Hotel26

Like when the terrorists accidentally spill the bottle in the home lab...

You are correct about this. My standard approach is to circularize down at 70km. Then lower PE to 50km at 70E. This is the opposite point to 110W, which is the tip of the desert, 36 deg uprange from KSC. The idea is that, at 50km, most craft are still maneuverable (in the atmosphere) such that you can go retrograde, do a long decel burn, then still turn prograde again[1]. There is a concensus that says that that decel burn over the desert should bring your touch-down trajectory around about to the Island Airport off KSC. This is all well and good for a ballistic return but still kind of wildly inaccurate. By the time you are low enough to control further with chutes and airbrakes, you are in thick atmosphere and it's too late to control your descent -- your bed is made. With a winged glider, you can do better but only if you are maintaining the glide at a lower altitude, e.g. at 40km descending, where you can quickly get some bite on the atmosphere with wings. By the time I get to the western KSC coast, at 35-40km altitude, I think it is possible to use speed and lift to hold off the landing at will, possibly even using whatever fuel is left in reserve to assist. This is what I am attempting and I think it is controllable and reproducible and should yield pinpoint accuracy. Certainly a properly-balanced winged lifter should outperform one without wings. (The glide ratio on Zephyr degrades to about 2:1 in the lower atmosphere.) Your comment suggests one of two ways of "orbiting" in the atmosphere. #1 at PE where you keep AP higher. #2 at AP in which you keep boosting PE. I use a combination of both, switching as needed. [1] I've experimented with a couple of winged lifters (e.g. Star Knife and Blister), that are intended to "fly" backwards on final descent, such that you don't have to attempt to revert to prograde once you've completed the final decel burn...

Zephyr is my most-used and most-heavily developed lifter. It's second stage is recoverable. (I've also started refueling and sending spent Zephyr lifters to Eve. There, they will wait in orbit to be refueled and then serve one more time as a 'decelerator' to step-down the speed of any attached payload. No more finesse required to land anything, even heavy and/or fragile, on Eve.) Meanwhile, though, I am perfecting the re-entry to make this repeatable with excellence: The trick is to settle into a 45-50 km orbit before/over the desert and then fly like a buzz bomb...

As a former compiler-writer, this doesn't sound strange to me at all. (i.e. "not a shower thought") In the beginning, some of the earliest high-level "symbolic" languages, like FORTRAN and COBOL, indexed such collections with the typical ordinal numbers, 1, 2, 3, etc. Just like math; just like English. Address arithmetic (machine language) prefers pointer (address of the collection) + offset (index to the element) for simplicity and performance. Thus, I would object, "machine language /= natural language". So, some (specialty) languages began to reflect the machine world, not the math world. Fine with me, too. Meanwhile, naming in computer languages does attempt to convey the intended purpose/operation to the human programmer (and is irrelevant to the machine), so the choice of 'first' originates easily from natural language.

Well done, too. [The translate gizmo] suggesting that Galileo was correct when he muttered, "eppur si muove"... I'm predicting that if you move it, though, nothing happens? Meanwhile, I went ahead and refined this idea of Juggernoob. Launched the first Egg in my Orbit production world, rendez-voused with KX2 Pole Star to refuel, and now on the way to the Mun... It looks like a spider's egg sac, doesn't it? (Or is it Kraken?)

Juggernoob just published this interesting work at KerbalX: 5m Sphere It's quite beautiful!! It has a total fuel capacity of 7,500 kallons of LF. I've been looking for spherical tanks ever since I first saw them long ago. Maybe I saw them in this ancient mod: [0.23.5] Spherical and Toroidal Tank Pack So, I decided to prototype a large one. A Jumbo tank is 1.25m radius and 7.5m length giving a volume of 53m3. Two 5m fairings can be used to construct a 9m radius sphere with volume: 3,054 m3. The ratio is 53:3,054 so we can scale up the fuel capacity of 2880 LF / 3520 OX of a Jumbo tank to: 165,953 LF / 202832 OX, for a total of 368,785 kallons. Arise, the Egg!: I'm not going to publish this (KerbalX), because it's Juggernoob's idea, but please download his creation and, if you like, study the construction technique and make your own large Egg, if you want. I'm hoping that Juggernoob will approve and upgrade the capacity of his original work!? [Fair warning: this may turn out to be the fabled Kraken egg, for all I know, so far, so beware it doesn't hatch!!] First dock. From left-to-right: Zephry (lifter) + Mule (tug) on approach to Egg (spherical tank): Visitors will dock with Mule to be supplied with fuel or to supply it. The Mule may then efficiently de-orbit the suppliers, using its nukes, before returning to station.

