Firefly Launch System (FLS): New Crafts! The FLS KLAW series!

[Stratzenblitz75]

Greetings all!

May I present to you something that has sucked up a surprising amount of my time to develop, The Firefly Launch System:

* If you are allergic to moderate part clipping, do not proceed any further *

Introduction:

The Firefly Launch System is collection of Turbo Jet Powered reusable SSTOs designed to lift heavy payloads at minimum cost. Each FLS SSTO only has 2 Ram air intakes per engine so I think it qualifies as a "non-airhogger" (however it really depends on what your definition of a "non-airhogger is"). What makes FLS SSTOs unique is how they are built. By placing the Jet engines and intakes one-by-one, I was able to "trick" the game into sharing intake air equally across all the engines of the SSTO. As a result, all engines burn at the same thrust without having to shut off pairs of engines or throttle the engines down. What difference does this make you ask? A huge difference. A very HUGE difference. My current line up of FLS SSTOs outperforms previous airhogging variants that had 4 intakes per engine! The new versions actually can get their apoapsis out of the atmosphere on jet power alone whereas the airhoggers needed heavy assistance from rocket engines. They use less fuel too! To demonstrate this, just try building a replica of a FLS SSTO and try to get it into orbit by shutting off engines in pairs or throttling down. I can guarantee you that the replica will not make it anywhere near orbit without assistance from rocket engines.

All FLS SSTOs are powered by FLS Pulsar Boosters, 2.5 meter engine cores consisting of 4 Turbo Jet engines and 8 Ram Air intakes:

NOTE: If you use the FLS Pulsar Boosters on your craft, be sure to place them one at a time. Do NOT use Symmetry.

With that out of the way, lets take a look at FLS Fuel Tanker line up, now known as the "original series" (Launch vehicle sub assembly in parentheses)

--- FLS Deimos-3600 Fuel Tanker (FLS Deimos-21 Booster) ---

Description:

The smallest of the FLS Fuel Tanker line up, the Deimos-3600 is capable of lifting 1 Kerbodyne S3-3600 tank or 20.5 tons of payload into a 75 Km orbit. It is powered by 1 Pulsar Booster and, unlike its larger brothers, it does not come with a RCS Tug to assist in docking.

Specs:

Parts: ---------------------------- 97

Cost: ---------------------------- 56605.9 Funds

Payload Cost: -------------------- 9560 Funds

Launch Vehicle Cost: ------------- 47045.9 Funds

Launch Vehicle Fuel Cost: -------- 463.7 Funds

Payload mass: ------------------- 20.6 Tons

Launch Vehicle Mass: ------------ 10.82 Tons

Total Mass: --------------------- 31.42 Tons

--- FLS Charon-7200 Fuel Tanker (FLS Charon-41 Booster) ---

Description:

The Charon-7200 is capable of lifting 1 Kerbodyne S3-7200 Tank or 41 tons of payload into a 75 Km orbit. Comes with a RCS Tug and funky purple lights

Specs:

Parts: ---------------------------- 166

Cost: ---------------------------- 116253.8 Funds

Payload Cost: -------------------- 18400 Funds

Launch Vehicle Cost: ------------- 97853.8 Funds

Launch Vehicle Fuel Cost: -------- 927.4 Funds

Payload mass: ------------------- 41.4 Tons

Launch Vehicle Mass: ------------ 22.86 Tons

Total Mass: --------------------- 64.26 Tons

--- FLS Triton-14400 Fuel Tanker (FLS Triton-82 Booster) ---

Description:

The workhorse of the FLS Fuel Tanker line up, the Triton-14400 is capable of lifting 1 Kerbodyne S3-14400 tank or 82 tons of payload into a 75 Km orbit. The Triton-14400 is the largest FLS Fuel Tanker that does not suffer any noticeable lag (at least on my end). Comes with a RCS tug and funky sky-blue lights.

Specs:

Parts: ---------------------------- 274

Cost: ---------------------------- 206,731.5 Funds

Payload Cost: -------------------- 26,800 Funds

Launch Vehicle Cost: ------------- 17,9931.5 Funds

Launch Vehicle Fuel Cost: -------- 1854.8 Funds

Payload mass: ------------------- 82.4 Tons

Launch Vehicle Mass: ------------ 44.9 Tons

Total Mass: --------------------- 127.3 Tons

--- FLS Io-21600 Fuel Tanker (FLS Io-123 Booster) ---

Description:

The first of the FLS Fuel Tankers to use a nuclear engine, the Io-21600 is capable of lifting 1 Kerbodyne S3-14400 tank and 1 Kerbodyne S3-7200 tank or 123 tons of payload into a 75 Km orbit. Comes with a RCS Tug, a detachable LV-N Atomic Engine, and funky red lights. Warning, this craft suffers from mild lag. However, it is still completely flyable.

