Kerbal Express Airlines - Regional Jet Challenge (Reboot Continued)

[Kernel Kraken]

Ok, the scociopathic  ahem, 'talented' engineers have convinced our funding board to let them build a 500,000,000 aircraft based on @qzgy's designs. 

To quote scar, be pre-PAAAAAAAAAAAAARREEEED.

Is this in 1.4 now or are we still in 1.3.1?

[qzgy]

12 minutes ago, TheMadKraken2297 said:

To quote scar, be pre-PAAAAAAAAAAAAARREEEED.

ooh are we starting the size wars again?

[Steel Starling]

The wars are starting again! Quick! Prepare the shelters! *Puts on a military helmet and runs away*

[Kernel Kraken]

18 minutes ago, qzgy said:

ooh are we starting the size wars again?

....mabye. Your cabins-in-a-jar idea gave me some inspiration about how I could make a flying stock hyper-jumbo- (2,500 +)

[neistridlar]

2 hours ago, Steel Starling said:

Since nobody in the first KEA Thread actually tested or ranked my aircraft, I will just put this here.....

It has been marked as being reviewed by @no_intelligence for quite a while now. I will contact him and ask if he is going to finish it soon, otherwise I will steal it from him, yours is one of the 10 oldest submissions that are yet to be reviewed, so it's about time someone reviews it.

1 hour ago, qzgy said:

ooh are we starting the size wars again?

A separate thread has even been started for the size war:

 

6 hours ago, CrazyJebGuy said:

Anyone know how to speed up KSP?

I don't know about speeding up, but slowing down more seems to help. Set the physics delta (I think that is what it is called) to the minimum. Makes the game run slower earlier, but also smoother.

6 hours ago, EpicSpaceTroll139 said:

However, our engineers are up to the challenge, even if they think it is a bit silly and makes Jumbos hard to do without such things as fuel tanks in-between the crew and passengers

I have already proven that it is possible to make jumbos that circumnavigate Kerbin with the wet wings, even my super jumbo can do it with the center tanks empty, they are actually there just for the structure, since the structural fuselage from APP has some drag calculation issues. An other possibility though is the Blasty Systems approach of under slung fuel tanks, or you could carry fuel in the engine pods them selves. There are numerous possibilities, you just have to put some thought into it.

2 hours ago, TheMadKraken2297 said:

Is this in 1.4 now or are we still in 1.3.1

If you think it matters, specify the game version you want the craft to be tested in. The mods have been updated, and there is very little difference between 1.4 and 1.3, so I don't see any issues with posting 1.4 crafts. I am currently doing all testing in 1.3.1 though, as pretty much all of the submissions are as old, or older than that.

Edited March 24, 2018 by neistridlar

[CrazyJebGuy]

8 minutes ago, neistridlar said:

If you think it matters, specify the game version you want the craft to be tested in. The mods have been updated, and there is very little difference between 1.4 and 1.3, so I don't see any issues with posting 1.4 crafts. I am currently doing all testing in 1.3.1 though, as pretty much all of the submissions are as old, or older than that.

I'm on 1.4. I didn't even update mods, they say they are wrong but everything works fine.

[GDJ]

5 hours ago, CrazyJebGuy said:

I'm on 1.4. I didn't even update mods, they say they are wrong but everything works fine.

I'm using 1.4.1 and so far the approved mods work fine (Airplane Plus and KAX). Same thing with other mods. Some older mods work without warnings, some get flagged, but all work, even the Firesplitter plugin, altho' the mod itself is busted up pretty good. Lost the biplane parts.

[Andiron]

Pizio & Hartmann Co. presents its new Small Regional Jet family, the Seps

P&H is back again with another small regional jet, designed to carry passengers with maximum efficiency and comfort.

