The Tall Plane Challenge

[Klapaucius]

Your goal: Build the tallest, skinniest airplane you can.  It must be able to takeoff and fly.  If you can land it, even better.

 

 

RULES:

 

1. Your scores is calculated as follows: Height - (Length + Width).   Calculate this using the engineers report in the lower right of the SPH (the gear icon).

2. Your aircraft must have a pilot. (no unmanned aircraft or fly by wire)

3. The craft may have only one command pod of any sort.  It may not be the external command seat.

3. The command pod where the pilot sits must be the highest point of the aircraft.  (The pictured craft above would not qualify due to the tailfin.)

4. Your Kerbal must be able to exit and reboard the craft in some manner. In other words, include ladders or prove in some Kerbal way you can get into your airplane.  If you want to skydive and land on the cockpit, go for it.

5. Stock parts only.

6. No physics altering mods or cheats.

7. No additional reaction wheels may be added. The  SAS in your command pod is all you get.  Kudos if you can fly without it.

8. If there is a tie in scoring, the more massive aircraft wins.

9.  You must take off horizontally from the runway.

10. You get a bonus of half the absolute value of your score if you successfully land. For example: Your plane has  a height of 10, a width of 6 and a length of 7.  10-(6+7) = -3.     I-3I / 2 = 1.5.  Final score: -1.5.  

11. You get 1 additional point if you land on the runway, as opposed to the grass.

 

LEADERBOARD

1.  @ralanboyle"Tall Boi 2" 77.95

2. @Entropian23.45

3. @ralanboyle  "Tall Boi 1"  0.6 (missing ladders, but we will forgive this)

 

Edited November 22, 2020 by Klapaucius

[ralanboyle]

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[ralanboyle]

Okay,  my math works out to +0.6 but I'm not sure if I am doubling the negative then adding 1 correctly. The plane is pretty fun to fly but it is really hard to land. I'm gonna have to download Hanger Extender and get stupid. 

 

[Klapaucius]

18 minutes ago, ralanboyle said:

Okay,  my math works out to +0.6 but I'm not sure if I am doubling the negative then adding 1 correctly. The plane is pretty fun to fly but it is really hard to land. I'm gonna have to download Hanger Extender and get stupid. 

 

Genius.

[Entropian]

Ok,  I quickly cobbled together something:

(Yes, inverted at Mach 1.5 with the ladders out)

It actually flies surprisingly well, and is very easy to control.  More flight pics:

It lands on the runway with the assistance of four parachutes, but I'm sure it can be done with 2.  Right on the centerline:

As can be seen from the pictures above I included a ladder on the leading edge of the wing.

Height = 24.6

Width = 4.1

Length = 6.2

(24.6 - (4.1+6.2)) + (24.6 - (4.1+6.2))/2 + 1 = 23.45

Fun challenge!  I think this score can be improved though.

[Klapaucius]

2 hours ago, Entropian said:

Ok,  I quickly cobbled together something:

 

(Yes, inverted at Mach 1.5 with the ladders out)

It actually flies surprisingly well, and is very easy to control.  More flight pics:

 

 

It lands on the runway with the assistance of four parachutes, but I'm sure it can be done with 2.  Right on the centerline:

 

As can be seen from the pictures above I included a ladder on the leading edge of the wing.

Height = 24.6

Width = 4.1

Length = 6.2

(24.6 - (4.1+6.2)) + (24.6 - (4.1+6.2))/2 + 1 = 23.45

Fun challenge!  I think this score can be improved though.

Nice! 

 

However, I realized I left a loophole re the chutes.  The intention was an unassisted horizontal landing, though I see I did not state that specifically in the rules.  Are you coming down vertically or just slowing down?

Either way, a very impressive entry.

[Entropian]

Just slowing down, I assumed VTOL was disallowed.

[ralanboyle]

Guys, I am sorry to announce that I forgot to put ladders on Tall Boi 1! Oops, that run is disqualified. Good thing I made Tall Boi 2! It has the most ladders (by far) that I've ever put on a craft. I believe the score ends up at 77.95. I see no reason the design couldn't be extended indefinitely.  

 

[Klapaucius]

6 hours ago, ralanboyle said:

Guys, I am sorry to announce that I forgot to put ladders on Tall Boi 1! Oops, that run is disqualified. Good thing I made Tall Boi 2! It has the most ladders (by far) that I've ever put on a craft. I believe the score ends up at 77.95. I see no reason the design couldn't be extended indefinitely.  

 

If you parked that next to the control tower, could Val get out and have a coffee with the air traffic controllers?

I am amazed you landed that thing.

11 hours ago, Entropian said:

Just slowing down, I assumed VTOL was disallowed.

That is perfectly okay, then :-)

[Pds314]

So.. are we gonna do what they do with buildings and add super skinny barely useful spires on the top of everything actually necessary that nearly double the height?

