Thunderlane Mk-5: Becausethe old one needed an upgrade

[SofusRud]

Well, since posting the Thunderlane Mk-3 (http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/65174-Thunderlane-Mk-3-the-cargo-SSTO) I have taken note of the constructive criticism and feedback, and after spending a week locked away with my new pc in a small room, subsisting on vodka and the tasty-looking wall-mold, I have emerged with a new and improved cargo SSTO: Thunderlane Mk-5

Capable of putting around 7.5 tons into orbit, this design has more than double the capacity of its predecessor, both in terms of size and mass.

Here it is putting a dummy test payload into orbit:

Here its releasing the first part of modular probe expedition that i plan on sending to Eeloo

another part of the modular probe

Reentry

Landed safely

Worth noting:this craft is a subassembly

Useful stuff

Action groups

1- toggle turbojets

2- toggle RAPIERs

3- RAPIER mode switch

4- toggle all intakes

5- toggle most intakes (front ones)

fly it like a regular SSTO, hit 5 before takeoff, steep angle until around 15-16km, level off to build up speed but keep rising, hit 5 again when air starts running out. switch to RAPIER rocket mode before air runs out (around 0.1-0.15) to keep the jets powered, then shut them off, and ride the RAPIERS till you get your Ap and circularize there. You should be going 1500-1650 m/s when you go on RAPIERS alone.

Be sure to shift fuel around to move your center of mass forward before you descend into the atmosphere for landing. (note where it is in relation the to lines on the structural wings)

Like the Thunderlane Mk-3, the jet fuel for each side of the plane is drained from from each end of the middle section. Check out the Thunderlane Mk-3 to see how that works: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/65174-Thunderlane-Mk-3-the-cargo-SSTO

There is an unattached strut at the front of the cargo bay for securing your payload.

Part count: 125

Part clipping was not enabled during the construction of this craft

download it here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g5toine4cjtxh3q/V9ZQad0IjL

Feedback appreciated

Edited January 14, 2014 by SofusRud

[1greywind]

Did you consider to make "crago bay" not from structural panels, but from wing connectors? They are lighter and just as strong.

Also such cargo bay construction puts very strict limitations for payload size and shape.

[SofusRud]

Did you consider to make "crago bay" not from structural panels, but from wing connectors? They are lighter and just as strong.

Also such cargo bay construction puts very strict limitations for payload size and shape.

The cargo bay itself is mainly there for aesthetic reasons, and i do realize that there are size constraints with this particular design, but the intention was not originally to have be my go-to heavy launcher (at least not yet).

As for using panels instead of structural wings, it was more an issue of making it fit exactly and not having to deal with an offset COL.