Kerbin Circumnavigation 1.0.4/1.0.5 - Aviator Challenge Continuation

[Xannari Ferrows]

yes, i was a bit far, but i wasn't able to check because for some reason, going to the space center moved my plane to the runway...

but don't worry, i'm re-running anyway!

Protip: Go retrograde. It'll be quicker.

[nicky4096]

that's what i'm doing currently

3/4 around the globe right now.

[nicky4096]

aaaand done! this time, 42:55!

since the plane is so unstable at high speeds, i used my custom method of going into an uncontrollable dive and then opening my parachute

this time, definitely within 1.1km

Javascript is disabled. View full album

this time imgur should work

edit: forgot to mention that F3 is showing even more nonsensical-than-normal data because i F9'ed about 20 times to get that landing trajectory right

Edited June 29, 2015 by nicky4096

[Xannari Ferrows]

aaaand done! this time, 42:55!

since the plane is so unstable at high speeds, i used my custom method of going into an uncontrollable dive and then opening my parachute

this time, definitely within 1.1km

http://imgur.com/a/NEeDP

this time imgur should work

Every pilots' nightmare right here.

Is that two RAPIERS I see?

1.5? 1.4? Maybe 1.3?

Who knows? Surely not me.

Please accept this badge greatly.

http://www.datainterlock.com/Kerbal/circumnavigator%20resized%20velocity.png

Edited June 29, 2015 by Xannari Ferrows

[nicky4096]

thanks! also, 2 rapiers.

edit: i see that you want people to vote between the 2 SOD "badges". i vote for #2, just because it looks cleaner

also, psssst... xannari... don't i get the velocity circumnavigator thing? <--- nope. he fixed it!

Edited June 29, 2015 by nicky4096
yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

[MunGazer]

Xannari, thanks for working to implement the sub orbital division of the challenge. I look forward to creating and submitting an entry, even if only to get things started and invite others to best my time or participate in general. I think that my plan, at first, will be to once again use rapiers, but with oxidizer of course and at altitudes likely to exceed 30 kilometers - not sure what I'll find to be optimum. However, I get the feeling that perhaps the region where air breathing doesn't cut it and where the craft's aerodynamics are still a major factor are where I'll explore first. As of the next two days, I'll be busy moving into my new house and so it may take a week or two for me to get internet set up and for me to actually make a submission.

[Xannari Ferrows]

don't i get the velocity circumnavigator thing?

I think I grabbed the wrong one... Let me see here... Goes into the back room

Let's see, expedition, regular, grand... where are th- Ah! There they... No wait, that's an Oxygen tank! Explosion

Editing the other post...

[nicky4096]

i got 41:31. but i still have a pre-landing quicksave, and i think i manage better!

edit: ok maybe, not. but still better than my old time!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

tommorrow i will go faster!

Edited June 29, 2015 by nicky4096

[Xannari Ferrows]

i got 41:31. but i still have a pre-landing quicksave, and i think i manage better!

edit: ok maybe, not. but still better than my old time!

http://imgur.com/a/Vh6LJ

tommorrow i will go faster!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news... but...

You appear to be just a bit too far away...

[Aghanim]

This is my second take on this challenge, with 3 circumnavigations in 2 hours and 47 minutes

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Now I'm doing the suborbital challenge. Unfortunately Interstellar engines are banned, and for a good reason, because staying suborbital using thermal turbojets powered by antimatter is already a challenge by itself...

[t3hJimmer]

You plane grew a pair of engines at some point between the first and second screenshot...

[nicky4096]

wow. i just amazed my self with my own stupidity...

I landed less than 100m from the runway. and i swear i took a screenshot. but it disappered! O.o

retry!

edit:

well, i still had a pre-landing quicksave from the same flight. so i re-landed, and managed 41:28. also checked distance to runway. 951.8 meters!

so, here is basically what should replace the last screenshot of my 41:31 album:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

also, dont feel bad if you think i should be disqualified for something. i will happily re-run!

Edited June 30, 2015 by nicky4096

[Aghanim]

You plane grew a pair of engines at some point between the first and second screenshot...

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/epicrapbattlesofhistory/images/5/59/Stare-What-GIF.gif

I've uploaded the wrong screenshot for the first picture... does my entry still counts?

[nicky4096]

since the 1-engines screenshot was accidentally added and you have a clear pic of the one you actually used, it should count IMO.

[Xannari Ferrows]

This is my second take on this challenge, with 3 circumnavigations in 2 hours and 47 minutes

http://imgur.com/a/a4hUI

Now I'm doing the suborbital challenge. Unfortunately Interstellar engines are banned, and for a good reason, because staying suborbital using thermal turbojets powered by antimatter is already a challenge by itself...

I'm also not a fan of infinite circumnavigations...

Aghanim's plane evolved!

But I am a fan of 3! This thing could make a good Velocity contender if you ask me... It's 55 minutes average...

I imagine the high altitude was to not explode as well as conserve fuel?

http://www.datainterlock.com/Kerbal/circumnavigator%20resized%20expedition.png

- - - Updated - - -

wow. i just amazed my self with my own stupidity...

I landed less than 100m from the runway. and i swear i took a screenshot. but it disappered! O.o

retry!

edit:

well, i still had a pre-landing quicksave from the same flight. so i re-landed, and managed 41:28. also checked distance to runway. 951.8 meters!

so, here is basically what should replace the last screenshot of my 41:31 album:

http://imgur.com/a/TgrJ6

also, dont feel bad if you think i should be disqualified for something. i will happily re-run!

You are just cutting it so close...

