Mister Dilsby

I think so based on your run @noorm, you left the ramp at 'only' about 15m/s and a perfect design should be able to get 20. It might be really hard to make a 'perfect' design but it's possible.

Also, can we hyperedit? I'm sure Uncle Jebby can get this thing to Duna somehow, but that would be the boring part...

Yes, that's just what I thought. The node-to-node path must run linearly. It can branch but it cannot loop. You are trying to go from Mk1 cockpit-->LFB#1-->girder#1-->LFB#2-->girder#2-->LFB#1 and that's not allowed. What you CAN do, though, is use EAS-4 struts to close the loop between girder#2 and LFB#1.

Are you 'trapped' by Kerbol, or orbiting it? Meeting an asteroid in Kerbol orbit is exactly the same as meeting a stranded Kerbal in Kerbin orbit. You intercept the target's orbit at the point in space and time where the target will be (or get as close as possible) and reduce your velocity relative to target to zero at that point. I don't use Mechjeb, so i suggest you 'turn off your targeting computer' and use the navball. I find a good technique is to (1) select the asteroid as target (2) drag maneuver nodes until you find the closest intercept you can get (3) as you approach, select Target mode on the navball and use correcting burns to 'push' or 'pull' your directional marker until you moving straight at the target (4) decelerate (still pushing the marker onto the target path) until you are within a few hundred meters and your velocity relative to target is a few meters per second.

I think you can do exactly the same thing in either location as of 0.90, it's just that the symmetry in VAB defaults to radial and the orientation of the pointy end defaults to 'space'. What you may really be asking is "should I try to build around mirror symmetry and learn to balance a ship for horizontal flight before I've mastered radial symmetry techniques and axially distributed centers of mass and thrust?" If the above sentence didn't make any sense to you, then yeah maybe you should build in VAB for a while until you understand how to balance a rocket for flight. Does it wobble at any point in its arc? Whether or not it does matters less than whether you know WHY it does. Once you understand how to balance mass and thrust and can think about adding lift to the equation, the SPH is your new playground. I'm primarily an SSTO driver myself, so I love the SPH. Whenever I start a new save I am getting science as quick as I can to unlock the aerodynamic parts I need to bring kickass vehicles to the runway.

1. For Kerbals, absolutely. Just send up a better ship with an extra seat . Or if your stranded ship has a docking port you can launch a refueling mission. It's possible to recover orbiting debris as well (for example by grabbing with a docking claw or trapping in a cargo bay) but even if your ship is 100% resusable you may spend so much on the fuel to reach the parts that it's just not worth it. 2. Hard to tell what you're trying to do from the description, but what you may be running into is the fact that all parts have to "branch" from a root, typically in only one direction. What ever you're trying to do, 'moar struts' will cover up a wide range of problems. For example, if you can get the parts arranged kind of the way you want them but can't connect them together using the nodes, you can always stitch the parts together using some combination of EAS-4 Struts and Cubic Octagonal struts. Good luck, and welcome to the forums!

You've got it. I think for challenges the important thing is to read into the OP's intent as much as the 'letter of the law'--this is KSP not Space Munchkin! For example if the challenge is "make the highest flying air-breathing ship you can", there is a huge difference in capability between ships that attempt a realistic-looking air system and ones that stack 60 radial intakes on top of each other...inside a cargo bay...with a nuclear engine embedded in the center. Of course if the challenge seems aimed to encourage abuse/clipping, and that's what makes the challenge fun, then by all means go nuts.

Hilarious. I have some ideas for a car, which I'll contemplate as I listen to the sweet sounds of Waylon Kerman's theme song: Just some good ol' Kerbs Never meaning' no harm Beats all you ever seen Been abusin' delta vee Since the day they was spawned Gettin to spaaaaaaaace The only way they know how That's just a little bit more Than the mods'll allow Clippin' some parts Adding some struts Someday the Kraken might get em' But the mods never will.

I suppose there's no reason not to allow fuel or oxidant as ballast. I think I was too much of a stickler first time around Will edit the rules.

