Low Flyer Elite

[GeneralMDBK]

Low Flyer Elite Challenge

You're mission is to fly a plane of any kind from KSC runway to the island runway without breaking 150 altitude above sea level from takeoff to landing. That being said, your landing must mean the craft survives to the point of being reused. So no losing half of the plane and calling success. You must be capable of taking off again after landing, not that you have to take off but you must have the ability. There is to be no use of the debug for this challenge with the exception of clipping parts for those I know like to get fancy with their design, but no infinite fuel, hacked gravity, indestructible joints, etc. This challenge is considered quite simple in design to complete but can be incredibly difficult when going for particular titles such as:

• Fastest Time
  
• Smallest Craft(Parts)
  
• Lightest Craft(weight)
  
• Largest Craft(Parts)
  
• Heaviest Craft(weight)
  
• Flawless Completion(nothing broke)
  
• Lowest Altitude
  

Now on a quick note, the Lowest Altitude Title can be achieved by flying as low to the waters surface as possible. To achieve this simply take a screenshot in flight as proof at the altitude. Now being as you can go as low as 1 before hitting the water and breaking apart all those who achieve this will be put into the category together once they hit that magical number.

Quick recap of the rules:

• No debug(unless clipping parts)
  
• No mods that essentially control altitude or fly your craft for you.
  
• and thats it
  

Mods may be used just list what mods were involved in your craft and modded craft will be put into their own category. *Also as long as the mod has no control over the flight, ex: autopilot mods. Once completed feel free to add the badge above to you signature.

Low Flyers:

• Captain Vlad
  
• GraviTykillz
  
• solohobo
  
• Kelderek
  
• Mr. Speed
  
• Starhawk
  
• panzer1b
  
• ah_mini
  
• GoSlash27
  
• mdkendall
  
• Xannari Ferrows
  
• Deutherius
  
• SRiley77
  
• TheLongRun
  
• Tarantulae
  
• Chronosheep
  
• Hunter3081
  
• Tweety
  
• Torquimedes
  
• ghostbuzzer7
  
• juzeris
  

Modded Low Flyers:

• Whiteknuckle-FAR
  
• Crzyrndm-Far
  
• Darren9-B9 Aerospace, B9 Procedural Wing, Baha Cockpit/Landing Gear, FAR
  
• hoioh-B9, Firespitter
  
• Pds314-B9 Aerospace, B9 Procedural Wing, KAX Gear, FAR
  
• Viktor-FAR, B9, KER, pWings
  
• Fengist-Procedural Airships, Procedural Tanks, LLL, KAS, and Karbonite
  

Fastest Time: Viktor 1:42

Smallest Craft: Deutherius 4 parts

Lightest Craft: Deutherius 60kg

Largest Craft: TheLongRun 288 Parts

Heaviest Craft: Fengist 709.9t

Lowest Altitude: 0 m

• GoSlash27
  
• ah_mini
  
• Deutherius
  
• mdkendall
  
• Torquimedes
  
• juzeris
  

Flawless Completion:

• Captain Vlad
  
• Whiteknuckle
  
• GraviTykillz
  
• solohobo
  
• Kelderek
  
• Darren9
  
• Mr. Speed
  
• Starhawk
  
• panzer1b
  
• ah_mini
  
• GoSlash27
  
• mdkendall
  
• Xannari Ferrows
  
• Deutherius
  
• SRiley77
  
• TheLongRun
  
• hoioh
  
• Tarantulae
  
• Hunter3081
  
• Tweety
  
• Torquimedes
  
• Viktor
  
• ghostbuzzer7
  
• Fengist
  
• juzeris
  

- - - Updated - - -

Now everyone will be wondering if I am able to do it and I have so here is the proof:

Edited April 26, 2015 by GeneralMDBK

[ihtoit]

easily doable with a Firespitter helicopter, hover set to 140m and you'll never break 6m above Island tarmac level. I'd do a proof but for some reason I can't get FS working on .9.

[GeneralMDBK]

Take your time but keep in mind then using a helicopter you won't be able to do much speed wise.

[ihtoit]

fastest I've managed with a helicopter in FS in .24 was just over 140m/s. That was without auxilliary thrust, and in level flight. With a twin jet thrust (think Airwolf), I managed to go supersonic with no wings.

[Captain Vlad]

As a guy who cut his flight sim teeth on F-19 Stealth Fighter, this challenge appeals to me.

All stock (save for KER), no parachutes, maximum altitude 142 meters (on landing), maximum speed a leisurely 207 mps, minimum altitude 16 meters. Taking off and landing are really where you have to watch your altitude, seems like.

Someone will now do 1 meter the whole way at Mach 1, but I had fun.

20 meters.

Screenshot at 16 meters. I think I actually went lower, but in scrambling to take the picture while avoiding dropping lower, I missed the shot if I did. 16 was the lowest number I actually 'saw'.

Landed on the island, no damage.

[GeneralMDBK]

Congrats Captain Vlad, you are the first to complete the Low Flyer Elite.

[WhiteKnuckle]

Decided to go big with my Carrack Heavy Lift VTOL.

Parts: 205

Weight: 49.5 tons

Time: 4:12

Lowest altitude: 6 meters

Mods: FAR

I think I hit 2 meters at one point, but trying to do that while taking a screenshot is rough. I'll take what I can get.

