SSTO R.A.P.I.E.R. (Ver 0.23) Challenge Part3 (Closed)

[Sirine]

Challenge timeframe:-

Challenge Start: 14-Jan-2014

Challenge End: 28-Jan-2014

Challenge Instruction:-

Create a SSTO (Single Stage to Orbit) "Air+Space Craft" using at least a new R.A.P.I.E.R. engines.

Challenge guideline.

1) Single Stage to Orbit. (Means stage 0 only)

2) You must start from the runway. Liftoff horizontally and able to land horizontally.

Challenge Rules.

1) No science equipments required. (No bonus for that, but if you like it, why not?)

2) There will be poll-voting. After challenge close 28-Jan-2014. Only challenge participant are allow to vote. Poll will be public.

3) You are allow to use any part, stock or mod, but keep at least 1(One) R.A.P.I.E.R. Engine. And must specify which/what mod you have used. So other can have a chance to test flight your SSTO.

4) Maximum parts allows 200.

5) No Alt-F12 part clipping. (Normal means part clipping allow).

6) A screenshot of your craft established standard LKO (min. 70x70km) and .craft file must be made available.

7) Flight ascend (takeoff) profile must include in in-game .craft description.

Winning reference.

1) Make an SSTO that everybody love.

2) Try to promote your SSTO to participant. Due to only participant are allow to vote.

3) You are allow to change your .craft (posted) (to draw in more vote) until the timesup, challenge close.

4) Only 1 submission per participant.

5) Try to include your SSTO flight statistic, such as description, usage, part count, weight, action group key etc...so, other will be interest in your SSTO.

Winner rewards.

1) A logo showing (Your Forum ID) that you are capable of creating a R.A.P.I.E.R SSTO.

2) There will be top 3 winner!.

3) "Star" rewards for video recording.✪

Congratulation for the Winner. inigma 2 votes.

---

Poll board. All participant will be listed.

• SlyReaper - Algol2 (thread link)✪
  
• m1sz - rapier ssto (thread link)✪
  
• zorque - mike SSTO Rapier P3 (thread link)_
  
• Saberus - EGRET (thread link)_
  
• inigma - SSI Proton I Type-1A Shuttlecraft (thread link)✪
  
• Heagar - X53 a 5 (thread link)_
  
• Fengist - VH-1 (thread link)_
  
• Uzric - ZRC Zirsdaedge (thread link)_
  
• Blaster - KermaJet KR100 Kodachi (thread link)✪
  

Edited February 14, 2014 by Sirine

[SlyReaper]

So, a popularity contest? I'll take a punt at this, and show off the SSTO I took to the far reaches of the kerbal solar system and back. These are screenshots taken at the time, so they might fall outside standard challenge rules.

A slightly earlier version of my SSTO:

I built on that concept by adding more intakes, some RCS, and moving the landing gears slightly. It has two RAPIER engines, and a shielded docking port at the back, in between the two engines. The docking port comes in useful in this flight:

Docked with an orbiting fuel tanker, and replenished my fuel and monopropellant. At this point, I had a choice to make. I reckoned I could get into low Duna orbit and back to Kerbin easily with this. Or I could be ambitious and do a Jool flyby.

As it happens, I went ahead and did the ambitious thing. On course for an encounter with Jool.

Arrived in the Jool system. Some mid-course corrections along the way earned me a close encounter with Tylo.

Got a good view of Laythe on the way through.

Tylo (after some last minute course adjustments because I realised my course was going to eject me from the solar system):

That encounter left me on a fairly big orbit.

I didn't have enough confidence that I had enough fuel to get home with a simple burn, so I did a small burn with RCS at apohelion to get another encounter with Jool. I hoped to use a combination of gravitational slingshotting and Oberth effect to plot a course home. Jeb has already been in this plane for over 6 years now, and it'll be a few more years yet. Must be getting a bit musty in that cockpit there.

