Tosh

Thanks a lot! I was just about to ask you to explain that trick with fins incidence \'cause it\'s the only significant difference from an original config (not counting engine thrust and attachment rules). I think an information you provided is enough for me to reconfigure the drone to fly any way I like it to. P.S. Where are you studying at?

Thanks! I\'m confirming your results. At the first try the drone just easily flew 50 000 meters in 10 minutes -- and is not showing any sign of losing stability. That\'s far better than all I\'ve seen before. You\'re currently the Number One on the Leaderboard P.S. Quite a stable craft you\'ve built. I thought I never can fly a plane without an ASAS (I don\'t have a joystick) -- but your MA-03E is completely tractable to even a dumbass like me UPD. And now I need some time to sort it out just how did you manage to acquire such a result, and can I reproduce it with some other kind of a plane. After that I\'ll message you to discuss a prize you\'re likely to receive. Of course, if noone succeeds in beating your achievement)) UPD2. Holy smokes! 20 minutes and 165 km -- and this crazy robot still flies! 8)

I need at least a screenshot of drone launching to be able to add you to the leaderboard . And since you\'re competing as an engineer configs are also necessary.

Holy cow...

What a pain to travel 34 km (with good chances to travel whole 50!) just to collide mid-air with that f***ing drone! 8) And -- Warning! Drone v2.5 released. Attachment spot for ejection rack is now marked on the back of the fuselage and is visible through at highest zoom level. Those who hang the drone up below the plane should use this attachment spot. Config values are the same as in v2.4. I\'ve also uploaded updated .craft file to the opening post.

Thanks for your feedback)) The work on \'flying straight\' as well as on \'slow\' version is currently in progress. If you\'ve any skills in .CFG editing you may join us at http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum/index.php?topic=6341.

I\'d like to review an entire pack and try to launch it myself. If it can travel to 90 km... that is really awesome. Would you mind PMing it to me?

HOW????////?? I want your config and launch data))

Not only. When launching from the heavier plane airflow tends to press a drone to plane\'s belly giving a drone some pitching moment while a drone launched from the light one falls right below. And what\'s concerning placement differences -- I\'m currently marking a spot for ejection rack on the drone\'s back to eliminate one of the variables...

Please provide an exact speed reading. Drone seems to be very sensitive to launch speed. I -- one again -- cannot repeat your results))). Moreover I\'ve found the drone extremely sensitive to decoupler placement. I need to somehow mark a correct spot on the model . Please standby until I release a new one. And -- I still dunno what\'s to do with that plane-dependent behavior. When I launch the drone (with your latest config) from QF-106 plane it flies a nearly-ballistic trajectory and hits the ground. When I launch it from a standard plane, it climbs up and backwards and then circles endlessly above the KSC.

PROJECT DISCONTINUED, NO DOWNLOAD HERE. Recently there\'ve been requests for some measurement tool to determine who has a bigger... rocket. Well, here it is. Ever bothered to measure something? Ever laid boosters out on the launchpad to determine its size? Built a large rocket just to know VAB height? You need that stuff no more! Attach this holographic ruler projector to any suitable surface -- and acquire an exact measurement! Warning: the ruler is shown as an empty tile in the Utility & Scientific section of the VAB list.

Glad to hear it I\'ve updated an opening post with the solution.

As all the KSP parts are equipped with small but effective suicide charge they silently vaporize as soon as they recede at more than 5 000 m from the command pod. Since you\'ve lost the track you\'ll not be getting that impact confirmation.

Well... try that I\'d stick to low-altitude only. Low-alt flight profile suits better to this kind of drone.

And I\'ve got it while the drone behaves differently when launched from different crafts. Specifying pitch angle means next to nothing . Heavier plane climbs slower than a light one even with the same pitch angle, so there are different forces affecting the drone. That\'s why the drone easily goes off the standard launcher while sticks firmly to your Mirage... It seems that we\'re gotta limit the challenge to a standard launch vehicle... at least add the \'Launcher\' column to the leaderboard.

And I\'ve tried to shift the drone away from the mothership... and have found that it really yields nothing. The drone still likes your Mirage IV too much and just does not want to go off . Well, O.K., ejectionForce=6.

That contact seems to alter drone\'s pitch angle . Pitching the plane down at the moment of launch also does not make a reliable launcher. I would not rely on such a matter when releasing the final config . UPDATE. I\'ve somehow got some results pitching down a plane from OP at the moment of launch. I accept your entry as a test pilot, but not as an engineer yet. For future attempts I prohibit touching plane controls at the moment of launch. Launch from sustained flight only.

Eh, I didn\'t know it matches Saturn V. Updated an opening post

Maybe later))

Sorry, I cannot confirm your results. The drone \'flies into the plane\' because its fins are touching plane\'s side nacelles (see screenshot). To be honest I could not even separate the drone from your carrier plane . And when I used the plane from the opening post -- the drone rushed straight to the stratosphere, no matter the pitch angle Consider using some other carrier plane design, or edit rack\'s or fuselage\'s part.cfg and increase node_attach offset. I can make a rack bigger in a latter case.

That can be done with C7. I\'m making the drone \'cause C7 parts cannot fly well without a pod 8)

Yes, that\'s exactly what I meant when starting this challenge. As I appeared to be not very good in fine-tuning this drone I definitely need a co-author Nothing considered \'cheating\'. I want this drone to fly as far as it can... and to release a stably flying add-on as a result. Though as I\'ve mentioned in the OP it\'s up to me to determine who\'s the author of \'the best config\'... and who\'s getting the prize Extreme values in part.cfg or .craft file editing lower your chances.

Got it. Thanks for your report. I\'ll make a lighter parachute version and upload it tomorrow. UPDATE. As yet try to remove Parts\gemParachute\mesh directory -- and launch the game. Log shows some problems with one of auto-generated files.

I\'d like to see these values and to try them myself (I promise neither to compete in the challenge nor to release that config without your permission). Please either publish them or PM \'em to me .

Well... change everything)))) Let\'s see what\'s gonna come out of this))