LV-T45 "Swivel" Liquid Fuel Engine

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LV-T45 "Swivel" Liquid Fuel Engine
Part image
Liquid fuel engine by
Jebediah Kerman's Junkyard and Spacecraft Parts Co

Radial size Small
Cost (total) 1 200.00 Funds
Mass (total) 1.500 t
Drag 0.2
Max. Temp. 2000 K
Impact Tolerance 7 m/s
Research Basic rocketry.png Basic Rocketry
Unlock cost 3 500 Funds
Since version 0.12
Part configuration liquidEngineLV-T45_v2.cfg
Maximum thrust (1 atm) 167.97 kN
(vacuum) 215.00 kN
Isp (1 atm) 250 s
(vacuum) 320 s
Fuel consumption 13.70 Units of fuel/s
Thrust vectoring 3 °
Electricity generated 6.0 ⚡/s
Testing Environments
On the surface Yes
In the ocean Yes
On the launchpad Yes
In the atmosphere Yes
Sub-orbital Yes
In an orbit Yes
On an escape Yes
Docked No
Test by staging Yes
Manually testable Yes
Packed volume None

The LV-T45 "Swivel" Liquid Fuel Engine is a basic liquid fuel engine. It is the first liquid fuel engine available in the tech tree.

Product description

The LV-T45 engine was considered a breakthrough in the LV-T series due to its Thrust Vectoring feature. The LV-T45 can deflect its thrust to aid in craft control. All these added mechanics however, make for a slightly smaller and heavier engine in comparison with other LV-T models.

Jebediah Kerman's Junkyard and Spacecraft Parts Co

Usage

As a liquid fuel engine, the Swivel has throttle control, shutdown and restart capabilities, making it easier to control vehicles safely and accurately. The Swivel is similar to the LV-T30 "Reliant" Liquid Fuel Engine, but with a slightly smaller thrust chamber, higher expansion ratio, and thrust vector control. Its slightly reduced thrust and considerably increased mass reduces its specific thrust, making it less suitable for first stages. It is best suited in second stages and the core stage of parallel lift-off configurations, where longer operating times and higher altitudes bring out this engine's advantage in specific impulse.

There are two excellent applications of this engine: in the core stage of parallel booster configurations, where its thrust vector control allows active control of a vehicle powered chiefly by Reliant or BACC "Thumper" Solid Fuel Booster solid boosters for lift-off, followed by the Swivel engine(s) continuing to operate after the strap-on stages have depleted and separated. And in the second stage of an aerodynamically stabilized booster started aloft using a suitable solid motor stage where the operation of the first stage is controlled by reaction wheels or the first stage burns out prior to the commencement of the gravity turn.

Trivia

  • Previously, this engine was unlocked after the LV-T30 "Reliant" Liquid Fuel Engine. The product number and description support the idea of the Swivel being a more advanced version of the Reliant.
  • It is similar in appearance to the RS-56-OSA core sustainer engine used by the late Atlas II rocket.

Changes

1.12.2
  • New model
1.2
  • Atmospheric Isp decreased from 270 to 250.
  • Thrust increased from 200 to 215.
1.0
  • Isp decreased from 370 s (vacuum) / 320 s (1 atm) to 320 s (vacuum) / 270 s (1 atm)
  • Gimbal range increased from 1° to 3°
  • Cost increased from 950 to 1200
0.22
  • Electricity production increased to 6.0
0.18
Pre-0.18 appearance
  • New model and texture
  • Alternator added, engine now gains 1.0 electricity
0.16
  • Major CFG revision (most notably Isp added)
0.12
  • Initial Release