KerbalX

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: spaceplane
• Part Count: 60
• Pure Stock
• KSP: 1.10.1

KSPCS Hope A

Cost: ~30k
Recovery: ~25k
Payload: 2-3 Kerbals
Reach: LKO with 350dV
Rationale:

• Easy to fly
• Passenger almost SSTO
• Well balanced, CoM barely moves at all (<0.1m)
• Cheap to operate - ~5k per flight!
• Early career tech options only

KSPCS Hope A procedures:

Take-Off:

• <CapsLock> for more fine grained control, <T> to activate SAS, <Y> for full throttle
• Open and fix stats of the Reliant engine at rear center
• Take care TWR indicator at bottom left is visible
• <space> to activate first stage (Wheesleys)
• At end of runway, <G> to pull gear, gently ascend at ~8° AoA until 11km height and >500m/s of speed
• At ~11km height, <space> to stage two Wheesleys away and activate rockets, increase AoA to 30°
• Use Reliant’s Thrust Limiter to keep TWR at ~1.1
• Let AoA increase automatically
• Start observing apoapsis, when it reaches 75km, put SAS on prograde - if a capable pilot is onboard, do it manually otherwise
• Cut off thrust <X>, push <abort> to deactivate Reliant
• Create maneuver node at AP to push PE to ~75km
• Burn time is displayed correctly once 70km height are reached
• Execute maneuver node accordingly on Terriers
• At 70km height, <0> to deploy solar panels and antenna

Landing (wide approach):

• Create maneuver node almost on the opposite side on Kerbin, putting periapsis at 40km height onto KSC
• <R> to activate Terriers
• Deploy brakes, <G> to deploy gears, <V> to free view mode
• Execute maneuver node on Terriers
• <R> to deactivate the Terriers, push <abort> to deactivate Reliant if needed
• Take care Wheesleys and air intakes are activated
• Aim at radial out, put full thrust
• Retract antenna if needed
• When impact area is at the mountains in front of KSC, put SAS on prograde - if a capable pilot is onboard, do it manually otherwise
• When impact area is getting to much in front, let AoA pull up slowly to 10°, undeploy brakes, <G> to undeploy gears
• When impact area is getting to much in behind, correct AoA to prograde, deploy brakes, <G> to deploy gears
• At 50km height, close cargo bay, <U> to turn of lights if needed
• At 6km above ground level, Wheesleys should start
• Between mountains and KSC reduce thrust to 1/3rd
• Undeploy brakes and gears <G> when coming in at ~200m/s and 500m above ground
• When reaching the plain around KSC reduce thrust to 0, deploy brakes and gears <G>
• Land anywhere on the plain at <120m/s and taxi to runway if needed

A stock aircraft called KSPCS Hope A.
Built with 60 of the finest parts, its root part is Mark2Cockpit.

Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.10.1.