Mjp1050

You can use whatever engines you want for whatever category you want. The separate categories aren't meant to define what engines you can use. I'll update the OP.

Hey folks, I've rebooted the challenge here, now with 100% less submission deadlines. Enjoy!:

Original challenge by @keptin Kerbal Express Airlines is in need of updating its aging fleet of regional jets and turboprops. It's a big client, operating at hundreds of airports around Kerbin, and that means big fleet sales. Does your aircraft company offer the right kind of aircraft for the job? Kerbal Express wants profitable aircraft. They're looking for aircraft that meet or exceed their requirements for fuel efficiency, speed, range, passenger load, ease of training, and cost of maintenance, for the right price that gives them the best return on investment. They also want a design that's flexible, offering variations of the same design for a variety of different routes. The Rules: KSP version 1.3 compatible Stock parts + Airplane Plus (optional) TweakScale is allowed, just please don't ruin the spirit of the challenge with it. The Mk1 and Mk2 Crew Cabins count as 8 Passengers Mk3 Passenger Module and Size 2 Crew Cabin count as 24 Passengers Small aircraft must have at least 1 pilot in a cockpit, and medium-large at least 2 pilots. Command seats can be used, but you must build a cabin around them. No reaction wheels. No rocket engines. Aircraft engines only. You don't have to use propeller engines in the Turboprop category, nor do you have to use jets for the Jet categories. Minor clipping is allowed, within reason. A rolling runway takeoff is required. Takeoff & Landing speed of no more than 80 m/s on land , or 120 m/s on water. Action Groups must be listed in the Ship Description. Your aircraft must stay intact. [No drop tanks, etc.] Model variants may only have minor differences between them to be considered. 15,000m altitude limit, unless in the Supersonic category Aircraft must stay in the atmosphere Mach 1 speed limit (343 m/s), unless in the Supersonic or Jumbo Jet catrgory What is a variant? To improve your design's competitiveness, your company can submit a variant of the same design (See Wants section below). A variant is built on the same model platform with minor changes in design to give it, say, extra range, or extra passenger room. This is most commonly achieved by adding fuel tanks or lengthening the cabin, sometimes with minor changes to wing and emmpanage design. To qualify as a variant, it must generally have the same structural layout, meaning engines, gear, and lift surfaces must be in roughly the same location & design. Basically, if you make it too different, it will be considered a separate model/submission. What Kerbal Express Air Wants, By Category: For all categories, Range will be calculated by fuel capacity / burn rate * speed / 1000m at the recommended cruising speed & altitude. Seaplane Must be able to land on and take off from water and land Range of at least 600km Cruising Speed of at least 110 m/s 16 Passengers Turboprop Range of at least 800km Cruising Speed of at least 130 m/s 24 Passengers, and optional 32 Passenger variant Small Regional Jet Range of at least 1000km Cruising Speed of at least 220 m/s 32 Passengers, and optional 40 Passenger variant with an extended range of at least 1200km. Medium Regional Jet Range of at least 1500km Cruising Speed of at least 240 m/s 72 Passengers, and optional variant with extended range of at least 2000km. Supersonic Jet Range of at least 1500km Cruising Speed of at least 330 m/s 40 Passengers, and optional variant with extended range of at least 2500km. Jumbo Jet Range of at least 4000km 152+ Passengers Takeoff speed can be higher that 80 m/s Judging Criteria: Every submission that meets the requirements will be ranked with feedback from Kerbal Express Jet test pilots, but how well it ranks depends on: How well it meets or exceeds the category requirements How well it meets or exceeds the requested variant Cost of Aircraft Fuel Efficiency at recommended cruising speed & altitude Ease of maintenance; fewer parts and fewer engines are preferred How to Submit. Your post must include the following: The name of your aircraft company and model names for the designs you're submitting. Please clarify what category you're entering the plane in. At least one screenshot of your designs. A link to your craft files in your submission post. No PMing me. The price of your aircraft times 1,000. (If $23,555 in-game, submit as $23,555,000. This is just for fun to make prices more realistic.) The recommended cruising speed and altitude for your aircraft. This is the speed and altitude you've fine-tuned your designs for, ensuring the best