Gilly Circumnavigation - Flying without wings!

[ryan234abc]

"One of the biggest problems of exploring Gilly is trying not to escape it"

Where do I begin?

I guess at the beginning; most stories start that way.

So here I am, feeling like doing something BIG. To be honest, the biggest thing I've ever done was make a station in orbit of Jool, but that's another story. I'm usually one to use cheats, but I did this one 100% legit. The only cheats I used were to get my test vehicles and prototypes in orbit of Gilly. I then encountered Gilly and landed on it myself with the final version. The craft I used was the third iteration: the Gilly 3. Name: amazing. Mind: blown. Anyway, this vehicle involved no part clipping of any sort. It ran on Xenon, with a small Ion engine on the back to propel it up some of the larger cliffs. I also used it to keep my craft from flying away by pointing it at the ground. It ran mainly using PB-NUK generators, but had it's own solar panels to give it a boost. So, I present my attempt at the Elcano : Gilly

Only 1 tyre breakage throughout the whole trip (I used the tire like an anchor to kill my speed so I didn't spend more than 10 seconds in the air!)

100% Stock

(Note: Path isn't perfect due to having to cope with Gilly's rotation)

Also please note this before saying anything like 'You need to get there legit first'. I have gotten it there legit, but I only have screenshots of the first and second version of the rover! They were both heavier then the mk3 you see in the album, and yet with an identical launcher, I still made it! So please don't hate, and if you really want, I'll see if I can replicate the launch for you.

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And for those of you who needed it, the transfer vehicle. These screenshots where taken after the mission to prove that there was indeed a capable transfer vehicle, and thus do not meet Eve, due to it being after the transfer window. However, please note that it would still connect with Eve SOI if Eve was in its correct place. Note it doesn't come with the final rover because that is a separate craft, a fairing was installed to cover up the 3rd stage and above, and all power generators are on the final rover.

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Also can I point out that the short time in the top left is measured from the pilots perspective, and thus is from when he entered the vehicle.

Edited August 8, 2015 by ryan234abc
Transfer proof added

[Geschosskopf]

Nice job . Gilly is my least-favorite place in the game because everything about it is so SLOW and, as you mentioned, you're always worrying about falling off the thing. So you get props just for messing with it, let alone actually driving around it.

[EdusacconBR]

gilly is the smallest object in the game xD

[ryan234abc]

gilly is the smallest object in the game xD

Which is why I chose it. Being the smallest certainly doesn't make it easiest. The rules stated I had to stay on the ground for as much time as possible, which proved quite a challenge. If Gilly had a high density (making it heavier) then it would be less of a challenge. However, trying to keep your wheels on the ground takes more skill than Circumnavigating Vall, for example. Besides! If it's so easy, feel free to try it yourself! I'll be sure to have a look!

Although I won't be keeping my hopes up.

- - - Updated - - -

Nice job . Gilly is my least-favorite place in the game because everything about it is so SLOW and, as you mentioned, you're always worrying about falling off the thing. So you get props just for messing with it, let alone actually driving around it.

Thank you for the kind-natured comment! It is a pleasure to see that some (*ahem look ahem* up *ahem) people appreciate the challenge Gilly brings. I see you have circumnavigated Kerbin. Bravo my friend!

[EdusacconBR]

you can land at gilly with a kerbal fart

[ryan234abc]

you can land at gilly with a kerbal fart

And though it is all about the journey, not the end point, I would like to point out that the idea of circumnavigation by land is mainly about circumnavigating by land; the landing essence, no matter how critical, is not useful to circumnavigation and if it was all about the arrival and landing then I would have launched a 700 Kerbal fleet towing Minmus behind it, powered by cans of Kerbal Fart.

And landed by crashing Gilly into Minmus to slow our descent. You know, someone should really try this.

Edited August 1, 2015 by ryan234abc