Technical Specifications for the Seps A :

• 1 pilot and 40 passengers
• Weight of 18.1 tons
• Length of 14.1m; Width of 30.3m; Height of 4.6m
• Fuel capacity of 1100 lf
• Fuel consumption (cruise) of 0.12 lf/s
• Range of 2200km
• Cruise altitude at 8000m (or 26000 feet)
• Cruise speed at 860km/h (or 240m/s)
• Take-off speed at 40m/s
• Price of 23,298,000$

Technical Specifications for the Seps B :

• 1 pilot and 56 passengers
• Weight of 21.36 tons
• Length of 17.8m; Width of 30.3m; Height of 4.6m
• Fuel capacity of 1300 lf
• Fuel consumption (cruise) of 0.15 lf/s
• Range of 2200km
• Cruise altitude at 8000m (or 26000 feet)
• Cruise speed at 900km/h (or 250m/s)
• Take-off speed at 50m/s
• Price of 25,766,000$

Pilot notes :

The planes are pretty easy to fly (designed to) and take off at slow speed, but don't pitch up too much to avoid tail strikes. Climb slowly at 20° maximum. Flaps are activated by AG1

Craft files : https://kerbalx.com/Andiron/PH-Seps-B & https://kerbalx.com/Andiron/PH-Seps-A

Mods used: Tweakscale (a bit)

Edited March 25, 2018 by Andiron
craft updated

[neistridlar]

38 minutes ago, Andiron said:

Mods used: Tweakscale (only for lights and side intakes), Making History, Mauws' Custom Paint Jobs

Looks like a nice aircraft, however I don't think Making History is allowed (see previous page), and Mauws' Custom Paint Jobs is not allowed.

[EpicSpaceTroll139]

PassTranz Aviation engineers apologize for their needless questioning of design goals earlier. They had been on a long break from designing large aircraft, and needed a couple days to gather their wits.

 

With no further ado, PassTranz Aviation Co. presents the PT-704 "Lambda", which should qualify for the Jumbo category.

Passenger capacity: 192

Range: ~4300km

Cruise Speed: 260m/s (295m/s can be achieved if one is not worried about engine noise and wear)

Cruise Altitude: 5000m (A cruise climb may be used to improve range above specification)

Min Rotation/Takeoff Speed: 58m/s, however 70m/s is recommended for better controllability in the event of an engine losing thrust.

Recommended Min SL Gliding/Idle Speed: 70m/s

Recommended Climb Speed: 120m/s ASL, may be allowed to increase with altitude

Approximate Time from Takeoff to Cruise: 5-6 minutes

Airframe Rating: +3g, -2g (maneuvers over 1.5g and negative g maneuvers not recommended for passenger comfort)

Price: 303,632,000 (Fueled)   297,868,000 (Unfueled)

The 704 wasn't designed to be revolutionary, but rather to be simple and reliable. The twin-engine design provides redundancy in case of engine failure, while minimizing engine maintenance and maximizing efficiency. The passenger cabin and crew cockpit are constructed in one continuous unit, allowing in-air access to the cockpit by flight attendants to provide food and (non-alcoholic) drink during longer flights, and in emergencies, any onboard doctor or Dennis Fitch Kerman. A password-locked metal door of course prevents any unwanted visits.

While the aircraft is technically capable of sustaining a tailstrike if flown improperly, a bumper prevents this from damaging the airframe at speeds below 80m/s, though it should be near-impossible to hit the tail at speeds above 60m/s. This same bumper system allows the aircraft to belly land in the event of hydraulic and gravity extension failures of the gear, although it is postulated that it is more likely for the pilot to simply forget to deploy the gear. This is also limited to 80m/s. The 704 is also capable of safely ditching, and can apparently take off from water at lower fuel loads, though this will void the warranty on the engines.

Action groups: (2 - engines), (6 - thrust reversers), (7 - flaps)

https://kerbalx.com/EpicSpaceTroll139/PassTranz-704-10-Lambda

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by EpicSpaceTroll139
derp

[Eivuii]

Kerlin Industries KC-3 (Turboprop)

https://kerbalx.com/Eivuii/Kerlin-Industries-KC-3

 

Kerlin Industries is proud to present: The KC-3!

The KC-3 is a Turboprop that can ferry many around towns or over sea. Has a 0.79 Kallon per second Burn rate, at a 2000 kallon max capacity. Its speed is about 135 m/s.

