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ES-108 TEMPEST II

ES-108 TEMPEST II (Transatmospheric Express: Multi-Purpose Economic Space Transport, generation II) is a super heavy SSTO LKO shuttle for oversize cargo of up to 162t.

Pure stock, no mods, no DLCs. ~320 parts, root part is the orange tank in front of cargo bay.

- Large cargo bay volume (6m diameter x 22m length) that shields the cargo from aerodynamic drag with 162t payload capacity for ambitious LKO delivery missions. Also with 20 seats.
- 300m/s dV @ 85x85km LKO with maximum payload. 600m/s after payload separation.
- Launch cost (fuel cost) for 162t payload ~20,000 funds.
- Stock hinge system, no DLC required.
- Balanced and almost constant CoM regardless of fuel consumption, decent maneuverability and stability during the entire mission. No need to transfer fuel.
- CoM sits near the center of cargo section for easy payload arrangement.
- Atmosphere-skipping and good gliding capability.

[1]= toggle RAPIERs mode
[2]=
[3]= unlock cargo bay door
[4]=
[5]=
[6]=
[7]= toggle large reaction wheels (default ON)
[8]=
[9]= toggle fuel cells (default ON, just leave it so)
[0]= all engines ON/OFF
[Brakes]= wheel brake + airbrakes

All in that video.
Q: Why not DLC hinges?
A: https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2229510538

Ascent: 5°-10°-Prograde
(The following instructions apply to maximum payload (162t). Everything happens “earlier” if carrying less payload.)

- Stage to start engines, gently rotate at 100m/s.
- Pull up and keep aiming at 5 degrees pitch.
- It should accelerate to 400m/s at about 2km altitude. Keep 5 degrees pitch until 10km altitude.
- At 10km, stay away from pitch control, let it pitch up to 10 degrees while accelerating, then keep this pitch.
- When speed hardly increases (~1400m/s @ 20km), press [1] to switch RAPIERs mode. Keep aiming at 10 degrees pitch.
- Push AP to desired value, shut down engines, lock prograde and coast till circularization. 85km AP should be 6 minutes away.

Notes on Cargo Bay Door
- Action group [3] separates and unlocks the door.
- Use ] or [ key to switch between main craft and door.
- W/S on door = open/close. When closed, it will be locked in position by two docking ports.
- This is not a perfect stock hinge with near-zero tolerance, so the door will sway a little, sometimes only one of the docking ports will engage. You can either leave it be or unlock it and try again, it has no impact on flight characteristics.
- Time wrap is safe when the door is locked. Do NOT use time wrap when the door is unlocked, as with all stock bearing systems.
- Powered by only an Mk1 reaction wheel, the door is designed to be operated in micro-G environment. Do NOT operate it on the ground with normal gravity - it will neither open nor close, forcing you to revert flight.
- After save/load, if you want to open the door again, take a look at the bearing and docking ports. Do not operate the door if they are obviously misaligned. This can happen on occasions, but usually they will be fine after save/load.

Descent: 40km PE Aerobraking Reentry
- Burn PE to 40km above landing zone.
- Lock radial-out to aerobrake.
- If you want to quicksave, do it only in space or in upper atmosphere, otherwise it will be dangerous to load the save. In denser atmosphere, suddenly applied aerodynamic forces after loading would likely tear the craft apart.
- When estimated impact point reaches landing zone, reduce AoA to 0-45°. 30° is good for maintaining impact point while effectively slowing down; 20° AoA pushes it further, >30° AoA draws it closer, 0° AoA corresponds a near-ballistic reentry path. Keep RCS activated.
- Once below 20km: Fly gently! AoA no more than 10°.
- Use RAPIERs in air-breathing mode when necessary.
- MouseAimFlight mod is highly recommended for final approach and landing.

Wish you enjoy and happy landings!