The Excursion to Mt. Keverest [1.0.5+]

[Candlelight]

Here's my "I Like it in Style!" entry. Took about 30-45 mins.

About to set off

http://i.imgur.com/4T4UlTO.jpg

70° orbit

http://i.imgur.com/hGgODx5.jpg

Craft fell over on landing but I got the rover off. So I was a bit too busy to get a shot of the landing but here's a shot from a previous attempt with a rover that wasn't man enough for the steep slopes

http://i.imgur.com/zhF4Vnz.jpg

Driving from landing to top of mountain

http://i.imgur.com/dGIQVau.jpg

At the top

http://i.imgur.com/IUSVQs8.jpg

Nice! . Wow, that rover is a bit weird.Definetly in the "I Like it in Style!" category! You are actually the first one to take of and land on Mt. Keverest from orbit!

Add the badge to your siganture(s) if you want...

- - - Updated - - -

Here's my go...

Actually looking at the rules, I suspect I don't qualify as I didn't get out and plant a flag (Donald thought it was too cold...) - Also I presume 24-77s are OK for VTOL thrusters? Flying VTOL on jets is ... dangerous.

http://imgur.com/a/8NZ0t

Nevertheless, I had fun flying this, so thanks!

Actually, the flag is really optional.When i was trying it out myself, i just hopped out and hopped back in, didn't plant a flag.So it doesn't matter if you planted it or not.

[r_rolo1]

Finally got time to arrange a album. To save you from the 500ish pics I have in store from the trip, I just posted some of the last day of the trip, from the North Ice cap above 80º N to the target

Javascript is disabled. View full album

P.S. So I assume that now, I can say I made it in style ?

Edited March 3, 2015 by r_rolo1

[Candlelight]

Finally got time to arrange a album. To save you from the 500ish pics I have in store from the trip, I just posted some of the last day of the trip, from the North Ice cap above 80º N to the target

http://imgur.com/a/TE6MU

P.S. So I assume that now, I can say I made it in style ?

Wow, now i can see you trip in full glory.I like that postcard pic though .

Well, the i like it easy category just requires flying or roving(in your case) to the target and optionally plant a flag.To end up in the i like it in style category, you have to attempt it in "various other" ways.Take a look at Foxster for example(he launched and landed a rover from orbit).

Edited March 4, 2015 by Candlelight

[r_rolo1]

Well, IMHO rovering to the mountain is actually the hardest way of going there: 18 h of driving at normal speed and the glitchy nature of KSP surface makes that even 2x phys warp is dangerous ... not mentioning the areas where gravity misbehaves badly.

On the rules stuff, the only mention you do of rovers is on the " made it in style" section of your opening post ... and the only vehicles that you mention in the "I like it easy" area are specifically flying ones. Hence my question ...

Anyway, I expect to do another stunt to get there, that no one tried so far. Stay tuned

[Jean Deaux]

Well, IMHO rovering to the mountain is actually the hardest way of going there: 18 h of driving at normal speed and the glitchy nature of KSP surface makes that even 2x phys warp is dangerous ... not mentioning the areas where gravity misbehaves badly.

On the rules stuff, the only mention you do of rovers is on the " made it in style" section of your opening post ... and the only vehicles that you mention in the "I like it easy" area are specifically flying ones. Hence my question ...

Anyway, I expect to do another stunt to get there, that no one tried so far. Stay tuned

I hope this isn't going to be a nude skydive into the alps!

[Candlelight]

Well, IMHO rovering to the mountain is actually the hardest way of going there: 18 h of driving at normal speed and the glitchy nature of KSP surface makes that even 2x phys warp is dangerous ... not mentioning the areas where gravity misbehaves badly.

On the rules stuff, the only mention you do of rovers is on the " made it in style" section of your opening post ... and the only vehicles that you mention in the "I like it easy" area are specifically flying ones. Hence my question ...

Anyway, I expect to do another stunt to get there, that no one tried so far. Stay tuned

Rovers will end up in the i like it in style option if they are transported by an another vehicle.Rovers alone will end up in i like it easy.

[hoioh]

Landing on the actual mountain really takes some doing, stock gear doesn't really break well and a ship carrying any kind of rover is going to be a little bit on the heavy side, making brake power a requirement for landing on the slippery slopes of mount Keverest. Donfrod is an excellent pilot though, so he did manage, after which Bob could drive the little rover to the very top 6767meters! Driving downhill in such a small vehicle is very dangerous though, so he didn't drive back at anywhere near top speed. 5m/s is fast enough downhill if you want to keep as many pieces as possible.

