Kerbodyne Air Race Series Redux: Race 1

[Wanderfound]

Okay, now that both nuStock Aero and nuFAR are up and running, it's time to see how far we can stretch the performance envelope. So, time to revive the air races.

Rules:

* Separate leaderboards for stock vs FAR.

* Stock parts only.

* Kerballed HOTOL aircraft, jet engines only. No rockets (RAPIERs okay; even in oxidising mode, they won't outrace a low-altitude jet).

* Usual spaceplaner mods are fine (Kerbal Flight Data, Kerbal Pilot Assistant, Kerbal Flight Indicators, Dynamic Deflection, etc), but no obvious hacks or cheats. If in doubt, ask; obey Wheaton's Law at all times.

* Aircraft must begin stationary on the runway, facing east as per usual.

* Don't use the "spool up engines with intakes closed, open intakes for instant 100% power" exploit. Spooling up the jets while the wheel brakes are on is fine, but once the jet overpowers the brakes it's time to start flying.

* Post screenshots or video documenting the key parts of your run (before takeoff, making the turn through the mountain passes, landing and stopping).

* Your time is your elapsed mission time after your plane is once again completely stationary on the runway. Make sure that this time is visible in your final screenshot.

* Keep it below 5,000m for the entire flight; the idea is to go through the mountain passes, not over them.

* No parachutes.

* Keep all heat/drag/aero/etc settings at default levels. This applies to stock as well as FAR.

The first course is as shown below;

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Take off, turn around, head to the mountains. As you get close, an extra-pointy peak will appear from nowhere. Fly through the V-shaped pass to the right of that, then pull hard left to come around the peak (below its summit, hence the 5,000m altitude cap). Then, back to KSC and land.

Leaderboards

Stock

FlipNascar, 3:23

Juzeris, 2:37 (off-course)

FAR

Phearlock, 2:57

Wanderfound, 4:23

Edited May 16, 2015 by Wanderfound

[FlipNascar]

I'll bite!

3m 59s with the FFP-A. Stock.

Takes far too long to stop on the runway though!

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Edit: er... Just seen the no parachutes rule. This jet used a drogue chute on the runway to aid the brakes... I 'spose I'll re-do it without the drogue chute.

Stock - 3m 23s with the FFP-A2

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I lost some plane parts on landing... But everybody walked away so it counts as a good landing.

Edited May 11, 2015 by FlipNascar

[Wanderfound]

Thanks for the entry.

Is the course layout okay (i.e. not too hard, not too easy) for stock flyers?

[Wanderfound]

Okay, an official entry to get the FAR board started:

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4 minutes, 23 seconds.

[FlipNascar]

Thanks for the entry.

Is the course layout okay (i.e. not too hard, not too easy) for stock flyers?

I think for a first round it's about right, yes it's a piece of cake - go really fast, turn left, turn left, go really fast - the hardest part here will be pushing it harder without RUD, so it's more of a design and piloting challenge. You can be spectacular at one and win, or mediocre at both and still win. But it's more about finding the atmospheric limits rather than piloting skill.

The problem with a more complicated course is you need to pre-build the pylons and what not and then people need to download the save file with the beacons.

[Wanderfound]

I think for a first round it's about right, yes it's a piece of cake - go really fast, turn left, turn left, go really fast - the hardest part here will be pushing it harder without RUD, so it's more of a design and piloting challenge. You can be spectacular at one and win, or mediocre at both and still win. But it's more about finding the atmospheric limits rather than piloting skill.

The problem with a more complicated course is you need to pre-build the pylons and what not and then people need to download the save file with the beacons.

To add a bit more piloting challenge, last time we added a touch & go on the island runway; takes a bit of finesse to survive tapping the ground while supersonic. Might do that again for round two.

[Serassa]

3:23 without parachute. I can probably shave off like 20 seconds with better flying, but I'm not a huge fan of practicing something for skill.

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yep improved design and flight plan gave me 2:53

Edited May 11, 2015 by Serassa

[Wanderfound]

3:23 without parachute. I can probably shave off like 20 seconds with better flying, but I'm not a huge fan of practicing something for skill.

http://imgur.com/a/w3Uud

yep improved design and flight plan gave me 2:53

http://i.imgur.com/H63ZJeH.jpg

Is there a pilot stashed in there somewhere ("Kerballed HOTOL aircraft")?

[Jovus]

You might want to provide guidance on the area rule settings for FAR users; things are going to be quite different between 'high drag, strict ruling' and 'low drag, low ruling'. (Going from memory, so the labels probably aren't quite right.)

[juzeris]

Well, I want into this goodness too, nuStockAero, a very simple 16 part entry, called Speeder, because the engineers didn't have time to come up with something more imaginative while bolting the parts on.

Here's the craft download for posterity, but it will probably be faster to just recreate it. All credit for the antenna "aerospike" is due to Fengist (it is an actual real-world device btw!).

