Jump to content

Reach for orbit with an ion glider!


Recommended Posts

How about once your up to this speed could you detectch the wings as they are not as much use when you get high. Or maybe a whiteknight design?

Getting to orbit, if it's possible at all, will almost certainly require multiple stages. It's possible that a final stage would ditch the wings, but with a maximum TWR of about 0.5 I don't think we've reached the point where that would work yet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the end I did give this ago. My plan is to add a second smaller craft on top and let it go once high up. But not sure if it would work.

Anyway this is my entry for for now.

I9NXaRY.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So ion engines don't get blocked by other engines attached directly behind them? Iiiinteresting. Veeery iiiiinteresting.

Here's my latest attempt:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

33524m, 1430 m/s. I actually ended with both numbers a bit higher, but the screenshot just didn't take.

I think if it's going to be possible, it will have to start off as a very large glider, with a lot of staging to maintain a TWR above 0.5 the whole way

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started with 3 engines, dropped one of them along with the first pair of xenon tanks

Grenidus, are you able to post any more pictures of the craft or the flight?

What you're showing there just doesn't seem possible. Are you using any mods, and are you sure you didn't use flapping control surfaces to gain speed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

High Flyer Leaderboard:

2. zarakon - 3106.2

4. totalitor - 2642.1

1. Tarantulae - 2302.4

3. ttnarg - 1843.3

5. DeMatt - 1681.2

6. cyberklad - 1536.4

7. MaverickSawyer - 1002.6

Can the leaderboard also have the altitude and air speed recorded?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Score = 1921: max orbital speed = 777 m/sec at an altitude of 22,880 m

I gave a multistage ion glider a shot. I ran into a weird aerodynamics issue around 22,000m that forced me to fire the last stage earlier then I would have liked...

M05q4aOl.jpg

ea7ibhjl.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best I can come up with so far.

3O0RsIi.jpg

Massively infini-assisted but that happens when you use small control surfaces as wings. They are the best things to use though as they have the greatest lift to mass ratio of any wing surface.

Edit: It is carrying a Kerbal though!

Edited by Redshift OTF
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...