Flight Question Lifting Body Booster

[HyHawk]

I want to sim a lifting body booster. I need to size it to achieve M10 and to launch a second stage weighing around 4,000 lbs into orbit. I need to estimate dry weight, fuel required, thrust of each rocket motor (2).

How to fly to stage.

How much fuel is needed in first stage and second stage.

Assuming 85% fuel mass for both stages.

JP fuel, liquid oxegen.

ISP 225?

Lifting body glide to landing re-entry.

Can orbiter program help me with this?

If so after download where and how to start?

 

[Loru]

Yes. Orbiter can help you with it.

Basically that task is "just" designing a rocket.
After download you should familiarize with controls, add-on installation. Quicketst way to implement your design will be using spacecraft3/mulstistage framework or generic vessel. (search the forums for it). Both frameworks don't demmand coding skills as they read vessel parameters form "ini" files that can be edited in notepad.

You'll need 3d model for that so basic 3d modelling skills will be needed (depending on how good you want it to look)

Then you can crunch some numbers for your rocket. For "pure rocket" (no airbreathing engines) flight profile shouldn't be much different than regular 2 stage rocket (I'm assuming lift of the body is needed only for reentry and landing)

I use this for my rockets: http://www.silverbirdastronautics.com/LVperform.html

When you have your numbers you can model rocket in 3d modeller, export it to orbiter and put numbers in your framework (sc3/multistage or generic vessel) and fly it.

As for flight profile that would be determined by your design.

On the bottom of this page you have bunch of tutorials for add-on developement:
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/tutorials.php

 

[HyHawk]

Thanks for all that. Will give a go this weekend ....however sounds like an involved process but cool if it all comes together.