[GeneralMDBK]

Congrats Whiteknuckle for completing the Low Flyer Elite, current record holder for Largest, Heaviest craft and Lowest Altitude.

[WhiteKnuckle]

Congrats Whiteknuckle for completing the Low Flyer Elite, current record holder for Largest, Heaviest craft and Lowest Altitude.

Thank you sir, it's a pretty hair-raising challenge considering how simple it is.

Are we allowed multiple entries? If so I have a speedy entry as well.

[GeneralMDBK]

Of course, I encourage to go for it.

[WhiteKnuckle]

Since I am a petty man, I don't really like being slower than someone else. So while I'm actually more proud of keeping my heavy Carrack under the ceiling cap, I had to do a faster run.

I drained most of the fuel out of my Nomad L1 VTOL and tried to get as low and fast as possible, my first attempt netted me this:

Supersonic at sea level... unfortunately that orange wave in the pic is the shockwave from something breaking off my ship. I decided a second run at more reasonable speeds was in order:

Parts: 94

Weight: 16.1 tons

Time: 2:37

Lowest Altitude: 3 meters

Mods: FAR

[GeneralMDBK]

Congrats Whitenuckle, you now hold all current titles, at least until Captain Vlad gives me his weight and part count.

[Crzyrndm]

Simple and interesting challenge. I might take a whack at this later.

However, you *may* want to consider disallowing usage of mods which automate altitude control...

• It can be even better if all the control surfaces are present (water swiped the port ones when I tried turning too sharply)
  
• It can go lower than that (Aeris 3A is limited by it's underside air intake to ~1.00m. Without it can get down to ~0.75m)
  
• It can go faster (whack a turbojet on the 3A in FAR) without noticeably impacting precision
  

Edited February 20, 2015 by Crzyrndm

[GeneralMDBK]

That is noted Crzyrndm thanks, editing now.

[Captain Vlad]

Congrats Whitenuckle, you now hold all current titles, at least until Captain Vlad gives me his weight and part count.

I did forget to do that, didn't I?

Mass: 3.6 tons.

Parts: 23.

[GeneralMDBK]

Ok fixed :-)

[Crzyrndm]

This is a somewhat frustrating challenge... (I think that makes it a good one btw...)

Low altitude control => No problem (Pilot Assistant is only up for the readouts which are somewhat useful )

Sticking the landing at the other end *without exceeding 140m* => Not having a whole lot of luck

I shall keep trying... (oh, and that picture is somewhat misleading, I lost that stupid intake again right after taking the pic. Still got to the runway, but just popped over 140 on final approach >.<)

EDIT

And I totally just read the OP again and saw it was 150. A little frustrating considering I've thrown out several for 141m records... >.<

EDIT2

Success!

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2:05 and 21 parts in FAR (Debris warning is from my marker craft, current vessel is named the Aeris 3B)

No low altitude stuff on this flight, just keeping +/- 10m is a struggle at 400 m/s

Edited February 20, 2015 by Crzyrndm

[GeneralMDBK]

Congrats Crzyrmd, on the completion, I marked your time though as 2:13 being the time of screenshot, just keeping it fair being as what everyone is getting. I'm happy that my first challenge is getting so well excepted. Didn't think it would turn out this good.

[Crzyrndm]

Ridiculously slow, but I finally stuck a landing after hitting 1m

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16 parts, 1m altitude

HUD cross is from dev version of this (which I'm about to release after thorough testing through this challenge )

Congrats Crzyrmd, on the completion, I marked your time though as 2:13 being the time of screenshot, just keeping it fair being as what everyone is getting.

Your challenge, your call . 8s penalty for getting myself setup isn't that bad (PA to altitude mode, camera to chase, analog control activated...)

Edited February 20, 2015 by Crzyrndm

[GeneralMDBK]

Nice job Crzyrndm

[GraviTykillz]

Quick run to the island. The hardest part is not popping above 150 at old runway.

and Stats

Thanks for the Challenge!

Im deff going to try for a better time.

Think the only thing i got was Flawless Completion

Edited February 20, 2015 by GraviTykillz

[solohobo]

Flying the Bee5. 9 Parts. *Edit: 2.5 tons

1 Meter above water.

Finish, no damage.

Cool challenge!

Edited February 20, 2015 by solohobo

[GeneralMDBK]

Congrats to GraviTykillz and solohobo on completing the Low Flyer Elite. And awesome craft there solohobo, did not expect to see such a low part count, can't wait to see the weight.

[Kelderek]

"Slow and steady wins the race"

Is there a slowest plane category? Haha, I doubt it, but I wanted to use this challenge to also test how slow I could take off and land and maneuver with the SSTO Mk2 Dromedary craft I had used for my K-Prize entry.

Mass = 19.2t

Parts = 141

Max altitude on island run = 144m

Max speed on island run = 62m/s

Relevant mods installed: KER, MechJeb (didn't really use either for this challenge)

I might have done it slower if I felt like throttling up and down a lot, but I was too lazy to try that. Most of this flight was cruising around 55m/s.

I did a quick EVA at the KSC runway to test my ladder so that shows on the stats screen.

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[Darren9]

I had a go as well, uses B9 Aerospace, B9 Procedural Wing, Baha Cockpit and Landing Gears and a Ven's Stock Revamp truss (with FAR). Just Flawless Completion and for the moment looks like Fastest Time (1.47 modded FAR).

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