We have a new champion! Well done! I'll put you on at 845.7 as that's the clearest distance displayed from to ramp. We can review the tapes and split hairs further if any two entrants' runs are close enough to merit it. I think there is room to go even farther! So far both long jumps have left the ramp at less than the maximum rated wheel speed of 20 m/s. If anyone could design a ramp system long enough to let the rover accelerate, they might get closer to that mark. These two great entries make me think I should do a more serious one now

Poor Shepgun looks like he's about to be sick between "Uh oh" and "...try and climb".

Awesome! And sorry about the complicated judging. I think it'll be better all around if I go on everyones' recorded distance, and use my physics calc only when the video/pictures are unclear. Thanks for participating, looks like you've made a tough jump to beat! - - - Updated - - - In real life friction force = weight times a coefficient, so it should: not sure how it models in-game, though.

Made a successful, but not-in-contention run with a ship designed for the Mt. Keverest challenge, the Kerbojump I (sorry no pictures of takeoff & cruise, but yes I did fly it from the runway to the flats with no edits ) Where is the port side fin? I don't know! For some reason whenever I toggle landing gear the torque system goes crazy and I lose parts. Need to add a group to disable gyros. Because of the Mt. Keverest challenge rules, this ship runs entirely on jet fuel and monopropellant. Firing main motors at half power, with RCS system thrusting down. Max horizontal speed in contact 207.5 m/s. Camera is flipping perspective as it bounces. Turned around to brake, hope we have enough monopropellant left! *Phew!* We made it! That's two challenges completed for this little guy! I'm sure I could easily get a K-Prize with various Distinctions for it also, if I can ever figure out how to keep all the parts attached.

Very nice! Based on your shots I think I now know where 6767 is relative to 6764. If I ever go back I'll try to land on that spot. I'd think that if it's OK to use RAPIERS to hover it should be OK to use rocket engines to hover, as one doesn't give any advantage over the other. (I didn't use either for my SSTO ) Hopefully the OP will clarify that part of the rules. In unrelated news, my Kerbojump I is now en route to Minmus for the ice flats speed challenge: going to see how many of these I can get done with one airframe. If it had rover wheels I'd drain the monopropellant and send it off a ramp for the Evel Kerbievel jump-off .

Same here; I rarely press the spacebar since all my engines are generally in one stage and I have them all toggle-able on action groups. To avoid confusion I reserve the same keys for all ships: 1,2,3 for various jet combos, 4 for intakes, 5 for main rockets, 6 for VTOL, 7-9 for utilities like solar and bay doors, 0 for science package. When I do launch a rocket, it almost always leaves the pad with decouplers and engines assigned to random stages and me madly dragging things around before the boosters run out

The winner will enter Minmus SOI at solar orbital speed going retrogade to Kerbin, touch the ice with a single wheel for the millisecond it takes to press F1, reverse orbit somewhere in the Jool system and come to rest on the ice ten Kerbal years later.

This (pathetic) attempt is to give a better idea of what I'm thinking here, and to inaugurate the leaderboard: MAX ALTITUDE: 6m MAX SPEED: 4.9 m/s * CALCULATED DISTANCE: = (4.9 m/s) * SQRT [ 8*(6m)/(.491m/s2)] = 48.4m * Astute readers will note that a more accurate calculation could be made using the information from Kerbal Engineer displayed on my screen; however let's keep it simple since not everyone will have that installed.

You can start at the top of a big ramp you build, but that ramp has to be on the ice.

You can use a capsule to spawn the crew for the rover. I generally start out with the capsule docked, EVA the crew to the seats, then drop it: ...there are a dozen ways do do it, just make sure the capsule does't end up as part of the rover that jumps.

