Experimental Big Boom Class

This post covers more of my early days of trying to reach Mun. I entered a mad experimental phase where bigger is better. All of these vessels have the same fatal flaw. They all lack solar panels, batteries, or electrical power generators. They might reach orbit, but it wouldn't be long before they lose all power to get back home.

The first ship I named Big Boom. Short round might have been a better name. Four orange tanks with Mainsail engines comprised the first stage. The second stage was four stacks of two FL-T800 tanks and four LV-T30 engines. This ship was difficult to control and tended to come apart during ascent. I thought it was because it was overpowered - which it was - but the real issue I repeated throughout the series and didn't realize it until writing this post. The FL-T800 tanks needed struts around the bottom to hold the stacks together. They flexed and blew apart.

Big Boom

Big Boom2 took a different approach. It was tall and lean. The lift stage was eight stacks of one FL-T800 and one FL-T400 that sit above a LV-T45 engine. The next stage was four double stacks of FL-T800 tanks on LV-45 engines. The upper stage was a double stack of FL-T800 tanks and a LV-T30 engine. When launched the vessel sways like a palm tree making flying a very dangerous adventure.

Big Boom2

The most interesting thing about this ship is it was the first I designed using asparagus staging. Using fuel lines attached first to the outer ring of fuel tanks and then to the inner tanks it is an interesting feature of KSP. All the engines on the first and second stage fire at launch. Once the outer ring of tanks are exhausted and jettisoned the inner ring tanks are once again completely full of fuel. Yeah, cool.

Asparagus Staging

Big Boom3 is nearly the same ship as Big Bang2. The outer ring of tanks are heavily strutted trying to contain the destruction and strangely it does not have asparagus staging. I have no idea why I removed the fuel lines. The craft is capable of orbit, on the rare occasion it didn't disintegrate, leaving the entire upper stage for transfer. Too bad I forgot electrical power.

Big Boom3

Mun Or Bust was a sideways attempt to end the launch problems of the previous rockets. The difference from the last craft is this one uses six double tanks on the outer ring instead of eight.

Mun Or Bust

The final entry in this class of ships is Enterprise, It is a ship worthy of the name. The lift and second stages of double tanks are removed and replaced by a single orange tank with a mainsail. There is an added small upper stage and landing gear. If I had remembered electricity it is capable of a Mun landing. Of course it might be best not to tell your Kerbalnaut he's not coming home any time soon because the lander has no return stage. James Tiberias Kermin wouldn't let that stop him.

Enterprise

The more I build and fly the more I am beginning to understand. Next time I'll present the line of ships that actually achieved my first Mun landing.