Around the World in 80... Minutes (ORIGINAL - DONE)

[ManEatingApe]

6 hours ago, OverClock said:

@ManEatingApe I had to move the COL wayyyy back to make it stable, i can't even fly the plane if COL is near COM. How do you manage to fly borderline stable plane? I clearly have a lot to learn

Borderline stable is still stable, just more sensitive to input, so you have to be gentler with the controls. Practice is really the key, however with a script flying for you this is less of a problem.

6 hours ago, OverClock said:

I have try several KOS script, but i like yours because it looks so much simpler and efficient. But i really have problem understanding them, set steeringmanager:pitchpid:kp to 5.0 seems to solve the crashing problem, but why?

"set steeringmanager:pitchpid:kp to 5.0" increases the proportional constant of the kOS cooked steering PID controller, see:
http://ksp-kos.github.io/KOS_DOC/commands/flight/cooked.html#tuning-cooked-steering

If your next question is "But Ape, what is the proportional constant of a PID controller?" then that is a complex subject.
These links can help:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PID_controller
https://www.csimn.com/CSI_pages/PIDforDummies.html
https://www.machinedesign.com/automation-iiot/sensors/article/21831887/introduction-to-pid-control

6 hours ago, OverClock said:

Would you mind sharing your wisdom to us beginners how it work? maybe start a new thread especially for that? I believe a lot of us beginners are struggling to use KOS script. I try google "set steering to heading" but cannot find other script that use that command (not even in the KOS documentation), most script use LOCK steering to heading. 

Well spotted. The "lock steering to <expression>" statement evaluates the given expression on each physic tick and assigns it to the steering controller.
The "until <expression> { block statement }" also evaluates the given expression on each physics tick, and if false, also executes the given block statement.
So the following code block:

local desiredCompassAngle is 0.
local desiredPitchAngle is 0.
local desiredRollAngle is 0.
lock steering to heading(desiredCompassAngle, desiredPitchAngle, desiredRollAngle).

until false {
  set desiredCompassAngle to <expression>.
  set desiredPitchAngle to <expression>.
  set desiredRollAngle to <expression>.
}

is functionally equivalent to this code block below. However the 2nd code block has the advantage that the 3 variables desiredCompassAngle, desiredPitchAngle, desiredRollAngle are local to the scope of the loop, rather than the scope of the script. Keeping mutable variables as local as possible reduces the chance of programmer error, so I went with that approach.

until false {
  local desiredCompassAngle is <expression>.
  local desiredPitchAngle is <expression>.
  local desiredRollAngle is <expression>.
  set steering to heading(desiredCompassAngle, desiredPitchAngle, desiredRollAngle).
}

Edited February 3, 2020 by ManEatingApe

[OverClock]

@ManEatingApe Holy! your script is truly magical! My plebeian brain cannot fully understand the magical nature it contains. So i try to cheat that magical script a bit and behold, i'm flying at 2820 m/s with no hand on steering wheel (or.. stick, whatever...). 

just a little bit more, i might reach destination.. if i could figure out the magical spell needed to land this thing. 

Just in case anybody interested to try, you can find my plane and the magical script here. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xiIxmVsjOt6IJWMg1qiyYz8ScMUEYRvf?usp=sharing

All credits go to the great sage @ManEatingApe for creating this magic.

 

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

  DEADLINE IN T-MINUS 10 DAYS, 12 HOURS  

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

  DEADLINE IN T-MINUS 2 DAYS  

[OverClock]

Finally manage to land this thing using the great sage @ManEatingApe magical script. She is a beast with 6 engine, 63.27 tonnage.

Take off at 00:00:08

Land at 00:27:14

27 minutes 6 sec around kerbin. Top speed 2810m/s.

Check the flight video here: https://youtu.be/9fPX5IwG-GE (i dont know how to embed video )

Find the plane and magical script here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xiIxmVsjOt6IJWMg1qiyYz8ScMUEYRvf?usp=sharing

Edited February 19, 2020 by OverClock

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

TIME'S UP

 

As fun as this challenge was, and how happy I was that you all communicated with each other to discuss strategy, it's time for this race to end. 

• If anyone wants to restart the "Around Kerbin in 80 Minutes Challenge," - or even do a modified version of it (e.g. rockets only but stay below 35 km, around Kerbin in 40 minutes, must carry 20 or more people, etc) - please DM me first. I'd be eager to help out and/or compete in such challenges.
  • "Around Laythe in 80 Minutes" is already taken.

 

 FINAL LEADERBOARD 

 

1. LIGHTNING DIVISION
   1. @ManEatingApe - 27 minutes, 37 seconds
   2. @nelso - 35 minutes, 18 seconds
   3. @vyznev - 35 minutes, 18 seconds
   4. @Laie - 39 minutes, 47 seconds
   5. @Lisias - 50 minutes, 15 seconds
   6. @Mars-Bound Hokie (ME) - 53 minutes, 18 seconds
   7. @Nantares - 57 minutes, 47 seconds
2. THUNDER DIVISION
   1. @Laie - 24 minutes, 32 seconds
   2. @OverClock - 27 minutes, 6 seconds
   3. @nelso - 28 minutes, 45 seconds
   4. @AHHans - 52 minutes, 54 seconds
   5. @Lisias - 54 minutes, 44 seconds
3. HEAVY RAIN DIVISION
   1. @nelso - 29 minutes, 45 seconds
   2. @έķ νίĻĻάίή - 63 minutes, 48 seconds
   3. @Klapaucius - 72 minutes, 6 seconds

 

I would like to thank everyone who competed in this challenge and made it fun for everyone. You also had some interesting discussions on this thread (some of them with me) about how you're going to proceed using different plane designs and/or flight plans. In hindsight, I should have closed a loophole some of you exploited and required you to fly at a heading of ~90 degrees; some of you saw a way to cut your race time and took off THE OTHER WAY (despite the fact that you started at 0-9 KSC). Even so, I could tell that you put a lot of time and effort into your plane designs - and in some cases, your kOS codes. Sure wish I could do that, then I won't have to worry about the MJ aircraft autopilot messing me up while I can do whatever mid-flight.

 

I would also like to give a big shout-out to whoever nominated me for Thread of the Month for January 2020, but I'd also like to thank you all for making this possible. I'm sure that you had a lot of fun flying (and blowing up) at high speeds. 

 

Below is the link to "Bill's Car," the plane that kickstarted this challenge.

• https://kerbalx.com/Mars-Bound_Hokie/Bills-Car
  • Val's couldn't make the time.

 

I will shortly DM the "80 Minutes" challenge badge to everyone who submitted valid entries. Speaking of challenge badges, some of you are probably wondering "Why is there an 'Around Laythe in 80 Minutes' badge in Mars-Bound Hokie's signature?" The answer is simple: I started a sister challenge in which you're supposed to head to Laythe and fly within the atmosphere in 80 minutes. If you want to show off what you can do, here's the link to the challenge. I can't wait to see your unique entries.

• And the best part is that there's no deadline for the Laythe challenge, since it takes a while to get there.

 

Don't text and fly, and may you all blow up at hypersonic speeds go past your limits.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Mars-Bound Hokie
Added links to winning posts

[AHHans]

I'd like to thank @Mars-Bound Hokie for hosting this fun challenge.

[έķ νίĻĻάίή]

Oh hell yeah!