Inspired by @Wanderfound's excellent speed skating challenge, here's another abuse of the laws of physics to delight and amuse. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it: jump a rover as far as you can in Minmus's low low gravity. "OPEN" CATEGORY: 1. Starwhip 2.1 km, max height 562m 2. Ghostbuzzer7 1.3km, max height 301m 3. noorm 1068.5m 4. Foxster 1003.0m 5. Kuzzter 638.6m 6. Tarantulae 589.8m "UNLIMITED" CATEGORY: 1. Juzeris ESCAPE 507 m/s 2. Petronator ESCAPE, 306 m/s 3. Kuzzter 18.4 km 4. Starwhip 6.1km 5. Tarantulae 1.9km OTHER RUNS DISQUALIFIED DUE TO SHENANIGANS: 1. Foxster 557,260m -- illegal propulsion source THE RULES--"OPEN" CATEGORY: 1. The Rover Stock parts only. Vehicle must be crewed. No capsules or cockpits: all Kerbals must ride in EAS Command Seats. No sources of propulsion other than electrically driven rover wheels. 2. Ramps Ramps are inert. No engines, RCS motors, rover wheels or any other part may be used to impart kinetic energy to the rover. (But you may use any of the above to position the ramp(s)) All of the ramps you use must fit together in the VAB or SPH in one go. You may reconfigure at will once you get to site. You may not use Minmus terrain as part of your ramp system; any contact with the surface prior to apogee will result in a disqualification. 3. The Run The jump site shall be any convenient ice lake on Minmus. All ramps must be landed completely on the ice (altitude zero). You may hyperedit the rover and all ramps to the site. The rover must begin the run with its brakes set, in contact with either a ramp or the ice. Crew must stay in their seats for the entire jump. No ladder exploits, no pushing with EVA packs, etc. 4. Judging This is a distance competition, measured linearly from the launching point of the rover to its first impact with the surface of Minmus. Post pictures (or video) showing your ramp setup and the rover at start. If your ramps are ridiculous, prove they all fit in the VAB together as well. For leaderboard consideration, post a picture or video that shows the distance traveled from the ramp and/or your max altitude/velocity. Only the first impact counts: no bouncing! The vehicle may lose parts on landing, however all crew and passengers must finish the jump still in their seats, with full EVA tanks. Post a picture of the rover when it comes to rest. Do your best to land on the ice, but if you go out of bounds it's OK. (actually it hurts you) I know what you're thinking. Is it possible for the rover to NEVER land? Well, orbital speed is 247.1 m/s according to the wiki... good luck, cowboy. THE RULES--"UNLIMITED" CATEGORY: The goal is to launch a crewed vehicle as far as possible from the Minmus ice sheet using only renewable resouces. Stock parts (and stock physics) only. No clipping or glitching. Crew must remain in their seats (or capsule(s)) for the entire run. You may use any combination of stationary or mobile "crafts" to propel the vehicle No craft may use any of the folowing: Rocket or jet engine, including vernors Monopropellant engine or thruster Decouplers or separators [*]The vehicle and other craft(s) may start anywhere on Minmus, but the vehicle must touch the ice or a craft on the ice at the "launch point" [*]Distance will be measured from the launch point to point of first impact with Minmus terrain [*]If anyone reaches orbit (stable or otherwise), orbital runs will be ranked by periapsis. [*]If anyone reaches escape velocity, escape runs will be ranked by maximum velocity while still in Minmus SOI. I hope I've thought of everything, and that my fellow Kerbonauts enjoy the challenge!

Yeah, that became apparent when I hyperedited a few more versions of my dragster up to the flats...

Here's my first attempt! Max photgraphed speed 150 m/s, max observed 160. Ship clearly needs some work... more Vernors to keep the nose down... maybe a way to stop? Hilarious fun. Great challenge! We'll be back...

The cool is all. Love that bike! Very Steve McQueen

Kuzzter's Keverest Khallenge Part II: THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN! Realizing that even for the "Easy" version the craft still has to return to KSC, it looks like Bill wasn't quite done yet... Jetrovertruck is still parked on the icecap, but it has more than enough fuel to get home so I'm going to take that as read. So: if a RAPIER-free SSTO that orbits and lands on the peak is only marginally epic compared to landing a rover and driving, I hope that the inclusion of a flying rover and a VAB helipad landing removes all doubt that I like it ... ...with style. - - - Updated - - - Ahh, thanks for the explanation. It was really hard to tell whether I was looking level or not from Bill's POV on EVA, so I walked to a lot of other peaks that looked higher but turned out not to be. In any case, I'm going to call my 6764 peaky enough and be done with it!

Thank you! I tend to put those stabilizers on most of my craft intended for low speed/deadstick landings. I think the torque induced by the high (above centerline) lift helps counter the typical moment due to COM imbalance when there is not a lot of air moving over the control surfaces.