balance of speed, range, and fuel efficiency. It's also what the test pilots will be testing your aircraft at for judging. (Optional, but will help in review) Pitch your aircraft to the Kerbal Express Airlines executives, selling them on why it should be purchased for their fleet. Include any notable features (even if fictional). ========================================================================== The Judges: @panzerknoef @NightshineRecorralis @no_intelligence @1Revenger1 @Mjp1050 Challenge Submissions Seaplane @ImmaStegosaurus!'s Ka-24 - A very high performing, albeit pricey, seaplane. @Samwise Potato's SF-A232 "Lupin" - Deceptively powerful and high-performing, and can take off and land from just about anywhere. The Lupin has all the qualities we're looking for in a seaplane. Turboprop @Eidahlil's Dusty Turboprop - A dirt cheap but surprisingly fast design, and it gets the job done. @ImmaStegosaurus!'s Ka-12 series - Inefficient and insanely unreliable. Not recommended unless the engines are replaced. @no_intelligence's Kombarder 300 series - Very hardy, and can take off and land on just about any surface. @GDJ's AVRO Prop-Star - Very solidly built, comfortable, with a surprisingly long range. @AeroGav's "Fulmar" Turboprop - An aircraft with some puzzling design choices, but ultimately a wonderful turboprop with a long range and easy takeoffs and landings. @CrazyJebGuy's GAI Turbo-XL Classic - Offers good performance and a very appealing exterior. This plane is also quite large for a turboprop. @panzerknoef's Bx-1/2 "Shoebox" series - Very inexpensive and they do get the job done, but you'd better be a good pilot because the Shoebox lacks functional windows in the cockpit. Small Regional Jet @AeroGav's Screechcraft Starcraft - A very fast plane with exceptional range, but features sub-par maneuverability. Also pulls double duty as a supersonic jet. @tsgaerospace's SP-32-1 "Arrow" - An absolute delight to fly, and quite reasonably priced. The Arrow has all the qualities we're looking for in a small regional jet. @dundun92's URJ-101 - A well-priced, 4-dimensional aircraft that defies all known laws of physics. @TheEpicSquared's ISRJ-32 - Offers wonderful performance, but at the expense of Kerbal comfort. @aerodis's AerLeeker 3.6 - Offers a comfortable and smooth ride, but is quite expensive. @Cabbink's Alice - We're not entirely sure what this is supposed to be, but it does make for a very versatile, if expensive small regional jet. @AeroGav's Screechcraft Starcraft NEO - Unique in looks and above average in all other categories. The Starcraft NEO has all the qualities we're looking for in a small regional jet. @no_intelligence's Kombarder 400 series - Offers a neo-futuristic aesthetic and wonderful performance all around. Except on landings: it bounces. Medium Regional Jet @SuicidalInsanity's IA-720 - Offers an innovative design at a reasonable price. The IA-720 has all the qualities that we're looking for in a medium regional jet. @logman's Kerman Dove - Unreliable and very unsafe: it's not uncommon for the rear cabins to be destroyed on landing. Avoid this plane. @logman's Kerman Stingray - Very solidly built, reliable, and handles wonderfully. Hampered only by its large price tag. @ImmaStegosaurus!'s Ka-62 - Sturdy and reliable, but suffers from a large price tag and low fuel efficiency. Its exterior is reminiscent of designs from 50 years ago, too. @Bombstar10's Universal Transport Mark One Civilian (UT-1B) - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Supersonic Jet @AeroGav's Screechcraft Starcraft - A fast plane with exceptional range, but features sub-par maneuverability. Also pulls double duty as a small regional jet. @Bob_Saget54's SAI Concorde Mark II - Very fast with a long range, but suffers from an inferior airframe and high maintenance costs. @TheEpicSquared's ISSJ-40 - Blindingly fast, inexpensive, and high-performing, but sacrifices some Kerbal comfort. @shdwlrd's Hope series - Very fun to fly, and is just plain cool to look at, but suffers from a high fuel consumption. @reachmac's Karvo 370 - Handles well, but requires a larger runway than most airports currently have. Not recommended unless the buyer is absolutely sure the airports can support it. @Laie's Sonic - This thing can basically fly itself, it's that stable in the air. Maintenance costs are high, though. @sevenperforce's Transcendent Spirit - Insanely difficult to control, and the landing gear is insufficient for such a large aircraft. Not recommended. @Eidahlil's Potato - Understandably difficult to fly, but offers good Kerbal comfort at a low price and enough range to circumnavigate the planet. Jumbo Jet Any and all suggestions to improve this challenge are welcome.

