BSC: Aeris 4a - AND THE WINNER IS:

[Ravenchant]

@Ravenchant, my thoughts from my look at the Strela:

Bad points:

It had low control authority during the low portion of the ascent and, critically, the descent; I was unable to control it well enough to glide to a landing. I don't think it was pilot error, I couldn't pull the nose up at all.

I found docking it quite hard.

Overall:

Really liked the plane, but the control problem was a major issue!

Duly noted. When descending, a little throttle can go a long way to stabilize the craft - that's why it has excess liquid fuel in its tanks, but an unpowered descent is indeed hard to pull off. On ascent, having reaction wheels active is a must. I won't update the craft file as Xeldrak has to manage a lot more than usual anyway, but the release version will be better

[LordFjord]

Here goes an update for the Spacegull. I have added a link to this post to my initial entry, no need to update the 1st post.

Spacegull 5 craft file download

I don't know if it got any attention yet by the voters - but by all means of friendly competition - I have to do some self-promiting for this little bird of mine

Spacegull SSTO

for starters

I understand this challenge as to build a craft for beginners, for someone who never built or flew a SSTO before. Something to show that it's possible to fly a plane to space - something to learn from.

engineering

56 parts, very simple design, following a classic "plane" look with low wings instead of a delta-winged fighter. More or less a Mini-Learjet for space. I know a good look also counts.

The engine choice went to RAPIERS in order to keep the transition to space easier. No stacked air intakes.

There is only a single part where some craft-building-tricks were used: the rear wheel to prevent tailstrikes - placed on top and flipped down.

Otherwise you can click this together single-handedly in a few minutes.

It is easy to modify the design: want more fuel? strech the hull, adjust wing placement for CoL position, done (I actually did this to the initial design, as it was shorter).

Want to try a different tail-wing setup? Go ahead, try it.

takeoff and landing

The spacegull is a good glider, it can fly at low speeds, can take off at ~60m/s. A tailstrike-protection rear wheel has been added in order to prevent sudden loss of RAPIERS when pulling up harsh. Front wheel is steerable for better ground agility, it also has disabled breaks - it should never flip on breaking.

flight characteristics

An SSTO for starters should be as stable as possible - during all flight phases - no loss of control or endless spins. And all this while maintaining a good agility. It has a lot more engine power as it really needs, but this makes it also a good plane to fly in low/middle athmosphere. Heck, you can use it as a stunt-plane and cruise around the buildings of KSC.

I dare you to challenge it to get it out of control (with SAS enabled). I managed to do it, but it is really hard - and it stabilizes itself quickly again. Same with reentry from orbit. No fuel-pumping needed, no need to fiddle around with opening/closing air intakes.

range

It will get you to orbit. It leaves a certain margin of error - but you won't go to space if you completely mess up the ascent. The limited range is its only downside, but the challenge is to make a stock SSTO for starters and not an SSTO to everywhere.

utility

It is equipped with a small docking port on the belly. It has plenty of RCS fuel that leaves a lot of margin of error when attempting 1st dockings. It has an equal number of RCS thrusters to the up/down/left/right directions -> the craft will move in a stable way when using RSC.

The gallery also includes a pic with two science pods attached to the wings as an example.

action groups

0 - toggle ladder

how-to goto space?

Its in the craft description - basically the same as for all SSTOs.

Gallery of a sample flight:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

This is a great and fun challenge. The resulting craft is very simple, almost too easy, but I've put a lot of thought into it. Hope you appreciate it

Edited March 11, 2014 by LordFjord

[MiniMatt]

I really do like that "classic" - as you put it - plane look of main wing ahead of the engine pods. Looking through, it seems quite rare (and quite hard to pull off within KSP flight characteristics).

Quick (and very, very pedantic) point on this and a number of entries - personally (and I stress, in bold and everything, personally) I'm not a fan of junior size docking ports on craft of this size. Personally (note, bold again) most of my space stations come with standard and jumbo size ports only; the junior size is only used for self contained small sized delivery systems like, erm, like the Fido rover/lander combo.

[Silverchain]

Starlon and Atalanta ("the wolf that follows, the fawn that flies"?) docked at the 500x500 Kerbin orbital spaceplane perch.

Also present a couple of tugs about to go rescue some other entries that are stranded through my aiming for optimistically high orbits.

Rapid Mk 1 docked at the same station a little while later; an unwieldy Project A4C stands off.

Edited March 11, 2014 by Silverchain

[Cruzan]

Just a heads up Xeldrak, but I made a video for my subscribers letting them know about this contest. I apologize in advance if there are a flood of new submissions!

