Ulric Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Mk III Mod 3 still flying after taking collision damage with the flagpole by the launch pad. Control without SAS was very difficult to say the least, but with SAS, it was perfectly flyable, and even managed to make an emergency landing at the abandoned airfield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 We're going to pretend that the reason I am not working out the ideal ascent path for spaceplanes is because 1.0 will introduce new aerodynamics and make all my work shortly obsolete, and it's not because I am bad @ calculus. My thinking is something like this at the moment: -For a given orbit you need potential energy (altitude) and kinetic energy (velocity). -Lower orbits require less potential energy, and more kinetic energy. However, higher orbits have higher total energy. -To get into orbit you need to fight gravity drag and aerodynamic drag. -Spaceplanes end up losing more energy to aerodynamic drag because they dwaddle in the atmosphere for so long. However, when they are in the atmosphere, spaceplanes can use jet engines, which have absurd ISP, and they can convert velocity into lift very efficiently (dunno how L/D works in KSP). Spaceplanes tend to lose relatively little energy to gravity drag because they are basically turned sideways the whole time and can efficiently create upforce through aerodynamic lift. That's a little beyond my ability to model and optimize. But here's a thought; what if you had a lifting platform with a bunch of basic jets that brings your rocket straight up before staging off? Just a few tens of thousands of meters; enough to get some extra potential energy and to avoid the thickest part of the atmosphere. The second stage could then have a retarded thrust to weight ratio and have fewer concerns about aerodynamic drag. It could be just a cluster of solids or something. You could shoot the whole assembly straight up at evening for Eve missions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 So, something like one of the jet-powered flyback boosters propsed for STS? http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=11739 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xlucine Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted February 27, 2015 Report Share Posted February 27, 2015 need moar lift? just add MOAR WEEENGUSU!!!!1111|||| Also, rear facing shock cone intakes gather about 80% as much air as forward facing one, but do not have any drag.... Sturgeon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 Before my KSP-capable machine broke down, I was considering making a banana-shaped spaceplane ala the Homeworld mothership or a B-wing with all the wings hidden deep inside the fuselage. Aspect ratios? Induced drag? What's all that fancy stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted February 28, 2015 Report Share Posted February 28, 2015 The day KSP aerodynamics are fixed will be glorious, but also sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted March 3, 2015 Report Share Posted March 3, 2015 Jebediah Kerman, Hero of Space The Mk VI Mod 1. It primarily differs from the base Mk VI by replacing the Mk 1 cockpit with an external command seat and a shock cone intake. The base Mk VI is a VTOL capable single seat SSTO spaceplane. It was designed to landing on Mun and Minmus, but is also capable of vertical landings on Kerbin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted March 6, 2015 Report Share Posted March 6, 2015 Mk IX SSTO spaceplane. The secret was to stuff 8 shock cone intakes into the cockpit and primary fuel tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 The Mk X space plane. Single stage capable of orbiting Mun and return to Kerbin. It might also be possible to orbit Minmus and return as well. The Mk X is quite capable of achieving orbit around Minmus, and can return to, and land on Kerbin with fuel remaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 Mk XI dropping a boat!!! The Mk XI is a SSTO cargo hauler designed for economically launching satellites, but its ample cargo bay has also been found useful for dropping small to mid sized rovers, and in this case, a small unmanned research watercraft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted March 21, 2015 Report Share Posted March 21, 2015 The turbo jet powered Mk XIII VTOL. Reaction wheels and SAS are your friend when building VTOLs. The Mk XIII has approximately 13 minutes of full throttle endurance, and 20 minutes of hover endurance. Bill and Jeb are attempting to recreate a scene from "True Lies" also, stop the boats!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 My recent Joolian system flyby mission: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Purpose built VTOL, instead of a spaceplane conversion. There is a whole cockpit ejection system in (the likely) case of irrecoverable loss of control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 The facehugger!!! Heavy lift VTOL in action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted March 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Oh god it does look like a facehugger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 Babby's first (actually 7th attempt) VTOL; Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 66 ton payload successfully lifted. Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostCosmonaut Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hide yo kids, hide yo wife, errybody making VTOLs out there. Landing remains difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belesarius Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 I lerned from teh Colli 'dat the wings need to be moar forward swept than that to raise the critical mach number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collimatrix Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Oh man, if KSP did a complete compressible fluid dynamic analysis on your spacecraft, it would be the spergularity. Also, it would run at .000001 FPS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulric Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Unlimited POWER!!!! 114 tons of VTOL glory. Belesarius 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 The Hurrier mk1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sturgeon Posted March 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 *Hurr-durrier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toxn Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 *Hurr-durrier. Renamed . Guys, should we do a design-a-fighter competition in KSP? Because I have a Mig-21 clone that's itching to get owned by someone's F-4-esque... Sturgeon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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