I prefer to keep ships specialized, so my SSTOs just get passengers and cargo to Kerbin’s space station right above the atmosphere. Then another craft can take it from there.
In stock you can make a working SSTO with one RAPIER engine, a fuel tank, monoprop tank, some intakes and a rocket capsule. Last time I flew this configuration I would get to altitude with about 5% fuel remaining, do circularization, station rendezvous, and deorbiting with monoprop, and then land tail-down on that last sip of fuel.
Planes are easier with Ferram’s IMO, mine always end up looking like MIG 21s and SU 27s.
Just gotta have the appropriate number of control surfaces (two on wingtips for roll, one on vertical stabilizer for yaw, to more behind main wings for pitch, you can try more exotic configurations if you want but this is the most simple that works 90% of the time), then dial in the sensitivity if you’re flying with WASD. Takes a couple test flights but it’s totally doable, if you want an “easy mode” then forget about landing and strap a bunch of parachutes to the thing for when you’re done with it (I do this when I’m too lazy to do a proper approach).
edit: oh and FAR’s air brakes are another easy way to land - just set all of your control surfaces as brakes, go slow over the runway, and trigger them all while killing your engine. If you’re only dropping 10m or so you’ll be fine.
Landing a probe on Eeloo: tricky but doable
Building a plane that can land without crashing: literally impossible
SSTOs (spaceplanes) are the final boss of KSP. Landing your first one will take at least 100 quick save/loads.
Edit: Planes are probably just as hard. I never flew regular planes because I skipped straight to spaceplanes.
I’ll just keep researching KSPI nuclear engines until I can do propulsive SSTOs
You mean one that can fly in space too?
I prefer to keep ships specialized, so my SSTOs just get passengers and cargo to Kerbin’s space station right above the atmosphere. Then another craft can take it from there.
I mean ones that don’t rely on that “lift” nonsense and get to the orbital transfer station through good honest thrust to weight ratio over 1
In stock you can make a working SSTO with one RAPIER engine, a fuel tank, monoprop tank, some intakes and a rocket capsule. Last time I flew this configuration I would get to altitude with about 5% fuel remaining, do circularization, station rendezvous, and deorbiting with monoprop, and then land tail-down on that last sip of fuel.
Planes are easier with Ferram’s IMO, mine always end up looking like MIG 21s and SU 27s.
Just gotta have the appropriate number of control surfaces (two on wingtips for roll, one on vertical stabilizer for yaw, to more behind main wings for pitch, you can try more exotic configurations if you want but this is the most simple that works 90% of the time), then dial in the sensitivity if you’re flying with WASD. Takes a couple test flights but it’s totally doable, if you want an “easy mode” then forget about landing and strap a bunch of parachutes to the thing for when you’re done with it (I do this when I’m too lazy to do a proper approach).
edit: oh and FAR’s air brakes are another easy way to land - just set all of your control surfaces as brakes, go slow over the runway, and trigger them all while killing your engine. If you’re only dropping 10m or so you’ll be fine.
I added a bunch more planets and moons past Eeloo to land on but I still can’t fly a plane
Joystick helps.
If wasd plus hnijkl is good enough for orbital maneuvering it should be good enough for anything