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Details
- Type: VAB
- Class: spaceplane
- Part Count: 93
- Pure Stock
Description
The latest member of the Kolibri light-medium shuttle family. Being way much heavier than its predecessors, the Mk. IV needed a new lifter with more punch. Target achieved with a launcher having around 4 km/s of impulsion, making it able to realize an orbit at 150 km, to deorbit, then to land by itself. This recover, with the one of the orbiter, is ensuring a good profitably for touristic flights around the Kerbin’s system, the last one enjoying more than 3.6 km/s to realize those flights.
About the flight: the launch is not too hard to realize, the main launcher being maneuverable enough and enjoying an initial TWR of 1.66, but it will start to become harder as the lifter is becoming more light. For the three flight tests I made, I chose to place the system on a 150 km parking orbit, and the lifter was able to circularize here with around 800 m/s still available, enough to ensure its deorbiting and a soft landing.
Also, about the TWR, the orbiter is equipped with a pair of Terrier and, of course, it is therefore underpowered, the thrust-to-weight ratio being inferior to 0.4 when the fuel tanks are full. Anyway, it can performs a visit of the two natural satellites of Kerbin on the same flight, lands on one of them, then comes back to circularize around Kerbin before the final deorbit. The landing should not cause any problems as the orbiter stays stable in most of the condition, and is landing at a low speed (anyway, a breaking chute is available).
Update I: main landing gear realigned (thanks to XLjedi who found and declared the problem), and two more batteries added to ensure a safe return.
Remember, the launcher being without any chemical RCS, it is only relying on its propulsion to realize a controlled landing, which means that without practicing (or being experienced) the expected recovery rate will be pretty low, if not neutral.
A stock rocket called Sleg Kolibri Mk IV. Built with 93 of the finest parts, its root part is mk2Cockpit.Standard.
Built in the VAB in KSP version 1.3.1.
Albulm of the Flight 100X to the Mun and Minmus
Transferring and landing on the Mun
Returning from Minmus and preparing to reenter
Comments
Wow! Excellent design. Very sexy. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much.
I’m going to have to buy a model of it now! My wife will be after you now - watch for an angry redhead.
Very nice looking craft build!
Thanks and sorry for the delay to answer, the last days were hard for me.
Not a problem! I don’t expect quick answers on here anyways
One observation though… upon separation, I put down the gear and noticed the main gear had a toe-in rotation to them that I thought might have just been a design oversight as they were kinda hidden. Very minor tweak on an excellent craft design.
Aye aye aye aye… I’m deeply sorry for having made such a crazy mistake. Originally the main landing gear was retracting backward (just like it can be seen in the album), but I decided to rotate them 180 degrees to give a possibility to use the landing lights properly. As I used the Absolute key I didn’t check if it was perfectly aligned… Now everything is correct, thanks to your observation.
Also, two more batteries are available, it’s tripling the amount of electricity on-board as I found the original was a bit short for such a craft (less than 20 units remaining after the landing).
Happened to me before too… ;-D My Kodiak ran out of power and lost torque control short of landing. Had to add more batteries!
I love it! Very unique design with a matching booster. …and you can never have too much booster! ;-D +1 and you get my design award!
Thank you so much for that! And I agree that kicking these Kerbals backs by adding more and more power is just joyful.
Its a Space Shuttle that had it out with X-33 Venture Star!
Cool looking shuttle, but so overpowered lifter! %)