Trimmed the orbit a bit more. Got the post-encounter apohelion roughly down to the orbit of Duna. I think I'm going to make it.

Got my return trajectory.

A sight for sore eyes.

And down.

I can't believe I actually pulled that off. Mission Elapsed Time was just shy of 5000 days. So yeah. Not just single stage to orbit. Single stage to Tylo and back. Well, kinda. Refuelling in orbit might be considered cheating for something that claims to be "single stage".

Mods used: Krag's Planet Factory, and Cloud Mod. Neither of them give extra parts, so it's 100% stock.

Number of parts: 49

Craft file: http://www./view/lpqp6jtsnl6y1ep/Algol%202.craft

Not sure what you mean by ascent profile description in .craft file, so a verbal description will have to do, I'm afraid. It requires the entire runway to take off, so it's lucky the runway is slightly raised. Once flying off the end of the runway, bring the nose carefully up to about 45 degrees and level off once you reach about 20km altitude. You should be able to reach almost 30km altitude and ~1500m/s before the engines switch over to closed cycle. When that happens, bring the nose up again and fly it into orbit like you would with a rocket.

Edit: a video.

Edit2: another video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mtNUnVZ4KE

Also updated the craft file to include ascent instructions in the description.

Edited January 19, 2014 by SlyReaper

[Dispatcher]

Good flight though, regardless!

[m1sz]

Javascript is disabled. View full album

simplest rapier ssto ever..., but efficient as hell!

ill update name, partcount, craft file, etc soon

only mod needed: procedural dynamics. everything else is stock.

(thanks zorke)

Edited January 16, 2014 by m1sz
fixed album display

[zorque]

OK, so I wanted a simple SSTO, but I also wanted to make something that looked different or cool and was fun to fly.

I chose a mid/rear seat vessel with rear landing gear positioned to protect the rear control surfaces (as I tend to break those on takeoff/landing).

This ship is pretty easy to fly, and can dock if needed.

In case of orbital mishap, you can stage to detach the wings and tanks and the vessel becomes a life pod that can orbit until a rescue ship comes along.

Here is the result:

No mods of any kind.

Name: The Pod.

64 parts.

Just over 21T takeoff weight.

104LF/40ox left in orbit.

~14 minutes to LKO

mike SSTO Rapier P3.zip

Ascent profile is in the imgur album, but it's pretty standard (take off, steep climb to 15k, shallow climb to air intake limit ~20k, rockets at 45 deg. to orbit).

Enjoy!

-Mike

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited January 16, 2014 by zorque

[zorque]

...(I dont know how to post a gallery)

Hey, m1sz, to post your imgur, just take the vvEXw part and do this:{imgur}vvEXw{/imgur} but replace the { and } with [ and ].

-Mike

[Sirine]

Participant list updated.

Well, to be fair as a challenge host, I will not be participate in this challenge.

*I will be choosing (base on what I think best looking) pic of your craft to be shown at 1st thread. If there are too many entry, and everybody get confuse. However, at current state, we don't need that just yet.

Please drop me a note, if you would like to customize your 'poster image' for 1st thread.

Edited January 16, 2014 by Sirine

[m1sz]

Thank you, after i set that question there, I found the answer in a forum sticky , ill update my post.

Also, ill try to update my SSTO, give him a name, and maybe try some other designs!

Any mod that counts parts? and weight?, thanks ^^

[Saberus]

I wish to enter my EGRET into this challenge. All info is in the linked thread, but to satisfy the requirements I will include a new .CRAFT file on this post to add in the flight instructions to the description.

.CRAFT file

EGRET means Electronically Guided RAPIER Engined Taxi.

The EGRET is a lean 82 parts, including two RAPIER engines and four intakes. All parts were positioned with time and patience, only standard SPH clipping was used.

