Ion Lift

[Devan kerman]

Hard: Get off the ground with only ion engines

Insane: Suborbital, or orbital with only ions

Impossible: Kerbin to Eve and back with only ions (Don't even try)

You must only use ions for propulsion so that means you can't fly a jet plane up on a mountain and launch it from there, but you can use an ion plane, but at that point...

Good luck

-Devan

 

-Edit

Ions can be the only propulsion, so any other parts will be allowed (No powered wheels)

 

-EDIT 2 

only infinite fuel and electricity cheats allowed (Clipping is acceptable).

Edited June 1, 2017 by Devan kerman

[4d4Garrison]

37 minutes ago, Devan kerman said:

Hard: Get off the ground with only ion engines

Insane: Suborbital, or orbital with only ions

Impossible: Kerbin to Eve and back with only ions

Good luck

-Devan

This is impossible on Kerbin.

 

unless wings are allowed.

Edited May 29, 2017 by 4d4Garrison
added clarifier

[Ultimate Steve]

There was an entire research group for ion planes a while back. We determined that taking off from the runway with only ion engines is practically impossible, even with infinite electricity available. I had one of the more successful designs, as it could take off from a mountaintop with a crew of one and ascend to 22km. However, it could not take off from sea level.

The reason your challenge is impossible (from sea level at least) is that the specific impulse, and therefore thrust of ion engines drops to near zero levels, meaning you can have the highest possible TWR configuration plane (E.G. practically the same TWR as the ion engine itself) and it won't get above 19m/s on the runway. Eve would be even harder, as even on the highest mountaintops the ion engine produces next to no thrust.

That being said, if we don't have to take off from the runway, and can use mountains, suborbital is definitely possible if you have a good enough computer.

My second best flight attempt, back from the days of the Ion Plane Research Challenge. Took off from 6km and rose to 18km. IIRC it was around 500 parts.

[Cunjo Carl]

Suggestion: Hammers and ions?

[Skylon]

Maybe one could use a mass driver launch after a drive to a mountain. Is that allowed? The vessel taking off would still only have ion engines.

[Devan kerman]

Wings are allowed anything is fine just only use ions for propulsion 

I'll try when I get home today

my strat is to use a ion "Rover" (the wheels are unpowered) to push the plane to a high enough speed where then it's decoupled using a mini mass relay of ion engines to launch a mint plane up to be honest if you get to around 25 km you can just add a few more thrusters and fuel and you can suborbital and from there it's easy to go to orbit

-Edit

A ion centrifuge  to sling a small glider

Also, the mountain idea is great but, how the heck are you going to get it up there with only ions?

Edited June 1, 2017 by Devan kerman

[Devan kerman]

And to Ultimate Steve, you don't have to use the runway.

You guys think too practically...

remember this is KSP

Edited June 1, 2017 by Devan kerman

[Teilnehmer]

On 5/30/2017 at 6:04 AM, Devan kerman said:

-EDIT 2 

only infinite fuel and electricity cheats allowed (Clipping is acceptable).

With these cheats, the challenge looks much less impossible!

 

(BTW, it’s proven possible to reach an orbit using ion propulsion from the mountains of Laythe without fuel or electricity cheats.)

Edited June 1, 2017 by Teilnehmer

[ZooNamedGames]

I made a craft that had something like 800  solar panels (the small ones as they were the only stock ones at the time) and 9 xenon engines. It likely could've made it to anywhere granted a pit stop in LKO and a good pilot was flying. 

Too bad no computer on Earth could run it at a decent FPS because of all the panels.

[Devan kerman]

lol

Rest In Pieces

oh yeah, I finally did the first part!

Basically, I made an ion car to push an ore tank into the ocean and I jettisoned the probe and I flew like 10 meters

Edited June 1, 2017 by Devan kerman

[Nihilistic_Nachos]

Can we use TweakScale?

Are we restricted to stock parts?