[Blaster]

After reviewing and analysis, KermaJet has made a slight revision to the power system of the KR100. The original KJ120 was conceived when reaction wheels did not take ample amounts of power to operate, which means the solar panels are now insufficient for the vehicle to maintain optimal performance. The decision was made to replace the solar panels with Radioisotope Thermal Generators, to provide continual power day and night. KermaJet believes the modern RTG systems are environmentally sound enough to be used on aircraft.

Download

[NeatCrown]

There the link to my "Wingspan SSTO" http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/wingspan-ssto/

It can get into an extremely high orbit, and already have a description that I made set to it (just for fun). It may or may not contain air hogging, just to let you know.

Action Groups

1 - Toggle Turbojets

2 - Toggle Aerospikes

3 - Toggle Intakes

0 - Toggle Solar Panels

How to Fly

1) Slowly pitch up to 45 Degrees, watching the speedometer

2) Once apoapsis is at 25 km, slowly move the prograde to horizon level. Result will be about 30-40 km

3) Keep increasing your velocity until apoapsis is at desired altitude. This is the optimum altitude for doing so. Use rocket engines sparingly at this level, if at all. At an occurrence of a flame out, toggle the engines off and re-activate immediately

4) Burn at apoapsis

SAS should always be used

Edited March 15, 2014 by NeatCrown

[KissSh0t]

Starlon and Atalanta ("the wolf that follows, the fawn that flies"?) docked at the 500x500 Kerbin orbital spaceplane perch.

Also present a couple of tugs about to go rescue some other entries that are stranded through my aiming for optimistically high orbits.

http://i.imgur.com/Gg4DuW6.png

Rapid Mk 1 docked at the same station a little while later; an unwieldy Project A4C stands off.

http://i.imgur.com/SaYabIL.png

I'm curious how high did you get Rapid Mk 1?

I've only tested it to 100x100

[TheLeganderyHero]

Too good to miss!

I'm currently designing an ssto for this!

I was sent by Cruzan aswell.

[aarno]

Hello! i actually saw Cruzan's video on the Spaceplane challenge and figured id submit something, unfortunately with 4 days to go thats gonna be a steep order.. but! I remembered I had finished my SSTO for the hanland/spiritwolf thread and figured it would work great here. so I fired it up and remembered one very important part. its not very beginner friendly... in fact I needed a trainer plane just to get a handle on it.(less mass lower partcount single engines)

So im submitting the Trainer..for the UFB

the UFB..T

http://imgur.com/a/26VIp

I should mention the UFB has VTOL capabilities one of the requirements i had for my SSTO's was being able to take off and land on a very small surface area..its partly what i needed the trainer for, it'll fly like a regular plane but y'know heads up its there.

So Action Groups

1.toggle tubojet on/off

2.toggle VTOL on/off

3.toggle Rockomax engines on/off

4.toggle air intakes on/off

while it is fairly stable it is meant to be used with SAS on

the flight path i use for orbit with it is to get it to 20-25k put the nose at 20-25 degrees and hold it till you run out of air(usually around 35-37k) switch to the rockomax and circularize at 60..

https://www./folder/abhia6rq691ua/UFB

[WaRi]

Peregrino:

Compact, fast and versatile SSTO.

Capable of fast climb, aggressive rendezvous, docking, and landing at the airstrip with fuel to spare.

Easy to use, small and reliable.

Download

[Silverchain]

I'm curious how high did you get Rapid Mk 1?

I took it to a 500km near-circular near-equatorial orbit, then made a rendezvous move. I transferred a ton or so of fuel to it from the station as I wanted to be sure it could get back home, deorbited and landed at KSP. I expect my ascent flight had some room for improvement.

[KissSh0t]

I took it to a 500km near-circular near-equatorial orbit, then made a rendezvous move. I transferred a ton or so of fuel to it from the station as I wanted to be sure it could get back home, deorbited and landed at KSP. I expect my ascent flight had some room for improvement.

Very nice.. I'm impressed.. much farther than I imagine it could have gone.

[astecarmyman]

So I guess I took the "redesign" to heart. Looks NOTHING like the original aeris.

It is able to get into LKO fairly easily with a little bit of rocket and jet fuel left.

Powered by 6 small rocket engines and a turbojet engine, it eliminates the problem

of flame-outs and the COM is suitably in front of the COL.

