鶼 Ji�n (SSI Type 1 Shuttlecraft)

[Elmetian]

Horizon Heavy Industries presents the JiÄÂn, a superlight SSTO designed to take one lucky Kerbal into orbit. Powered by a single turbojet, it speeds to over 2200 m/s before circularising its orbit using only RCS thrusters. This is made possible using tweakables to empty FL-T100 Fuel Tanks of their oxidiser creating an extremely light and compact fuselage. The dihedral winglets and stabilators provide flight stability and extremely good clearance for the dorsal docking port while retaining enough yaw authority to act as rudders. The landing gear is now entirely internal, and the solar panels have been replaced by a radiothermal powerplant for long duration flights. In order to qualify for SSI the JiÄÂn now carries a much larger monopropellant tank, allowing it to comfortably perform shuttle duties to and from stations up to 170km [equatorial].

Action Groups:

1 toggles the turbojet

2 toggles the air intakes

3 toggles the ladder

4 toggles steering on the landing gear

Flight Notes:

Minimum take off speed is now 50 m/s. Pull up to approx 60° with ASAS, then reduce pitch to 45° at 10km and continuing to down to 5° by 20km. The Turbojet can run at max throttle until 39km so no need to worry about flameouts. It's possible to push the apoapsis above 200km using only the turbojet. Aiming for a particular altitude is a little trickier than with a traditional rocket as you need to have a greater awareness of drag losses, so make sure to close the air intakes when you cut your engines to minimise drag. The final glide to landing is a little steeper than most by virtue of its stub wings, and flaring prior to touchdown is recommended (see above video).

Change Log:

Part count increased from 39 to 42
Monopropellant increased from 87.5 to 157.5
Monopropellant tank moved farther backwards to increase stability
Delta Deluxe winglets raised to increase stability and align with air intakes
RCS thrusters rebalanced
SP-L 1x6 Photovoltaic Panels replaced by PB-NUK RTG
Rear landing gear moved inwards
Breaks now only activate on the rear landing gear to avoid tipping forward
Landing lights now toggle with the gear, not with the lights button
Edited May 1, 2014 by Narcosis
Changed craft name and fixed action group 1

[The Destroyer]

VERY Impressive!

[karolk]

Compact and practical, great work as always.

[spaceman1999]

I feel SSI approaching!

[Guest]

Very nice and compact!

[Pluto100]

Holy crow! This plane is outstanding! Nice work.

[kahlzun]

the JiÄÂn, a super light SSTO designed to take one lucky Kerbal into orbit

Have you submitted it to the K-Prize? It's the semi-official thread recognising all SSTO's.

You might be in with a chance for the lightest!

Also: How did you do that sweet .gif?

[Elmetian]

I feel SSI approaching!

I was considering getting in touch with them. I'm pretty certain it could deorbit from a station at 80km, land, and then return, but I'd have to test it. The limiting factor is the amount of monoprop it carries.

Have you submitted it to the K-Prize? It's the semi-official thread recognising all SSTO's.

You might be in with a chance for the lightest!

Also: How did you do that sweet .gif?

Hmmm... The Jian weighs in at 3.96 tons fully fueled. I think I could build an SSTO roughly half that size using a probe body and a command chair. It'd look terrible, but I'm not sure if there's much point in entering with this SSTO if I know smaller ones are possible. While we're on the subject of prizes, the Jian wouldn't look out of place in the old Machingbird contest. Just clocked it at a surface speed of 2288m/s.

As for the gif, I used Fraps to capture it spinning and then imported it into Photoshop. It's quite easy to create gifs like this, though annoyingly the starfield in the background and a slight change in the Jian's orientation means it didn't loop perfectly

[Rune]

I have to say, it looks very much like the one Mesklin showed in the SSTO thread yesterday... but don't take it as criticism! I have also conjured up one myself . Just trying to figure out which of the two of you deserves the rep, because they both look very good (though I slightly lean towards Mesklin's, you sure know how to put on a presentation).

Rune. Only so much we can do different with the same set of parts, right?

[Elmetian]

I have to say, it looks very much like the one Mesklin showed in the SSTO thread yesterday...

I think you're seeing more similarities than there actually are Rune. Mesklin's Torn SSTO is very pretty, but the only things it has in common with mine are the choice of cockpit, the single turbojet, and the dihedral stabilators. Unlike his, mine has Delta Deluxe winglets mounted comparatively farther forward with dihedral rather than anhedral. Our choice of fuel tank is completely different, not to mention mine has no rocket engines or oxidiser.

