Space Shuttle Turbo -- Stock Space Shuttle with Solid-only SRBs

[GusTurbo]

Space Shuttle Turbo

New version modified by danilon62:

**BROKEN LINK**https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1S...it?usp=sharing

Old Version:

Ever since .23 came out, there has been a veritable renaissance of space shuttle replicas (by the likes of Giggleplex, Halsfury, and others), due to the addition of tweakables. Now SRBs can burn longer and fuel levels can be adjusted, making it much easier to overcome the inherent problems with the shuttle configuration. One of my goals was to create a shuttle that used complete solid SRBs -- i.e. no liquid boosters, or liquid-assisted solids. I was able to accomplish this goal by using multiple SRBs attached to each other.

The Turbo shuttle is able to transport three Kerbals to LKO and dock with stations and other craft. (Note: docking port was added after screenshots were taken)

Javascript is disabled. View full album

A cargo version may be in the works, so stay tuned!

Download

>> Craft File <<

Special Instructions:

The Turbo shuttle is actually very easy to fly. Instructions are in the description of the craft. Simple instructions are as follows:

1. Throttle to 2/3

2. RCS and SAS on

3. Liftoff (roll 180 degrees at T+ 10s for verisimilitude)

4. Gravity turn at 8,000 meters, full throttle

5. Drop boosters when empty

6. Reduce throttle as necessary to keep from pitching over too much

7. Circularize

8. Activate OMS thrusters and deorbit

9. Land

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Edited August 25, 2014 by GusTurbo

[Chozo Nomad]

Wow, That's actually pretty cool!

[DisarmingBaton5]

You can adjust burn time now? O_O

[Majorjim!]

Very nice shuttle Gus! Not an easy thing to make.

You can adjust burn time now? O_O

If you reduce the thrust I think it burns longer.

MJ

[GusTurbo]

Yes, reducing thrust increases burn time. It's very handy for SRBs.

[combat squirrel]

Tried it, doesnt fly just rolls over and heads for floor followed instructions

EDIT: requires 25% thrust to not tip, sort of goes straight up now

EDIT2: I get her flying characteristics now, a good training vehicle to show the affects of thrust manoeuvring and thrust balancing.......got her into orbit on 1 wing haha

Edited January 2, 2014 by combat squirrel

[GusTurbo]

Glad to hear you were able to get it working. A little throttle adjustment and manual control is all that's needed to fly it. I tried to stay away from action groups. One characteristic that takes a little getting used to is the fact that the craft isn't pointing straight up when you're actually moving vertically. You can see in the first image of the album I posted.

[SofusRud]

did you clip 12 SRBs together?

don't they overheat?

[GusTurbo]

did you clip 12 SRBs together?

don't they overheat?

They are sort of clipped together, but they don't overheat. They're not all attached to the same node, they're connected to the empty fuel tank part above them with cubic struts.

[KvickFlygarn87]

IIRC, in space the shuttle uses big ol' RCS thruster to maneuver.

[Giggleplex777]

IIRC, in space the shuttle uses big ol' RCS thruster to maneuver.

More like the other way around, the space shuttle's RCS used the same type of hypergolic propellants that OMS used. The RCS was used for fine orbital adjustments, while the OMS performed the coarse ones (i.e. circularizing).

Edited January 2, 2014 by Giggleplex777

[Hydrazine_Soup]

Any news?

I've got to make my own version with the new 0.24 boosters and orange tanks.

The shuttle itself is an awesome design!

Edited February 16, 2020 by danilon62

[GusTurbo]

No news. Been too busy. Might return to it in mid-August.

[Hydrazine_Soup]

That'd be cool. This design is just too good to let it be forgotten.

Edited February 16, 2020 by danilon62

[Rune]

Any news?

I got to make my own version of it with the newer 0.24 boosters and orange tanks.

The shuttle itselft is an awesome replica and I haven't touched it at all

No news. Been too busy. Might return to it in mid-August.

You should totally do. Now that you guys made me rework mine to get a cargo bay working, consider yourself challenged to do the same thing to yours! I wanna see what bigger SRBs can take to orbit. Mine is kind of more accurate (RCS for OMS engines, single solid and all that), but it is inherently thrust-limited because of that, so margin is really tight. I foresee a REALLY big ET is in order, with plenty of verniers on the tip. By plenty I mean three or four, you know me

Rune. Feel the pressure!

[Hydrazine_Soup]

You should totally do. Now that you guys made me rework mine to get a cargo bay working, consider yourself challenged to do the same thing to yours! I wanna see what bigger SRBs can take to orbit. Mine is kind of more accurate (RCS for OMS engines, single solid and all that), but it is inherently thrust-limited because of that, so margin is really tight. I foresee a REALLY big ET is in order, with plenty of verniers on the tip. By plenty I mean three or four, you know me

lol I'm still messing arround with the solid boosters, 2 aren't enought but clipping 6 of them will make them blow so I'm stuck there

Also replaced the frontal rcs with verniers and its quite awesome

[Hydrazine_Soup]

Got it to work with the newer boosters!

Space Shuttle turbo V2

Edit: Images are gone

800m of Delta V at a 100 km orbit, 700 of those still coming from the orange tank

Altho its quite slow during the first minute of flight, 15m/s when you reach the VAB roof height.

I find it more stable than the other shuttle, this one will fly straight without any WASD pressing, just controlling thrust.

Added 2 verniers at the top of the boosters to keep the vessel straight during the last seconds of the boosters burn.

Instructions are:

1. Ignite main engines, 20% thrust

2. Ignite boosters, deacouple clamps

3. Once you get higher than the clamps reduce throttle a bit to keep the angle of movement pointing 90-85º upwards.

4. Activate RCS once you notice you need help to keep the ship pointing upwards once main shuttle engines are at 100%.

5. Decouple boosters once you can't compensate their force with the shuttle engines and the RCS. (doesn't matter if they are still burning, I'm 100% sure they won't break your ship as I added some sepatrons)

6. Adjust thrust and get into orbit.

7. Don't get too far from the ground, the shuttle auxiliar engines fuel won't last much if you want to deorbit from too high.

8. Land!

A Mk3 IVA is missed

Edited March 5, 2020 by Hydrazine_Soup

[GusTurbo]

Wow, awesome job! It's really cool that it works with the big boosters and new verniers for control.

[Hydrazine_Soup]

Wow, awesome job! It's really cool that it works with the big boosters and new verniers for control.

Feel free to add that download link in the op post, its your shuttle afterall

[GusTurbo]

Feel free to add that download link in the op post, its your shuttle afterall

Added your link to the OP.

[Hydrazine_Soup]

Thanks!

Edited March 5, 2020 by Hydrazine_Soup

[GusTurbo]

Here's a preview of a new version I'm working on:

[Gue__1]

Here's a preview of a new version I'm working on:

Why not using the new RCS blocks?

Gue

[GusTurbo]

Do you mean the new monopropellant engines? I think they're a little too small to be used for the OMS engines. Ironically, I had suggested that they be rescaled to be smaller and they were. They probably would have been perfect at the larger size. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Majorjim!]

Do you mean the new monopropellant engines? I think they're a little too small to be used for the OMS engines. Ironically, I had suggested that they be rescaled to be smaller and they were. They probably would have been perfect at the larger size. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

lol KSP facepalm