Verti-Shuttle - Efficient, hairbrained, launcher/recovery craft

[saabstory88]

The design of the craft was spurred by my desire to build a "Reusable" SSTO/Shuttle type vehicle, but hindered by my lack of ability at landings. Technically, in lift configuration, it needs some additional boosters (included here), but if it is just recovering payload from orbit, it is fine on it's own. First, the list of mods in use:

FAR

B9

KW

Deadly Reentry

Mech-Jeb (In this case for orbital info, it can so not fly this thing)

I have others installed, but they are not used here, this is the list if you want to use it.

Before I go into the design, here is the Verti-Shuttle. You may begin to suspect something odd, and you'd be right.

Here's some more info on the craft...

Main Engine: Sabre M

Booster Engines: Sabre S x 4

Control: 2.5m SAS (B9 version), Stabilator x 4, Large Airbrake x 4

Payload: Designed for 1.25m based payloads, total payload weight very dependent on ascent profile. No estimates yet.

Crew Capacity: 2

Recovery payload: Theoretically, whatever you can fit in the bay. It could safely deorbit and land a block of lead.

The rationale behind this is that with playing in career mode, that I will eventually need something to go pick up spent boosters from my early career, which, despite my best efforts, are still in orbit. I have used grabber claw vessels in the past, but I thought it might be useful to have something that could recover, say, crewed vehicles.

Ready for launch.

For anyone who cares to down load this craft, here are the ascent and landing profiles:

Ascent Pitch targets:

@1000m - 60º Pitch

@5000m - 50º Pitch

@12000m - 35º Pitch

@20000m - 15 º Pitch

@21000m - Booster Separation NOTE: The aerodynamics of the craft are designed for the boosters to separate THROTTLED UP.

@30000m - 5-10º Pitch

@45000m - Nosecone ejection

This profile has given me at least 2/3 fuel in the main tank after circularization. Landing is easy as pie.

@Orbit - Set periapsis to 20km

@45km - Open 2/4 Airbrakes

@20-25km, near desired landing site Open 4/4 Airbrakes

@10-20km, Adjust airbrake pressure to target landing spot, kill all horizontal speed.

@5km - Deploy landing gear, chute ring #1

@2.5km - Deploy chute ring #2

@Landing... well yeah, it's a rocket landed on it's nose... but it lives!

I don't yet have good decent photo's, but here is the rest of the album: http://imgur.com/a/Q32Bd

As well, for anyone crazy enough to want this in their space program, here is the .craft file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B51D0goiPm7JdE0tVGV6YkdlQVE/edit?usp=sharing

I hope this amuses someone

[rennsport27]

I give you props, I like the design. It's interesting (looking cool doesn't hurt either).

I made something somewhat similar at one point, which is an SSTO booster stage using RAPIER engines that would decouple and deorbit once it's payload was in orbit, and land on 'chutes for recovery. All it was really good for was taking a three man capsule into LKO, so it was eventually replaced by some SSTO shuttle-planes I built. Yours seems more versatile.