Custom radial engine tutorial

[michaelhester07]

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This design system is one I came up with to efficiently launch ridiculously heavy payloads into LKO. Ridiculous on the order of 800 tons or more... with a smooth flight. Thumb through the album to see how to do it.

The reason it works is this: Every part you use with the exception of stack separators, struts, and radial couplers (radials need some testing but I'm pretty sure they dont) can transfer fuel through it to an engine. I used this fact to expand engines out from a center tank to increase the amount of available thrust under a particular tank. By increasing that thrust I can build upward instead of outward. The multiplied thrust means more TWR to get a payload to orbit with. To make custom radial engines you need the following parts:

1. Structural fuselage

2. Small and large girders for larger engine diameters

3. Engines to mount.

4. Some struts for stability

Attach the girder to the center tank. Attach the fuselage to the end of the girder. With angle snap on you can center it. Attach the engine to the bottom of the fuselage (or the top if Jeb's been drinking). Then add a few struts for stability. With a tool that can show your thrust to weight ratio you can then load up on extra fuel or payload to drop the TWR down to around 2.

Why didn't I use a fuel tank for a radial attachment? First, it cuts into the TWR (yes I just said we could load up on extra gas..), and second, it will allow a clean shutdown of all engines when the center tank drains. This makes custom radial engine designs compatible with onion and asparagus staging without early CECOs (which will eat into your total thrust output).

Well I hope to see you all putting heavy payloads into orbit (or making a payload go REALLY FAST).

Edit: I confirmed that the radial decouplers do infact transfer fuel. I'll have to do a tutorial on custom radial couplers then. My current heavy lifter uses stack separators turned sideways to get around this transfer problem.

Edited May 23, 2014 by michaelhester07

[NecroBones]

Heh, I'll have to come back and look again later.