I'll count the 41:28. It only seems fair since it was a new run in itself.

To anyone asking, yes. Even a 1.1001 distance is still out.

http://www.datainterlock.com/Kerbal/circumnavigator%20resized%20velocity.png

[nicky4096]

yay!

also, i see that you think only pulled 2Gs... I pulled 15+ at descent, but the "highest G force endured" is soooo unreliable...

Edited June 30, 2015 by nicky4096
dammit, double quotes!

[HelmutK]

Hi all,

here is my entry for this challenge:

This simple and easy to flying plane was designed for reaching the orbit and come back save to KSC.

For this challenge i only take out the oxidizer and fill up the wings... i was surprised, it works very well.

Reaching cruising speed and altitude.

halftime

...but there is a savepoint over the desert from same flight.

...ok, a bit better. Count this?

edit: no mods

Edited June 30, 2015 by HelmutK

[nicky4096]

Grrrrrrr you have moved me to 4th place! this must be fixed!

nice job!

[HelmutK]

Thx, and sorry

[Xannari Ferrows]

Hi all,

here is my entry for this challenge:

This simple and easy to flying plane was designed for reaching the orbit and come back save to KSC.

For this challenge i only take out the oxidizer and fill up the wings... i was surprised, it works very well.

BigS strakes on a SmallS plane? Sounds awfully familiar...

This thing could be a high level contender with only a few modifications. Like cruising altitude, and maybe a few extra bits of fuel.

But that doesn't matter now. You're a racer!

http://www.datainterlock.com/Kerbal/circumnavigator%20resized%20velocity.png

- - - Updated - - -

Thx, and sorry

Grrrrrrr you have moved me to 4th place! this must be fixed!

nice job!

Looks like some competition! Don't have too much fun, or you might end up like me and ExaltedDuck.

[Aghanim]

I'm also not a fan of infinite circumnavigations...

Aghanim's plane evolved!

But I am a fan of 3! This thing could make a good Velocity contender if you ask me... It's 55 minutes average...

I imagine the high altitude was to not explode as well as conserve fuel?

http://www.datainterlock.com/Kerbal/circumnavigator%20resized%20expedition.png

Yes, it does. And also my airplane increases its fuel efficiency the faster it goes, but it never reaches enough speed that overheating is a problem

[ExaltedDuck]

Hi all,

here is my entry for this challenge:

This simple and easy to flying plane was designed for reaching the orbit and come back save to KSC.

For this challenge i only take out the oxidizer and fill up the wings... i was surprised, it works very well.

edit: no mods

Those are some solid times and an intriguing design. Try a later and steeper descent (nose down around the mountains, or when it'll require about a 40-45 degree angle under horizon). You'll want to cut throttle and might require s turns and/or airbrakes to slow down fast enough, but it might get you under 40.

[nicky4096]

would "Take Command" be allowed since it doesn't change aerodynamics?

[nicky4096]

also, i did some calculations that will help some people.

I found the lift rating to drag coefficient ratio for every wing and control surface.

it turns out that the delta-deluxe winglet has the best ratio, 7.222. it also has a heat tolerance of 2400C.

the next best wing is the basic fin with a ratio of 6. however the basic fin has a heat tolerance of only 943C, not nearly good enough.

the next best wing is the wing connector type A with a ratio of 5.555. it has a heat tolerance of 2400C aswell!

now, off i go to beat 40 mins!

[Noname117]

So, I decided to have a go at this challenge last night, but decided I wanted to try it with basic jet engines and not have to worry about the heat. Naturally, a speed record is already out of the question for me. The attempt is below:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Results:

Mission time: 9 hours 30 minutes 18 seconds

Highest altitude achieved: 4,424m

Highest G force: 7 Gs

Number of circumnavigations: 1

So, I did make it. Just. I only had 126 units of fuel left from my 4080 I began with, and honestly, midway through the flight I thought I'd be landing on less. It didn't set any records at all, and will likely remain in last place for the amount of time it took to circumnavigate until someone else tries to circumnavigate on just basic jet engines. As such I will not nominate it for either challenge category.

The flight was definitely somewhat of a tough one. I constantly had to cut back on the throttle throughout the flight to conserve fuel. There were more than a few moments where I thought I wouldn't have enough fuel to make it. I knew I was cutting it close. I also had to adjust my control surfaces several times (deactivated 2 of my 4 ailerons for less erratic rolling, disabled pitch and roll on my rudders in flight), and occasionally had to go over my cruising altitude range (stupid mountains). I eventually learned to have my aircraft pitch slightly downward on 4x time acceleration and then wait until the curve of the planet made me increase in altitude again, and then repeat the process. This made the flight far less painful then it could've been.

I think the most impressive part of my statistics was the fact that I never surpassed 4,500m in altitude. The larger mountains on Kerbin are higher than how high I flew that plane. Although I might not have claim to the fastest circumnavigation or the most circumnavigations, I most certainly have the lowest aerial circumnavigation, which is an achievement in itself.

Anyways, I do kind of have to post the entire F3 log. Now, if you noticed in the F3 log at the end of my massive picture chain, my jet engines were slightly damaging the vertical stabilizers throughout the first 2 hours and 45 minutes of flight, creating a very long list of "this piece damaged by jet engine" messages. I did my best to record the entire thing in am ingur album (I might have accidentally skipped a few somewhere, it was hard to keep track of which messages I had already covered. If any were skipped, the amount of time skipped should be just a few seconds)

Javascript is disabled. View full album

The album may be partially cut off. Just click on it if you really want to view it

I wish future competitors the best of luck!