KerbalX

Description

A mod aircraft called Dolphin Mk I. Built with 23 of the finest parts, its root part is fairingSize1.

Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.12.3.

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: lander
• Part Count: 23
• Mods: 3
• KSP: 1.12.3

Mods

• Breaking Ground DLC
• Squad (stock)
• squadexpansion

Dolphin MK I - single seat lander for JNSQ

The Dolphin is about to reenter from orbit around Laythe in the Je ne sais quoi Planet pack in Kerbal Space Program.
It is a very simple lander for a single Kerbal for almost any location in JNSQ.

It has 4000 m/s dv in vacuum at a weight of 8.3t.
Powered by four sparks, it also has a dragless docking port jr at the back, a pair of wings and control surfaces for atmospheric reentry and crossrange capabilities.
A pair of drogue chutes help with landing in atmosphere.

Dolphin can land and ascent on most things in JNSQ:
- Laythe, 3325 m/s dV (ascent): land with the support of drogue chutes. Laythe in JNSQ is more like Kerbin in Stock KSP)
- Duna 1975 m/s dV (ascent): Land with drogue chute support. Landing costs app. 150 m/s dV.
- Tylo 2175 m/s dV (ascent): land with drogue chutes support
- Huygen 1875 m/s dV (ascent):Titan equivalent, thick atmosphere, 180km orbit
- Eeloo 900 m/s dV (ascent): land with drogue chutes support
- Moho 1660 m/s dV (landing and ascent): land with rockets, take off with rockets.

Of course, any planetary body with less requirements is easier to land on. Apart from Kerbin (only able to land, but no take off), the gas giants and Nara, Dolphin can land and return from pretty much anywhere in JNSQ.

As the body itself is completely shielded from drag, wings and control surfaces are needed to slow down and help with reaching a good landing spot.

Drogue chutes are deployed after slowing down.
Final touchdown is done with rockets, but they only need little fuel thanks to the chutes.

Landed on Laythe! Unfortunately, the craft toppled.

The airbrake is deployed to bring the Dolphin in an upright position for take off.
Jebediah activates the hinge to bring the command seat out of the fairing.

Safe on the ground!
The get back, Jeb can board the command seat and activate the hinge again to get back inside of the fairing.

Quicksafe and Quickload!

Kerbal Space Program updates the drag model upon loading. When Jeb has boarded and is inside of the fairing, the program still applies drag to him, as if he were still outside.

Quicksafe and quickload to update the drag model, so that he is properly shielded by the fairing.

Back in orbit around Laythe!
There is still fuel left for maneuvers.

Duna Landing in JNSQ

Duna has very thin atmosphere. We’re going to land here as well!

Slowing down in the thin atmosphere with wings to a safe speed.
Drogue chutes help slow down the final stretch. Landing is done as parachute assisted rocket landing.

Flag planting on Duna.

…and take off.

Konstruction

Dolphin has a body, which is shielded completely from drag, to reduce dV losses in atmosphere.
A 1.25m fairing is the basis.

An engine plate is added to the fairing.
Shrouded engine plates have some unique features: they shield the parts at the back from drag AND they shield the part in front of it from drag as well for reasons unknown.
This way, the fairing, the engines and the docking port are shielded from drag.

To activate the shroud, a part needs to be added at the back.
Here, a reaction wheel is added to activate the shroud and the magical shielding properties.
In this state, the reaction wheel would still produce significant amount of frontal plate drag. To avoid this, it is later offset inside the fairing to be shielded as well.

Wings and fuel tank are added to gauge the Size of the fairing.

Fairing is constructed. It will weight 0.18t.

A hinge and a command seat are added to the fairing and offset inside it.

Fuel tanks are offset inside of the fairing. The engine plate is set to 4+1 nodes.
Spark engines and a docking port are added.

There is a trick to add more items to the engine plate:
after we have already used the 4+1 nodes (the docking port is offset for a better view), the engine plate can set again to new nodes, where additional parts can be added, all shielded from drag whenb inside the shroud.

A drone core, battery and a RTG are added. Our craft can now be steered remotely from a short distance and can operate independent of sunlight.

To get the required dV, two more fuel tanks are added and offset inside the fairing.

Two control surfaces are angled in 45 degrees, to provide pitch, roll and yaw authority.

Time for a check on the runway! All relevant parts are dragless. Only the elevons, the wings and the airbrake now produce drag (and lift)