Leg 11 [prev] [next] [progress] [click & arrows] Departed: -10.794/161.983 @ 3.167.1.38 Airborne: 48m Heading: 240 Distance: 237.7 km Altitude: 2.8 km Arrival: -10.017/138.732 Flight over the Land of the Lakes. (Mission Control has 2 weeks leave from IRL, starting today. Yahoo.) 2020 will come to a conclusion and so, too, will this mission!!

Tag line: "Please, sir, I want some ore."

Operates under my usual flag (see top left). Air-Sea Rescue, too. I'd like to see your flag, though!! (Screenshot?)

After two recent incidents involving the first type of rotary aircraft shown below: <--- that one; not this one ---> the KTSB have conducted preliminary tests on it (above left: Chippewa) and also on the Coaster Sports (above: right) to determine whether: a) these aircraft are "safe to fly" and b) whether KSP, a publicly-traded game "for amusement", is capable of supporting auto-rotation, which is deemed essential for the safety of the game-playing public. Here, KTSB employee, Donsted Kerman ( I believe that is pronounced "Don-sted Ker-man"), risks his life climbing to 3 km to test the Chippewa across the bay, so as not to endanger the lives, also, of the Kerbin Space Center Fire Fighting Units. Donsted was able to safely guide the Chippewa to a soft touch-down after cutting the gas to the twin Junos and initiating a precipitous dive [sink rate: 50+ m/s]. Rotor revolutions were maintained on limited battery power. Donsted also determined that the Coaster Sports is capable of level flight at a mere 12 m/s with the rotors turning at 460 rpm with zero collective applied. Note though that the Coaster is not a pure rotary craft (as it has wings). The KTSB report filed stated that the first incident involving the Chippewa was caused by a failure to refuel the vehicle before use ["pilot error"] and the second incident (crash site pictured above) involved a high-speed, wheeling descent at an altitude of 5 km "without due care" or "commensurate understanding of the operation of a rotorcraft at high altitude, nor of proper procedure recovering from a high-speed descent [pilot error]". Finally, after a separate test, using the Coaster, the KTSB issued a NOTAM indicating that "KSP does not support true auto-rotation" and advised "all airmen to desist using KSP, for any purpose, until the software problem is diagnosed and repaired[1]" [1] KSP2?

Leg 10 [prev] [next] [progress] [click & arrows] Departed: 5.46/-170.07 @ 3.164.0.36 Airborne: 70m Heading: 240 Distance: 333.1 km Altitude: 5.2 km Arrival: -10.794/161.983 Mostly an over-water leg, but some pretty scenery. This is the Juice Goose in action, refueling the Chippewa.

It is now.

Leg 9 [prev] [next] [progress] [click & arrows] Departed: -6.53/-144.03 @ 3.163.0.15 Airborne: 62m Heading: 295 Distance: 293.8 km Altitude: 6.1 km Arrival: 5.46/-170.07 Dick is very happy with the new, long-range Chippewa LR! Leg 9 was a big, 300 km push and is still possibly only 75% of what the LR can do. A pleasant surprise was to see Ben Creag come into view. (Amelia phoned it in when she landed her new Juice Goose[1] just behind it. Yes, the Logistics team talked Dick out of using the massive, 147t Manta++, which would have been a nightmare.) For the very observant reader (with a monocle), close examination of shot 3 above may reveal the location of the remains of some other, unfortunate rotary pilot who has left the remains of his machine dumped into a twisted heap on the slopes of Ben Creag. (Nobody hurt, but a nasty lesson about what happens when you get your blades out of the power band...) [1] Juice Goose is another reverse-engineered knock-off that I happily credit @purpleivan for. It carries a heap of fuel and its nose claw is near-perfect for refueling the Chippewa...

