Kerbal Foundries vs KerbinSide Air-Race: Antigrav race near KSC

[LitaAlto]

It's not that I can stay airborne, just that I can actually be airborne for quite a bit. I've been powering down the engines when I go airborne though so that it's more of a glide than a powered descent.

For the race from KSC to KSC2 in Jatwaa's TFATK challenge series, I used one of the foothills of the mountains due West of the KSC as a launch ramp, and kept airborne until I landed just off the shore on the far side. I'd be a hypocrite to say you can't be airborne for "quite a bit".

[smjjames]

Mine is in two parts because bandicam, also excuse my lack of editing and forgetting to hide the bandicam bar. XD

Looking at the starting (3 min 13 seconds) and ending times (8 min 14 seconds), my run is 5 minutes and 1 second, give or take 5 seconds. The video is like twice as long for some reason though, lag maybe. Also, stock aero.

My top speed was 287m/s, a bit faster than the_BT.

Edit: Due to Vimeo being a piece of stupid, I'm going to use youtube since I already have a google account.

Edit: Youtube upload is going to take a while.

Edited July 10, 2015 by smjjames

[*Aqua*]

Why are there so many engines in the stage bar?

And why did you throttle down so much?

[Signo]

I was very proud of my 5.18 in stock aero, now I'll try to improve :/

However here's the video: 1.07 start - 6.25 finish - total race time 5.18 - top speed 315 m/s

[smjjames]

Why are there so many engines in the stage bar?

And why did you throttle down so much?

Most of those are the Kerbal Foundries power units (those repulsors are power hungry) which are fake 'engines'. What I mean by fake 'engine' is that while they are technically an engine (in the way that a generator is an engine), they don't actually provide any thrust. Well, they do, but it's miniscule, max thrust of 0.001 with ISP of 20.

As for the throttling down, I was mainly letting it coast while airborne.

- - - Updated - - -

I was very proud of my 5.18 in stock aero, now I'll try to improve :/

However here's the video: 1.07 start - 6.25 finish - total race time 5.18 - top speed 315 m/s

http://youtu.be/jRwkvVWjXd4

Video is marked as private.

Yours may be faster, but mine is highly maneuverable.

[Signo]

Mine is pretty maneuverable too. I will improve. The video works now.

Edited July 10, 2015 by Signo

[the_bT]

After much trail and error, I present the Dartshark:

I'm not sure if the craft is legal to be honest. The anti-grav pads are shielded from the airflow behind fairings which is a bit exploity but allows breaking the sound barrier.

Additionally I have a couple of AV-R8 Winglets on there... I am not sure what their lift rating is. I don't think this applies when you use FAR.

I need them to keep the craft on the ground. This thing is capable to take of from a plane surface on body lift alone, at high enough speeds even against the down force provided by the winglets.

Engine remain 2 down-scaled turbojets.

In any case: my time in this, should it be legal, would be 3:40, highest speed 510 m/s.

[greydragon70]

Jolly Roger Aerospace here,

I spent all my time the past two days with this challenge. Through different versions of this craft I broke mach 1, had multiple engine overheats, found out the new radiators are useless, tweakscale NEEDS to be updated, and had a lot of fun.

This version had a top speed over 210m/s. average speed 150m/s, was very stable, caugh big air, and made a run of 5:42

It has...

1 stock turbojet engine

2 SAS pods plus the cockpit

2 1.25 in line batteries

1 large fuel cell

2 RTG's

4 hover pads

random fire works(Nirazi's Fireworks, BDArmory)

MK2 extension pack

Possible Challenge modification: set targets at each marker buoy, add a Vulcan Cannon, shoot targets as you pass the buoy.

Here is the video:

[JackDugan]

My craft, the "Thing" may or may not be probably isn't legal. It does not abide by the rules, however. The rules did not specify if I had to use the small or large anti-gravity devices, so I chose the more aerodynamic small version. Information below.

Race Start Time: T+ 0:53

Race End Time: T+ 3:23

Total Race Time: 2:30

Highest Speed Reached: 824 m/s

Page 8 includes the final design. This was an exploitative craft. (DISQUALIFIED)

Edited July 11, 2015 by JackDugan

[smjjames]

My craft, the "Thing" may or may not be legal. It does abide by the rules, however. The rules did not specify if I had to use the small or large anti-gravity devices, so I chose the more aerodynamic small version. Information below.