This simple plane takes off at 70m/s, and that is the speed for an AUTOMATED takeoff. We recommend 900 meters from the ground for maximum efficiency. Its K-2800 "Bumblebee" engine provides a lot of thrust for a single engine, and was used to make fighter aircraft in Kerbal War 2.  Its engines are separated from the body by a massive FAT-T3R wing that provides extra lift.  Has space for 48 in all-economy, and 30 in First Class+Economy Class. If that wasn't enough, On-board WiFi and electronic devices are powered by an APU at the back. At a average cost of 48,690000, and having only 30 parts, maintenance costs are low. Buying one aircraft can last you up to 70 years! A very worth-it buy Has a storage space for Snacks and random objects. On the Eivuii Airlines livery we were requested, it came with a Fluffy Towel Warmer, Snack Maker and Research Station. When the KSC contacted us for an order, we were ecstatic. Apparently, they needed a low altitude aircraft for 'research'(and for carrying lazy Kerbals around). A ramp is included for passengers to board. Can be modified for other uses. The military has contacted us on a cargo variant, and we are looking into that. Finally, for all of Kerbals, there is MASSIVE legroom. Requirements for passengers to board: None.

Edited March 24, 2018 by Eivuii

[Kernel Kraken]

I've built my plane, and it carries around 450 passengers. I just need to figure out a better way to mount the engines and an efficient wing design! Pics in by tomorrow, hopefully.

[Eivuii]

Kerlin Industries is proud to present: The Kalibu Series!

When our competitors released their 'Chicken' series, we were furious. We sought out to create a great turboprop series with an unbelievable fuel economy. So, our first thought was to only have one efficient engine. Next, we added an extra tank of fuel. So, we made the Kalibu Series of Turboprops.

https://kerbalx.com/Eivuii/Kerlin-Industries-Kalibu

The Kalibu. A fast, efficient Turboprop whose efficiency of 0.07 Kallons a second, this doesn't sacrifice passenger comfort. We used our quietest engine, the 'Kitty', to make this Prop. It seats 16, and is most efficient at ~1200m, with a top speed of 160m/s. With a relatively low part count and cost of 16605000, this is a really good aircraft. When we showed them the craft, they could only respond with one word,'How?'.

The Meridian.

The same as Kalibu, but with 24 seats. The same fuel economy of 0.06 Kallons/second. With an more expensive(but still quite cheap) price of 17155000. 

COMFORT FIRST

In our series, comfort is first. Snacks are cooked onboard, Fluffy Towel Warmer and free WiFi. Towels are dispensed from a sterilized dispenser. 

Edited March 26, 2018 by Eivuii
Font size

[neistridlar]

5 hours ago, Eivuii said:

-snip-

The submissions look good, but can you please not use giant letters for everything. Size 14 is the standard, please use that for the main body of the text. And please crop away all of the desktop, so only the relevant information is in the picture.

[Bob_Saget54]

On 3/22/2018 at 6:41 AM, neistridlar said:

-SNIP-

Also we are now hiring! New test personnel wanted!

 

If you guys need help with reviewing and all that I'm able to do so for some of the smaller jets due to computer limitations...

[neistridlar]

12 minutes ago, Bob_Saget54 said:

If you guys need help with reviewing and all that I'm able to do so for some of the smaller jets due to computer limitations...

We could probably do with some more reviewers, at the rate we are going now, we will probably never catch up. I would recommend you skim through the old thread, read a bunch of the reviews, and try a few of the planes for your self, to get a feel for how to do the reviews, maybe do a few practice reviews of the ones that has already been reviewed and see if your conclusions are similar. When you feel you are ready just PM any of the active judges (at this time me or CrazyJebGuy is probably your best bet).

[Andiron]

On 24/03/2018 at 5:52 PM, neistridlar said:

Looks like a nice aircraft, however I don't think Making History is allowed (see previous page), and Mauws' Custom Paint Jobs is not allowed.

Noted. I modified my plane to comply with rules

[neistridlar]

Test Pilot Review: @CrazyJebGuy's GAI Skotsk Long B

Figures as Tested:

• Price: 51,314,000
• Fuel: 6760 Kallons
• Cruising Speed: 155m/s
• Cruising Altitude: 1,000m
• Fuel Burn Rate: 0.20 Kallons/sec
• Range: 5,239km

Review:
An other day an other GAI. There are so many of them we are starting to suspect that they are just taking old designs, from the archive, and updating them to fit the modern day market. That certainly would explain the old school vibe that this plane shares with so many other aircraft in the GAI fleet.