The EGRET also has an emergency fuel reserve for insuring there is enough fuel to return from standard orbital range. This fuel is in the T-100s between the intake pairs, and must be transferred to the T-800s to be used. This was by design, so that the fuel would always be there for returns. There is more than enough liquid fuel to return to the KSC runway from at least a quarter of the globe away, even with my sloppy flying.

Additionally, the EGRET can be flown to space unmanned, and has a docking port.

This craft flies and gets to orbit in vanilla KSP, it is incompatible with FAR.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited January 16, 2014 by Saberus

[m1sz]

Here is the craft file of my simplest ssto.

http://s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=30376314381588368967

I know it doesnt have notes, but I'll make another one for the contest.

This one is easy to launch, you have plenty of fuel and cant really mess it. Just launch, go 45º until 15000m, then go slower and get some speed..., anyway, you can go right at 30-45º and then circularice as a rocket, very easy

[SlyReaper]

Just as a heads up, I've recorded a video of my Algol 2 beastie flying into orbit here:

And flying to Jool and Laythe here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mtNUnVZ4KE

Yes, the wing broke off on landing. You'll just have to take my word for it the thing is capable of landing intact if there's a runway or a flatter area.

And an updated .craft file with the ascent instructions in the description: http://www./view/lpqp6jtsnl6y1ep/Algol%202.craft

Previous post updated.

Edited January 19, 2014 by SlyReaper

[inigma]

My entry: the SSI Proton I Type-1A Shuttlecraft

See link in my sig for the updated 62 part Proton III craft.

Edit: sig updated.

Edited January 28, 2014 by inigma

[regex]

My entry: the SSI Proton I Type-1A Shuttlecraft

That's pretty cool but it looks like you've dome some pretty heavy part clipping, which is against the challenge rules.

[m1sz]

everything is clipped xD

Here is my new entry!, the ARROWLANCE ssto, twin RAPIER engine spaceplane

craft file is not availible yet, will be soon! (need to add the instructions)

Pictures are from the prototipe and the final version (with RCS and more stuff)

Javascript is disabled. View full album

I made a youtube video (Im new to it, tryed to make something a little bit elaborate) of the plane in orbit and going down, the thing is..., i forget to record the climbing, but will add it later, it's perfectly capable

tell me what do you think!

Edited January 18, 2014 by m1sz

[Sirine]

1st thread updated, Please message me if I'm missing anything. Thanks.

everything is clipped xD

Here is my new entry!, the ARROWLANCE ssto, twin RAPIER engine spaceplane

craft file is not availible yet, will be soon! (need to add the instructions)

Pictures are from the prototipe and the final version (with RCS and more stuff)

http://imgur.com/a/LtOc9

I made a youtube video (Im new to it, tryed to make something a little bit elaborate) of the plane in orbit and going down, the thing is..., i forget to record the climbing, but will add it later, it's perfectly capable

tell me what do you think!

Pretty cool SSTO. I like the cockpit placement. Perhaps, putting a command chair out there and some illumination. Or front docking port. So, you can do cockpit view docking...cool things.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Sirine

[m1sz]

1st thread updated, Please message me if I'm missing anything. Thanks.

Pretty cool SSTO. I like the cockpit placement. Perhaps, putting a command chair out there and some illumination. Or front docking port. So, you can do cockpit view docking...cool things.

actualy, you can do cockpit view docking, that first module its a docking port

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[regex]

everything is clipped xD

And it looks like OP is just ignoring his own rule. So do any of the rules apply? This "challenge" is terrible.

[inigma]

That's pretty cool but it looks like you've dome some pretty heavy part clipping, which is against the challenge rules.

It's not clipping. It's "miniaturization."

[regex]

It's not clipping. It's "miniaturization."

Look, I don't have a problem with clipping in particular; you've got a really cool SSTO there, no lie. My problem is that the rules state no Alt-F12 part clipping. Maybe it's allowed through Editor Extensions or something and I'm not being "creative" enough with the rules? Anyway, there are at least two craft I can see here that are on the leaderboard with engines clearly clipped into each other. I thought I might throw an entry into this challenge because it specifically stated no part clipping, but if the rule doesn't mean anything there's no reason for me to bother.