Race Start Time: T+ 0:53

Race End Time: T+ 3:23

Total Race Time: 2:30

Highest Speed Reached: 824 m/s

Is that with FAR or stock aero?

Also, you're pretty much flying the ENTIRE way, looks like you don't even need the repulsors in the first place. I would err on the side of not legal. And did you have them on height 0 for the ENTIRE flight?

[JackDugan]

I had them on height: 100 the entire flight. As soon as I turn off my engines, I lose electricity extremely fast. This is why after I finished the race, the anti-gravity devices died. When you run out of electricity, the devices automatically set their height to 0. It is with the stock aero.

[LitaAlto]

I am sorry I haven't got fully caught up. I'll review this page's videos in the morning and make some decisions then.

[smjjames]

At least the_bTs and greydragons entries stay on the ground most of the time.

[nicky4096]

well, the problem is that in the rules it is allowed to spam control surfaces to basically create wings as long as you use small ones. limiting the amount of control surfaces you can use would help, but you can still a) build a tiny plane and still use the control surfaces as wings or use jet engines to boost you very high...

IMO the solution would be a radar altitude limit or something like that.

but it's the OP's decision, not mine, and if you look through the current set of rules jack's entry is still legal.

[Signo]

As far as I can remember "topgunning your way out" was forbidden.

[nicky4096]

well... it isn't

[Signo]

Well, I don't think this is a race for planes. Or at least I do not think this is what was intended.

So I keep on my "car" design.

Second attempt, same craft: 1.06 start - 6.06 finish - race time 5.00 - top speed 316m/s (that for a car is not bad).

Get your Auricom 2097 here!

Edited July 10, 2015 by Signo

[smjjames]

It might not be violating the rules of the challenge, it's certainly violating the spirit of the challenge.

While mine does pull quite a bit of Big Air, it's far from being powered flight.

Edited July 10, 2015 by smjjames

[nicky4096]

how about - you may not go above the height setting of the repulsors for more than 10 seconds or something. and no dipping back in and popping back out!

but, OP's decision.

[Signo]

Maybe a little bit of "goodwill" evaluating the difference between jumping and flying?

[smjjames]

Well, JackDugans entry is obviously and clearly powered flight the whole way. Gliding (like what I was doing) is fine, but powered flight isn't.

[AlphaAsh]

Second run. New craft. 6 mins 19 secs.

The doughnutting really cost me. The boosters were worth the extra weight I think. There's a couple of jumps where I'm relying on proper aerodynamics to keep control so I am concerned that's considered flying and disqualifies me. Your call judge. There's four control surfaces on the craft, they are under 0.5 lift.

Edited July 10, 2015 by AlphaAsh

[the_bT]

I just had an idea: use kOS and make a small script that puts all engines thrust limiters to 0 whenever the repulsors are not repulsing. That would make powered flight impossible and give you an incentive to stay on the ground, but still allow jumps.

It would add another mod to the list and complicates the launch of your craft somewhat on the other hand. At lease if kOS modules still can't auto load scrips at startup.

[greydragon70]

At least the_bTs and greydragons entries stay on the ground most of the time.

Jolly Roger Aerospace back again...

From What I can gather, In the Red Bull Air Races the pilots have to go between the pylons and below the line drawn between the tops of the pylons. Different pylons require different angles when passing through.

That being said, I don't think it's unreasonable to say the pilots should be below the tops of the pylons.

So, in my second attempt...

I don't know if this is "flying" or not but, I at least passed between and under the tops of the pylons every time.

2 stock turbo jets

4 hover pads

1 fuel cell

2 batteries

2 pair of canards rated less than .50 lift (one pair tweakscaled down)

1 pair of air brakes

stock aero

Start time :52

End time 4:22

Race time 3:30

Edited July 10, 2015 by greydragon70

[JackDugan]

I think it would be best to completely remove control surfaces from the challenge or, at least, require that they are used only as tail fins.