SSTO R.A.P.I.E.R. (Ver 0.23) Challenge (Closed)

[Sirine]

Look good to me. I am sure someone will come along and beat it shortly.

Please try my example craft?

I'm only able to get yours with 9mis, 97.6 fuel left...

* You might want to set the Oxidizer fuel qty of your craft...

[Hodo]

Please try my example craft?

I'm only able to get yours with 9mis, 97.6 fuel left...

* You might want to set the Oxidizer fuel qty of your craft...

Ok I will take a look at it and tell you what I think in a minute.

[Sirine]

Ok I will take a look at it and tell you what I think in a minute.

Another try with your craft. Set -220 oxidizer... 8:45 MET and 152 fuel left. (Well, it shows that I'm not good in flying)...

Seems that the original (Comes with game) stock craft...are still the same.

And the original rocket stock craft...also the same.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Sirine

[Hodo]

Unfortunately your craft keeps losing its engines with me. The center one overheats around 15km at mach 2.6 or so, then explodes about 10s later if kept at 100% throttle. The other two follow suite about 20s after that. The problems I found are simple.

The engines are to far from the CoM, which is causing them to overheat quickly, it is a way KSP calculates cooling.

Overall your design is overly complex, you don't need the probe core in the design, between the cockpit and the SAS module you have plenty of torque for any maneuvering sans transitional movement. Try cutting back on the number of intakes and engines, try going down to two or even one. That new RAPIER is overpowered and easy to get carried away with. I like a simple 3:1 ratio for intake to engines, as long as I generate speed I can overcome the lack of intakes. Which is how the SR-71 operated at 26km altitude.

But good news is, if you ever decide to use FAR, your craft works great in it.

[Sirine]

Unfortunately your craft keeps losing its engines with me. The center one overheats around 15km at mach 2.6 or so, then explodes about 10s later if kept at 100% throttle. The other two follow suite about 20s after that. The problems I found are simple.

The engines are to far from the CoM, which is causing them to overheat quickly, it is a way KSP calculates cooling.

Overall your design is overly complex, you don't need the probe core in the design, between the cockpit and the SAS module you have plenty of torque for any maneuvering sans transitional movement. Try cutting back on the number of intakes and engines, try going down to two or even one. That new RAPIER is overpowered and easy to get carried away with. I like a simple 3:1 ratio for intake to engines, as long as I generate speed I can overcome the lack of intakes. Which is how the SR-71 operated at 26km altitude.

But good news is, if you ever decide to use FAR, your craft works great in it.

So, there are differences with FAR or without FAR. I'm playing without it, and no overheat as 100% all the way.

But, I still considering to install FAR.

[Hodo]

So, there are differences with FAR or without FAR. I'm playing without it, and no overheat as 100% all the way.

But, I still considering to install FAR.

The overheat I am sure is from Deadly Re-Entry (DRE).

I would consider getting FAR at the very least, it will help with aircraft design, they will behave and work like real planes.

I also suggest DRE, as it makes atmospheric work harder, trust me landing on Eve was no picnic with the re-entry heat.

FAR makes impractical rocket designs and plane designs not work... well not work well. So most asparagus launchers and massive intake spam hogs just dont work right in FAR. They create to much drag and often do interesting flips before flying apart. But let me warn you.... IF you get FAR, you will want DRE, then KJR, then RT2.... and the next thing you know you have as many plugins as I do. All mine are listed in my sig.

[Sirine]

The overheat I am sure is from Deadly Re-Entry (DRE).

I would consider getting FAR at the very least, it will help with aircraft design, they will behave and work like real planes.

I also suggest DRE, as it makes atmospheric work harder, trust me landing on Eve was no picnic with the re-entry heat.

FAR makes impractical rocket designs and plane designs not work... well not work well. So most asparagus launchers and massive intake spam hogs just dont work right in FAR. They create to much drag and often do interesting flips before flying apart. But let me warn you.... IF you get FAR, you will want DRE, then KJR, then RT2.... and the next thing you know you have as many plugins as I do. All mine are listed in my sig.

Agree, they are all great mods. I might want to install them one day...maybe when I get a more powerful PC.

(I'm using laptop right now. So, the less mod the better.)

[TheGeoninja]

Mine ran out of fuel and was sub orbital

[Hodo]

Agree, they are all great mods. I might want to install them one day...maybe when I get a more powerful PC.

(I'm using laptop right now. So, the less mod the better.)

FAR and DRE dont use much ram. RT2 uses a bit. As long as you avoid B9, KW, NOVAPunch, and Mechjeb, your fine.