Anyways, as advertised the takeoff was quite easy on the pilots, though in typical GAI fashion the landing gear does not allow the plane to rotate sufficiently on take off, which makes the takeoff distance as well as take off speed longer than it has to be. Still even without the afterburners it is far from bad, leaving the ground at 67m/s. In the air the aircraft is mostly docile and well behaved, though for unknown reasons the rudder responds to roll inputs, which makes for a fair bit of adverse yaw. Using rudder and ailerons together eliminates the issue though. We were surprised to see such a low cruising speed from an after burning jet aircraft. Due to the large amounts of fuel carried on board the range is still quite impressive. For better fuel economy GAI recommended that the rear engine was turned off during cruising, and had installed a rather conveniently placed button just for this purpose. The test passengers in the back compartment was quite relieved when the rear engine was shut down, and they had time to pick up their teeth.

The aircraft lands at  45m/s in water and on land. Once the plane is stationary it leans over to one side or the other in the water. Although this was rather disconcerting, and caused a few coffee spills, there did not seem to be particularly dangerous, as the craft stabilized in this new attitude. Taking off from water did seem to require the use of the afterburners, however the aircraft lifted off at 70m/s without much problem.

The front cabin is rather quite nice, it has a nice view, and sits a fair distance away from any engines, and the large fuel tanks help dampen the vibrations. In the rear cabins however things are not quite as nice, with an engine strapped directly to the back. Luckily it is only used for the initial part of the flight. Still the exhaust from the forward engines is whizzing by, making their presence heard. 

Now for the economics of this aircraft. It is customary for sea planes to be expensive, and not very fuel efficient, as they have to carry around the extra stuff that makes them float. Curiously though, the Skotsk Long does not seem to have any additional stuff to make it float, and somehow still manage to be quite expensive, and has one of the worst fuel economies we have seen to date. Pilot training should be quite easy though, and maintenance is about what we would expect for an aircraft of this caliber.

The verdict:
This aircraft may make sense for those that don't plan on flying very often, but when they do they need to go very far, and to remote locations where runways simply don't exist. For KEA however we don't think this plane is very profitable due to the bad fuel economy and high purchase price. We will not be buying any of these.

Edited April 8, 2018 by neistridlar
added link

[ItCameFromDuna]

Buggedt Aerospace presents... the J4NK37-A5S Regional Jet!

Here at Buggedt Aerospace, we strive to provide our customers with the cheapest, safest, and easiest to fly aircraft we can! Our new submission for a regional jet, the J4NK37-A5S, follows this perfectly! With a long range, high speed, and low cost, this bird will gain your airline billions in profits!

Technical specs:

• Cost: 19,978,000 funds
• Fuel: 1,160 KAL
• Cruising Speed: 320 m/s
• Cruising Altitude: 2 - 3 KM (2,000 - 3,000 m)
• Fuel Consumption: 0.16 KAL/sec
•  Range: 2,320 KM

Flight Instructions:

Throttle to 100% with the built-in stabilization systems enabled. Activate the main engine. Begin pitching up at 40 m/s, the aircraft will take off at 55. Climb at a 10 degree angle until cruising altitude is reached. Pitch to zero degrees, adjust trim as needed, and let the craft accelerate. Reduce throttle before trans-sonic effects begin.

[Andetch]

A quick note to the judges - i've updated Mr Tiddles as the authority input on one of the control surfaces was set incorrectly causing it to lack pitch sensitivity. I also added an extra pair of control surfaces. You can now safely* retract the landing gear at speeds below 80 m/s!

And when you try and land it, make sure you don't have full fuel!

*using the word "safely" in a very loose sense....

Edited March 25, 2018 by Andetch

[hoioh]

Skaled Komposites H-wing series

After the initial succes of making the all window-seat, luxury R-wing liners found here:

We decided that go big or go home is a great motto, though we're not prepared to go giant just yet, we are here to present our all new supersonic jumbo jet series: the Skaled Komposites H-wing series.

