My New Cargo SSTO! (It's cute.)

[BagelRabbit]

Hi everyone!

I wanted to see whether it would be possible to make a lightweight cargo SSTO using an Mk3 command pod and a small Mk2 cargo bay.

After a lot of tinkering, it's done!

Presenting...

The GUPPY Payload SSTO.

Pictures!

This SSTO takes off and lands pretty conventionally. It's a good glider: it takes off at less than 100 m/s and can land at only about 50 m/s.

Once in the air, two jet engines and three LF+O engines (as shown) deliver the craft into orbit! Because the Delta-V budget on this thing is tight, you may have to tap into RCS fuel to deorbit, but there's plenty of it to work with.

You can carry payloads of up to a ton in the craft's cargo bay. Payloads I've flown include small satellites, manned maneuvering units, and even a docking adapter with extra RCS fuel!

Additional Features!

> Three-Kerbal Capacity! Because the more the merrier.

> Relative lack of air-hogging! Only two ram air intakes, along with a number of basic air intakes and two of the really long radial ones.

> Reasonably Little Part-Clipping! The worst that I did was clipping wings into wings; there's no clipped fuel in this design.

> Low-ish Part Count! I think it's fewer than eighty parts, but I'm not entirely sure.

> Fully Reusable! At least, if you add on the optional cargo-bay docking port for refueling after landing.

> Good looks! Like a little chubby shuttle, only with jets on the back.

How to Fly:

Please put a payload in the bay before flight. Otherwise, the Guppy will be unstable.

The Guppy lifts off at 90 m/s. After it lifts off, pitch up to 45 degrees, and then eat snacks until it's at 10km.

At 10km, lower your pitch angle to between 10 and 15 degrees to build up speed. The Guppy will want to flip downwards, which is easily combatable but nonetheless good to know.

Watch your Intake Air, and throttle down if the Guppy begins to pitch to one side or the other. If you have the flight profile right, the Guppy should be travelling at about 1,400 m/s at 25km in altitude before you begin throttling down.

At about 30km in altitude, activate the rocket engines, but don't cut the jets yet. Continue to coast upwards at low throttle.

When one of the jets flames out, press the '1' action group to cut the jets by closing the intakes. Throttle the rockets up to full and proceed to orbit!

Land normally... the Guppy is mostly stable on the way back, but try to avoid pitching up too much.

That's pretty much it.

.craft file!

Here you go.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Upsilon

Edited February 28, 2015 by UpsilonAerospace

[Majorjim!]

I absolutely LOVE this! Its a perfectly cute little SSTO. Well done man!

[Foxster]

I'd call it "The Knob".

[problemecium]

Whaddya know, it IS cute!

I bow to you and your superior SSTO aesthetic design powers. You even managed to give it adequate lift without a pile of wings clipped into it.

[eddiew]

Very pretty little craft

[Jakalth]

I suddenly have a picture of Beaker from the Muppets doing an open mouthed stair into the stars from behind it. "Meep"

[Umami]

Slightly smaller than my contribution. Great work.

[DMSP]

I like it, but I can't see the download! I WANT THAT CUTE THING

[Commander Jebidiah]

Hmmmm.... I wonder if I will be able to mount it on the side of an orang tank and SRB's.

[DMSP]

Call it "Chub"

[BagelRabbit]

I absolutely LOVE this! Its a perfectly cute little SSTO. Well done man!

Thanks Majorjim! Coming from you, that means a lot.

(Also, I'm working on another really small Shuttle, and will reveal it soon).

I'd call it "The Knob".

Not a bad name, though I'm not sure whether I'll use it...

Whaddya know, it IS cute!

I bow to you and your superior SSTO aesthetic design powers. You even managed to give it adequate lift without a pile of wings clipped into it.

I just realized that there's a control surface and a wing clipped into the cockpit. I feel a bit guilty, now.

Still, all clipping is purely aesthetic, if that's any comfort.

Very pretty little craft

Thanks! I spent a lot of time on this thing's aesthetics, so that it could look clean and attractive.

I suddenly have a picture of Beaker from the Muppets doing an open mouthed stair into the stars from behind it. "Meep"

"Meep" indeed. Of course, knowing Beaker, he'd likely end up sitting in a pile of smoking rubble by the end.

