Kerbin Landspeed Competition

[Selrahc4040]

Just wanted to pop in and say that, for the tests to be completely accurate, someone should revise the files so that Kerbin is completely flat, then pass around that file. Also, for slowing down one might try firing RCS backwards and releasing drag chutes.

[Bluejayek]

Yep. 8)

Btw, it\'s not necessary (although preferred) to manage to cap a screenshot right at the peak of your top speed.

I tend to do restart flights, and as previously mentioned that fracks the flight report screen up so I can\'t use that for a reliable speed indicator. Spamming F1 near top speed seems best, especially since it asymptotes very slowly up there anyways.

[Bluejayek]

Claiming the champions position for one engine at 222m/s (The screenshot of max velocity didn\'t quite hit it)

I even got them home safe and sound.

Also, as one of those DOHH! moments, I realized I can just flip the capsule around to point the craft off the opposite end of the runway, I don\'t need engines to do it manually.

[Bluejayek]

240.6m/s 1 engine.

Didn\'t let it coast to a complete stop (<20m/s); I turned it around and went for a second record attempt on the way home. Got it up to 249 but then it hit a bump.

[dogon11]

Trying the RCS, only reaching ~150. Is that normal?

[Excl]

You car looks very similar to mine Blue!

I figured out what the issue was ... I must of disconnected a wheelgear, and then re-placed it too low and messed up the center of gravity. Got it fixed and put in a 226 m/s

Should we be posting the 'End Mission' recap screen? That should tell you the Land/Speed, as well as if the plane went airborne or not, plus will let you know if the crew died in a horrific fierry crash.

[Dead3yez]

Should we be posting the 'End Mission' recap screen? That should tell you the Land/Speed, as well as if the plane went airborne or not, plus will let you know if the crew died in a horrific fierry crash.

You can, but the speed at ground isn\'t necessarily accurate unless you restart the launch from the garage. Mostly relying on honesty here.

Updating the board.

[Bluejayek]

Trying the RCS, only reaching ~150. Is that normal?

Not terrible, but you can do better! Just jam more RCS on there!

I am claiming champions position for RCS with a speed of 301m/s. Immediatly after this screenshot it hit a bump and became airborne for half a second or so, but touched down safely. I hope this still qualifies. Screenshot after of the successful coast down to 12.9m/s.

By the way, great challenge, you are stealing all my sleep.

[Excl]

You can, but the speed at ground isn\'t necessarily accurate unless you restart the launch from the garage.

It looks to be showing up alright for me, even after repeated attempts. I wonder if the inaccuracies stem from the 'airborne' issue, like I was seeing. You can tell pretty easily if that\'s the case in the 'End Mission' screen. If the 'Ground Distance' and 'Total Distance Traveled' aren\'t within a few meters of each other, you likely got airborne at some point, and the numbers get all skewed.

[Dead3yez]

Just wanted to pop in and say that, for the tests to be completely accurate, someone should revise the files so that Kerbin is completely flat, then pass around that file. Also, for slowing down one might try firing RCS backwards and releasing drag chutes.

That\'s true. They would be more accurate. But, this is not really a test and finding the best terrain to do your run is part of the challenge.

[Bluejayek]

It looks to be showing up alright for me, even after repeated attempts. I wonder if the inaccuracies stem from the 'airborne' issue, like I was seeing. You can tell pretty easily if that\'s the case in the 'End Mission' screen. If the 'Ground Distance' and 'Total Distance Traveled' aren\'t within a few meters of each other, you likely got airborne at some point, and the numbers get all skewed.

My issue is rediculously obvious. When I do restart flight, my highest speed will always be something like 3000m/s, clearly incorrect.

266m/s 5 engines

[Bluejayek]

Hah! Broke the silver record!

5 engines, 272m/s

[Bluejayek]

For completeness, 7 engines (Gold league) 266m/s

And 2 engines (Bronze league) 248m/s. And a close thing it was, the left side of my car lifted just after burn out and I had to force it down, that could have been bad for Tomdrin, Sheldrin, and Rodfrey.

I now own the leader board. Look upon my works ye mighty, and despair!

And dead, with your ~200m/s entry for 1 engine, how on earth did you keep it on the ground? If I added any wings, no matter how I arranged them, frontwards, backwords, tilted or not, the car just took off!

[Bluejayek]

You car looks very similar to mine Blue!

