Mockheed Lartin - Zephyr Life-Boat, An Emergency Crew Return Gliding Shuttle

[zombiphylax]

The Zephyr life-boat shuttle

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(Download .craft file here (MediaFire))

Inspired by the Kliper, and Dynosoar, the Zephyr was designed to safely return crews home in case of system failures on LKO space-stations.

The launch platform is just barely balanced, so I'd recommend being gentle, but it should be pretty easy to get into LKO without using the Zephyr's fuel.

Landing is pretty straight forward, trim the pitch all the way back, and it'll glide itself in. I'd suggest toggling the brakes on before you touch-down, or it'll have a tendency to bounce around.

[Legendary Emu]

The shuttle cockpit is probably the ugliest I have ever seen. But this looks cool beans enough to use.

[HeadHunter67]

Looks very interesting. I'd like to try it, though I'm not sure exactly what's meant by "trim the pitch all the way back". I'm n ot a flier, I understand what trim is and how to turn it on, but exactly when/how much is meant, that's unclear.

[zombiphylax]

The shuttle cockpit is probably the ugliest I have ever seen. But this looks cool beans enough to use.

Thanks, I agree though; many of the stock spaceplane parts need some sort of artpass, they've been placeholders for years at this point.

Looks very interesting. I'd like to try it, though I'm not sure exactly what's meant by "trim the pitch all the way back". I'm n ot a flier, I understand what trim is and how to turn it on, but exactly when/how much is meant, that's unclear.

Sorry about that, by "trimming the pitch back" I meant so the plane pitches up (alt + s). I prefer to manually tap "s" myself coming in though so I can control speed a bit better.

[HeadHunter67]

OK, that's clear to me now, thanks. Basically results in an unpowered glide like a shuttle re-entry descent?

[zombiphylax]

Exactly. A "reusable" crew return glider.

[astropapi1]

Nice! It's like a Russian inspired Dream Chaser work-alike.

[mythic_fci]

Beautiful! Mind if I reverse engineer it to figure out your trickery?

[zombiphylax]

Nice! It's like a Russian inspired Dream Chaser work-alike.

Exactly, if only the launch platform were as sleek...

Beautiful! Mind if I reverse engineer it to figure out your trickery?

Please do! Though, there's not much trickery, mostly balancing. There's a probe core and a thermal generator in the fuel tank behind the cockpit, but the tank has been emptied of fuel so I don't feel like that's too-cheaty, and there's some slight overlap of the wing parts for blending, but the rest is pretty much what you see.

[zombiphylax]

So, a couple dozen of you have downloaded this, would anyone mind giving me feedback?

[Giggleplex777]

Nice! It's like a Russian inspired Dream Chaser work-alike.

This?

http://www.buran.fr/spiral/img/os.jpg

[astropapi1]

This?

http://www.buran.fr/spiral/img/os.jpg

Pretty much. What the hell is that thing?

[Boomerang]

I dig that design. I've tried throwing together gliding lifeboats like that before but never considered using the big cockpit. Mostly because it's so darn ungainly with anything else. But thanks for the idea!

[zombiphylax]

Pretty much. What the hell is that thing?

Looks like an early BOR prototype to test various systems for the Buran. I was thinking more MiG-105ish, but that looks much closer to what I wound up with...

I dig that design. I've tried throwing together gliding lifeboats like that before but never considered using the big cockpit. Mostly because it's so darn ungainly with anything else. But thanks for the idea!

Thank you. I've done a bit with single-pilot return vehicles, but anymore, why go through the launch to bring them home one at a time if you can bring back a few more for just a little more?

[astropapi1]

Well, last night I "accidentally" screwed up the launch sequence and had to come back to the runway with the full tanks.

All I can say is it flies like a real lifting body.

[zombiphylax]

All I can say is it flies like a real lifting body.

Hahaha!

At least it "flies" though.