Here's the album:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

And here's the landing direction and location:

[Candlelight]

Landing on the actual mountain really takes some doing, stock gear doesn't really break well and a ship carrying any kind of rover is going to be a little bit on the heavy side, making brake power a requirement for landing on the slippery slopes of mount Keverest. Donfrod is an excellent pilot though, so he did manage, after which Bob could drive the little rover to the very top 6767meters! Driving downhill in such a small vehicle is very dangerous though, so he didn't drive back at anywhere near top speed. 5m/s is fast enough downhill if you want to keep as many pieces as possible.

Here's the album:

http://imgur.com/a/9vaAx

And here's the landing direction and location:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2935674/Kerbal/Keverest%20Landing.png

Interesting plane design you got there . Put in the i like it in style category.Add the badge to your signatures!

[Mister Dilsby]

My entry for the challenge, an SSTO/VTOL spaceplane. I don't usually use RAPIERS for my SSTOs, so to avoid those and still keep within the letter of the rules I designed this ship using monopropellant engines for orbital maneuvering and VTOL. I think this is my first ship to carry no oxidant!

The keys to success: (detailed in the Imgur stream)

1. Designing on the centerline

2. Fuel flow management

3. WHITE KNUCKLE PILOTING!

Pictures below, enjoy!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

After much soul- and mountain-searching (and multiple re-edits of this post) I think I am at the correct location for the summit, and can't figure out how @hoioh is at 6767 when I'm at 6764 (and OP calls the altitude 6763) Can anyone shed some light?

Edited March 6, 2015 by Mister Dilsby

[Candlelight]

My entry for the challenge, an SSTO/VTOL spaceplane. I don't usually use RAPIERS for my SSTOs, so to avoid those and still keep within the letter of the rules I designed this ship using monopropellant engines for orbital maneuvering and VTOL. I think this is my first ship to carry no oxidant!

The keys to success: (detailed in the Imgur stream)

1. Designing on the centerline

http://i.imgur.com/7OUPrRh.png

2. Fuel flow management

http://i.imgur.com/9FbGiep.png

3. WHITE KNUCKLE PILOTING!

http://i.imgur.com/uOCRuwP.png

Pictures below, enjoy!

http://imgur.com/a/fgivo

After much soul- and mountain-searching (and multiple re-edits of this post) I think I am at the correct location for the summit, and can't figure out how @hoioh is at 6767 when I'm at 6764 (and OP calls the altitude 6763) Can anyone shed some light?

Wow, really cool.But this puts my decision between i like it in style and i like it easy...

How? Like this:

- You flied only a plane there and planted a flag, which belong to i like it easy...

- But, you achieved orbit and landed from there, which belongs to i like it in style.

But i think the choice is made.You are going into i like it in style option.

[Mister Dilsby]

Wow, really cool.But this puts my decision between i like it in style and i like it easy...

How? Like this:

- You flied only a plane there and planted a flag, which belong to i like it easy...

- But, you achieved orbit and landed from there, which belongs to i like it in style.

But i think the choice is made.You are going into i like it in style option.

Thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt! But..."only" a plane? Dude, I made an SSTO without RAPIERS! Or rocket engines! And landed it within meters of the summit!

I don't want to leave any doubt in your mind. What if I can get this damaged bird back to KSC on its own power? I think I have a way...

Edited March 6, 2015 by Mister Dilsby

[hoioh]

About the altitude: there's two peaks and it's really hard to spot which is the higher one, so the first thing I did was bring a large rover out there using a bunch of b9 parts (which according to the OP is easy, well let me tell you: there was nothing easy about that machine, especially landing it because of it's size, anyway moving on). I moved that rover to the top then moved to the one peak and found an altitude and then moved to the other and found a slightly higher altitude which is the peak I went to when it did it for the badge.

It's the peak that leans towards the east and towards the center of the mountainous area. When you stand on it and you face west you can see the other peak and it will appear higher, it's not even that far away. But it isn't higher, it's just difficult to see in KSP.

- - - Updated - - -

Interesting plane design you got there . Put in the i like it in style category.Add the badge to your signatures!

That's based on Burt Rutan's ATTT bushplane. The thing was a financial disaster so it never "took off", but the basic design I found flies really good in KSP. Normally I would connect the wings with a secondary and tertiary fuselage, but this one is too small to do that with. And while typing this I have a great idea for another plane! Got to go!