 

Edit: reread the rules. Command pod would need to be on the spire.

Edited November 22, 2020 by Pds314

[Klapaucius]

1 hour ago, Pds314 said:

So.. are we gonna do what they do with buildings and add super skinny barely useful spires on the top of everything actually necessary that nearly double the height?

 

Edit: reread the rules. Command pod would need to be on the spire.

That was exactly why the rules are the way they are :-)

[ralanboyle]

Okay' I have one that's about 215 points without any multipliers. I can't been able to land it yet because: 1. It's really hard to get the details right with a ship this tall in the SPH and 2. I am now completely drunk. I've been on a month long work trip flying red eyes. gonna drink and go to sleeep the be on a normal schedule. see you guys later. 

[The_Stinky_Broccoli]

hmm I need to try this when my computer starts working again. I'm thinking derp biplanes .

[doggonemess]

On 11/23/2020 at 12:10 AM, ralanboyle said:

 2. I am now completely drunk. 

Well, there's your problem!

[doggonemess]

On 11/21/2020 at 12:30 AM, Klapaucius said:

1. Your scores is calculated as follows: Height - (Length + Width).   Calculate this using the engineers report in the lower right of the SPH (the gear icon).

Do we get bonus points for a levitating truck in the SPH? 

[dnbattley]

I don't think I can compete with the experienced aircraft designers on here, but am I right in reading a *sort-of* loophole in the scoring that means that a craft which is very, very tall and thin in the SPH, but which re-aligns itself (e.g. via robotic parts) into something more... conventional... on the runway, would meet the rules while maximising the scoring system?

[Klapaucius]

5 hours ago, dnbattley said:

I don't think I can compete with the experienced aircraft designers on here, but am I right in reading a *sort-of* loophole in the scoring that means that a craft which is very, very tall and thin in the SPH, but which re-aligns itself (e.g. via robotic parts) into something more... conventional... on the runway, would meet the rules while maximising the scoring system?

No.  That completely defeats the idea of the challenge. But something smaller is still valuable.  I still intend to put in an entry,  but there is no way I will beat @ralanboyle.  Just find something unique, but please don't go looking for loopholes.  

Edited November 25, 2020 by Klapaucius

[ralanboyle]

Okay guys, 

Now that I'm all sobered up I looked at the video from the other night and thought we all might get a kick out of fail compilation. Here is Tall Boi 3 failing over and over again. 

 

[sturmhauke]

Hmm, I have some dumb ideas for this challenge...

[dnbattley]

6 hours ago, Klapaucius said:

No.  That completely defeats the idea of the challenge

There's no need for such a defensive chiding tone: a working plane that folds into/from a thin flat object, particularly without flexing in an uncontrollable manner, would certainly not be without challenge. Asking if stock robotics are permitted is not the same as looking to sneak a physical exploit into the challenge. Are robotics banned under all circumstances?

[Klapaucius]

9 hours ago, dnbattley said:

There's no need for such a defensive chiding tone: a working plane that folds into/from a thin flat object, particularly without flexing in an uncontrollable manner, would certainly not be without challenge. Asking if stock robotics are permitted is not the same as looking to sneak a physical exploit into the challenge. Are robotics banned under all circumstances?

That was not the intention and certainly not the tone of voice I had in my head when typing it. Apologies if it came out that way. 

I usually put in a "don't look for loopholes" clause in my challenges.  I'm always about the design, and therefore keeping in the spirit of what was intended.

 

To answer your question, there is not ban at all on robotics, but reshaping your plane into something more conventional for takeoff is not what the challenge is about. Your tall plane needs to takeoff, fly and hopefully land in that configuration.  

Edited November 26, 2020 by Klapaucius

[Klapaucius]

On 11/26/2020 at 7:25 AM, ralanboyle said:

Okay guys, 

Now that I'm all sobered up I looked at the video from the other night and thought we all might get a kick out of fail compilation. Here is Tall Boi 3 failing over and over again. 

 

I loved the one at 39 seconds.  And the end was brilliant. I feel a bit better about my disasters so far.

[sturmhauke]

I tried making a Saturn V that flew sideways, but it kept thinking it was a Proton and falling over.

[doggonemess]

On 11/30/2020 at 9:24 PM, sturmhauke said:

I tried making a Saturn V that flew sideways, but it kept thinking it was a Proton and falling over.

I chortled when I read this. XD

[Mikenike]

On 11/30/2020 at 8:24 PM, sturmhauke said:

I tried making a Saturn V that flew sideways, but it kept thinking it was a Proton and falling over.

Oh, god!! Someone get the rescue team and the decon team. We need to find a way to stop the toxic fuels from exploding. Please tell me that you launched it from Baikonbaur and not KSC.