Vertical Drag Race

[Klapaucius]

Very simple: fly up as fast as possible.  This should be the ultimate MOAR boosters challenge.

 

Leaderboard for best time will be taken at 70,000, 100,000 and 150,000 meters.

 

Rules:

1. No part clipping (usually I don't care about this, but it will have a real effect on the challenge).

2. Stock and DCL only.

3. Separate categories for manned and unmanned (assuming it makes that much of a difference).

4. If you make it through the atmosphere your Kerbal will survive. I'll leave it to you to mount a multi-year rescue mission since they will wind up in Kerbol orbit.

5. If the challenge is successful, we could see about separate single engine type categories (Eg: Fastest using only Bobcats).

6. Video if you can. Otherwise press the F1 key as fast as you can when you hit the altitude mark.

7. Keep to the spirit of the challenge.  Be innovative but don't go looking for loopholes.  If in doubt, ask.

 

LEADERBOARD:

Kerbaled                                                                                               UnKerbaled

70,000

 

@mystifeid  0:35

@Klapaucius 0:43

 

100,000

@mystifeid  0:42

@Klapaucius 0:50

 

150,000

@mystifeid  0:51

@Klapaucius 1:02

Note: I noticed in my own video that on the altitude counter, the 7, when turning to 70,000, moves more slowly than the lower numbers. Just to keep things consistent, you will be judged to be at 70,000 when the 7 is fully visible.

This is an example where my own ship broke the rules. I have clipped engines in the first, so had to swap out. It cost me a second, alas.  The other solution would have been to offset the engines out. That is allowed.

My entry:

70,000: 43 seconds

100,000: 50 seconds

150,000: 1:02 (though I ran out of fuel at 100k, so I just drifted to here.)

Spoiler

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by Klapaucius

[dnbattley]

Aaaaaand... getting this in quickly before it is disqualified: tHe PoWeR oF kRaKeN cOmPeLs yOu!: 27, 32 and 39 seconds, with the chief limitation to going faster being the heat... Fuel technically ran out after 12 seconds, but that matters not while the Kraken is feasting...

 

EDIT: further absurdity has got the 150k down to 36 seconds, but given that needed 3 inflatable heat shields to survive I'll just leave things there (photo evidence added to the album link above).

Edited April 23, 2020 by dnbattley

[mystifeid]

Here are 103 Vectors. No Kraken drive.

 

[dnbattley]

50 minutes ago, mystifeid said:

Here are 103 Vectors. No Kraken drive.

Oh but that startup boom... K-drives just can't compete with that sort of satisfying sound!

[mystifeid]

12 minutes ago, dnbattley said:

K-drives just can't compete with that sort of satisfying sound!

It's the same with this one when it gets down to the last rocket - it just sounds anti-climactic.

[QF9E]

Does a bundle of tightly packed sepratrons count as clipped?

Edited April 23, 2020 by QF9E

[Klapaucius]

7 hours ago, QF9E said:

Does a bundle of tightly packed sepratrons count as clipped?

My views on clipped parts really go around "plausibility" (he says, conscious of the fact we are building Kerbal craft).  In this case, nothing other than the brackets are packed together, so that is fine. There is no nozzle overlap or tanks merging together.

 

I'm glad to see the love for sepratrons continuing!

[sevenperforce]

FYI: Unless you are using a fairing, part clipping does nothing whatsoever for drag, only for vehicle stability.

[Box of Stardust]

are decouplers allowed

 

[Klapaucius]

8 minutes ago, Box of Stardust said:

are decouplers allowed

 

Yes

[Box of Stardust]

Just now, Klapaucius said:

Yes

Maybe I should rephrase: are decouplers allowed as the mode of propulsion.

[Klapaucius]

If you are simply using it them to add propulsion, then yes.

 

If you are mucking about with quirks in the programming that are cheating physics, then no.  In other words, don't go looking for loopholes.

Edited April 26, 2020 by Klapaucius

[Box of Stardust]

Aw, I wanted to bring back the legend of Plaid. Oh well.