I Don't Get Spaceplanes

[Wanderfound]

Thanks peeps! I've got a space plane working finally. I simplified it and stuck to just a Rapeir Engine. I fluffed the landing, as I thought it would be a good idea to come in a ballistic trajectory to "save time" and pull up the last second... then I span it.

But other than piloting error, it's all go now.

Glad to hear it.

See http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/52080-Basic-Aircraft-Design-Explained-Simply-With-Pictures?p=1310540&viewfull=1#post1310540 for some landing tips if you like.

[MarvinKitFox]

NEAR? You mean FAR?

NEAR is FAR, just less of it.

;-)

okok. NEAR is the cheapskate version of FAR. no aerodynamic breakup, etc..

It fulfills the same function, just more forgiving..

i wouldn't touch it with a 15-foot cattle prod.

Give me FAR, and DRE, and RSS, and TAC, then i'm happy.

[mythic_fci]

Spaceplanes are pretty efficient once you get them built and tested, having wings and jet engines to lessen the drag compared to rockets. And, if you have the skills to aim for a pinpoint landing on the KSC runway (I rarely can), you can get practically every bit of funds that you paid for the spaceplane back minus some of the fuel, therefore it's equivalent to just paying for a bit of fuel and the payload instead of a rocket, the fuel required to launch the rocket AND the payload.

For crew transporters/miniature for-fun spaceplanes, I usually use a Mk1 cockpit as the capsule, then strap a single jet fuel tank with a jet engine and 2 of the smallest rocket fuel tanks with 2 tiny Rockomax engines (the 48-7Ss). After that, add the little bits and pieces and attach the wings and yeah, let's fly.

[Hodo]

I have to agree with FCISuperGuy,

I recently sent a mission to the Mun, it was a SSTO that was refueled in orbit by another SSTO that had a much higher cargo capacity. Once refueled it burned for the Mun achieved orbit, and deployed a lander, which landed and returned to the craft, barely I had a minor fuel calculation error on my part with the lander, burned way to much fuel on landing, and had 2m/s d/v to spare on docking with the mother ship. But the mission went perfectly, the SSTO returned to Kerbin, and landed at the KSC without much of an issue. I think total mission cost was the cost of 2 complete refuels and life support top off for the mun mission and 1 refuel for the tanker.

[MarvinKitFox]

if you have the skills to aim for a pinpoint landing on the KSC runway (I rarely can), you can get practically every bit of funds that you paid

True, but biased towards planes.

I land my SSTO *rocket* on the runway too, and get 100% of its cost back. (okok, usually i land next to the runway, for 98%)

Only fuel used is money lost.

Admittedly, a rocket tends to use more fuel than a plane, but at that level the difference is rather small.

[juanml82]

Well, if it's about realism, any conceivable spacecraft requires extensive overhaul after landing in order to be reused. So, in the spirit of realism, we could say that using SSTO spaceplanes to get 100% recovery minus fuel is as cheaty as air-hogging.

As for the turbojets and high speeds, realistically, that's the territory of ramjets, which are useless at less than match 0.5. So, an orbital vehicle with a ramjet part would need RATO, a larger plane carrier or a combination of regular jets, to get speed. Once at match 0.5, the ramjets can be switched on and, once speed is high enough, the ramjets can be turned off and proper rockets turned on. Which might sort of explain why it isn't tried in real life.

[Hodo]

Well, if it's about realism, any conceivable spacecraft requires extensive overhaul after landing in order to be reused. So, in the spirit of realism, we could say that using SSTO spaceplanes to get 100% recovery minus fuel is as cheaty as air-hogging.

As for the turbojets and high speeds, realistically, that's the territory of ramjets, which are useless at less than match 0.5. So, an orbital vehicle with a ramjet part would need RATO, a larger plane carrier or a combination of regular jets, to get speed. Once at match 0.5, the ramjets can be switched on and, once speed is high enough, the ramjets can be turned off and proper rockets turned on. Which might sort of explain why it isn't tried in real life.

You can do all of that in the Realism Overhaul mod. I have attempted most of that. I had one SSTO space plane, it was close to 300 tons sitting on the ground, and used Kerosene and LO2 just to get to a barely stable orbit of 180.1km x180.01km orbit. It had to use RCS to deorbit and glide back to the nearest landing site, which I think I landed in Texas after that mission. I have since been messing with Linear aerospike rocket engines as the primary engine instead of air breathers.

[cantab]

Or a precooled jet engine, which is what Reaction Engines are working on. We already have the RAPIER based on the Reaction Engines SABRE. Arguably that pre-cooling is a function of the intake more than the engine proper.