[TarheelTraveller]

Guys,

Thanks for the designs. I ended up getting GVB and while it's great fun for normal vehicle building, multistage surface to orbit craft with boosters seems to be a bit beyond it.

One fun design that came out of messing with it was a swing wing SSTO craft that used a pair of hyperfans for take off and then a fusion torch for the second stage - alas nothing else created a high enough ISP.

So without further ado: the TL8 (with a bit of TL9) Pegasus Swing-wing SSTO

TL8 Swing-wing SSTO

Crew: 2 total. 2 crew stations covering vehicle maneuvering system, 2 communicators, 4 navigation aids, 2 sensors.

Subassemblies: Vehicle +6, Body +6, 2xWings +3, Pod [2xWings] +5, Wheels +4.

P&P: two 150,000 lbs. thrust fusion ram-rockets (Isp 21,176, delta-V 17,418 mph; no access space), 70,000 lbs. thrust hyperfan (no access space) [Pod].

Fuel: 660 gal self-sealing ultralight fuel tank (fire modifier -1), 660 gal water, 7,000 gal hydrogen (fire 13) [Pod], 7,000 gal self-sealing ultralight fuel tank (fire modifier -1) [Pod].

Occ: two normal crew stations, 6 man-day limited life support system Cargo: 2,000-cf cargo hold w/cargo density 40-lbs/cf

Armor F RL B T U
Body 4/30 4/30 4/30 4/30 4/100
Wings 4/30 4/30 4/30 4/30 4/100
Pod 4/30 4/30 4/30 4/30 4/100
Wheels 4/30 4/30 4/30 4/30 4/100

Equipment
All: sealed. Body: two long range radio communicators (1,000-mile range); LLTV (magnification x10); AESA (scan 25, 200-mile range; non-targeting); PESA (scan 23, 100-mile range); three autopilots; IFF; two inertial compass; terrain following radar system; escape capsule (2 crew); two human crew/passengers; full fire suppression system; computer navigation program (C2); +3 damage control program (C3); datalink program (C1); routine vehicle operation program (piloting-13, C3); three mini-computers (complexity 3; compact). Wings: fire extinguisher system.

Statistics
Size: [LxWxH] 57.5’x14.4’x7.18’ Payload: 94,530 lbs. Lwt.: 151,510 lbs.
Volume: 5,931 cf Maint.: 2.52 hours (38.1 mh/day) Price: $1,006,882,889

HT: 13 HP: 6,000 [Body], 1,124 each [2xWings], 2,400 [Pod], 167 each [18xWheels].

Take off and landing: Stall Speed 205 mph, Drag 101, Top Speed 1,610 mph, aAccel 18 mph/s, aMR 6, aSR 5, aDecel 25 mph/s.

Space Performance: sAccel (unloaded) 1.98 G, ( 1.98 G), sDecel 1.98 G, sMR 1.98, sAccel 40 mph/s.

Wheeled Ground Performance: Speed Factor 16, Top Speed 670 mph, gAccel 35 mph/s, gDecel 10 mph/s, gMR 0.25, gSR 5, Ground Pressure 6,060 lbs./sf, Off Road Speed 110 mph.

Max boost: Stall Speed 415 mph, Drag 101, Top Speed 5,710 mph, aAccel 60 mph/s, aMR 5, aSR 5, aDecel 20 mph/s.


Design Notes:
TL8 heavy frame very expensive materials [Vehicle].
T TL8 DR 30 advanced fireproof ablative, U TL8 DR 100 advanced fireproof ablative, L TL8 DR 30 advanced fireproof ablative, R TL8 DR 30 advanced fireproof ablative, F TL8 DR 30 advanced fireproof ablative, B TL8 DR 30 advanced fireproof ablative [Vehicle].
Payload Cost: $1,400
Vehicle Features: computerized controls, radical streamlining, finely made.
Wings: standard, auto-variable.
Wheels: quantity 18, heavy.
Volume: 3,612 cf [Body], 203 cf [2xWings], 1,191 cf [Pod], 722 cf [Wheels].
Area: 2,000 sf [Body], 375 sf [2xWings], 800 sf [Pod], 500 sf [Wheels].
Empty Space: 200 cf [2xWings].
Take off and landing: external item drag 0, payload 0, sweep out-swept,;
Space Performance: Payload 0;
Wheeled Ground Performance:;
Max boost: external item drag 0, payload 0, sweep back-swept, unclamp top speed;