KerbalX

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: aircraft
• Part Count: 29
• Mods: 2

Mods

• Ferram Aerospace Research
• Squad (stock)

Description

MODs FAR (dev build as of 30th Jan 2017 version file lists it as 0.16.0.0)
Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.2.0.

max altitude 18.6km

Part Count 29
Length 11m
Width 19.5m
Height 3.7m
Mass 4.395t
Cost 13,515

Will require runway level 2 to launch

Not pretty but uses very low tech to get to above 18 km alt. to complete those pesky above xxx altitude contracts.
Be sure to add the right science part as 30th part to be able to do the contract.

During take off you can throttle all the way up, but should throttle down once the plane gets shaky after having gained some speed. Just continue the ascent at lower throttle till ~8 km alt at which point you can throttle up again.
It may start shaking again once you’ve picked up more speed, just throttle down a little again and wait to ascend to thinner air again before throttling up again.
Around 15-16 km alt. the plane will start pitching down, deploy flaps to (1) and it will continue ascending to around 18.4 km alt. where the engines will be suffocated.
It will continue to coast upwards on speed till about 18.6 km alt.

I guess you could:
- turn on RCS at some point to gain extra speed

(probably have to readjust CoM / Col / CoT for the next two)
- take out some fuel to make the plane lighter
- remove/replace the middle sience jr.

and go slightly higher … but oh well.