rockets than space planes. I use my SSTO space planes for anything, from sending replacement crews to and from the space stations I have in orbit at 125km and 350km orbits. I even use them to go to other planets, like Duna or Minimus.

My SSTO space planes actually have larger cargo capacities and range than any of my rockets. So this "space planes are harder to build than rockets" is just wrong.

While I don't necessarily disagree (I find rockets easier personally but it's a matter of preference), you're using a lot of mods which significantly change how spaceplanes work. Especially FAR. I'd argue that in stock rockets are much better for getting payloads to orbit than spaceplanes can be.

[Hodo]

While I don't necessarily disagree (I find rockets easier personally but it's a matter of preference), you're using a lot of mods which significantly change how spaceplanes work. Especially FAR. I'd argue that in stock rockets are much better for getting payloads to orbit than spaceplanes can be.

In stock KSP building a asparagus airhog monster to get 400 tons to orbit is easy, but not in the slightest realistic to me. This is why I use a couple of CORE mods, FAR+DRE+RT2+KER+TACFuelBalancer. Those are things that are a MUST for me, I hate flying anything that can reach light speed just using the control surfaces and flapping its way there. Or coming into an atmosphere at just shy of the speed of thought, and surviving the atmosphere interface when in reality you would be atomized by the speed and friction.

Not to knock those designs, if someone wants to build something that is that way by all means it is your game. FAR doesn't make things easier, it just makes things respond in a way that it is predictable and vaguely realistic.

[TheGeoninja]

My god man!

[Soda Popinski]

I'm hoping to start in on space planes, but wanted to stick with mostly stock parts for now. I run FAR, KIDS, DRE (and a few others not relevant to the issue). Any suggestions on how to re-enter safely?

I put together my first attempted and cheated it into orbit (put it on an asparagus stack). I tried to do s-turns to bleed off speed in the upper atmosphere, but am not sure the ideal height to do this. First attempt, I lost control, but eventually muscled it back under control below 10,000 meters, and even (crash) landed at the KSC runway. I threw on some parachutes in case for my 2nd attempt, but those burned up on re-entry when I came in even worse.

First thing I need to do is learn to build and fly regular planes, I think. But after that, I'll need to get some pointers on re-entering.

[Panzerbeard]

FAR doesn't make things easier, it just makes things respond in a way that it is predictable and vaguely realistic.

That's kind of the point though, it changes the capabilities and design flexibility of SSTOs, beyond what would be possible for most players in an unmodded game, or least, not possible without abusing the intake system.

FAR is great, certainly, I'll be using it once I've played stock on .23 for a while, but I still maintain that rockets are easier and more useful at the moment in a stock game.

Although, of course, much less fun

[Pds314]

In stock KSP building a asparagus airhog monster to get 400 tons to orbit is easy, but not in the slightest realistic to me. This is why I use a couple of CORE mods, FAR+DRE+RT2+KER+TACFuelBalancer. Those are things that are a MUST for me, I hate flying anything that can reach light speed just using the control surfaces and flapping its way there. Or coming into an atmosphere at just shy of the speed of thought, and surviving the atmosphere interface when in reality you would be atomized by the speed and friction.

Not to knock those designs, if someone wants to build something that is that way by all means it is your game. FAR doesn't make things easier, it just makes things respond in a way that it is predictable and vaguely realistic.

Actually, Felix Baumgartner reached roughly the speed of thought on his fall.

Edit: whoops, mph vs. m/s. He reach more than twice that speed. A Veyron super sport can reach the speedof thought.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Pds314

[Pds314]

FAR does not make SSTO spaceplanes easier.

For ex. Almost any SSTO built for FAR works in stock.

Few stock SSTOs work as well in stock.

[Jimbimbibble]

Come in no lower than 25km (your Pe before entering) and maintain an angle of attack somewhere around 10-20 degrees based on the design. The lift from the wings will allow you to skip a few times and stay in the upper atmosphere for a while and that should make reentry survivable. Also, you will likely stall and have an unplanned staging event if your angle of attack is too high, so be careful.