I figured out what the issue was ... I must of disconnected a wheelgear, and then re-placed it too low and messed up the center of gravity. Got it fixed and put in a 226 m/s

Should we be posting the 'End Mission' recap screen? That should tell you the Land/Speed, as well as if the plane went airborne or not, plus will let you know if the crew died in a horrific fierry crash.

Very similar yup! I recomend you remove your nosecap. The way drtag is simulated at the moment, its just deadweight.

[Excl]

Very similar yup! I recomend you remove your nosecap. The way drtag is simulated at the moment, its just deadweight.

Yup, already way ahead of ya! =D

Got 245 safetly ... and was hitting 250+ but any little bump would send me airborne. I think either of our designs could easily go faster, bur right now it\'s just a matter of keeping the thing on the ground, which it doesn\'t want to do

Here\'s the 245 screencap:

[Dead3yez]

And dead, with your ~200m/s entry for 1 engine, how on earth did you keep it on the ground? If I added any wings, no matter how I arranged them, frontwards, backwords, tilted or not, the car just took off!

RCS and holding down I. You may use RCS for steering and stability, but no forward thrust.

edit:

Just for the lols.

14 engines 80m/s

[Clouds]

5 SRBs to 433m/s. Come at me, bro. 8)

Despite the wings (roll protection) I never got more air than to just fall back down when cresting a bump. For proof, check the final altitude, resting on the ground, against the highest altitude: one and the same.

Mind you, this particular design collapses spectacularly in 19 out of 20 attempts... A less unreliable design maxed at ~380 and a mostly-reliable design maxed at ~360.

P.S. No taxiing is required if you just rotate your ship 180 degrees in the shop before launching. Shift-click the ship and use WASD.

[Excl]

Mind you, this particular design collapses spectacularly in 19 out of 20 attempts

LOL ... I know what you mean! We need a 'Bonneville Salt Flats' mod! To get that 245 m/s result, I had to try it about 19 times, get the engine shut off at just the right time, and get the brakes applied slowly yet quickly enough to avoid launching off the edge of a ridge that seems to get me every time.

[Dead3yez]

P.S. No taxiing is required if you just rotate your ship 180 degrees in the shop before launching. Shift-click the ship and use WASD.

That depends. A few times I\'ve reversed to the far side of the runway heading inland.

Some may even want to fly their car somewhere flatter.

[yourt23]

250 m/s 2 engines

It can go faster but it will explode

[Bluejayek]

5 SRBs to 433m/s. Come at me, bro. 8)

Despite the wings (roll protection) I never got more air than to just fall back down when cresting a bump. For proof, check the final altitude, resting on the ground, against the highest altitude: one and the same.

Mind you, this particular design collapses spectacularly in 19 out of 20 attempts... A less unreliable design maxed at ~380 and a mostly-reliable design maxed at ~360.

P.S. No taxiing is required if you just rotate your ship 180 degrees in the shop before launching. Shift-click the ship and use WASD.

Can you post that craft file? I can\'t seem tio get anywhere near the speed.

[yourt23]

348 m/s RCS super car

[Clouds]

Can you post that craft file? I can\'t seem tio get anywhere near the speed.

Sure. Slower but safe and fast but disintegration-happy versions are attached in a ZIP archive.

[Bluejayek]

Sure. Slower but safe and fast but disintegration-happy versions are attached in a ZIP archive.

That is weird, The wings seem to speed it up; with just the 5 engines (which should be faster, barring stability issues) I can\'t get anywhere near as fast.

I got the disintegration worthy one to 435, but technically violating the challenge as the wings decided of their own accord to take off and fly away without the rest of the craft. Main craft coasted toa safe stop.

Nice ship

[Excl]

Cracked the 250 m/s mark for single engined cars! I backed the car up down the runway for some better straight speed and launched the car off the end of the runway the first time. So I threw a fin on it to help push downwards, and I hit the 250 mark with no issues. I thought I killed the engine a little too quickly, so I tried it again and the car kept taking off and flipping into a fireball before I could even crack 200. Over and over and over, I couldn\'t even come close to hitting 250. So I took off the wing, and backed up down the runway, but went 'off-road' next to it ... and was able to hit 250 again! And just like the other time, everytime I tried to repeat it, I would end up in a massive fireball. Seems like it\'s more luck than anything!

Anyway, here\'s the screenshots for the single-engine, 250 m/s run: