Sleg Kolibri Mk IV
by XB-70A
uploaded 2017-12-08
(updated 2017-12-08)
361 downloads /
16
points
VAB
stock spaceplane
#Spacecraft #Shuttle #Recoverable #Medium

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

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