Mini SSTO - Zipper I - Light Orbiter

[Redshift OTF]

Thank you to Exothermos and Inigma for ideas and inspiration from their mini space planes. I thought I would make one of my own!

Introducing... Zipper I! A mini SSTO light orbiter shuttle craft. Perfect for scrambling your Kerbals to your space stations in speedy fashion!

Stats:

Weight - 5.6 tons

Starting Jet TWR - 4.07 (Kerbin gravity)

Rocket DeltaV - 981 m/s in vacuum

Rocket TWR - 1.09 (Kerbin gravity)

Operational notes:

She handles pretty well as a normal jet plane with excellent pitch and yaw and good roll. Comes with a probe control ring just behind the front docking port so she can be remotely piloted to return to the KSC after delivering the pilot to a space station, (or remotely piloted up to pick up a Kerbal from space.) Glides fairly well and requires about 1/3 throttle to get off the runway. Don't pitch too much or you'll rip off the Jet engine! You shouldn't need to feather the brakes when landing as the gear is pretty solid.

Hotkey 1 to toggle Jet Engine.

Hotkey 2 to toggle Rockets.

Hotkey 3 for Antenna.

The fuel tank is clipped into the cockpit so if you want to select it keep right clicking, preferable under the plane near the ladder and you should get the fuel and oxidiser options.

Download here!

Edited January 5, 2014 by Redshift OTF

[CaptainGiblets]

Dude, that's, that's awesome.

[inigma]

Are you using a single rocket fuel tank or do you have clipped tanks? If only one tank, great job! It's worthy of an SSI submission if you're interested.

what's the bottom service port for? you could prob get rid of the ladder if you retract your wheels for ingress/egress.

Edited January 5, 2014 by inigma

[inigma]

Here is an SSI-fied Zipper. I removed the ladder, redid your rcs to just one cluster and just one tank. Moved the rcs tank to be hidden below the fuselage but still accessible for refueling. Also reordered your intakes to make it look shuttlecrafty with blue engine eye candy facing both directions now, and to give it a "body". I also re-angled your front winglets for more streamline cool-factor. Weighs less, has fewer parts, and probably goes higher and save more fuel too. Enjoy!

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Here's the craft file for your study:

http://www./view/w84lmgxv80sh20t/Zipper%20I_2.craft

[Redshift OTF]

Thanks! I have a single FL-T400 fuel tank clipped into the cockpit. It's exactly the same size as the cockpit so I can stick a jet engine straight on the back without having to worry about internal fuel lines, (which I haven't mastered yet). I also drained some of the oxidizer out of it as it's dead weight when you use some of the jet fuel to get into orbit. Fully fuelled in space you will get 1405 DeltaV to use with the rockets. Not enough to get to Minmus and back but it's something. BTW, I don't know what an SSI submission is? Some more info would be gratefully received.

The bottom service port is actually an RTG. I like to have it hanging out so it can radiate some of it's heat into space, (i.e. personal preference). Regarding the ladder, Jeb actually suggested what you thought, until the Kerbal Mechanics pointed out that they'd have to keep repainting the bottom of the plane every time he used it.

[inigma]

Thanks! I have a single FL-T400 fuel tank clipped into the cockpit. It's exactly the same size as the cockpit so I can stick a jet engine straight on the back without having to worry about internal fuel lines, (which I haven't mastered yet). I also drained some of the oxidizer out of it as it's dead weight when you use some of the jet fuel to get into orbit. Fully fuelled in space you will get 1405 DeltaV to use with the rockets. Not enough to get to Minmus and back but it's something. BTW, I don't know what an SSI submission is? Some more info would be gratefully received.

The bottom service port is actually an RTG. I like to have it hanging out so it can radiate some of it's heat into space, (i.e. personal preference). Regarding the ladder, Jeb actually suggested what you thought, until the Kerbal Mechanics pointed out that they'd have to keep repainting the bottom of the plane every time he used it.

Go to my Shuttlecraft Systems Inc. link below and submit it in our forum thread per the OP guidelines. We want to include your craft (or at least a modified variant of it) in our General Catalog.

Also in the variant I posted above, I moved your RTG to inside the front hull. Let me know what you think of that Zipper I.2.

[Redshift OTF]

Thanks inigma. I'm more than happy to submit the shuttle but I may have to do it tomorrow. I'm happy for anyone to use it for whatever they want tbh as long as people enjoy it.

Nice job on the Zipper I.2! Seems quicker to get into orbit than before. I'm not sure if that is the 0.3 tons worth of weight you saved or if it is because 1 pair of air rams are facing backwards meaning less drag? My version had 3 pairs of air rams facing forwards because I'm a bit of an airhog. One thing I'm considering is replacing the nose cone on the front of the cockpit. It looks nice but the thing weighs 0.3 tons on it's own which seems way over the top for something I'm using for aesthetic purposes. I haven't found anything better yet though.

[Redshift OTF]

OK, I've got Zipper I 2.1 up and running. I've replaced the front nose cone with an FL-A10 adapter which saves 0.25 tons. Not insignificant for a craft of this size and it brings the weight to 5.1 tons. Not sure if it looks better or worse, just different. Some people like the stubby look. It's certainly one of the shortest space planes you'll see.

I had to move the front winglets to compensate for the new COG. I can't guarantee the plane won't flip out if you perform extreme manoeuvres when the fuel tank is almost empty but it's no biggy. Lands on it's ass when it loads but again no biggy.

Stats:

Starting Jet TWR - 4.50

Starting Rocket DeltaV - 1103

Fully fuelled Rocket DeltaV - 1579

I suspect it would be quite easy to add extra fuel tanks on the side to make it Minmus capable. Perhaps that would make for a good Zipper II.

Download here!

[inigma]

I.2.1 has merit. Try and see if you can hide the front wheel more, and then reangle your front winglets to be more angled with the craft, but still accessible to EVA.

[Redshift OTF]

Better?

See if you can figure out what I did to the front wings. Clue: it added 0.2 extra lift. The front wheel pod sticks out slightly but it's the bit with the light on it so I think it works well. I also altered the rear wheels so the plane doesn't fall on its bum after loading any more and the wheel pods clear the steps making it easier to get the pilot in. It also means you can't accidentally clip the jet engine on the runway during take off. I even added a couple of small batteries in the nose cone, (not that it really needed to have them with the RTG but some people like having a bit of electricity in reserve).

All in all a good set of improvements.

Zipper I 2.2 Download!