Mister Dilsby

That's crazy! I wonder if the effect works in deep space? You could make an infinite push machine. In any case, I'm afraid it seems a bit glitchy to me. There's no way an object should be able to accelerate itself without any energy input. So it's definitely not an Open entry, which requires all kinetic energy to come from "electrically driven rover wheels". Let's qualify it for Unlimited; even if it does completely violate the basic laws of motion. Certainly torque wheels violate those laws at least a little, and we are allowing those. Again, great job putting this together! I love it when a challenge uncovers new exploits.

So do I understand this right, the ship is propelled by the force of your clamps docking and undocking? That's insane! I'm thinking that if the crewed rover needs to separate rom the 'pusher' then it belongs in Unlimited (like my Flinger). Open rules require that the "ramp" (herein taken to mean whatever crafts you use to launch the rover) be on the ice and "inert". But if you kept the parts connected through impact then I think you would qualify for Open. Can you confirm the propulsion method please? And well done on such a creative solution!

My Fling-O-Matic from the Minmus thread did manage to get poor Frodo to escape velocity, though I might have bent a rule an eensy bit. I did not bother to run the wheels (wouldn't have mattered anyway, have no provision to maintain surface contact) Just flipped it into the air with the gyros and flung Frodo into deep spaaaaaaace..... Do I win a coconut?

Actually the pilot was dying without impact, due to extreme G-forces! So I toned it down a bit... Here's the Fling-O-Matic at the starting line: Rolling up, right on target... In the air! Commence flinging! RELEASE! Flinger down safely... And Flingee impact in 3... 2... 1... Many bounces later... FRODO LIVES! 11.3km.

My first "Unlimited" run went 23km, but no survivors. Developing... ETA: 47.5km! Still no survivors...

OK gang, this thread is now cleared for extreme torque abuse Please review the "Unlimited" class rules and see if I missed anything. Starwhip's ummm... rover whip qualifies for Unlimited and is on the board at 6.1km.

Wow! Let's call this the first entry in the "Unlimited" category. For Unlimited you can use ANY means provided that (1) the equipment begins anchored at ice level and (2) the energy used is fully renewable. I'll edit the OP later on and try to make it perfectly clear.

If rotor rotate uppish, maybe not need hit ramp at all?

I might have recorded it wrong, but I thought you were 561m high on the last jump, so this one is 1m higher. In any case I'm not surprised by 2.1, you seemed to be in the air significantly past the 2.0 mark in your last jump so it was probably 2.08-2.09 already. - - - Updated - - - Looking for opinions here: I'd like to open things up a bit further, allowing craft to use any Minmus terrain and any non-glitch means of getting to orbit on fully renewable electric power alone. I have a concept or two that I think could potentially escape, and I'm sure the other crazies here have some as well... should I do it as an "unlimited class" category in the present challenge, or start a new thread? (And yes, Foxster's mass driver would STILL be illegal in the new category )

Yes, absolutely! Looking forward to seeing the crazyness.

BWAHAHAAAAAAA! Ah, no. Mass driver is definitely a DQ. Awesome, but yeah that's not an official entry. Updating the leaderboard to return you to 1003m ...I KNEW that plate on the tail had something to do with it!

Argggghhhhh! The suspense! Well, once Foxster has his cuppa and comes clean, if his entry is truly a DQ under the original rules, maybe I'll make it #1 in a new "open" category (full rules TBD, but there will still be no non-renewable energy sources) - - - Updated - - - I had that idea myself after seeing video of a dirt bike inside a spherical cage. Good luck building that, I want to see it! And there's nothing I can think of about a looped ramp that would be a DQ.

Wow! You've found some sort of (hopefully legal) exploit and I LOVE that you're making us guess. OK, so which rule did Foxster "bend"? I'm guessing it must have something to do with that tailpiece. There's nothing on that rover that doesn't need to be there--though I can't imagine what the tailpiece did, it could not have impacted anything useful at 200 m/s and survived. Foxster, is that the ONLY ramp? Wondering if you might have jumped to high terrain and accelerated downhill before hitting the 'real' ramp. Will update leaderboard, but this extreme performance (and your coconut!) are contingent on a full review : D

Finally, the OP makes a jump. Nowhere near 1km, but credible: ...of course I stripped off the rocket motors first, and replaced them with brake lights. 428.8 for me! ETA: Better steering second run! 638.6!

You're getting VERY close to Gilly escape velocity... and @noorm will even let you use thrusters to hold the surface

Whoops! You're right of course, I misread the rules. Actually I can't say that the boys really did come to a full and complete stop after passing the 2000m flag, other than the fact that since they reversed direction their velocity at some point had to equal zero. I can't recall if I ever applied the brakes: I had lit the rockets in the air and turned the car around on its gyros. The rear bumper hit ground destroying the driver-side engine, so if velocity was zero at any point it was there. (Too much going on to spare a finger for F1 at those instants, sorry!) If after this full disclosure you think I still met the spirit of the challenge, thank you, but maybe my time should carry an * until I do the run according to the letter of the rules. The Kerb boys might be lawbreakers, but we ain't no cheaters. - - - Updated - - - Of course, I just need to set up a share service.

+1 for the red/green lights! (not really 'cause I need to 'spread it around', but it's the thought that counts)

Brilliant! Love that flipping technique. I think you're going to be the one to escape Gilly

1. Leave no Kerbal behind. 2. All intakes must have unobstructed airflow 3. No external command seats to be used in-atmosphere (except while on the surface), or for more than six hours of spaceflight. 4. Ships that travel in atmosphere must be pointy at the front. 5. Try out ships in the 'simulator' as many times as it takes--but when it's go time, it's for real.

Ha haaaa, I DID IT! Time to turn (passed checkpoint by >300m): 1:18 Time to finish: 3:24 I could probably do a bit better with proper steering, but this was hilarious. I wish I had video software installed!

Built this for the Dukes of Duna 4k challenge: The KERBAL LEE! Specs: Manufacturer/Model: Y69 Dodgomax Charge-Up Main Power: 4x NUC isotope generators Boost Power: 2x Rockomax 48-7s Steering: Front Wheels Only Brakes: 2x Mk16 parachutes, reloadable Science: 2x Mystery Goo containers (filled with Munshine), Kebizen's Band (K.B.) low frequency radio transmitter. Doors: Welded shut, entry through window

Yes, you can start from a ramp. And the two (or more) ramps don't even have to connect in the SPH/VAB, just as long as all the ramps together could plausibly fit inside.

Reloads do strange things--I hope you try it again, a 50m ramp could be very interesting. - - - Updated - - - Noooooo! But I have to say, the huge distances all of you guys are putting up are giving me pause to making a serious try. I do have a replica '69 Dodge Charger almost built for the Dukes of Duna challenge, though. So @noorm, maybe you and I can go for height/style points if you don't want to do distance anymore...

You're right--the display only has precision to one decimal point, whether it's measuring in m or km! Hm. We may have to do some sort of velocity/altitude based calc after all. ETA: What if for runs at the same indicated distance over 1200m, we break ties with max altitude?

Fantastic, @Starwhip! I will update the board a bit later. I love the other ideas! Pole vaulting or other maneuvers involving electrically powered SAS devices are OK. Magnetics are OK by themselves, but you still can't use any kind of engine to help the rover. The spirit of the rules is that all the energy is 'free': nothing is consumed, not parts, fuel or xenon.