It also comes with 2 missiles for added fun destroying other SSTOs and a VTOL

mode for ground missions. Even though I'm a noob at flying SSTOs I was able to get it into orbit using solely

rocket engines after getting to about 1900m/s at around 30km-ish above Kerbin.

Here are some screenies:

Well if it didnt work here is the actual url: http://imgur.com/a/CBv9X

I actually based the whole SSTO off of one of my VTOL fighters on my youtube channel:

Ksp Maniac

Oh yeah, here are the action groups:

1 - Main engine

2 - VTOL engine

3 - secondary rocket SSTO engines

4 - toggle air intakes

0 - launch da MISSILES!!

This is actually my first SSTO so Im not 100% sure if I have the fuel levels correct.

Hope you like the Aeris-Jumbo-Blitz!

EDIT: I added RCS and Docking capabilities here is the updated craft:

http://www./view/grtok6e97f2imwh/Aeris-Jumbo-Blitz.craft

Edited March 13, 2014 by astecarmyman
Image is supposed to appear did it work?

[Silverchain]

KermaJet believes the modern RTG systems are environmentally sound enough to be used on aircraft.

I'm reading a book called The Martian (about half way through, but I highly recommend it so far!) about an astronaut stranded on Mars.

He's currently very upset about the necessity of keeping an RTG at close quarters.

I feel very bad for my Kerbals, as nearly every crew compartment I fly has at least one RTG strapped directly to it.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Silverchain

[blspblackdeath]

Hello everyone.

Here comes my entry.

It is the Dubble-V11 Shuttle.

http://imgur.com/a/k5A3B

The Successor of the famous Dubble V4 Shuttle.

http://imgur.com/a/Soazz

Which participated on the K-Prize Challange and brought me this entry:

blspblackdeath, ***Astrokerbal Distinction***, *Advanced Pilot Precision Award* with 'Dubble V4 Shuttle'.

Dating back to 0.15.2 the design constantly evolved to the beautiful Dubble-V11 Shuttle.

It brings several advantages to his predecessor:

- docking port

- more intakes (without clipping)

- cockpit escape system (inclusive parachute)

- Sensor Array & Communotron 16 (Comunications & Stuff)

- 6 Wheels (for landing very very save, New Players will love this)

- uses every Stock RCS-Thruster there is

- Energy supported by a RTG

- Fuel to get you to the mun and back (if flown the right way)

- aaaand of course the new R.A.P.I.E.R Engine

Action Groups:

1 Jet Engines toggle

2 Rapier engine toggle

4 Air intakes toggle

10 deploy parachute

ABORT decouple cockpit

Edited March 12, 2014 by blspblackdeath

[BagelRabbit]

Ay, MiniMatt!

When you said 'BSC challenges make you build in the Spaceplane Hangar too much, causing your brain to spew silly ideas until you must make them a reality,' I thought nothing of it...

until...

AUGH!

Well, that ends a couple of hours of attempted sanity. What a shame.

.craft file to anyone who wants it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/er11ixbgpv06lpm/Dock-sun%27d.craft

You may have free ice cream if you can successfully fly this with Kerbals in the command seats.

Anyway, off to make a video about the Plover in action!

[ABalazs]

This is my entry, the brand new X-901-AR spaceplane.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Download

My primary goal was a newbie-friendly, well-balanced, foolproof machine with all of Aeris's capabilities, and this is it. Not too nimble, but extremely stable, even if you try to fly aggressive aerobatic maneuvers with it. If it loses stability somehow anyway (not too probable case), a simple roll maneuver will stabilize its flight. If you screw everything, your test pilot can survive in its detachable, gliding cabin with parachute. Plane can reach LKO easily, with a plenty of reserve, if you fly correctly. The 901 takes off on its own with SAS, and remains balanced during the flight because its fuel management. CoG never moves behind CoL here.

Flight profile:

- Switch on SAS (T) and a turbojet (Action Group 1), throttle to 100%

- After takeoff, close gear, and point 40-60 deg upwards, keep this direction until cca. 16km

- decrease angle to cca. 10-15 deg between 16 and 22 km, keep vert. speed between +10 and +100 mark.

- keep an eye on one of those radial intake's airflow. you can keep throttle at 100% until flow is more than 0.10U

- at 0.10U (cca. 36km) throttle down to 66%.

- at 0.07U throttle down to 45-48% and switch rockets on (Action group 2)

- at 0.05U throttle down to 33%

- at 0.03U switch off the jet engine (Action group 1) and close intakes (AG3)

- now you can throttle up 100%, set your angle to +10-20 deg.

- rise your AP to at least 70 km.

