SSTO fuel station/interplanetary rescue/exploration space plane -Re uploaded-

[Roflcopterkklol]

White lightning mk2

Description: Part count -699

This SSTO carries up to 5000 lf/ox into a 200km+ orbit and is completely reusable once depleted, it can also serve the purpose of a rescue vessel or transport ship (I do not like your chances of getting it to dock with something though)

Quite easy to fly and fairly stable in the atmosphere, SAS only required if you are lazy.

Not tested on FAR or NEAR

Flight instructions:

After take off pitch up to 25 degrees, turn SAS on and enjoy the scenery, at around 35,000m you will need to switch rapiers to closed cycle and turn the nuclear engines on, at around 38,000m you will need to shut down the turbo jets, continue from here until orbit.

You can orbit this much more efficiently if you know how to fly an air hogger, it will do 2000m/s+ in the atmosphere.

Action groups:

1 Toggle turbo jets

2 Toggle rapiers

3 Toggle rapier engine mode

4 Toggle nuclear engines

Resources:

Download link:

http://www./download/i3joocrfij76s5q/White+Lightning+mk2.craft

Some pictures because why not?

Download link:

http://www./download/i3joocrfij76s5q/White+Lightning+mk2.craft

Feel free to let me know what you think of my work.

Take off

10km

15km

21km

25km

30km

34km

40km

100km orbit

Map view of 100km orbit

Accelerating to a more distant position

2000km orbit seems nice, with a lot of fuel left over too.

Map view of 2000km orbit... a lot of fuel left in the reserve tanks.... this journey is not over!

To the Mun!

Hi mun!

This was a pretty scenic picture imo

in 140-150km orbit

in 110-15km orbit

Close fly bye

That was quick, bye mun!

Back to kerbin we go

in 4600km orbit - 500km orbit

Back at kerbin in a snug 500km orbit!

Map view, Lets land this bad boy

Going down (apo aps is at 5km)

easy does it on the way down, not quite so heavy anymore, dont want to stall it

this big missing section is where i totally did not stall it on the way down and have a few very tense moments that did not end until 5000 meters, not at all.

Touch down! with over 2k LF and nearly 3k OX after going to a circle 2000km orbit then into munar orbit followed by low pass followed by a return to 500km orbit before de orbit and landing, what a mouth full.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Roflcopterkklol

[Roflcopterkklol]

Anyone have a suggestion for something they think i should build?

I am thinking about building some ships for orbit to do with killing other ships in orbit, not at all talking about firing missiles at these with huge battleships.... never.... id so do that.

[Majorjim!]

Ok,

You've made quite a few of these. I like the idea of them but I'm wondering why it needs so many parts?

Is there some method in this glorious madness?

[Roflcopterkklol]

Ok,

You've made quite a few of these. I like the idea of them but I'm wondering why it needs so many parts?

Is there some method in this glorious madness?

a lot of the parts are structural, there is a version of this thing at 1200 parts (The one i use) i mean it could have less parts but it would flop around a lot and i would have to ditch assets like air intakes and engines, i think you can get it down to around 400 parts with 4 less engines, less air intakes, and 4 less FL-t800 fuel tanks.

As far as reasoning behind the madness, i never knew there had to be one

I just like building big things, i get finished with a small craft and i am never happy with it because someone has made something nearly exactly the same as it before i did, that and i seem to be better at building large craft, i can not make a SSTO space plane that will go to the mun and return without refueling for under 500 parts lol

i did want a .25 replacement for these two as well, White lightning kinda makes these two look like big silly things

Edited October 24, 2014 by Roflcopterkklol

[eroticjellyfish]

i don't think you put up the correct craft file. the file here has nuclear engines.

[Roflcopterkklol]

i don't think you put up the correct craft file. the file here has nuclear engines.

Should have 12 turbo jets, 6 rapiers and 4 nukes, the 4 nukes are half hidden beside the rapiers, they are assigned to action group 4, you do not need to use them until around 38,000m

Edited October 25, 2014 by Roflcopterkklol

[eroticjellyfish]

Should have 12 turbo jets, 6 rapiers and 4 nukes, the 4 nukes are half hidden beside the rapiers, they are assigned to action group 4, you do not need to use them until around 38,000m

the craft i downloaded has 223 parts. can you check the file again?

[Redshift OTF]

I love the way you housed the engines the way you did.

[Roflcopterkklol]

the craft i downloaded has 223 parts. can you check the file again?

Ooo you are right, i have two different craft files up, fairly sure the other white lightning does not work.

http://www./download/i3joocrfij76s5q/White+Lightning+mk2.craft

Have changed it in the OP.

Must be a few people that know their way around my mediafire, there were still 16 downloads on this link lol

I love the way you housed the engines the way you did.

Thanks man, took a while to end up with that final set up.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Roflcopterkklol

[CDK]

W. O. W. WOW! That's so, HUGE, GIGANTIC, and, GIGANTICLY HUGE!!

[Gord Nord]

Your stuff looks awesome! Is that all stock?

I'm working on making on making my own SSTO similar to yours, and I was wondering if you had any tips on how to make it more structurally sound? Mine has a bit of a neck, and all I can think to do to stop the wobble is add a ton more struts.

I should mention the neck needs to be exposed, it has a cargo bay and a docking port.

[Roflcopterkklol]

Your stuff looks awesome! Is that all stock?

I'm working on making on making my own SSTO similar to yours, and I was wondering if you had any tips on how to make it more structurally sound? Mine has a bit of a neck, and all I can think to do to stop the wobble is add a ton more struts.

I should mention the neck needs to be exposed, it has a cargo bay and a docking port.

Neck flex?

This is how i solve it on large craft, it really is just a case of more space tape 90% of the time, feel free to throw anything at me if you are having problems, i dont mind throwing my problems at other people so i should probably return the favour lol

Place a cubic strut, then attach a strut to each

place struts on the far side of the cargo bay and connect to the docking port

Place two more cubic struts on the face of the cargo bay and turn them upside down, then connect a strut to each and to the next section of the plane, you can do this all the way along after the cargo bay.

makes the core of the craft at least 3 times stronger.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Roflcopterkklol

[Gord Nord]

That is a really good idea, and it definitely solved my problem, thanks!

[Roflcopterkklol]

Guys im sorry but i think the wrong craft file has been up here for a while... again....

I think 23 of you have downloaded this instead of the craft in the OP, FYI this craft does not fly

I was looking in the wrong save file for some silly reason.

If you have this plane please re download.

Here is the correct download link

http://www./download/i3joocrfij76s5q/White+Lightning+mk2.craft

This craft looks like this. please let me know if anything is wrong lol

Edited October 26, 2014 by Roflcopterkklol