Darren9

^ Thanks, there's 29 parts in there (six struts), the wings (and tiny jet, and the struts are UAV wings) are from Taverio-s-Pizza-and-Aerospace, I only grabbed the additional parts, not the stock modifications. Firespitter (jerry cans) and RollKage is the rest. I just found Prof Kerbenstein as well, has some small wood and sticks, now I have a true micro-lite.

I went back to hang-gliding while wondering just what I could get away with on the next point scoring attempt. Surprisingly controllable at low speed and more fun to fly than anything else I've made. Officially made 150 points with it

^ It doesn't appear capable of horizontal take off or landing at the moment *Aqua*, not that the weightless/drag-less stock 'gears will change much but I think you'll need them attached, then there's the problem of it can't land one way then take off the other (or vice-verse), it could be judged a "loop-hole" switching to a pure vertical only mode. I'm not certain of the "stack-ability" of Easter eggs either, I think we need an official judgement? Nice score as it stands though. I think I could maybe make a full lap back to the runway, then dirt runway, then pyramids, then KSC2 and end there. Also a full circumnavigation with stopping off at Easter eggs on the way isn't explicitly excluded at the moment. Could I get a decision on these as well?

I had to postpone the hang-glider development, seems they're not particularly suited to high-atmosphere hypersonic flight. Instead I made a quad-engine thrust vectoring VTOL, it can also take off/land/fly as a plane. In this particular flight I attained 45Km max altitude, flew a circumnavigation, landed on the runway and then flew to the dirt runway and after attaining a perfect hover above it made a rather hard touchdown with 3 engines detaching, I'll attempt to claim a botched landing at 35 points It could be: Success - 100 Lander - 50 High Flyer - 90 + 25 Islander (botched) - 35 Magellen - 100 VTOL - 250 For a total of 650 points. (uses Skeppies mini-pack, TV Pizza wings, Robotics and Firespitter) On a side note, how can you make an SSTO with no rocket/nuclear? It can only make sub-orbital hops and never attain a true orbit?

Would a hang-glider count as plane with no control surfaces? It swings the engine/fuel/pilot mass back/forward and left/right with 2 robotic hinges, also has no pod torque or SAS at all. I could probably do a few challenges with an upgraded version.

You're "obliterating" this challenge? By entering a fin stabilized rocket and claiming it's still a plane even after you've decoupled the lower stage and stabilizers? You have to make a "plane", it can be an SSTO or a VTOL? That's clearly what's meant.If you want to ignore the "spirit" of a challenge and attempt "obliteration" by technicalities wouldn't you at least need to demonstrate a forward wing lifted flight to have a "plane". And how exactly does decoupling stages and all "wings" fit into the definition of a "plane"? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-wing_aircraft One of the poorer attempts at "obliteration" IMO. Still equally as pointless though.

Thanks, there is one other thing. A "manned science package", is that a large manned lab or a small science, a goo and a cabin would be good enough. I uninstalled all the nuclear stuff to stop some memory overflows and this could greatly effect the number of batteries and solar panels I need.

Could you show a map/zoomed out view and point to it? Also can any propellers be used (VTOL, electric or even one lift and another forward for example), and must each leg be a single flight? A battery-electric-solar-RTG seems possible, if it had to land and recharge or even wait overnight that would count as refueling?

I have had that issue, but only when trying to manipulate reasonable mass with reasonable gravity. I've not had it happen in space yet. If it's the same issue always return the robotic part to it's original position and make sure it's not stressed before saving.

^ That's why there's reaction wheels. I just got my prototype into the air, uses "off the shelf" B9, Firespitter, P-Wing and Infernal Robotics. I might try a bigger one and see if it'll hold together.

I made it around in my little SkyCar. Uses IR, Skeppies mini-pack, B9 and FireSpitter electric propellers. It's (6.32 + 14) 6.46 to plant the last flag and 6.57 to be back in the aircraft.

You may want to insist on getting back into the craft after planting on the VAB roof to finish, that way you get the flight time of the vessel and not just the final EVA which must then be added to the vessel's flight time. Also I can "Launch from the runway" and be 1KM closer to the first target than the initial launch from SPH, start from the initial launch position? And, I was just at the launch pad inside 5 mins and crashed, could put me slightly ahead

Everything in the robotics challenge could also go in here, and I'm going to add a controllable helicopter with no control surfaces/engines/gimbals/reaction wheels or anything else. Just control groups actuate pairs/quads of counter-rotating fans (rotatrons with wings stuck to it).

Amazing precision Horn Brain. I already had my joystick plugged in, closed all other applications and drank some coffee to get the 59. Maybe I just need more engines

I had to have another go after seeing that Horn Brain. Quite possibly overstretching the limits of where the course is but I crossed the runway by a fair margin before the run through the bridge. Had to add another engine and upgrade to FireSpitter bi-plane wings (and exploit the weightless/drag-less stock landing gears). 59 seconds and a landing I'll never successfully pull off again

When you mentioned pulling control surfaces with cables I assumed you had KAS, I was thinking a small wing part on a springy joint being raised/lowered by extending/retracting a KAS winch. I might have a go but I see a horrific part count accumulating.

After quite a few failed attempts I made it around in 1.29 Ended the video before the F3 screenshot and had to stitch it on the end but it shouldn't matter, the radar altitude is visible in the HUD for the whole lap. Uses Sceppies mini-pack, TV Pizza, Firespitter and the high visibility Cappa pod.

I had a quick go, added 60 sepratrons in 3 stages to a small Firespitter/PWing propeller plane. It flies/drives around with the reversible prop and a half size can of fuel from Sceppies mini-pack. I made 3 passes (carefully lined up first) and returned to the runway. I made 131, 143 and 167m/s for an average of 147m/s. Only 18g's, I'm sure it'll be beaten by an actual skilled pilot but it's a start

In the "Servo Control" pop-up, the box on the right is a speed multiplier, for me the joints self destruct at around 35-40. Also I'm using the Dec 17 pre-toolbar version and for some reason it moves the joints a bit faster.

Seems like a three-stage sepratron spam wheelbarrow could do well. I think I might build one

I upgraded my helicopter to be easily controllable with no reaction wheels and no control surfaces at all. The pairs of small fans control pitch and roll and every rotor has a counter-rotating part to cancel out any yaw effect. Just lean the way you want to go.

Do you know you can adjust the "jointSpring =" value in the parts .cfg? You'd need to duplicate a part and change it's name not to mess up the original but I think that's the effect you're looking for. I have suspension with springy hinges and rotators, it was released a While Ago, try in the 5 - 40 range.

That was my first thought as well, perhaps a sign of my age, for me dropship is from Aliens not Halo. I had a dropship that "dust-offs" an APC from orbit, it would only score 5 points for this particular challenge. 5 points is 5 points though

He's brilliant, I've spent a fair amount of time laughing at my hopeless creations flailing about and falling over and now a couple of yours also I need to upgrade my IR, I didn't realize there's new control options, I just have on/off at the moment.

I have a caterpillar that is stable and controllable and got a helicopter into the air. A walker that can be steered and move at a reasonable speed is proving difficult though.