Well worth it, only way I can describe it is it's like Lego for big kids. Anyway Spirit Of Kerbel 4 is up, and running so instead of going straight to a redsign of the Eelprise thought I would try my hand at SSTO design, boy is that one steep learning curve, however after much trial and error I managed this. SSTO 4.3 (Needs an official name and not a test number) SSTO 4.3 on approach to Spirit Of Kerbel SSTO 4.3 docked and ready for refuel This was a close run thing, ran out of rocket fuel on approach slow down, managed to get it slowed down just enough to start the dock, and managed to dock with only 4.0 left on the monoprop. Needs some refinement but at least it works.
That is a really cool design.. I'm trying to make an SSTO that can get to the moon... It is HARD~!!!~!@@!~~!1 The big one in my previous screenshot is the early version, I've stripped it down and building the inside again this time with 4 TurboJets, 2 Aerosospike, 4 Rockomax 24-77.. and 2 Nuclear. At least with yours, when you get up to your fuel depot you can refuel it!! xD Your SSTO takes off vertical?
I can imagine, the issue at the moment is that their is really no benefit to an SSTO or more correctly their is no dis advantage to just using a regular multi stage rocket delivery system, cost, complexity and potential for stuff to go wrong doesn't really matter, it is far simpler and far quicker to just build a regular multi stage rocket system. Yeah it's kinda cool to achieve and build something that can go up and come back in one piece but the flight dynamics are so crazy unstable that it is trial and error all the way. Nope horizontal run way launch and having the fuel depot in orbit does help a ton, means all I need is enough fuel to get me to the depot and I am good but just now I have no plans for an inter plantery SSTO, just wanted to see if I could build an SSTO that could be used to shuttle 3 Kerbels up to the refuelling station.
That's the challenge of SSTO!! trying to make one that works good!! xD My new top speed for an air breathing jet... 2102.4m/s !!! And that's not a small little Jet Either!!! 3 Kerbals!! I want to try making a jet like the XB-70 Valkyrie.. or the SR-71 Blackbird.. That could be fun.
My first Mission for the Mun!!!! Launching a small rocket aircraft from a fast air breathing flying wing!!!… This took me so long to build (゜-゜) The idea was to launch the rocket aircraft into orbit around Kerbin, then switch back to the flying wing, land it safely, then switch to the small rocket aircraft and fly it to the mun. Although it didn’t exactly go as planned. First I couldn’t regain control of the flying wing, and it crashed into the ocean, that’s okay I guess it was a UAV so no Kerbals were killed. I then proceed to Shoot for the mun. Finally got close to the mun!!! Then closer.. Then Closerrrr… Thennn… I hit the mun. Reason.. I ran out of fuel right before touchdown.. But!!! Jebediah Kermin Survived!! The cockpit for my ship survived the impact, although the rest of the ship bounced off sideways and exploded. Well, Guess I’ll have to send another ship to save Jebediah.
So a quick update on the mission to Eeloo. Took a while to get my fuel station rebuilt and decided on a redesign for the Eelooprise, my original design just had too much power, was too unstable and burnt through fuel far to fast. I wanted to stick with sending my command module up and then sending up a drive section to hook up and then refuel the whole thing in orbit but scrapped that when it became obvious the game seems to have issues with this so ended up with The Eelooprise E, command and drive section sent up in one go. Eelooprise on approach to refuelling station. Refuelling Prepping for system exit, this was the fourth pass and finally had built enough speed to escape Kerbin orbit. Using the Mun to slingshot, Kerbin on the right. Slingshot complete on the way out of the Kerbin system Big burn this was a 2900m/s speed change needed to match orbit planes with Eeloo In the Eeloo system on course, by this stage I had come to realise that this would be a one way trip. Match planes took a huge amount of fuel as did burn needed to increase my Helio orbit to encounter Eeloo. Last image, got in to orbit transferred the last of the drive section fuel to the command module and disengaged, started to enter Eeloo atmosphere and managed to get this picture before clipping a 2000m high hill Eelooprise and all 3 Kerbels lost.
Yeah made a bit of a mess of the links, should all be working now. As for trying again, yeah but Eelooprise D got dropped while Kerbin orbit, too unstable and had endless issue getting the rockets to work correctly only problem was this was after I had refuelled it. The Eelooprise E failed so I am not sure how much fuel is left on the station. Dunno if Eelooprise F will have more fuel tanks for a return journey I could have plotted my approach to Eeloo better and saved a good deal of fuel.
Make a really sturdy ship... Try out doing groupings or rockets on a red fuel tank for the outer space stage.. like.. 4 or 5 nuclear bundled under a big red.. or 2 big reds? Something like that. Are you doing asparagus staging on the lifter?
No, I can see the logic if the objective is to get in to orbit with as much fuel as possible but from what I can see it has some serious down sides. You spend less time with maximum thrust potential, i.e you burn through stages quicker so drop your rockets quicker you then also enter the last stage with a lower TWR since you'll be carrying more fuel.
Finally landed safely on the Mun~! and my previously stranded Kerbal Slowly jets across the Mun to my Rescue craft.
I feel that after spending about 2 months trying to make SSTO aircraft.. .everything else is simple'er// xD What I really need to do is make a buggy to move quicker on the moon. I mean Mun..
TWR is not as big of a deal once you're in space. Your launch engines will be less efficient than the engines on your last stage. You want a big full tank attached to your more fuel efficient space engine. Try this: Make a "normal" rocket with a center orange tank and six radially mounted fuel tanks and engines. Have all of the radial engines drop at the same time. Launch it and fly straight up. See how high you get. Next: Try the same thing but with asparagus staging. You will get much farther.
Well attempt two The redesigned Eelooprise G, and yes this does use the aforementioned Asparagus staging and it worked very nicely, if being a tad difficult getting the fuel transfer lines et up right More fuel, hopefully enough to get there and back this time. In a stable orbit round Eeloo, fuel transfer complete and detaching the lander. Only problem being that three times the fuel as the Eelooprise D meant three times the weight which in turn meant more fuel being needed to do transfers, so again a one way trip. On approach to Eeloo, wanted to land on the light side but ended up on the darkside Down and planting the flag The Eelooprise with Bill and Jebidiah on the surface of a now brightly lit Eeloo
Way Cool #______# I'm trying to build a buggy to send to the moon.. to rescue Jeb.. his friggin thrusters run out on his backpack and walking to my ship is going to take hours lol..
Yup -130 something according to the sensors stuck on the lander. Gotta come up with a rescue craft for them now but before I can do that I gotta get the fuelling station refuelled.
Stupid mun with it's stupid low gravity rendering my apparently top heavy mun buggy useless... Back to the drawing board （╯°v°）╯︵ ┻━┻
