The Great Canadian Kerbal Toss (AKA: How to Build a Counter-Thrust Trebuchet in KSP)

[DoctorDavinci]

The Great Canadian Kerbal Toss

The premise is simple ...

1- Build a Counter-Thrust Trebuchet, a Counter-Weight Trebuchet or a Cannon using all stock parts
2- Plant a flag beside your monstrosity at the same distance from the beginning of the runway as where your Kerbal sits
3- See how far you can launch a kerbal down the runway

NOTE: Distance will be measured from the planted flag and your Kerbal MUST SURVIVE THE LANDING

ANOTHER NOTE: GLIDERS or LIFTING BODIES used as the payload are allowed although those entries will be listed in a separate category.

YET ANOTHER NOTE: A CANNONS category has been added as well

RULES:
NO MODS
NO F12 or other hacks (config editing etc....)
Rocket power is encouraged as long as it isn't attached to the launched Kerbal

NOTE: If by some fashion thrust is applied directly to your Kerbal or the Command Chair or whatever your Kerbal is in/attached to then your entry will be disqualified with the exception the Cannons category in which case you can apply thrust but no type of engine can be attached to your Kerbal or what it is in

ANOTHER NOTE: You must absolutely have multiple screenshots of your attempt uploaded to Imgur OR PREFERABLY record a video of your attempt which you are either able to upload to YouTube or send to me (or both) ... Any video's sent to myself will be uploaded to my YouTube Channel and included in the Great Canadian Kerbal Toss Challenge playlist as well as being credited to yourself in the description

YET ANOTHER NOTE: I highly recommend that you watch the tutorial video below so as to understand the physics involved as it pertains to KSP

See video below for example of how to build a Counter-Thrust Trebuchet for this challenge .................

Spoiler

 

Here's a video of my first attempt .......

Spoiler

 

BRAGGING RIGHTS - Traditional Trebuchet:

maccollo: Traditional Trebuchet  Distance: 1.5 km

This could be you .....

This could be you .....

 

BRAGGING RIGHTS - Counter Thrust Trebuchet:

SasquatchM: Rocket Powered Trebuchet   Distance: 875 m

Dearidanii: Rocket Powered Trebuchet   Distance: 702.9 m

DoctorDavinci: Rocket Powered Trebuchet   Distance: 571.9 m

DoctorDavinci: Rocket Powered Trebuchet   Distance: 369.2 m

This could be you .....

This could be you .....

 

BRAGGING RIGHTS - Gliders/Lifting Body Payload:

Jollyfellow: Rocket Powered Trebuchet   Distance: 1.9 km

SasquatchM: Rocket Powered Trebuchet   Distance: 665 m

This could be you .....

This could be you .....

 

BRAGGING RIGHTS - Cannons:

SasquatchM: Cannon   Distance: 1.3 km

This could be you .....

This could be you .....

Edited June 3, 2016 by DoctorDavinci

[James Kerman]

Lol.  The title of this challenge made me wonder what it was aboot.

[Kevin Kyle]

I will be watching this thread with great enthusiasm!

[macktruck6666]

I see a flaw in your competition. Historically, I don't really think Canada ever used catapults.

[DoctorDavinci]

12 hours ago, macktruck6666 said:

I see a flaw in your competition. Historically, I don't really think Canada ever used catapults.

Sorry, my bad ... I forgot that everything you do in KSP is supposed to be historically accurate

[DoctorDavinci]

So I did what any Kebo-not worth their mettle would do ... go bigger and add MOAR boosters

571.9 m ... You can find the craft file HERE

EVA your Kerbal ... Plant a Flag ... Board the command seat ... Press '1'

Press space to trigger the drogue chutes

 

Edited May 26, 2016 by DoctorDavinci

[Kevin Kyle]

Like a cat!

[Just Jim]

This looks like a fun idea, but I don't understand how you were able to get the swing arm to rotate. I thought that was impossible in a stock game.  Or has something changed in the last couple versions?

[DoctorDavinci]

2 hours ago, Just Jim said:

This looks like a fun idea, but I don't understand how you were able to get the swing arm to rotate. I thought that was impossible in a stock game.  Or has something changed in the last couple versions?

Nothing is changed, I made a locking axle using parts

Download the craft file and look at it closely

pressing '1' uncouples the 4 Clamp-O-Tron Jr's, the Small Hardpoint that the command chair is attached to, the Large Hardpoint that serves to stabilize the lower pivot arm and also triggers the RT-10 Hammers

Pressing the spacebar will trigger the 2 Drogue Chutes attached to the Small Hardpoint which has the command chair attached to it

The Clamp-O-Tron Jr's serve as the locking mechanism for the Mk0 Liquid Fuel Tank that serves as the pivot. I built a frame around the Mk0 tank using Cubic Octagonal Struts to form a sort of bearing and reinforced it with a couple Struts to shore it up

Edited May 26, 2016 by DoctorDavinci

[DoctorDavinci]

So I just uploaded a video showing myself building a pivoting arm catapult

This is how I do it ......

 

[Roerk]

Yep, I definitely need to be part of this.

*frantically starts KSP*

[Just Jim]

15 hours ago, DoctorDavinci said:

So I just uploaded a video showing myself building a pivoting arm catapult

This is how I do it ......