I made it in 2:37, the screenshot says 2:38, but that's because I pressed F3 instead of F1, you can clearly see the time as 2:37 in the video F3 screen. Well, so long as we can get a confirmation that a lost wheel is no big deal.

And here's the flight video: EDIT - THIS IS THE WRONG ROUTE, DO NOT FOLLOW THE ONE IN THE VIDEO

Edited May 16, 2015 by juzeris
wrong route sign

[Wanderfound]

You might want to provide guidance on the area rule settings for FAR users; things are going to be quite different between 'high drag, strict ruling' and 'low drag, low ruling'. (Going from memory, so the labels probably aren't quite right.)

Good point:

* Keep all heat/drag/aero/etc settings at default levels. This applies to stock as well as FAR.

[Serassa]

Is there a pilot stashed in there somewhere ("Kerballed HOTOL aircraft")?

No, this is unmanned.

[Wanderfound]

No, this is unmanned.

Would you prefer to have another go with a Kerbal onboard (an occupied command chair would do), or should I do a separate leaderboard for unKerballed drones? Either is fine by me.

[Serassa]

Would you prefer to have another go with a Kerbal onboard (an occupied command chair would do), or should I do a separate leaderboard for unKerballed drones? Either is fine by me.

I simply didn't know what you meant by HOTOL or whatever that was. Nevermind, that design couldn't even beat a manned entry.

[Wanderfound]

HOTOL is "horizontal takeoff and landing", BTW. As in, launches and lands as a conventional winged and wheeled aircraft; it's just shorthand for "this competition is intended for planes" without getting into a philosophical discussion about how to exactly define a plane.

Similar etymology to VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing), VSTOL (very short takeoff and landing), etc etc.

[Jovus]

When you say 'no rockets', do you mean simply 'as a main method of propulsion', or do you intend to disqualify RATOL designs?

[Serassa]

HOTOL is "horizontal takeoff and landing", BTW. As in, launches and lands as a conventional winged and wheeled aircraft; it's just shorthand for "this competition is intended for planes" without getting into a philosophical discussion about how to exactly define a plane.

Similar etymology to VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing), VSTOL (very short takeoff and landing), etc etc.

Well in that case you never said that it had to be manned.

[Jovus]

He said 'Kerballed' as in 'must have a Kerbal aboard'. Kerbal:Kerballed::man:manned

[Wanderfound]

When you say 'no rockets', do you mean simply 'as a main method of propulsion', or do you intend to disqualify RATOL designs?

Basically, it's intended to be a competition between aircraft rather than missiles, with an emphasis upon "build and fly your best raceplane" rather than "try to find the sneakiest exploit".

As the rules stand, the only engines allowed are basic jets, turbojets and RAPIERs.

So, no RATOL. Rocket-assisted landing is such an advantage that it would become effectively compulsory to be competitive (as with parachutes), and I think it's more interesting to require pilots to use aerobatic means of slowing down.

[John FX]

Well in that case you never said that it had to be manned.

The important thing was they didn't say you were disqualified and asked if you wanted an unmanned (unkerballed) leaderboard...

[Phearlock]

Here's another FAR entry for you. 2:58

Edit: I realize I flew through the wrong pass, haha, oh well, I think the time between the two would be pretty similar, as taking the pass on the left meant I needed to slow down more to make the turn.

Edit Edit: New vid, correct route, 2:57

Excuse the music, had to dig out something that would get me in the mood. =)

Design philosophy was to simply get something that flew stably at 1200 m/s and could handle 15G's at 600 m/s. Main issue was slowing down enough for landing (the high AoA capability of delta wings helped out a lot in that regard).

In terms of top speed, aircraft could easily accelerate to 1490 m/s, though that was basically suicide in terms of reentry heating at this altitude.

Skimped a bit on the fuel. Most wing surfaces had maximized strength/weight ratios except the vertical stabs, which were left at around 0.8-1.0

Slats and engine gimbal were toggled on/off for takeoff and the single left hand turn to improve turn performance.

Could possibly shave off a bit more if I resorted to the stock airbrakes, as those are somewhat more powerful than the FAR ones, but that would cause issues for deploying them above 1000 m/s

Edited May 16, 2015 by Phearlock

[Wanderfound]

Here's another FAR entry for you. 2:58

Edit: I realize I flew through the wrong pass, haha, oh well, I think the time between the two would be pretty similar, as taking the pass on the left meant I needed to slow down more to make the turn.

Thanks for the entry, but that one's going to need a re-do on the right route. It looks like the pass you took allows for an easier/quicker turn.

That's a well-flown and -built ship though; I've no doubt that you'll be topping the leaderboard (at least for a while) once you get a valid lap in.

[Phearlock]

The stock entry of juzeris that you approved has the wrong route as well. =)

[Wanderfound]

The stock entry of juzeris that you approved has the wrong route as well. =)

D'oh, missed that. Will amend the board.

[Phearlock]

Edited my first submission with (what I assume is) the correct route. And shaved off another second. =)