The H-wing is a series of jumbo jet sized, supersonic, twin hull, all window seat, luxury aircraft with not 1, but 2 lounge areas up the front of the twin hulls:)

The H-wing comes in 3 sizes: the 160, 208 and 256 models, each named after the amount of Kerbals each can transport.

 

The ultimate in comfort at excessive speed:

Like it's smaller brethren the H-wing houses a luxury lounge, but dissimilar it now houses not 1, but 2 of these! a great benefit of these lounges is that due to their greatly increased size they can house up to 8 Kerbals each depending on the configuration, but can at any time be sold at the price of 8 first class seats without issue. The lounges, just like the smaller R-wing series, can be ordered in several configurations. Options include: the frat party lounge, the honeymoon suite, the cigar club, man cave (or alternatively, for the ladies, a massive walk-in closet is available), the cinema and many other options to pick from. If you have a specific desire for a specialty cabin we can build anything that suits your particular and distinguished needs.

The new series is a LOT faster: it's single, massive engine helps it cruise at speeds in excess of mach 4 and safety is guaranteed by seating the pilots in a specially separated cabin which can house 2 pilots and an attendant, or navigator, whichever is preferred. At high speed and altitude it is recommended to fly using the built in Mechanical Jebediah autopilot system's Smart A.S.S. systems to maintain altitude, speed and stability optimally at 0 degree pitch. Thanks to the extreme speed and the separated cabins the flight should offer the ultimate in comfort and viewing pleasure to your discerning passengers for whom only the best will suffice.

 

Easy pilot training and cross series shared control method:

Press 1 to activate flaps and slow down (only usefull prior to landing)

When taking off simply hit that throttle to the max, once you reach about 60m/s pull back on the stick and pitch up to about 30 degrees. Just sit back and wait untill you reach about 15km before you gently pitch down to about 5 degrees. Once you reach 19km altitude, even gentlier this time, pitch down to 0 degrees. (We recommend to activate the Smart A.S.S. system while doing this for the fine control required to pitch down 1 degree at a time, but alternatively you can point pro-grade on the SAS system to make the plane level out). From here on out the plane will continue to accelerate until you've reach the maximum speed of around 1340m/s at an altitude of 19.5 up to 20 km altitude. Fuel consumption will drop, time will pass by and your ride will be smooth as silk while the pink glow licks the many windows.

Once a destination is reached just throttle down to 0 and wait for the plane to lose some speed and altitude prior to attempting maneuvers, not because the plane can't handle this, but your passengers certainly won't like to see their drinks flying all over the place! When you need to reduce speed faster, deploy the flaps, when you don't stow the flaps again and/or throttle up a bit to maintain about 200m/s speed for optimal handling and control at low altitude. Line up the runway, drop the gear, activate the brakes and, while you come in to land, reduce your speed to about 100m/s on your approach. When close to the runway you can reduce speed until you touch down gently on the tarmac, or any other substrate, to see the plane stop in a matter of moments.

 

H-wing model specifications:

H-wing 160
Type: Supersonic
Passenger count: 144 + 2x 8 Kerbal suite of choice
Part count: 44 parts + 1 engine
Cruising altitude: 19000m to 20000km
Range: about 5000km (calculated range, actual range may be in excess to this)
Cost: 134,258,000

H-wing 208
Type: Jumbo
Passenger count: 192 + 2x 8 Kerbal suite of choice
Part count: 46 parts + 1 engine
Cruising altitude: 19000m to 20000km
Range: about 4500km (calculated range, actual range may be in excess to this)
Cost: 154,258,000

H-wing 256
Type: Jumbo
Passenger count: 240 + 2x 8 Kerbal suite of choice
Part count: 48 parts + 1 engine
Cruising altitude: 19000m to 20000km
Range: about 4000km (calculated range, actual range may be in excess to this)
Cost: 174,258,000

More pictures to be found here: https://imgur.com/a/v4lPx

Craft files for flight testing: https://www.dropbox.com/s/eghbv003j3ev6j7/Skaled Komposites H-wing series.zip?dl=0

Edited March 25, 2018 by hoioh
Placing correct currecny symbols

[neistridlar]

11 minutes ago, hoioh said:

-snip-

Oo, looks interesting. you can find the in the emoticons, or just copy paste it from somewhere else.