Specs:

Parts: ---------------------------- 432 (MILD LAG WARNING)

Cost: ---------------------------- 318029.2 Funds

Payload Cost: -------------------- 43000 Funds

Launch Vehicle Cost: ------------- 275029.2 Funds

Launch Vehicle Fuel Cost: -------- 2782.2 Funds

Payload mass: ------------------- 123.4 Tons

Launch Vehicle Mass: ------------ 69.93 Tons

Total Mass: --------------------- 193.33 Tons

--- FLS Titan-28800 Fuel Tanker (FLS Titan-164 Booster) ---

Description:

The flagship of the the FLS Fuel Tankers, the Titan-28800 is capable of lifting 2 Kerbodyne S3-14400 Tanks or 164 tons of payload into a 75 Km orbit. Comes with a RCS Tug, a detachable LV-N Atomic Engine, and funky orange lights. Warning, this craft suffers from moderate lag. It is still completely flyable but time-dilation makes orbiting take longer that the other FLS Fuel Tankers.

Specs:

Parts: ---------------------------- 566 (MODERATE LAG WARNING)

Cost: ---------------------------- 409136.9 Funds

Payload Cost: -------------------- 51400 Funds

Launch Vehicle Cost: ------------- 357736.9 Funds

Launch Vehicle Fuel Cost: -------- 3709.6 Funds

Payload mass: ------------------- 164.4 Tons

Launch Vehicle Mass: ------------ 90.66 Tons

Total Mass: --------------------- 255.06 Tons

--- Download FLS Original series ---

As you can see all of these SSTOs are fairly efficient, with the cost per ton lifted to orbit being around 22 funds.

How to Fly:

This Imgur album will walk you through the flight profile of a FLS SSTO. All of the FLS SSTOs have the same flight profile.

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NOTE: If you just want to refuel a station and bring the fuel tank back to Kerbin, do NOT undock the fuel tank. If you do this, all the struts will break and horrible things will happen if you try to take it back to Kerbin. Instead, dock the entire SSTO to your refueling port and then transfer the fuel.

The Io-21600 and Titan-28800 have a nuclear engine that can be detached and used for some other purpose (like an interplanetary tug). If you do this, press AG 5 to activate the backup 48-S7 engines for de-orbiting.

In case of emergency, press ABORT to shutoff all the engines on the craft.

If one of the side boosters fails, click on the radial decoupler and detach it and the booster opposing it to balance the thrust. If the payload is too heavy for the remaining boosters to have a TWR greater than 1, then press AG 4 to decouple the payload. Remember, the launch vehicle is far more expensive than the payload so try to save it if you can. Each side booster can be controlled individually and they come with a solar panel and a battery to stay powered during lengthy "accidents".

Here are two examples of a typical FLS SSTO flight.

Titan-28800 Fuel Tanker:

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Triton-14400 Fuel Tanker:

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Edit --- 9/14/2014 ---

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Introducing the FLS KLAW series!

FLS KLAW lifters are designed to be more reusable than their FLS Fuel Tanker counterparts. Where the FLS original series lifters had to be recovered after every launch, the FLS KLAW series lifters can be reused indefinitely. This is thanks to their underside mounted ARM klaw which allows them to "grab" payloads.

The FLS KLAW series includes three lifters:

--- FLS KLAW Charon-7200 ---

Description:

The smallest FLS KLAW lifter, the FLS KLAW Charon-7200 is capable of lifting 41 tons of payload into a 75 Km orbit. Comes with a RCS Tug and funky purple lights.

Specs:

Parts: -------------------------------- 260

Total Cost: -------------------------- 126647.8 Funds

Launch Vehicle Cost: -------------- 125647 Funds

Launch Vehicle Fuel Cost: -------- 1000.8 Funds

Total Mass: ------------------------- 26.28 Tons

--- FLS KLAW Triton-14400 ---

Description:

The workhorse of the FLS KLAW series, the FLS KLAW Triton-14400 is capable of lifting 82 tons of payload into a 75 Km orbit. Comes with a RCS Tug and funky sky-blue lights.

Specs:

Parts: -------------------------------- 423 (MILD LAG WARNING)

Total Cost: -------------------------- 212202 Funds

Launch Vehicle Cost: -------------- 210237.1 Funds

Launch Vehicle Fuel Cost: -------- 1964.9 Funds

Total Mass: ------------------------- 48.56 Tons

--- FLS KLAW Io-21600 ---

Description:

The largest of the FLS KLAW series, The FLS KLAW Io-21600 is capable of lifting 123 tons of payload into a 75 Km orbit. Comes with 2 RCS Tugs and funky red lights.

Specs:

Parts: -------------------------------- 513 (MODERATE LAG WARNING)

Total Cost: -------------------------- 304004.5 Funds

Launch Vehicle Cost: -------------- 301002.1 Funds

Launch Vehicle Fuel Cost: -------- 3002.4 Funds

Total Mass: ------------------------- 72.6 Tons

For all of the FLS KLAW lifters, the payload must be loaded separately. There are three payloads provided with the FLS KLAW series:

- FLS Fuel Tank 7200 -

Parts: --- 22

Cost: ---- 18968 Funds

Mass: --- 41.4 Tons

- FLS Fuel Tank 14400 -

Parts: --- 24

Cost: ---- 33368 Funds

Mass: --- 82.4 Tons

- FLS Fuel Tank 21600 -

Parts: --- 28

Cost: ---- 49568 Funds

Mass: --- 123.4 Tons

All these fuel tanks are available in the SPH and as sub-assemblies.