- throttle down to 0

- play with minimal rocket thrust to keep your AP at the level you want to circularize.

- make a circularization maneuver, ideally no more than 100 m/s delta-v needed

- you are on LKO

Action Groups:

1 - Toggles jet engine

2 - Toggles rockets

3 - Toggles air intakes

7 - Deploys parachute

8 - Decouples cockpit (the cockpit alone is stable as well, you can glide it to an ideal landing site)

9 - Opens docking port

Abort - Decouples cockpit and deploys chute

I hope you enjoy your ride.

Edited March 12, 2014 by ABalazs

[Giggleplex777]

I have bad news: the file of final version of my entry got corrupted, and is now lost.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Giggleplex777

[Silverchain]

Cormorant and Dionysus docking in LKO.

Bureny Kerman, SFD*.

(I'm thinking some variant on the wheel-launched infiniglider would be useful at Laythe for hopping short distances between islands.)

(ETA; or indeed Duna or Eve. I don't know much about how the bug works.)

*Silly Flyers Division.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Silverchain

[BagelRabbit]

Bureny Kerman, SFD*.

(I'm thinking some variant on the wheel-launched infiniglider would be useful at Laythe for hopping short distances between islands.)

(ETA; or indeed Duna or Eve. I don't know much about how the bug works.)

http://i.imgur.com/xg2Wkp2.png

*Silly Flyers Division.

I believe there has been a misunderstanding.

My initial design is still the Plover which is a SSTO. This rover is a side contraption, and does not pretend to be an SSTO or anything of the sort. As a matter of fact, if you find it useful, you're probably flying it wrong.

It is merely an entertaining way to pass the time.

By the way, what do you think of it?

[Guest]

Cormorant and Dionysus docking in LKO.

How many times did you flip the Corm before you got it to orbit?

[Giggleplex777]

R-2 SSTO

A medium-ranged SSTO for beginners.

Features:

• RAPIERs - for simplicity
  
• Reaction wheels
  
• Probe core
  
• Docking port
  
• Docking light
  
• RTG
  
• 64 parts
  
• Minimal part clipping (no cheats, some things can be attached if they are placed in the correct order. )
  
• Flies great!
  

Craft Description:

SSTO? ... Check.

Lots of fuel? ... Check.

Oxygen? ... Check.

Snacks? ... Uh-oh...

SSTOs should be big, right?

How to fly:

1. Takeoff and point at 45 degrees.

2. At 10km, pitch down to 25 degrees.

3. At 20km, pitch down to 15 degrees and don't correct it as it slowly raises.

4. Once the intake air is less than 0.08, lower throttle to 2/3.

5. Once the rockets activate, move to 25 degrees and keep burning until the apoapsis is 10km above the desired altitude.

6. Circularize orbit

Action groups:

1: Toggle RAPIERs

2: Manual mode switch

3: Toggle solar panels

4: Toggle docking shield

0: Deploy chute

Download:

R-2 SSTO

[oo0Filthy0oo]

Wholphine Hybrid

http://www./view/uzds56trb347tv6/Wholfine_Hybrid.craft

During (forced) medical leave, Jebediah took an outing to the Kerbal Seaworld for some much needed R&R. After being forcibly removed for undisclosed circumstances, he returned to KSP and designed The Wholphin.

A medium SSTO craft that looks nothing like a Dolphin or an Orca (Killer Whale), but is both dashing and daring (just like it's designer).

- 59 parts

- 20 t fully fueled

- crew: 1 Kerbal

- takeoff speed 60-100 m/s

- 1000m sustained speed 120 m/s

- 2 R.A.P.I.E.R engines

- 6 intakes for you air lovers

- rear (easy access) docking port + docking light

- RCS system (monopropellant 80 units)

- 2 reaction wheels

Action groups:

1 - toggle R.A.P.I.E.R engines

2 - toggle R.A.P.I.E.R engines mode

3 - toggle docking light

4 - toggle air intakes

6 - toggle ladder

0 - undock

Ascent profile for space travel:

- 35-45 degrees 15,000 m

- 15-20 degrees 20,000 -24,000 m

- 5 degrees and accelerate up to 1400-1600m/sec

- will switch at 28,000 m pitch up to 45-50 degrees burn until apoapsis is above 70,000

- coast to apoapsis

- circularization burn

He also released this motion picture.

Edited March 13, 2014 by oo0Filthy0oo
Replacing HTML with BBCode.

[O-Doc]

@Giggleplex777: Where's the jet fuel? It' a bit of a waste carrying around all that spare oxidizer...