0.25 Spaceplane

[deepspacecreeper]

Hello guys! 0.25 is out, and I kinda played around with the new spaceplane parts (technically not new), and they were awesome! So I decided to make a spaceplane to carry my Kerbals to my space station. I wanted to design one with lots of excess fuel for my sloppily-done rendezvous, and also not too large nor too expensive. I scrapped a few designs and finally came up with this.

This spaceplane can carry 5 Kerbals to a space station and has a generous amount of fuel for orbital maneuvering (around 500 to 900 m/s delta-v) cause I brought some LV-Ns on it. This thing can also get up to Keostationary transfer orbit, and with proper aerobraking, it has just the right amount of fuel to return home. It features 2 RAPIERs, 2 jettisonable turbojets, and of course, nukes. It is technically not a SSTO because of the staged turbojets.

I also made one cargo variant which is a few posts downward, but the download link here will also show you that variant. That thing can bring 2t to Keostationary transfer orbit.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/96746-0-25-Spaceplane?p=1477043&viewfull=1#post1477043

I tested this plane many times and I finally worked out a plan which could maximize delta-v on this particular plane.

(Reaching orbit with FAR installed not guaranteed. Only tested in stock aerodynamics. Please tell me if this could get into orbit in FAR.)

How to fly this plane:

Action groups:

1. Toggle RAPIERs

2. Toggle RAPIER mode

3. Toggle LV-Ns

4. Toggle intakes

1. Activate RAPIERs and turbojets through staging. Take off as usual, climb at 45 degrees.

2. At or above 17000m, pitch down to 20-30 degrees. Doing this too early will make it hard to pitch up later.

3. Once the RAPIERs switch to rocket mode, activate staging immediately to jettison dedicated turbojets and activate LV-Ns. Don't try to wait until the jets go flameout. This should happen at 20000m.

4. Close intakes with action group 4. Pitch up to 45-50 degrees. The engines have low TWR and sacrifice that for delta-v so it is important to pitch up.

5. Once the apoapsis reaches your target orbital altitude (e.g. 75000m) minus 10000m (e.g. 65000m), switch off the RAPIERs with action group 1 and pitch down to 30 degrees. Continue to fire LV-Ns. Saves fuel here.

6. Cut throttle, set up a maneuver node for orbital insertion (do it quickly!), then immediately throttle up and burn at the node with LV-Ns. Don't wait and coast to 30s before apoapsis! (The node should be a bit more than 1 minute away right after setting up node).

7. When the node reaches T-15, fire up those RAPIERs again with action group 1. Switch them off again after around 20 seconds or when the remaining burn is 100 m/s delta-v.

8. This ascent profile is meant to maximize delta-v for this particular spaceplane. You should have around 500-900 m/s remaining for an orbital rendezvous. If you only have 100 oxidizer, you will have less than 500 m/s. If you have 300 oxidizer, that translates to 900m/s.Only use LV-Ns for orbital maneuvers.

10. Deorbit the spaceplane. Turn off the LV-Ns with action group 3, switch on RAPIERs and change their mode with action group 1 and 2. Open the intakes with action group 4 as well.

12. Do this step right after you finish the last step. Finish this step before you fire up your RAPIERs in atmosphere mode. If insufficient liquid fuel for landing remain in the FL-T800s...

Option 1:

The traditional (lazy) way.

Transfer fuel from the middle bicoupler to the 2 FL-T800s or the RAPIERs won't function. Try to distribute the fuel evenly between the two tanks as much as possible. You only have to do it for liquid fuel, not the oxidizer.

Option 2:

For people who are OCD about even fuel distribution.

Transfer all the fuel into the middle bicoupler. Disable all of the fuel tanks on the side of the spaceplane, including liquid fuel-only fuselages (but not the bicoupler in the middle), by accessing the option through right clicking the fuel tank. You only have to do it for liquid fuel, not the oxidizer. Then the RAPIERs will feed from the middle tank.(Well, this is how the game's code works). No more worrying about unbalanced fuel distribution

Download link (Dropbox):

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3dseqqh1dru22en/AAA1r_z9pU_ncMCaOFzPNISwa?dl=0

(Links to the Dropbox folder which contains the .craft file, flying instructions, and a picture of the spaceplane. You can choose which to download.)

Thanks everyone.

I would like to quote Scott Manley's catchphrase:

Fly Safe.

Edited November 4, 2014 by deepspacecreeper

[astropapi1]

The pic isn't showing, although here's the direct link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/per4qepiuqedo2i/front_Spaceplane_1.png?dl=0

You should use imgur instead, it's free and very simple.

[deepspacecreeper]

The pic isn't showing, although here's the direct link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/per4qepiuqedo2i/front_Spaceplane_1.png?dl=0

You should use imgur instead, it's free and very simple.

Picture uploaded! Thanks.

The link to the picture in dropbox has been deleted.

(NOT the download link)

Edited October 14, 2014 by deepspacecreeper

[deepspacecreeper]

Cargo version coming soon...

I am currently modifying the craft to allow 2t payloads delivered to Kerbin orbit.

[deepspacecreeper]

Hello again! This time I made the cargo variant of the spaceplane.

This thing can bring a 2t space probe into Keostationary transfer orbit and has just enough fuel to return. with proper aerobraking of course.

Go to the Dropbox link for downloads.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3dseqqh1d...OFzPNISwa?dl=0

[akron]

Looks awesome, although it is technically not a SSTO Spaceplane because you do jettison a stage.

[deepspacecreeper]

Looks awesome, although it is technically not a SSTO Spaceplane because you do jettison a stage.

Yeah it is *virtually* SSTO but not technically.

The idea of dropping the twin turbojets came from the new stock craft "Stearwing D45".