The FLS Fuel Tank Tug is designed to transport these heavy fuel tanks:

--- FLS Fuel Tank Tug ---

Description:

The FLS Fuel Tank Tug does what it says on the tin; it moves FLS Fuel Tanks. Has space for 1 Kerbal to perform maintenance on FLS KLAW lifters.

Specs:

Parts: --- 51

Cost: ---- 19289 Funds

Mass: --- 6.26 Tons

--- Download FLS KLAW series ---

This Imgur album will walk you through how to use a FLS KLAW lifter:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Here's an example flight of a FLS KLAW lifter

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That's all for now. Hope you find some use in these SSTOs!

Edited September 14, 2014 by Stratzenblitz75
Added FLS KLAW series

[TheBarnetts]

That's a really awesome design. I wish they had some 3 meter engines so I could do something similar/larger without having 100 engines.

[Foxster]

Very kewl designs!

I do get a little bored with babying loads into orbit and tend to leave it mostly to MechJeb. Is there a Mechjeb ascent profile that will do most of it with these?

[Yakuzi]

Great find on the one-by-one engine/intake placement and very nice looking lifters!

+rep

[Stratzenblitz75]

That's a really awesome design. I wish they had some 3 meter engines so I could do something similar/larger without having 100 engines.

Same here. Larger Turbo Jets would cut down on a lot of lag for the heavy lifters. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like we'll get such engines in the stock game soon...

Very kewl designs!

I do get a little bored with babying loads into orbit and tend to leave it mostly to MechJeb. Is there a Mechjeb ascent profile that will do most of it with these?

Thank you! Yeah, I agree that "babying loads into orbit" is kinda boring. I'll play with the MechJeb ascent profile and see if I can come up with something.

Great find on the one-by-one engine/intake placement and very nice looking lifters!

+rep

Thanks man! I appreciate it

[quasarrgames]

Great work man! kdos for finding this.

But, how did you make it work? It doesn't work for me.

[Stratzenblitz75]

Great work man! kdos for finding this.

But, how did you make it work? It doesn't work for me.

What do mean? Does the craft file not work? Or are you having trouble with the building technique?

If you're having trouble with the technique, The trick is to build your craft first without any engines or intakes, then (without symmetry) place 1 jet engine, then place 2 intakes. Repeat this until you have the desired amount of jet engines. Once you do this you cannot move the jet engines or intakes as this will reset the intake flow. I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense, I'll have to make a dedicated tutorial for this.

[quasarrgames]

What do mean? Does the craft file not work? Or are you having trouble with the building technique?

If you're having trouble with the technique, The trick is to build your craft first without any engines or intakes, then (without symmetry) place 1 jet engine, then place 2 intakes. Repeat this until you have the desired amount of jet engines. Once you do this you cannot move the jet engines or intakes as this will reset the intake flow. I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense, I'll have to make a dedicated tutorial for this.

Oh. Thank you! It makes perfect sense, i was just trying it with only one intake per engine instead of two. When i tried two, it worked!

Rep to yoo, good sir!

[Stratzenblitz75]

Very kewl designs!

I do get a little bored with babying loads into orbit and tend to leave it mostly to MechJeb. Is there a Mechjeb ascent profile that will do most of it with these?

I tried, oh did I try, but mechjeb hates me:

Most of my flights ended like this...

Oh. Thank you! It makes perfect sense, i was just trying it with only one intake per engine instead of two. When i tried two, it worked!

Rep to yoo, good sir!

Hmm, The trick should have worked with 1 intake per engine. Are you sure you built it in this order?

Jet engine

Intake

Jet engine

Intake

...

Nevertheless, thank you for the rep!

[Stratzenblitz75]

Introducing the FLS KLAW series! These lifters are equip with ARM Klaws which makes them more reusable than the FLS Original series. See the main post for more details:

[linuxgurugamer]

Really nice ships.

What mods were you using for this? And are the craft files available for download?

[Stratzenblitz75]

Really nice ships.

What mods were you using for this? And are the craft files available for download?

Thanks

These are stock crafts so no mods were used. Although, They were built in 0.24.2, I have no idea if they still work in 0.9. I mean, they should still function if the intake air logic hasn't been changed but you never know.

You can download the individual craft files by clicking on the title of the craft:

--- FLS Titan-28800 Fuel Tanker (FLS Titan-164 Booster) ---

Or you can download the full series here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nzg8pht210e12ip/Firefly%20Launch%20System%20(Original%20series).zip?dl=0

Yeah, I know, its confusing, and I should probably change it.