KerbalX

Description

Dawnwalker Class DTS-STO
(Drop Thrust Staged-Spaceplane to Orbit)

Uses
-Cargo Shuttle
-Exploration Orbiter

Cargo Capacity [to an LKO of 120-150km]
3,240 units of Fuel + 3,960 units of Oxidizer
or
Cargo capacity of equivalent weight

A stock aircraft called Dawnwalker DTS-STO. Built with 173 of the finest parts, its root part is mk3Cockpit.Shuttle.

Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.10.1.

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: spaceplane
• Part Count: 173
• Pure Stock
• KSP: 1.10.1

Please do not upload as your own craft!
If you have ideas for some minor tweaks, or notice some flaws, feel free to leave a comment.

Credit given where credit is due, the wing design was inspired by: Juggernoob’s ES-101 TEMPEST found here:
https://kerbalx.com/Juggernoob/ES-101-TEMPEST

*He calls the design a Lambda wing, but I’m not too sure about that. Lambda wings are a lot sharper, with a deeper indentation to them.

Launch Sequence:
-Engage Brakes, THEN activate Stage 1.*
-Hold until the R.A.P.I.E.R. thrust value reaches 90.
-Activate Stage 2.
-Hold for 3-5 seconds, allowing the Whiplash engines to fully spool up.
-Activate Stage 3, and release brakes.
-Perform ‘ski jump’ at the end of the runway to achieve liftoff.

Flight Sequence:
-Remain below 500m altitude.*
-Activate Stage 4 to ditch the expired SRB’s.
-Once your speed has reached the 400m/s mark, nose up to between 10 & 15 degrees.*
-Activate Stage 5 to ditch the Whiplash engines, once they have flamed out.
-Activate Action Group 3 to switch the R.A.P.I.E.R.s to Closed-Cycle Mode.

Orbital Sequence:
-When your periapsis reaches 80, create the first Maneuver Node to circularize.
-Circularize.
-Deactivate R.A.P.I.E.R. clusters with AG #1 & #2.
-Deactivate Atmospheric Control Surfaces with AG #5
-Activate Systems (solar, rads, etc) with AG #6.
-Activate Swivel Engines with AG #4.
-Create the second Maneuver Node to adjust your orbit so that it lies between 120 and 150 km.
-Circularize again.
-Tada! You Did It!

You should finish with a little over 1000ms deltaV.

Craft Notes (anything with a *)
-Allowing the engines to spool up fuly before launch snags the maximum speed for takeoff. Dont worry, there’s plenty of fuel.
-Do not allow the craft to raise above 20 degrees, else the craft will self destruct. (Unless thats the goal, of course!)
-For some reason, the craft likes to role to the left. I dunno why. I rebuilt the thing twice from scratch, and it still does it. ¯_(ツ)_/¯