Slightly smaller than my contribution. Great work.

Can you post a picture of your SSTO here, or maybe PM me or something? I love seeing other peoples' SSTOs, they give me a good deal of inspiration

I like it, but I can't see the download! I WANT THAT CUTE THING

Download isn't out yet. I still want to tweak a few small things before releasing it... but I will release this thing soon.

Hmmmm.... I wonder if I will be able to mount it on the side of an orang tank and SRB's.

You would have to put a rocket engine on the bottom of the orange tank or risk seriously asymmetric thrust. Not a bad idea, though! After I put out a download link, I'll see if I can get it to work...

Call it "Chub"

I might go along these lines and call it either the "Chub" or the "Chubby Goby" or something.

Thanks for the compliments and +Rep everyone! I really appreciate it.

-Upsilon

[BagelRabbit]

Alright! I think I'm done with this craft. (At long last, right?)

It's called...

The GUPPY.

I'll put a download link HERE, as well as in the Original Post.

It's actually a little more difficult to fly than I remember. I'm going to post both a description of How to Fly this Thing on the OP.

Oh, and here's a video of the craft in action!

Well, let me know what you think... and enjoy this thing!

-Upsilon

Edited February 28, 2015 by UpsilonAerospace

[Guest]

It´s getting better and better ... Really nice work at this, Upsilon. Have some rep!

Edited February 28, 2015 by Guest
Thougt there were two SSTO versions. Silly me.

[BagelRabbit]

It´s getting better and better ... Really nice work at both of them, Upsilon. Have some rep!

Hey Kerdinand!

Thanks, man! I actually included the wrong .craft file a minute ago, but it's fixed now. If you've downloaded this craft between my last post and now, I strongly recommend that you re-download this thing. Sorry.

Anyways, let me know how it flies! Thanks for stopping by.

[Guest]

Is it intended that the tanks are nearly empty? There´s few LF and no O at all in them. I can´t fly the Guppy to Orbit with this, but I´m not that experieced SSTO pilot.

[BagelRabbit]

Is it intended that the tanks are nearly empty? There´s few LF and no O at all in them. I can´t fly the Guppy to Orbit with this, but I´m not that experieced SSTO pilot.

No...! That's strange.

Set the Liquid Fuel to full, and the Oxidizer to a little more than halfway full. The fuel tanks are located beneath the wings.

By the way, you can use the Monopropellant engine that's in the back to boost yourself into orbit, if you lack enough fuel to otherwise get to orbit. It only provides twenty extra kN of thrust, but it has a fair deal of Delta-V.

Sorry about this. Is this happening to others, as well?

[Guest]

No...! That's strange.

Set the Liquid Fuel to full, and the Oxidizer to a little more than halfway full. The fuel tanks are located beneath the wings.

By the way, you can use the Monopropellant engine that's in the back to boost yourself into orbit, if you lack enough fuel to otherwise get to orbit. It only provides twenty extra kN of thrust, but it has a fair deal of Delta-V.

Sorry about this. Is this happening to others, as well?

I already noticed the Monopropellant engine when I tried to save Jeb, Bill & Bob from death. It didn´t help;.;. I´ll try with your tank configuration later.

[BagelRabbit]

I already noticed the Monopropellant engine when I tried to save Jeb, Bill & Bob from death. It didn´t help;.;. I´ll try with your tank configuration later.

Sorry to hear... Is there anyone else experiencing this problem? I might have to tweak the .craft file somehow...

-Upsilon

[Kibble]

Aww thats the most adorable spaceplane SSTO!

[Majorjim!]

Thanks Majorjim! Coming from you, that means a lot.

(Also, I'm working on another really small Shuttle, and will reveal it soon).

You are making some great craft Upsilon. any news on the next small SSTO?

[BagelRabbit]

Aww thats the most adorable spaceplane SSTO!

Thanks Kibble!

You are making some great craft Upsilon. any news on the next small SSTO?

Oh, I was referring to my little Space Shuttle-esque craft, the PicoShuttle that you were also playing around with a bit. I finally put landing gear on it... though it's just a handful of m/s away from reaching orbit at present.

I'll update my Tiny Shuttle page when it can reliably reach orbit...

-Upsilon