Kite High Challenge

[Sharpy]

Welcome to Kite High - the Kite Flying Challenge.

 

Normally, you fly a kite in a good wind. If there's no wind, you run and pull the kite after yourself.

 

Your task is to build a kite and make it fly as high as possible, using only its tether for propulsion.

What tether, you ask? The one from Kerbal Attachment System.

This mod is obligatory for the challenge (unless you can think up an alternative method of creating the tether). So is KER or MechJeb, or other mod capable of providing readout of altitude above terrain - as opposed to Absolute provided by KSP (unless you fly your kite over the sea, then the absolute altitude is terrain altitude).

You will need to create a kite, and its means of propulsion - probably some kind of rover.

The only rule about the propulsion is that it can't fly. Most likely it will be some kind of rover, though you can build a speedboat, or a giant centrifuge to fly your kite in circles. You can use rocket engines, you can (and are encouraged to) use lifting surfaces to keep yourself pressed to the ground. Occasional jumps and getting pulled off the ground by the kite are okay, but don't make this a tethered airplane challenge (or tethered jet engine challenge).

 

Now, for the kite itself... 

First rule: No power. No propulsion, no reaction wheels, no probe core. Control surfaces are okay, if you pre-set them in SPH, but not for active use during the flight - it must be self-stabilizing. Unless...

You are allowed a kerbal on the kite. In this case you can use the control surfaces actively. Still, no reaction wheels (disable RW if your kite has a cockpit!) and no propulsion of any kind.

Also, this is not a competition in paper plane toss. You must release the winch as soon as the kite gets a reasonable amount of lift to take off. No launching it free at the last moment from an SRB speeding 500m/s down the runway, with the winch for decoration - the tether must actively provide propulsion.

You are allowed to release the kite and let it fly freely, if it gains you any extra altitude. Your rover also doesn't need to survive. You may even blow it up on purpose if you like.

Mod policy: All informative, stock physics. You may use any mod/cheat propulsion for the rover as long as it stays on the ground. You may also use parts from non-cheat aviation mods (even FAR, but you'll need to disable FAR physics; if there's enough demand I will make a separate classification for FAR players.)

Fly your kite as high as you can, and post a screenshot including the altitude above terrain at the peak of its flight.

The altitude is your score.

Badges for first ten. Extra Wings on the badges, for those, whose kite had a kerbal. (you can fly more kerbals, but you don't get any extra for them)

Also, the meager 80 meters of KAS winch tether will likely be insufficient. You will likely need to daisy-chain more winches. It's an extra difficulty of the challenge, as they add mass to the tether and mess up the flight path, also, they can break. Of course your other limit is the physics bubble size. If you manage to hit it - your kite is flying, and still tethered to the rover but over 2.5km away from it (and with 30 winches hanging on the tether) you are automatically entered into a honourable victors list.

Now for my meager entry. Kite-1, a plain rectangular kite, with a tail.

The altitude is 125.2m (visible in the HUD, near the clock, right below the bar.)

Edited September 10, 2016 by Sharpy

[ZooNamedGames]

hmmm.... forget the rules! I'm going to make a STOCK kite using radial decouplers as the string (very flexible). KITEMAN, AWAY!

[Planetace]

1 minute ago, ZooNamedGames said:

hmmm.... forget the rules! I'm going to make a STOCK kite using radial decouplers as the string (very flexible). KITEMAN, AWAY!

IF YOU CAN DO THAT. I CAN DO THAT!

[ZooNamedGames]

4 minutes ago, Galacticvoyager said:

IF YOU CAN DO THAT. I CAN DO THAT!

good luck.

[Planetace]

Just now, ZooNamedGames said:

good luck.

Currently making it XD

[Planetace]

51 minutes ago, Galacticvoyager said:

Currently making it XD

Welp looks like the plane went from kite thing to SSTO... In the workings...

[Planetace]

Welp, thanks to this challenge. I created my first SSTO.

[Cunjo Carl]

@Galacticvoyager 'Grats on SSTO. Share pics?

@ZooNamedGames If you didn't try it, I was certainly going to! I'm looking forward to hearing how it works.

[Rath]

Once you build a radial decoupler string, decouple it all at once while its in the air.  Please.

[Planetace]

Also:

Its payload:

Edited September 15, 2016 by Planetace
NO RED IRON CROWN!

[Pro100kerbonaut]

Made a badge for this challenge

Edited September 13, 2016 by Pro100kerbonaut

[RocketSquid]

I'll try this.