Fastest Survivable Rocket Sled

[SteevyT]

I remember there was a challenge a while ago for fastest speed entirely on the runway. Here is a similar one; build the fastest survivable stock sled (Ok, not truly a sled, it has wheels). How you make sure it is survivable is up to you. I opted to launch a small plane off and parachute it down in the ocean. Top speed of 209 m/s before disconnecting at the end of the runway.

Just to be clear, this is the fastest speed of the sled itself by the end of the runway, not anything that might get launched from it. The sled does not have to survive, but the crew does.

Here is my take on it.

[Yuri Kargarin]

I will do this challenge.

[Optical9090]

Challenge accepted.

I give you the Swallow light reentry glider with none other than Jebediah Kerman at the rudder.

I used my design for a small glider which i use for reentry from orbital spaceplanes, gave it a solid structure underneath, and in true Kerbal spirit, added horrendous amounts of forward momentum.

This craft accelerates from 0-200m/s in less than 5 seconds.

It leaves the runway and releases the glider at 261.8 m/s.

After release the Swallow slowly banks 180 degrees and lands smoothly on the runway again.

edit: Crapcake... This craft uses Damned Robotics, for the carriage, i used 2m trusses to attach then engines and landing gear. I reckon that disqualifies this attempt?

Edited September 6, 2012 by Optical9090

[hello1432]

Here is my entry, I got 306m/s on the runway then deployed the chutes which ripped off the SRBs then landed nice and gently.

[OdinYggd]

I'll see what I can put together for this. Have some ideas for how to put as many engines as possible onto a craft for utterly breakneck accelerations, of the potentially explosive kind.

[spike8118]

I did this and got 309 on the end of the runway(sometimes when it doesn't blow up) then launched a small glider in the sea. Now just to get fraps to work...

[colonel0sanders]

My entry is 392.7 m/s. Might have been a bit faster, but that's from the last on-the-runway screenshot I was able to grab.

Even though the mission stats say 408 m/s, I can't confirm that was before the runway ended.

Burning off 3/4 of the SRBs before releasing - same thrust, much lower weight!

[Felsmak]

I did this yesterday, but I used a set of frontal rockets to brake at the end instead of parachutes. Brutal indeed, but Jeb likes it that way. He wouldn't do it otherwise. Let's see if I can perfect it...

[OdinYggd]

Never had this problem before, but for some reason during rapid acceleration (We're talking close to 10G here) my aerospikes literally fall right off, instantly causing the craft to flip over from the unbalanced thrust.

I've basically got about 16 aerospikes running from about 4 cans of fuel and the rest of the craft structural fuselage, resulting in a thrust-to-weight ratio that makes even Jeb think twice before taking the controls.