Comparison of the old forum and the new forum: I preferred the old one; it was waaay easier on the eyes.

Obligatory XKCD: I prefer the old forum too, btw.

The eclipse proved to be a bit of a bust in California, unfortunately. 100% cloud cover.

Cloudy. No eclipse for me

Glad to see that this challenge is being continued. I meant to do this back in 1.1.3, but never got around to it... Until now. Here's my entry into STS-1a, with the Space Shuttle Symmetry: Launch is a bit funky. You have to first gain enough height to clear the launch clamps, then gradually lean over until you have enough horizontal velocity for the wings to generate lift. It's more spaceplane than shuttle during ascent. Farewell, boosters. You will be missed. Aaand we're in orbit! Now for re-entry. Yes, it's spinning out of control. No, this does not spell disaster; I intentionally did that to spread the heat around because the cockpit is prone to overheating. I also overshot the KSC by a few miles. Not a big deal, I have reserve fuel. Touchdown! No mods were used in the building of this shuttle.

Personally, I think it should be re-added. Mainly because I tried to replicate it in 1.3 and got this: ...which can actually get to orbit and return to Kerbin. So, it can be done in 1.3.

Does anyone here remember the Stearwing D45? I've been trying to make a replica that works in 1.3. So far, I've got this stripped-down version: ...which can barely get to orbit even without all the drag-inducing ladders and RCS nozzles... ...and has some slight problems with re-entry. Not pictured is me being unable to pitch the nose up without setting all the control surfaces to 150%. It's not perfect, not by a long shot. Methinks I've a lot of tweaking to do before I can call this finished.

Today I discovered that the Wicked soundtrack harmonizes surprisingly well with KSP's.

Today I discovered how to alternately drift and loose control of a 21 ton rover.

Whenever I try to launch KSP this shows up: This doesn't prevent me from playing the game, it's just annoying. How do I get rid of this?

What, 12 bucks for a $150 product isn't good enough for you?

Well, um... this seems like a pretty good deal...

Mundane Jet Place presents... SideWinder I Ladies and gentlekerbs, we at the Mundane Jet Place have designed for you a small, short-range turboprop, the SideWinder I. Designed for short hops of up to 800 km or more, the SideWinder comes with the latest in aeronautical advances: the Nose-Operated Propulsion Engine (N.O.P.E.). Unlike most other planes, the N.O.P.E. stylishly pulls the aircraft, instead of pushing it, allowing for greater control ability in the air. Topping out at 35 parts, the Sidewinder is simplistically designed and requires little maintenance, making it a reliable option for many airfields. Technical Specifications: 1 pilot 24 passengers Takeoff Speed: 75 m/s Cruising Altitude: 9000 m Cruising Speed: 250 m/s Taildragger Landing Gear Length: 11.9 m; Width: 12.1 m; Height: 3.7 m Weight: 9.4 tons Cost: 17,380,000 Parts: 35 https://kerbalx.com/Mjp1050/Sidewinder-I

Out of curiosity, what screenshot was this? I want to say it was this one:

KSP falls under only one of those categories...

Yep. Inside the cargo bay. I wasn't sure how much I needed, so...

I've got a plane I'd like to try out. I think this would fall under the "Turrets" category... https://kerbalx.com/Mjp1050/A-Big-Thing *Disclaimer: This is my first time using BDA, so I'm not 100% sure the plane will work properly.

@Vanamonde, it's still open, at least in my end.

I notice that both @eloquentJane and @Dman979 are moderators (congratulations to the both of you!), but they weren't last week, so I have to ask: Are you currently recruiting moderators?

*Facepalm* Well. I'm stupid.

What brought on this sudden change in attitude? Squad seems to be handling the update quite well

Are emoticons canon?