OP would have been better off just stating "Make an SSTO with a R.A.P.I.E.R. engine on it, we'll vote on who's is the best" and called it good.

[m1sz]

make an entry! gogo

[Sirine]

Look, I don't have a problem with clipping in particular; you've got a really cool SSTO there, no lie. My problem is that the rules state no Alt-F12 part clipping. Maybe it's allowed through Editor Extensions or something and I'm not being "creative" enough with the rules? Anyway, there are at least two craft I can see here that are on the leaderboard with engines clearly clipped into each other. I thought I might throw an entry into this challenge because it specifically stated no part clipping, but if the rule doesn't mean anything there's no reason for me to bother.

OP would have been better off just stating "Make an SSTO with a R.A.P.I.E.R. engine on it, we'll vote on who's is the best" and called it good.

You are welcome to submit your entry. Read the rules again.

1) I'm not participating.

2) Hence I'm not eligible to vote.

3) Only participant are allow to vote.

4) You are to win the vote from participant.

5) Be nice to each other for participant, cause they vote for you.

6) You don't like something, you have the right to say it.

7) Read carefully again ALL PARTICIPANT WILL BE LISTED.

Edit: Since I've got some spare times. Let me explain it to you more clearly.

1) Everybody can submit their craft, even they ignore the rules, and they will be listed.

Hence,

2) Participant who don't like rules to be broken, have their right to voice out (pursued) other participant for not vote for him/her.

However,

3) All participant have their right to choose who they like to vote for.

Edited January 21, 2014 by Sirine

[Sirine]

actualy, you can do cockpit view docking, that first module its a docking port

http://imgur.com/a/qbXQb

Yes, I notice that. Well, what I'm trying to say is...You will have a hard time try to dock with that (inline). Compare with "front" docking port.

[Saberus]

Look, I don't have a problem with clipping in particular; you've got a really cool SSTO there, no lie. My problem is that the rules state no Alt-F12 part clipping. Maybe it's allowed through Editor Extensions or something and I'm not being "creative" enough with the rules? Anyway, there are at least two craft I can see here that are on the leaderboard with engines clearly clipped into each other. I thought I might throw an entry into this challenge because it specifically stated no part clipping, but if the rule doesn't mean anything there's no reason for me to bother.

OP would have been better off just stating "Make an SSTO with a R.A.P.I.E.R. engine on it, we'll vote on who's is the best" and called it good.

As of right now, the rule reads as follows:

5) No Alt-F12 part clipping. (Normal means part clipping allow).

The clipped parts on my craft are from the normal SPH allowances for clipping. Saying "everything's clipped" doesn't mean they cheated, or are ignoring the rules.

And the only reason I have two engines clipped into each other is so the damn thing takes off before the end of the runway, and I don't hide that they're clipped because the second engine is rotated 45 degrees.

[regex]

1) Everybody can submit their craft, even they ignore the rules, and they will be listed.

Hence,

2) Participant who don't like rules to be broken, have their right to voice out (pursued) other participant for not vote for him/her.

However,

3) All participant have their right to choose who they like to vote for.

I'm... flabbergasted... That makes no sense. Had I known these were the "rules" from the beginning I would never have posted here. Sorry I even asked.

[Saberus]

I have a few questions about voting:

1: How many votes will each participant receive?

2: If each participant gets more than one vote, can multiple votes be applied to the same craft by a single person?

3: If each participant gets more than one vote, can they choose not to apply all votes?

4: Will participants be allowed to vote for their own entry, or be barred from doing so?

I only ask, because if each participant gets one vote and chooses their own craft, we'll have an n-way tie.

I also know voting is still a ways off, but having these points to ponder might help improve the vote system.

Personally, in the name of sportsmanship, I won't use a vote for my own entry, I'll choose who among my competitors has the best design.