KerbalX

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: spaceplane
• Part Count: 64
• Pure Stock
• KSP: 1.10.1

Description

A stock aircraft called Junky. Built with 64 of the finest parts, its root part is Mark1Cockpit.

Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.10.1.

Note:
I built this trying to demonstrate is possible to build a Spaceplane SSTO at very early TECH levels. It can be built using only tier 3 parts (tier 4 on Wiki) - the tier with Terrier engine.

It takes 2 passengers and a pilot all way to LKO, where it has about 600 dV remaining if flown decently well. 100 dV is required to de orbit, so 500 m/s can be used for orbital operations, which is enough to perform 2 rescues.

How to fly:
Due to using basic wheels, during reentry, wheels have to be oriented backwards, away from fiery death, spaceplane enters atmosphere top down.

Taking off:

1. Use Junos to slowly accelerate on the runway, then on the last 100 meters press #4 to activate reliants and get a final push off the ground. Plane doesn’t really need the Junos, in fact you get more dV in orbit if you remove the Juno pods. Added them in case KSC gets over or under shot during landing, for easy return.
2. As soon as you leave the runway, pitch at 40-50 degrees. Turn off Juno with #3 (or let it flame out, then #3). Hold that AoA until you reach 18-20 km altitude.
3. At 18-20 km high, turn on Terriers with #5.
4. Pitch down to aprox. 20 degrees. The aim is to get your Ap > 40km and further than 1 minute away as quickly as possible, to stop using Reliants.
5. Once Ap > 40km and time to Ap > 1m, turn off Reliants with #4.
6. Get horizontal as quick as possible, maintaining time to Ap ~ 1 minute. Push Ap to 72km.
7. When Ap = 72km, turn off Terriers with #5. You should be doing around 2100 m/s and have a Pe ~ -75 km.
8. Add circularization maneuver or do it by hand, it should take very little dV.
9. You have limited time in orbit, as all your power is provided by the batteries in the service bay. You can double or even triple the number of batteries there for extended time, also turn off SAS when not needed. Photovoltaic panels are tier 4, so we don’t have them for this !

Landing:

1. Above the desert that precedes the continent with KSC, aim retro and burn Terriers until orbit passes by the small little island, north of secondary runway. Or use your preferred method to deorbit.
2. Switch off Terriers #5 and turn on Junos #3 (if present)
3. Aim orbit out / raise plane’s nose at 90 degrees. Turn the plane so it faces with the wheels retrograde, you don’t want them to burn.
4. At around 55 km, when heat effects appear, slowly start to lower AoA to about 30-40 degrees. Plane should be stable here.
5. Once you reach around 800-1200 m/s, turn the plane so it faces wheels down.
6. Use your favorite maneuvers to break and line up the plane with runway. If you overshoot, don’t worry, remember the Juno pods should have plenty of fuel to allow you to return to the runway.
7. Make sure you drop your speed to about 70 m/s before touching down. Basic wheels are fragile.

Additional:
A drogue parachute can be added to the plane to break quicker, though in my experience was not necessary.

Feel free to use the plane as inspiration, I’m curious how it can be further tweaked, but it has to be done with tier 3 parts :).