The last 4 are memory hogs, but B9, KW, and Nova can all be reduced to a manageble level by using the texture reduction plugin.

If you can build a 400 part ship you can run FAR and DRE on that rig.

[Sirine]

Mine ran out of fuel and was sub orbital

Well, try harder then.

FAR and DRE dont use much ram. RT2 uses a bit. As long as you avoid B9, KW, NOVAPunch, and Mechjeb, your fine.

The last 4 are memory hogs, but B9, KW, and Nova can all be reduced to a manageble level by using the texture reduction plugin.

If you can build a 400 part ship you can run FAR and DRE on that rig.

My laptop scream at 300+parts. (And I always make it scream...lol) Anyway, thanks for the heads up.

The landing gear now steer-able, but unfortunately still no motor on it....

illumination now 'have' light 'on' on building stage...great.

And rocket landing gear, now...can retract..

And no more Free RCS gas from command pod... we got 5 units of EVA gas each crew...herm..interesting.

and customize able chute deploy altitude...wow...

Love this.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Sirine

[SkyRender]

So, here's the Cavia Porcellius.

Its name is a slight perversion of cavia porcellus, which is the Latin term for a guinea pig. I just like guinea pigs.

The ascent profile could not be simpler. No, seriously, this is about as minimalist as spaceplanes get while still being sustainable in space.

Here's the peak of the before-reaching-space climb.

You can probably figure out from the burn here how long it took me to actually reach stable orbit.

And here's proof that I did, of course, with final fuel left.

Parts: 20

Time to stable orbit: 8m20s

Final fuel: 11.59 liquid fuel/9.59 oxidizer

[Sirine]

So, here's the Cavia Porcellius.

Its name is a slight perversion of cavia porcellus, which is the Latin term for a guinea pig. I just like guinea pigs.

The ascent profile could not be simpler. No, seriously, this is about as minimalist as spaceplanes get while still being sustainable in space.

Here's the peak of the before-reaching-space climb.

You can probably figure out from the burn here how long it took me to actually reach stable orbit.

And here's proof that I did, of course, with final fuel left.

Parts: 20

Time to stable orbit: 8m20s

Final fuel: 11.59 liquid fuel/9.59 oxidizer

Another great entry...I will add you to the leaderboard in a moment.

Okay...here is the problem, you forget to include the RCS thruster block...are they intended to be left behind?

Edited December 18, 2013 by Sirine

[Col_Jessep]

But, I still considering to install FAR.

I recommend to copy your KSP folder and install FAR on the 2nd copy to try it. You will love it once you get used to it, I'm sure! =3

Here is my SSTO entry:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2449177/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/The%20Ugly%20Duckling.craft

Time to orbit: 9:10,

fuel reserves: 209LF, (210 really but I overshot... )

21 parts;

All parts are stock. Any mods I currently use should not affect stock performance: Kethane, Kerbal Alarm Clock, Precise Node, Enhanced Navball, Docking Port Alignment Indicator, Mission controller and Safe Chute.

And I made a Youtube video for you:

You probably just want to skip to the timestamp where I circularized into LKO at 8:15.

No matter what, I probably win the price for the ugliest SSTO so far. Oh, the RCS port is in the nose under the intake. It's really the only place I could think of where it is useful and doesn't cause rotation problems:

Cheers!

PS: I'm calling it The Ugly Duckling - if you need a name. And I'll probably enter a better looking SSTO later.

[Liowen]

Hmmm LKO is something that I just avoid doing, my aim is 100km orbits from liftoff or takeoff (unless that is still considered LKO). Working on a side project right now, will post later, but for time wise may as well put me down for zero since I know it takes time to get to my orbit LOL.

[Pds314]

My entry

Craft name: VL-R1A

Part count: 48((150-48)*10=1020)

Time to LKO: less than 11:20 to Apoapsis burn. (I fly on really long trajectories so no points here. I could probably have done better.)

Fuel remaining: 61 (18 points.)

Total: 1038 (could definitely have been dramatically better, It would be easy to remove 12 parts and the thing would still reach orbit fine)

Note: Orbital pic is after much maneuvering in orbit.

[ABalazs]

It was pretty easy, only parts limit makes it a little painful. I had to throw down the usual fuel management and build a super-stable plane to remain competitive, so it doesn't fly as well as it could. I think this could reach LKO with one less radial intake as well, maybe a bit less oxidizer remaining.

