Pod race in Kerbin

[Papahemmy]

Here's a idea I thought would be fun. Pod racers on Kerbin. So the challenge is make a working fast pod racer. but here are my only rules:

No mods, cheats, or hacks, It needs to go fast (at least 60m/s), It needs to look like the basic Idea of a pod racer , and you can only use jet engines no rockets. Also you can use wheels since there aren't any hover thrusters. And a way that you can have tons of fuel and not have it show is by putting a bunch of small fuel tanks and using the Offset tool to move the tanks into a spot where they don't show. And I recommend that you use air brakes to steer you pod racer.

Here's a couple pictures of what I made so you can get the idea of what to make

 

So feel free comment back and post pictures of your epic pod racers

 

Edited April 16, 2016 by Papahemmy
to it more understandable

[KerbalScience]

wowz gonna do dat when get full version!

[Papahemmy]

Here's a new design I whipped  up this morning

[DoctorDavinci]

I got a bit bored so I figured I'd build a Pod Racer for this although I did end up attaching some frikkin' laser beams guns to it and ran a 1 vs 1 against itself using BD Armory just for the hell of it ... I was bored after all

You can watch the video HERE

 

Edited April 16, 2016 by DoctorDavinci

[Pds314]

Got 1 in 1.1 doing 191 m/s around the KSC. It can't fly, but it can pull 5-gee turns using differential thrust. Basically, it uses the (unfortunately extremely fragile) small landing gears with friction control set to 0.0 as omnidirectional wheels, and has 2 Wheesleys. I'm considering building something using KOS that actually does hover by a combination of precisely-controlled allmoving wings (for efficiency) and hover jets (for low-speed hover capability), but that takes time.

EDIT: switched gear to the heavier but better LY-10

Edited April 18, 2016 by Pds314

[Pds314]

My first racer. The wires are semi-rigid. They stay taught mostly unless you use differential thrust for extended periods while not moving, in which case, Gods have mercy on you. (actually, not really, it's almost impossible to get killed by this thing, even at 200+ m/s. The wires breaking gives you time to slow below 80, which is the toughness of the "cockpit" The only easy way to kill yourself with it is ramming into water or possibly a brick wall).

Side view

Edited April 18, 2016 by Pds314

[Pds314]

Annoyingly, it seems to have landing gear dragging issues [EDIT: over-stressing the landing gears] above ~260 m/s that cause instant disintegration.

Nvm, just got the issues at 250...

Hmm.. looks like 250 with no SAS, 260 with SAS.

10 Gee turns! 


LOL: When "Operational limits" means "The landing gear is bouncing between 88-96% stress."

Edited April 18, 2016 by Pds314

[DoctorDavinci]

@Pds314 - You gotta strap some frikkin' laser beams guns to that beast

When 1.1 is officially released perhaps we can start a Pod Fighter challenge

[Pds314]

3 minutes ago, DoctorDavinci said:

@Pds314 - You gotta strap some frikkin' laser beams guns to that beast

When 1.1 is officially released perhaps we can start a Pod Fighter challenge

On the ground? We would need to have KOS scripts or something, or a BDA AI patch that allows ground vehicles to fight. In the air, that might work. Although I feel like in either case it takes a lot more effort to make a podracer win than to make a winning craft that fits the spirit of the rules.

(Also, if you think fighters make some stupid maneuvers under AI piloting, ground craft moving at a good fraction of the speed of sound would probably be incredibly self-destructive).

Edited April 18, 2016 by Pds314

[DoctorDavinci]

1 minute ago, Pds314 said:

On the ground? We would need to have KOS scripts or something, or a BDA AI patch that allows ground vehicles to fight. In the air, that might work. Although I feel like in either case it takes a lot more effort to make a podracer win than to make a winning craft that fits the spirit of the rules.

In the air of course ... you saw the video of my POD, it flies (and it shoots )

[Pds314]

1 minute ago, DoctorDavinci said:

In the air of course ... you saw the video of my POD, it flies (and it shoots )

Could work. We'd probably have to make sure entries were... PODly enough, since again, strap allmoving surfaces on the back, use a way overbuild connecting rod with wings on it, and add some wings to the front and it becomes a somewhat unconventional-looking normal fighter.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Pds314

[DoctorDavinci]

Just now, Pds314 said:

Could work. We'd probably have to make sure entries were... PODly enough.

Gotta be a Pod Racer first, then you strap frikkin' laser beams on it's head lol ... form follows function

[Pds314]

Landing gear no longer under any stress. 286.3 m/s on the outer rim of the southern ice sheet. 300.5 if the Kerbal is removed.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Pds314

[max_creative]

Nice! I'm sending pod racers to Dres so there will be the first ever Dres canyon race! Any advice steering in a vacuum?

[Pds314]

4 hours ago, max_creative said:

Nice! I'm sending pod racers to Dres so there will be the first ever Dres canyon race! Any advice steering in a vacuum?

Have way more fuel than you think you'll need.

[DoctorDavinci]

5 hours ago, max_creative said:

Nice! I'm sending pod racers to Dres so there will be the first ever Dres canyon race! Any advice steering in a vacuum?

You'll have to use LFO tanks to make it work since there's no air on Dres .... for steering you could use Vernors

[max_creative]

I am still having a hard time steering because on no air resistance. I've been trying to use rear facing vernors, but it's really hard to steer.

[Pds314]

3 hours ago, max_creative said:

I am still having a hard time steering because on no air resistance. I've been trying to use rear facing vernors, but it's really hard to steer.

You could use Gimballing rocket motors, or do what I did and use action groups for differential thrust.