If there's a reason they look similar it's probably to do with our common design influences. I built the first iteration of a light SSTO in early January. Back then I was going for something that looked similar to the X-37 with canted rudders, but it suffered instability from a high centre of mass so the rudders became stabilators:

Edited February 26, 2014 by Narcosis

[GusTurbo]

Just want to chime in and say that this is awesome.

[Climberfx]

I love your edit and typo.

[Mesklin]

It is very good example of convergent design, but these crafts only looks similar, inside it is very, very different crafts. But I was very impressed when watched at the next day craft with same size as mine .

And Narcosis made great craft: looks cool, very stable in atmosphere, good glider, with enough power in space

[Raven.]

Alright, this got my attention. Very good looking craft and very impressive!

[Rune]

Ok, no worries, I see the differences, and best thing, I have cookies for everyone!

Rune. Sometimes runs out of funny stuff to put here.

[Top8]

What an amazing SSTO!

[barrenwaste]

Liking the smaller planes I've been seeing. Built a vtol about the same size myself.

[Elmetian]

I love your edit and typo.

I'm a tad obsessive about getting things right. Couldn't sleep knowing I'd spelt something wrong

Ok, no worries, I see the differences, and best thing, I have cookies for everyone!

Sorry, think I a got a bit too defensive there. I didn't mean that I wanted rep points (though I appreciate them), I was just a bit surprised about your comparison because I hadn't seen Mesklin's SSTO when I submitted this. Kinda felt like I was being accused of copying him :-/

It is very good example of convergent design, but these crafts only looks similar, inside it is very, very different crafts.

Yeah, I think you and Rune have it right. Limited parts and common influences will lead to convergent designs. Now that I've seen your SSTO I'm intrigued: were aiming for something that looks like the X-33 and/or X-37?

Edited February 17, 2014 by Narcosis

[inigma]

SSI here and we love your design. Great job! Feel free to submit it to our main thread anyways for consideration. If interested in joining SSI as an engineer, let us know too in that thread.

Don't worry if it can't make shuttlecraft certification (undock from 120k, land at KSC, redock at 120k). If anything, it will certainly be featured as an SSI aeroshuttle if interested in including it in our catalog. Read the thread in my sig below, read the OP for submission guidelines. We'd love to showcase it. Again, congrats! And yes, we love small SSTOs. All kinds. The 鶼 JiÄÂn Superlight SSTO adopted as the SSI Jian (Type-1 Aeroshuttle) would be a worthy addition to our catalog.

[Mesklin]

Now that I've seen your SSTO I'm intrigued: were aiming for something that looks like the X-33 and/or X-37?

Nop, I am not aiming to X-33 or X-37 or something like it, I am using my aestetic feelings - how aerospace craft should be looks in reality. And first iteration of this craft was ugly enough with only two pairs of wings, then with 3 pairs (2 pairs backward almost like now), then I replaced forward wings by rotated canards.

After this point I only made craft more cute with one intake on the top of craft and 2 conical details behind side intakes.

[Elmetian]

Don't worry if it can't make shuttlecraft certification (undock from 120k, land at KSC, redock at 120k). If anything, it will certainly be featured as an SSI aeroshuttle if interested in including it in our catalog. Read the thread in my sig below, read the OP for submission guidelines. We'd love to showcase it. Again, congrats! And yes, we love small SSTOs. All kinds. The 鶼 JiÄÂn Superlight SSTO adopted as the SSI Jian (Type-1 Aeroshuttle) would be a worthy addition to our catalog.

Thanks inigma. I've taken some time to redesign the JiÄÂn so that it can qualify as a shuttlecraft rather than as an aeroshuttle. I've posted the proof of certification on the SSI thread as well in my original post here. I hope you'll accept it

[The14th]

I like the improvements you made Narcosis - neat little ship!

Just one thing I spotted, one of the tanks in the craft file still contains oxidiser ~ although maybe you kept if for ballast?

[Elmetian]

Just one thing I spotted, one of the tanks in the craft file still contains oxidiser ~ although maybe you kept if for ballast?

Ahhh, poop... nope, not ballast. Must have clicked on the tweakable by accident at some point. Thanks for letting me know. I've updated the craft file without the unnecessary oxidiser

[inigma]

The JiÄÂn is now SSI certified! Great job! Catalog publication coming soon. See http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/41898-Shuttlecraft-Systems-Inc-%28SSI%29-Your-Auxiliary-Spacecraft-Company!?p=989952&viewfull=1#post989952

[Broco]

That's pretty neat :-P

I like the approach to just use RCS for burns on those light jets. I still have to learn a lot when it comes to minimze part count and efficiency...

But as an excuse: Before going small I was addicted to gigantomy (but don't try to see that as German nature):

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/26768-Anubis-Spaceplane-(SSTO)

Edited February 25, 2014 by Broco