[Mister Dilsby]

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...

Javascript is disabled. View full album

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 - - -

It's the peak that leans towards the east and towards the center of the mountainous area. When you stand on it and you face west you can see the other peak and it will appear higher, it's not even that far away. But it isn't higher, it's just difficult to see in KSP.

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!

Edited March 6, 2015 by Mister Dilsby

[hoioh]

It's right next to it anyway. Kudo's on that little SSTO, that's quite the construction and piloting skill you got there!

[Candlelight]

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...

http://imgur.com/a/Qg2cK

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!

Just added you to the i like it in style category! And bonus congrats for the refueler! No one here managed to send a refueler, so, yeah!

Thanks for participating anyways! And now, you can the badge as your signature.

[Foxster]

Of course if you really want to do it in style then it has to be by a 50's rocket ship and motorbike...

I know, I know, it's not an an SSTO, but its cool and that's important IMHO.

Craft file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/cf3b8dmj2b1z05r/Rocket%20ship%203%20bike.craft?dl=0

Edited March 7, 2015 by Foxster

[Mister Dilsby]

I know, I know, it's not an an SSTO, but its cool and that's important IMHO.

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

[n.b.z.]

I'm not sure if my entry qualifies: I used a VTOL plane, but it uses rocket engines for hovering. But using these went wrong anyways and chutes were deployed to save the day. Also, I didn't manage to grab a screenshot during landing, as I was too busy trying not to crash.

_____

KSC Management decided to send Dereny and Aldrigh to the top of Mt. Keverest, in order to test a new high altitude VTOL cargo delivery plane and to set up a small relay station on the summit.

This was successfully positioned at an elevation of 6767m.

The mission went well despite planning errors (night fell shortly after arriving on the summit), a botched landing attempt that was saved only by emergency chutes, and navigational ineptitude of the highest order: if you go "a bit right of north" to a destination near the pole, your way back isn't going to be "a bit right of south". After wasting fuel on a return ascent that was about 90° off, the remaining fuel ran out on the corrected return leg. Thankfully, with both rocket and jet fuel exhausted and the craft designed for extreme altitudes, it made for a fantasitic glider that was deadsticked from around 15000m with less than 5 units of liquid fuel left, arriving at the KSC with several thousand meters to spare, which were used up for some victory acrobatics before smoothly landing. The engine was briefly relit on the remaining fumes for taxying a bit faster.

Dereny and Aldrigh were lucky: Their craft landed directly at 6764m elevation, which was previously thought to be the summit height. After driving around with their rover, they found a peak in walking distance that is at 6767m. They may have discovered a different summit than previous explorers. The 6767m one falls off quite steeply on one side. In fact, the slope is so dangerous, it starts pulling rovers towards the abyss way before they have reached the edge! But not much was learned about Keverest and its mysteries, as the plane had only two seats, and the mission required a pilot for flying and an engineer for possible chute repacking and rover repairs.

EDIT: sorry hoioh, I had not noticed that you found the 6767m summit first.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited March 9, 2015 by n.b.z.

[Mister Dilsby]

I'm not sure if my entry qualifies: I used a VTOL plane, but it uses rocket engines for hovering. But using these went wrong anyways and chutes were deployed to save the day. Also, I didn't manage to grab a screenshot during landing, as I was too busy trying not to crash.

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 .

[n.b.z.]

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

I would not be disappointed or annoyed if my entry weren't admitted, as I (A) had a lot of fun, and ( now have the basis for a nice new space plane, if I just clip those immense wings a bit. It already has a docking port and RCS, and can probably reach orbit if the rocket fuel weren't burned for the VTOL engines but only in the rear-facing LV-909s. I just haven't tried yet. Also, there's a rear equipment bay that for this challenge, was filled up almost entirely with reaction wheels. I might move those to the outer pods, and get even more cargo/equipment space.

I'm also considering the Minmus speed challenge, but obviously not with that craft... I'd need to build something new.

[Candlelight]

I'm not sure if my entry qualifies: I used a VTOL plane, but it uses rocket engines for hovering. But using these went wrong anyways and chutes were deployed to save the day. Also, I didn't manage to grab a screenshot during landing, as I was too busy trying not to crash.

_____

KSC Management decided to send Dereny and Aldrigh to the top of Mt. Keverest, in order to test a new high altitude VTOL cargo delivery plane and to set up a small relay station on the summit.

