The kerbal V-1Rocket challenge

[jonatron5]

What started as me just screwing around before going to bed one night turned into a pretty neat little project. The goal of this is to simulate something like the Nazis V-1 or V-2. To build an uncontrolled ballistic missile and work with it to try to hit given targets at range by adjusting the vehicle itself and the launch gantry angle. Here is my personal attempt: unfortunately I had to mute my audio because my music I was listening to got recorded and I didn't want copyright police on me about.

 

Note I think I could have done better but I spent more hours doing this then I would like to admit, and it was late so this is what I got

 

Rules:

No Torque generating bodies (Disable torque is ok)

All control surfaces must be locked and rigid in flight

No inputs from the user can be accepted post launch

You must declare a target ahead of time, by placing a probe or something there for accuracy scoring

 

It seems most of these sort of challenges have some sort of scoring system to make things more interesting I haven't thought too very hard about it yet, but I will tentatively say we will use this method [(Ground Distance: KM) X( Payload: Tons)] / (1/Distance from target: Meters)

 

Someone check the math of my formula here, I think I have it setup reasonably, I think with this current setup It might preferentially favor long distances over heavy payloads as its easier to go further than it is to make a bigger payload in the game, If this becomes the case I might add a modifier like (Ground Distance) X (.5). IM also hesitant about how heavily I incorporated accuracy,  However if you cant hit the target you don't have a good weapon.  

 

 

[KerbalKore]

Can I use liquid fueled missiles? Or solid fuel only?

[Nich]

I think the ultimate goal would be to hit the launch pad after an orbit.

I think ultimate scoring would be in who has the minimum MOA.  I.E. 1" at 100 yards is 1 MOA or 25.4mm at 91.44m or proportional to 27.78mm at 100m.

So if you went 1400km and hit within 7km you would have an MOA of 18 (7/1400/.0002778)

or if your target was the launch pad 3 770 km within 500 m you would have an MOA of .477 (.5/3770/.0002778)

.

[DrLicor]

9 minutes ago, Nich said:

I think the ultimate goal would be to hit the launch pad after an orbit.

 

.

How on kerbal can you achive a orbit and deorbit when you don't have control of your missile? 

On 24-9-2016 at 3:03 PM, jonatron5 said:

 

Rules:

No Torque generating bodies (Disable torque is ok)

All control surfaces must be locked and rigid in flight

No inputs from the user can be accepted post launch

You must declare a target ahead of time, by placing a probe or something there for accuracy scoring

 

 

 

 

[Andiron]

9 minutes ago, DrLicor said:

How on kerbal can you achive a orbit and deorbit when you don't have control of your missile?

You can put slow-burning thrusters facing retrograde. When the main thruster runs out of fuel, it can deorbit the craft

I don't say it's easy

[DrLicor]

1 minute ago, Andiron said:

You can put slow-burning thrusters facing retrograde. When the main thruster runs out of fuel, it can deorbit the craft

I don't say it's easy

I have to say, I like the your way of thinking. 

Please give it a try  

[Nich]

 Well technically it wouldn't be an orbit it would remain sub orbital the whole time but you could make it around the world fairly easy 

[swjr-swis]

Here's a video of a V1 replica I built back in 1.0.5, complete with launch ramp, with the Old Airfield as target. It was designed to not need any input from me other than setting the required fuel amount, and then staging it for launch.

It's not valid as an entry under your rules because although it was designed to fly without input, I did leave the reaction wheels on and allowed SAS stability to adjust the control surfaces (which in my opinion is a more accurate representation of the V1, since it did have working control surfaces and gyros, it was more like a drone/cruise missile than a fixed fin ballistic missile like your rules propose).

In the video I was still fine-tuning the fuel amount, so you will see exactly one user input after launch: cutting the power at (almost) the right moment to initiate the dive to the target, because I noticed I had still left a bit too much fuel in it. The tanks included in the ramp allowed to fine-tune the fuel by transfer before launch, and then the V1 would initiate the dive automatically by virtue of its fuel running out at the right moment. The control surface movement you see is not user input, it's the SAS stability helplessly trying to prevent the stall, stalling anyway due to no propulsion, and then settling into a dive angle. All I was doing at the time was moving the camera view around.

Then the 1.1 release happened and killed the wheels allowing the rocket to slide properly over the launch ramp. I may revisit it again once 1.2 is released.

Edited October 2, 2016 by swjr-swis
corrected video link

[Scarecrow]

Strange that this should come up as I was thinking of a similar challenge only a short while ago after building an uncontrolled missile to hit the island to the north of the launch centre.  Basically you just put it on the launch pad, hit space to launch it, and it's guaranteed to hit the target every time. 

[MarvinKitFox]

Question, why do you say " is to simulate something like the Nazis V-1 or V-2. " and then immediately follow with "To build an uncontrolled ballistic missile "

That's like saying "Paint this wall red, but it must be green"

 

I can assure you that the V1 and even more so the V2 did have guidance systems, with the V2 having a guidance 'computer' the size of a steamer trunk and with control via tail-vane rudders and gimbal-equivalent thrust redirection and ground-based guide beams.

[tg626]

17 hours ago, swjr-swis said:

 

That link is only good for you, you need to post the sharing link.

[*MajorTom*]

trying to build "Silbervogel" in RSS / RO

Cant build 3 km railway until 1.2 (+mod update....wheels...)

But this bird  jump out atmosphere 3 time! And (for modders) we need are better heatshilds-cones (like in nuklear warheads!) !

launch (without railway busters)

reentry

and 1-st "leap" in hi-altitude again

 

ps sorry for my poor english

Edited October 2, 2016 by *MajorTom*

[swjr-swis]

4 hours ago, tg626 said:

That link is only good for you, you need to post the sharing link.

Link corrected, thanks for spotting that.

3 hours ago, *MajorTom* said:

And (for modders) we need are better heatshilds-cones (like in nuklear warheads!)

The fairings in 1.2 can do this: they are very heat resistant and they can pack something heavy out at the tip on a interstaging node.

[Laie]

On 9/24/2016 at 3:03 PM, jonatron5 said:

Note I think I could have done better but I spent more hours doing this then I would like to admit

Yep, I can see how this happens.

I tried hitting the inland KSC and getting in the general vicinity, close enough that I'd see the facilities, was surprisingly easy. Getting it to land somewhere between the buildings, however, has cost me all day and nothing to show for it. Thanks for that challenge!

[macktruck6666]

Umm. the v2 and v1 were controlled missiles. They were controlled primarily though timers and gyros. They would climb to a cruising altitude pitch over and cruise till their fuel or timer ran out. Then they would dive bomb into a general area they were targeting. Also the v1 didn't use a rocket engine, it used a pulse jet engine.

Edited October 9, 2016 by macktruck6666