Strela III - Light Cargo SSTO! (no airhogging)

[Ravenchant]

Upon finally trying to make a SSTO that does something useful, this happened. I hope you'll find... some use for it

It's not exactly what one would call efficient. The base craft has 94 parts and weighs about 38 tons without payload. Also, there are only 6 ram intakes feeding the 4 RAPIERs. Takeoff is a bit tricky if the plane is fully loaded, because tailstrikes happen rather easily. You may have to wait for the end of the runway to avoid unplanned dissasembly

There are 2 versions of the craft:

- This one has a payload capacity of 7 tons to LKO (actually a bit more, but then it becomes harder to pilot)

- The LR (long range) version, on the other hand, has its cargo bay taken up by a jettisonable fuel tank. (and thus isn't a true SSTO anymore. Oh well...)

So why use the second version if it can't carry any cargo? Well, you may need to return cargo from somewhere, and this gives it extra "range". I haven't tested its limits yet, but the base version can get to Duna if it isn't carrying any payload, or get to the Mun and return. The droptank version should get...further. I'll update when I find out something new.

Meanwhile, here are some random pics!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Launch Profile:

- Lift your front wheel off the runway at around 40 m/s

- Accelerate either until the runway ends or you manage to lift off without scraping the tail section on the ground

- Pitch up to about 50° until 10km or so, then reduce your angle and slowly climb to 20-21 km

- Level off at that altitude and build up all the speed you can. Start gaining altitude again

- When you start to veer left or right and can't counter it with SAS (usually at 23-24 km), press 1- the first RAPIER pair will go closed cycle

- Continue until the plane starts veering again, then press 2 (toggles mode on the second pair) and 3 (toggles intakes). From then on it's business as usual

- With the LR version, the droptank should empty out some time after the switch. Once empty, press 5 to jetisson

(4 merely toggles reaction wheels)

Important: before reentry, shunt all remaining fuel to the forward tanks for stability. Don't say I didn't warn you

Please post suggestions, improvements and critics if you tried it out! Except for more intakes...I wouldn't know where to fit more^^

Edited January 30, 2014 by Ravenchant

[Captain Sierra]

I must replicate this now, ideally with MOAR EVERYTHING. Not sure how, but if I can do that, I can conquer the nemesis that is SSTOs.