Craft Name: XR-3DD

Part Count: 20 ((150-20)*10= 1300)

Time to LKO: 13:34 MET ((10-10)*5=0)

Fuel Remain: 129 ((129/10) * 3 = 38.7)

Total score: 1338.7

Craft File:https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oXV_XZaWbKWVJJci1MN2tMbnc/edit?usp=sharing

And the pictures from the flight:

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Edited December 18, 2013 by ABalazs

[Sirine]

@SkyRender - Missing RCS thruster block/port.

@Col_Jessep - Unable to download your craft file...error 404 file not found.

@Liowen - Hope to see your entry soon, deadline as at 31-Dec-2013.

@Pds314 - Missing craft file, missing pic.

@ABalazs - Added to leaderboard. Thanks for your participation. Very nice craft.

[Liowen]

Sorry this took so long, I am not good at LKO orbiting LOL. Ok this is the Tadpole MK1R, a slightly modified version using the RAPIER engine and my first attempt at an SSTO (so might not be fancy but it is effective). Here is the .craft file http://www./view/1axjtbj6j8as702/Tadpole%20MK1R.craft with all the need to know flight, or at least how I fly it, information as best I could record. Any action groups are leftover from the earlier design and can be disregarded. Part count for this is 53.

Landing strip picture

Takeoff

Orbit (LKO-ish)

I would have had it under 10 mark, but I forgot it started the moment the craft loaded, but I will take that time as this was not designed to be a fast trip craft. If I missed anything let me know.

Edited December 19, 2013 by Liowen

[Sirine]

@Liowen Nice entry. Will add you to the leader-board in no time.

Done. Please always check on the score/marks...mistakes might happened...I'm a bit dizzy here...catch a flu..

Edited December 19, 2013 by Sirine

[Liowen]

Hopefully you feel better, my sinus have been really bad this week making it hard to do anything with the game. I still believe I could do it a bit better than that, but fuel wise I dunno maybe rest and a second attempt in the morning. What we need is just tanks of oxidizer I think to make a good SSTO, while we can do the with tweekables I would prefer a tank of just oxidizer not one half empty can. Maybe something like the mono stuff?

[zekes]

D.R.A.T- Disregard Rules, Attain Orbit. 'Murica.

[Sirine]

Hopefully you feel better, my sinus have been really bad this week making it hard to do anything with the game. I still believe I could do it a bit better than that, but fuel wise I dunno maybe rest and a second attempt in the morning. What we need is just tanks of oxidizer I think to make a good SSTO, while we can do the with tweekables I would prefer a tank of just oxidizer not one half empty can. Maybe something like the mono stuff?

Thanks. Hope you sinus get well soon.

Makes 'yours' SSTO, don't limit yourself for something else, if you feel like it... thats the way of doing it. Like Zekes does.

@Zekes Welcome. You need to submit your craft file, and provide the instruction to fly your craft. (in game description)

And base on your pic...is really a cool craft.

[Col_Jessep]

No idea what happened with my download link. Here it is again:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2449177/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/The%20Ugly%20Duckling.craft

PS: Ah, the forum updated the text but not the actual link in my first post.

Col_Jessep's Entry:

• Craft Name: The Ugly Duckling
  
• Part Count: 21 ((150-21)*10= 1290)
  
• Time to LKO: 9:10 MET ((10-9.1)*5=4.5)
  
• Fuel Remain: 209 ((209/10) * 3 = 62.7)
  
• Total score: 1357.2
  
• Craft File: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2449177/Kerbal%20Space%20Program/The%20Ugly%20Duckling.craft
  

mi9vOvDHPE8

Edited December 19, 2013 by Col_Jessep

[Slugy]

Minimal parts effort here:

Slugywug

• Craft Name: Minimal SSTO
  
  
• Part Count: 15 ((150-15)*10= 1350)
  
  
• Time to LKO: 7:15 MET ((10-7.15)*5=14.25)
  
  
• Fuel Remain: 19.65 ((19.65/10) * 3 = 5.895)
  
  
• Total score: 1370
  
  
• Craft File:
  http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/minimal-ssto-5/
  
  

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By the way the time calculation is odd - there are only 60 seconds in a minute, but I have done what everyone else has to calculate score.

[Mesklin]

Craft Name: Omega

Part Count: 15 ((150-15)*10= 1350)

Time to LKO: 11:53 MET ((10-10)*5=0)

Fuel Remain: 97.76 ((97.7/10) * 3 = 29.3)

Total score: 1379.3

Craft File: http://www./download/8a81muhtlma874l/Omega.craft

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