This was successfully positioned at an elevation of 6767m.

http://i.imgur.com/kDOnn6p.jpg

The mission went well despite planning errors (night fell shortly after arriving on the summit), a botched landing attempt that was saved only by emergency chutes, and navigational ineptitude of the highest order: if you go "a bit right of north" to a destination near the pole, your way back isn't going to be "a bit right of south". After wasting fuel on a return ascent that was about 90° off, the remaining fuel ran out on the corrected return leg. Thankfully, with both rocket and jet fuel exhausted and the craft designed for extreme altitudes, it made for a fantasitic glider that was deadsticked from around 15000m with less than 5 units of liquid fuel left, arriving at the KSC with several thousand meters to spare, which were used up for some victory acrobatics before smoothly landing. The engine was briefly relit on the remaining fumes for taxying a bit faster.

Dereny and Aldrigh were lucky: Their craft landed directly at 6764m elevation, which was previously thought to be the summit height. After driving around with their rover, they found a peak in walking distance that is at 6767m. They may have discovered a different summit than previous explorers. The 6767m one falls off quite steeply on one side. In fact, the slope is so dangerous, it starts pulling rovers towards the abyss way before they have reached the edge! But not much was learned about Keverest and its mysteries, as the plane had only two seats, and the mission required a pilot for flying and an engineer for possible chute repacking and rover repairs.

EDIT: sorry hoioh, I had not noticed that you found the 6767m summit first.

http://imgur.com/a/k36lw

Well, very nice entry, but you broke these rules:

4. No liquid fuel/oxidizer engines(LV-T45, Mainsail, LV-N).But, R.A.P.I.E.R's, SSTO's and VTOL's are acceptable (allowed)

But don't let that let you down, this challenge is all about having fun, and i hope you had a wonderful time .

Thanks for participating! You can still add the badge even if you didn't enter. What matters is that you participated and had a great time.

[klesh]

It's 6763 m high.

That is dependent on your terrain settings, I believe. Have a look:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=370690886

Location: 61°35'53"N 46°21'32"E

Elevation: 6,767m

Pressure at Summit: 0.2583

Temperature at Summit: -40.78°

Also, there was some consensus prior, that the mountain was called Mt. Kraken, though of course no official name exists.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/51607-Mt-Kraken

This trip was not part of the challenge here. But here it is anyway, I used a modded electric plane and feet to reach the summit. I also deployed a permanent weather station there.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited March 9, 2015 by klesh

[hoioh]

Dereny and Aldrigh were lucky: Their craft landed directly at 6764m elevation, which was previously thought to be the summit height. After driving around with their rover, they found a peak in walking distance that is at 6767m. They may have discovered a different summit than previous explorers. The 6767m one falls off quite steeply on one side. In fact, the slope is so dangerous, it starts pulling rovers towards the abyss way before they have reached the edge! But not much was learned about Keverest and its mysteries, as the plane had only two seats, and the mission required a pilot for flying and an engineer for possible chute repacking and rover repairs.

EDIT: sorry hoioh, I had not noticed that you found the 6767m summit first.

That's quite ok, NBZ, I rovered around a bit as well to find tht second peak and I also experienced the pull from the abyss! Very difficult to drive your rover up to, but not over, the edge there!

Too bad the little VTOL-LFO engines disqualify the entry, it's such a nice bird.

[n.b.z.]

You can still add the badge even if you didn't enter. What matters is that you participated and had a great time.

Thanks, that is a very generous offer. But I will not carry the badge, rules are essential to challenges and should be kept up. I could have asked to clarify this if it was that important for me. I did have a great time, and agree that this is what matters. Also, I saw other people's vehicles, which gave me ideas.

Klesh, that is definitely the summit I was on. (The same exact sloping can be seen in my album shot of the extended antennas.)

[Candlelight]

That is dependent on your terrain settings, I believe. Have a look:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=370690886

Location: 61°35'53"N 46°21'32"E

Elevation: 6,767m

Pressure at Summit: 0.2583

Temperature at Summit: -40.78°

Also, there was some consensus prior, that the mountain was called Mt. Kraken, though of course no official name exists.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/51607-Mt-Kraken

This trip was not part of the challenge here. But here it is anyway, I used a modded electric plane and feet to reach the summit. I also deployed a permanent weather station there.

http://imgur.com/a/jAg36

Very nice, but your entry wont be considered, because in the rules it says stock only.