Regroup [prev] [next] [progress] [click & arrows] As the whole team enjoys a little R&R in "Vegas" (Dessert Strip), Logistics are taking the opportunity to regroup the mission, based on progress so far... Mitlas Kerman [shot 1] got the Pterodactyl airborne after the Chippewa had radioed in a successful landing at the Strip, only to note a low fuel gauge. Yup. Funny how one keeps doing the sums on the calculator and it keeps falling short, but the pilot's mind continues to hope the flight is going to make it somehow. 9 kms or so before reaching the Strip, the Pterodactyl flamed out. Touch-down at a mercifully slow 33 m/s in the blinding dessert [sic] glare. Mitlas, following Air-Sea Rescue regulations, used his electronic wristwatch to dial in the coordinates to the sats above, to command the teleport recovery of the equipment, after he had first unloaded the Gryphon. The drive back to the Strip wasn't too bad and another fuel truck is always welcome at Base! Amelia Kerman experienced no such problem in the Euler and touched down without trouble. Her machine, too, was recycled, leaving Amelia in the bar for some catch-up with the lads. Her new ride, a brand new Manta++ [shot 2], containing an Invader rover and a Gryphon III fuel truck. (The Pterodactyl simply didn't carry enough fuel to last very long in the field as a fuel resupplier for the expedition.) The Manta++ carries so much fuel that the Strip Base Commander insisted it be parked on the other side of the runway, far from the flight line! Dick Smith, naturally enough (being the financial backer of the expedition), also received new equipment: a brand new Chippewa LR [shot 3], with long-range skid tanks that more than double its LF capacity. The LR has the same cruise characteristics as the base model -- just longer range, presumably. It hasn't been tested yet, but it may also be able to alight on water and stay serviceable. (The base model simply turns over, blades in the water, quite useless.) Thanks to all others who have reported in, especially for their peachy-keen tourist snaps!! I've posted an Honor Roll in the OP and a Participation Badge should be ready by the end of the week. Cheers!

Leg 8 [prev] [next] [progress] [click & arrows] Departed: -1.14/-133.24 @ 3.160.5.38 Airborne: 26m Heading: 245 Distance: 126.0 km Altitude: 3.1 km Arrival: -6.53/-144.03 The majority of the terrain on this leg was flat but flying a helicopter is never boring. We felt like we were being wafted along by thermals, as the machine climbed easily and the airspeed was generally 'hovering' around 95 m/s. In truth, Dick has become adept at tuning the flight controls. He even feels he might get that 170 km endurance the support crew had predicted. (First shot above: a glimpse of the Temple in the left distance. Fourth shot: "finding a parking place". "Las Vegas", as the pilots call it, is one of the busiest airports, with multiple Air-Sea Rescue crews operating out of here.) A big relief and a lot of satisfaction making this first, major milestone.

This thread saved my life. I wish everybody knew about it. Good on you, Klesh.

Yes, it's good because the important thing is that you did it. Just register your start point and then continue on. (Did you start at KSC?) Be mindful of visiting the antipode (opposite point of the globe) and then return to the start point (by any route) and you will have conducted a good circumnavigation. Please keep us updated and good luck!! There is some way to get the coords of a landed craft without a probe core. I believe you can do it maybe in the Map View. Yes, hover over a landed/splashed target in Map View and its coords will be displayed. Welcome to the Expedition!! (Very impressive machine you have there, too!)

Welcome, Bold Adventurers! And, my, what an interesting route you have planned; we're quite envious, I don't mind admitting. Looks like your Opposite Point is (approx) 6.30N, 38.33E and that should be easy for you to incorporate in your route. The Very Best of Luck to you and your team!!

Disclaimer: I am not a graphics artist, but something along the lines of this for a badge? It's got the globe, the four compass points and the blades. Open for comments (and better attempts)... UPDATE: More compact -- and "the 6 compass points"...? hmm. Oh well.

