The Low Part Count Lifter Challenge [temporarily suspended 9/25/15]

[ihtoit]

interesting challenge. My heavy lifter uses a cluster of 7 Thor SRBs (1 inline, 6 sidemounts held by struts at the bottom and struts to the payload at the top - dunno the lifter-only weight but the part count is something like 20 including the stack separator) that fire vertically for the first 40km then I just heel the whole lot over and point at the horizon for the remainder of the burn. Because of the weight of the vehicle on the pad (>1,000t) turning is excruciatingly slow, I'm often all but burned by the time I get to 0 pitch. Orbital insertion is usually done with a single Luvodicus Super Atomic (long burn time with a local TWR of <0.1) and/or RCS thrusters (a lot depends on my apoapse speed, which is all but orbital on light payloads). I'll post a few screenies tomorrow if I remember.

Note: the Thor is a ridiculously powerful SRB with a mid-four-digit thrust and sixty second burn. My light heavy loads go up on just a single one of these. It can send a cupola and hitchhiker capsule and enough equipment to start a munbase, to Minmus, on its own.

[Norcalplanner]

Let's see what happens when we build a rocket from three of the biggest SpaceY fuel tanks and the biggest SpaceY engine cluster.

http://jltsiren.kapsi.fi/ksp/1.0/size_isnt_everything_1.jpeg

The ascent was ridiculously shallow, because big rockets with a high TWR don't care about drag.

http://jltsiren.kapsi.fi/ksp/1.0/size_isnt_everything_2.jpeg

http://jltsiren.kapsi.fi/ksp/1.0/size_isnt_everything_3.jpeg

http://jltsiren.kapsi.fi/ksp/1.0/size_isnt_everything_4.jpeg

Payload: 210.875 tonnes

Lifter parts: 5

Score: 42.175

Mods: SpaceY, MechJeb

If you use 3x bigger fuel tanks than in stock and an engine cluster powerful enough to lift the stack, the score will be about 3x higher than for similar stock rockets. With multiple stacks, the score would be even higher, as the marginal payload was over 50 tonnes/part.

Congratulations, Jouni! I was wondering what you could do with some bigger mod parts. In all my testing, I've found that there are some real aero advantages to going with the single stack without any fins. Of course, it's needed because of the shallow ascent trajectory, as you pointed out. Payload mass fraction isn't too bad for an SSTO rocket, either. Adding you to the top of the leaderboard...

[killakrust]

I guess to make a point that the tweakscale mod can seriously screw with this challenge, here is another submission. But this time I have just tweakscaled the "Twin-Boar" engine part and a decoupler up to a 20m part.

I'll call it the BFC (Big Fat Cheater)

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With 2 whole lifter parts this thing would get whopping score of 491.7 (but of course it is disqualified).

Edited September 10, 2015 by killakrust
Added some more info

[Norcalplanner]

I guess to make a point that the tweakscale mod can seriously screw with this challenge, here is another submission. But this time I have just tweakscaled the "Twin-Boar" engine part and a decoupler up to a 20m part.

I'll call it the BFC (Big Fat Cheater)

http://imgur.com/a/pEaeE

With 2 whole lifter parts this thing would get whopping score of 491.7 (but of course it is disqualified).

Maybe it's just me, but that rocket on the pad looks like some sort of stubby robot. The kind of robot that would fight a guy in a rubber monster suit while stomping all over model tanks and buildings. I can almost hear someone yelling "Run for your lives!"

And, or course, it does a great job showing why Tweakscaled parts are prohibited.

[killakrust]

Maybe it's just me, but that rocket on the pad looks like some sort of stubby robot. The kind of robot that would fight a guy in a rubber monster suit while stomping all over model tanks and buildings. I can almost hear someone yelling "Run for your lives!"

And, or course, it does a great job showing why Tweakscaled parts are prohibited.

Exactly. Personally, I'd prefer to keep the challenge as Stock only really. I'm sure I could hunt around and find a mod with really massive tanks and engines, then easily get a massive score.

I wonder if the infernal robotics parts can be re-scaled? I could give my stubby robot some kewl arms.... "Danger Bill Kerbalson... Danger!!!"

[killakrust]

Here is my first attempt at the challenge using a mod (not counting the tweakscaled BFG).

I used the Behemoth Aerospace Engineering Large Parts

I proudly present the GTLR10 (Gosh That's a Large Rocket - 10m)

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Score - 69.59

[Norcalplanner]

Here is my first attempt at the challenge using a mod (not counting the tweakscaled BFG).

I used the Behemoth Aerospace Engineering Large Parts

I proudly present the GTLR10 (Gosh That's a Large Rocket - 10m)

http://imgur.com/a/taAv8

Score - 69.59

Someone finally cracks open the Behemoth mod! I'm not a big fan of the art style, but there's no arguing with the performance. Adding you to the top of the leaderboard...

[killakrust]

Someone finally cracks open the Behemoth mod! I'm not a big fan of the art style, but there's no arguing with the performance. Adding you to the top of the leaderboard...

Yeah, I had a good laugh on the Behemoth forum thread when I read someone saying how 'stockish' the pack and textures were. I'm not sure I see that at all. Change the blues to grey, and I guess it would look a bit more like stock.