[hoioh]

14 minutes ago, neistridlar said:

Oo, looks interesting. you can find the in the emoticons, or just copy paste it from somewhere else.

See I wondered where the symbol came from! I went and checked the character map to find the most similar character I could 

Another thing: I still got those badges on the shelf. Would it be an idea to hand out a single badge to each contestant that didn't make a death trap? I'm thinking that in the spirit of the challenge we could easily get away with using only the gold ones

Here's a link to the files for the badges to use at your discretion for the purpose of rewarding contestants of this challenge: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4qbvqc4p91wke1z/Regional jet challenge badges.zip?dl=0

Edited March 25, 2018 by hoioh

[Steel Starling]

Following the success(?) of the SI-R-1, 1a, and 1b "Puddlejumper" line of aircraft, Starling Industries presents:

The Starling Industries SI-XR-19 "HexWingMk2"

https://imgur.com/xkQnetB

The SI-XR-19 is a supersonic aircraft, with a cruising speed of 1240m/s or roughly Mach 3.6 and a passenger capacity of 168 kerbals, making it large enough to fit in the Jumbo Jet category, despite being a pure SST.

Album https://imgur.com/a/uyFfe will appear when post is submitted

 

Strange Design:

The odd design of the SI-XR-19 is where it gets its name, the HexWing. The design, which the engineers insist wasn't built after a Terry Cavanaugh game night, is for a quad fuselage design, with one central fuselage, containing the cockpit and the main fuel tanks, surrounded by a hexagonal wing structure with three support beams, each capped by passenger fuselages, used to store fuel and passengers, as well as provide much-needed thrust to the enormous design. The upper passenger fuselage is extended by one fuselage, to allow for the aircraft to be the size of a Jumbo Jet, giving the aircraft's already distinctive profile a new flare.

 

Flight Tips:

Stage to activate all engines, then throttle to 75-100%, then once you are going at ~25m/s, engage action group 4, raising the rear landing gear, built for stability during aircraft taxing operations, allowing for the aircraft to pivot upwards, decreasing takeoff time. When raising the gear, immediately try to takeoff, as the removal of the gear instantly decreases aircraft stability, and the aircraft will try to roll if not handled properly. After takeoff, position aircraft in a 30-40 degree climb, then maneuver to get the plane at its cruising altitude of 17500m. As the aircraft arcs upwards, it is recommended that you deploy action group 3, disabling the four core engines to increase fuel efficiency. Once cruising altitude is reached, level out the plane and activate action group 1 or group 2, then group 3, toggling every engine to its opposite position, leaving only the core engines on, increasing efficiency of the aircraft drastically. From here, perform normal operations to maintain flight and land.

 

Specs:

Type: Supersonic Jumbo Jet (Technically just Supersonic, due to the high altitude optimal flight profile)

Cost:  191,200,000

Cruising Altitude: 17500 - 18000m

Cruising Speed: 1240m/s or Mach 3.6

Take-Off Speed: 50-60m/s

Range:  11900km, rounded down for sanity's sake

Passenger Count: 168 Kerbals

Part Count: 80 Parts

Engine Powerplant:  14 JX-4 Whiplash Turbo Ramjets, arranged in groups of 4

Link: https://kerbalx.com/SteelStarling/SI-XR-19-HexWingMk2

 

[CrazyJebGuy]

@neistridlar Yeah the Skots Long was a Skots Small relabeled essentially. I will fix it, and start reviewing again, once I get this leaderboard stuff outta the way. It is very time consuming to do the leader-board.

My first planes kind of sucked, but they did provide a very good base to expand to ludicrous sizes.

Pro tip to starters: Consider costs of cabins, and intakes, and all the stuff. You can reduce costs a lot by a few simple substitutions. Also don't put engines near passenger compartments.

Edited March 26, 2018 by CrazyJebGuy