A really superb job! And, thank you for participating! My leg posts include a [progress] link which points to the updated map, here: I, personally, am having a ball doing this expedition, so I share your hope others will join. (I have a rover about half way around that has been stalled for a year or two, so this has worked out much better.) No luck as yet with the signatures.

Sir Ralan Boyle, Master Aviator, Expert Shipbuilder, First Circumnavigator. All Hail!! A very professional and entertaining video, too. Well done, sir! (I guess we need to make a badge now!? I will get on it...)

Leg 6 [prev] [next] [progress] [click & arrows] Departed: 6.43/-114.76 @ 3.158.1.25 Airborne: 15m Heading: 260 Distance: 62.1 km Altitude: 1.9 km Arrival: 5.44/-120.63 A short and routine flight to the edge of the next large bay. Leg 7 [click & arrows] Departed: 5.44/-120.63 @ 3.159.5.33 Airborne: 34m Heading: 245 Distance: 148.4 km Altitude: 1.9 km Arrival: -1.14/-133.24 Pushed hard on Leg 7, knowing that the Dessert Strip is within striking range on Leg 8. Nevertheless, 148 km appears to be very close to the limit of the machine and a descending approach was used to expedite the landing, made with less than a kallon of fuel remaining on board. With this reduced range, whether tomorrow's first leg takes us over the mountains to the Strip may very well require one of those KSP lucky tail winds.

I am currently using (5.08, -61.56), alt 5682 (mountain top). I use wide-base landers so am not too troubled by slope, but flat is good. If you are mining and boosting fuel to orbit, you might like this tip: with a target reference on the surface, boost a reference vehicle straight "up" (SAS Radial Out) and bring it to a Target-relative standstill at 42.14 km. Your orbital period should be 1d 1h 50m 55s and you will be geostationary; not directly above the surface target, but not far from it. This assumes an equatorial surface site, or close to it. You will get some "wobble", if not, which is not necessarily bad. you can now boost a tanker from surface to orbit reference and vice versa as a "straight shot" -- aim at the target, accelerate, coast, decelerate, land/dock. A bit like a space elevator. I find this makes mining on Gilly quite enjoyable!

Leg 5 [prev] [next] [progress] [click & arrows] Departed: 8.37/-111.36 @ 3.158 0.26 Airborne: 10m Heading: 250 Distance: 41.1 km Altitude: 3.0 km Arrival: 6.43/-114.76 Some excitement in the Dick Smith camp as news came in that Dick's trusty Chippewa had suffered a flame-out crossing the mountains. Fortunately, Dick had just crossed the last ridge marking the exit from those mountains and was able to land on battery power with 3% charge remaining. After ascertaining that Dick was unhurt, and the equipment unscathed, KSC Support scrambled a rescue mission, employing an ancient Pterodactyl[1] flat-bed transporter to ferry a Gryphon III fuel truck out to the crash landing site. [click & arrows] On a sombre note, engineer Kendo Kerman was untimely ripped from his Gryphon EVA seat some time during the rescue flight, which certainly exceeded Mach 3... "What was he thinking...?" Requiescat in pace, Kendo; you will be missed. A subsequent audit revealed that Dick had inadvertently skipped the very first flight preparation item on the lengthy check-list: "refuel". The audit also added the 41.1 km covered before the mishap to the previous leg's 129.5 km to conclude that Chippewa endurance is, at least, 170 km. Good news for the team. [1] credit to @Brikoleurfor his original Pelican, since my Pterodactyl is an unabashed reverse-engineered knock-off.

Will amend the rules! Easterly, Westerly, Northerly, Southerly headings will be accepted as non-stop when the pilot elects/specifies this intention. Good luck, brave pilot! The first 4 images are showing as a European "no entry" sign. The first URL is https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/... I would say that it is an upload sharing permissions problem or similar...? I've caused the same problems with Google Drive. Might be simple to rectify by going to the hosting site and fiddling with the permissions menu(s). But it could also be an issue between kerbalspaceprogram and googleusercontent (one rejecting the other). Your 5th image (imgur.com) shows just fine. UPDATE: hmm, rules do not appear to state specifically that one must land at that opposite point; just that you fly over it. You're all set, Ralan.