 

Thanks!  I downloaded the craft file yesterday, and saw how you did it.  I had no idea that would work, and it's brilliant!  I've got to get another chapter done in Emiko Station later today or tomorrow.  Once that's caught up, I'm going to see if I can make a working trebuchet..... did I spell that right???

Edited May 27, 2016 by Just Jim

[Moesly_Armlis]

The challenge is going on my to do list. 

After researching trebuchet the best rotor so far is:

 + = AWESOME!

 

This is the thread: Trebuchet

 

[DoctorDavinci]

10 hours ago, Just Jim said:

Thanks!  I downloaded the craft file yesterday, and saw how you did it.  I had no idea that would work, and it's brilliant!  I've got to get another chapter done in Emiko Station later today or tomorrow.  Once that's caught up, I'm going to see if I can make a working trebuchet..... did I spell that right???

A working Trebuchet would be awesome

18 minutes ago, MoeslyArmlis said:

The challenge is going on my to do list. 

After researching trebuchet the best rotor so far is:

This is the thread: Trebuchet

 

Love what you have done so far ... I have found that in order to get MDKT (AKA: Maximum Distance of Kerbal Tossed) rocket power is necessary which doesn't lend itself well being applied to a trebuchet

However, I am having an inkling of an idea where one could make a trebuchet that does utilize rocket power to fling your Kerbal further

Booting up Kerbal and gonna try something .......

[SasquatchM]

 

 

Looks like about 665 meters on my 3rd attempt.  I am sure I could tweak this quite a bit for better results.

 

[Jhawk1099]

I have a question @DoctorDavinci. does my kerbal have to go down the runway or is any particular direction fine?

 

Edited May 28, 2016 by Jhawk1099

[DoctorDavinci]

15 hours ago, SasquatchM said:

 

 

Looks like about 665 meters on my 3rd attempt.  I am sure I could tweak this quite a bit for better results.

 

That is awesome, however since this is the Great Canadian Kerbal Toss and not the Great Canadian Glider Toss I cannot accept it as an entry

The idea is to launch a kerbal whether inside a command pod or whatever, but not to launch a glider and see how far you can glide down the runway ... That is a different challenge

OP will be updated to reflect this

15 hours ago, Jhawk1099 said:

I have a question @DoctorDavinci. does my kerbal have to go down the runway or is any particular direction fine?

 

 

On 2016-05-24 at 10:11 AM, DoctorDavinci said:

The Great Canadian Kerbal Toss Challenge

The premise is simple ...

1- Build a catapult using all stock parts
2- Plant a flag beside your monstrosity at the same distance from the beginning of the runway as the Command Chair
3- See how far you can launch a kerbal down the runway

 

Not sure how much clearer I can be

[Death Engineering]

On 5/26/2016 at 0:05 PM, DoctorDavinci said:

Sorry, my bad ... I forgot that everything you do in KSP is supposed to be historically accurate

To be historically accurate, every katapult should be chopped into little pieces after the end of the challenge.

[Daeridanii]

Well, I hope this counts. It isn't really a traditional catapult, but it works (very well). And it didn't go directly down the runway (but isn't the distance the same?) If nothing more, it is a proof of concept: can you build a self-catapulting catapult? Yes.

 

Final distance is 1034.7 meters. (Now time to apologize to Wernher about his lawn.)

[DoctorDavinci]

13 minutes ago, Daeridanii said:

Well, I hope this counts. It isn't really a traditional catapult, but it works (very well). And it didn't go directly down the runway (but isn't the distance the same?) If nothing more, it is a proof of concept: can you build a self-catapulting catapult? Yes.

 

Final distance is 1034.7 meters. (Now time to apologize to Wernher about his lawn.)

Great attempt but there is a flaw in your design ... There are Launch Escape rockets attached to what your Kerbal is attached to which is outside the scope of this challenge

On 2016-05-24 at 10:11 AM, DoctorDavinci said:

NOTE: If by some fashion thrust is applied directly to your Kerbal or the Command Chair or whatever your Kerbal is in/attached to then your entry will be disqualified

Also the objective is to launch your kerbal down the runway

Edited May 28, 2016 by DoctorDavinci

[Daeridanii]

Just now, DoctorDavinci said:

Great attempt but there is a flaw in your design ... There are Launch Escape rockets attached to what your Kerbal is attached to which is outside the scope of this challenge

There are none attached directly to the command pod. Does that mean that the thrust must be applied to the opposite side of the center of mass as the payload? If so, I believe all entries must be categorized as trebuchets, as they propel the payload using a counterweight (or in this case counter-thrust.)

 

[DoctorDavinci]

1 minute ago, Daeridanii said:

There are none attached directly to the command pod. Does that mean that the thrust must be applied to the opposite side of the center of mass as the payload? If so, I believe all entries must be categorized as trebuchets, as they propel the payload using a counterweight (or in this case counter-thrust.)

 

Thrust is being directly applied to the frame that the command pod is attached to so thrust is being applied to the command pod

The idea is to launch a Kerbal, not an assembly of parts with a Kerbal and rockets on it

[DoctorDavinci]

So after thinking about how to improve this challenge I figured I would start another category for entries using Gliders or Lifting Bodies

@SasquatchM - Your entry has been added to this new category

[SasquatchM]

Thanks.  I have decided to see how far I can fling something with no wings though.  Updates soon.

[The Optimist]

Can I make a centrifugal catapult? I already have a *relatively* stable turbine engine ready.