The Elkano challenge (all versions accepted!)

[Kerbinchaser]

I'm working on an amphibious vehicle for Kerbin. Elcano, here we come!

[Kerbinchaser]

Here's my post to track my progress. 

 

[W. Kerman]

On January 9, 2017 at 6:06 AM, Magzimum said:

Don't try to drive. Embrace that low gravity and realize that you will spend more time above the surface than on it. Install enough reaction wheels. You will spend more time flying than driving, so you make sure that the nose is pointed in the right way with reaction wheels, not with the (front) wheels.

I managed to get around Minmus at roughly 30 m/s on average (post is near the top of this thread). Dres was way harder, because of the rough terrain.

I had a Elcano attempt, Minmus killed my rover 6 times. 

[silks]

Thought I'd finish what I started, so here's a trip around Eve's equator. Compared to the last design, this rotor based rover-boat moves faster, carries 4 passengers and handles rough terrain with ease. Sadly it can only run on 1x warp and builds up a strange shake after a while which can only be fixed with a quicksave. In theory this craft could easily go around Kerbin as well but I'm afraid I just lack the patience for another run.

 

[damerell]

What a peculiar design. Did you have trouble with the terrain seams that infest 1.2?

[silks]

I had some trouble last attempt when I had a way heavier rover and terrain detail setting was on lowest. No problems this time, except for the  strange shake.

 

[gilflo]

Hello 

Here is my RoverCatamaran for the Elcano Maritime Challenge tested from 130m/s to 170m/s in ocean

[damerell]

Coo. Mine chugged away across water at about 15 m/s. The upside was for a lot of the water travel I could lay in a heading and come back in so-many hours.

[rkarmark]

19 hours ago, gilflo said:

Hello 

Here is my RoverCatamaran for the Elcano Maritime Challenge tested from 130m/s to 170m/s in ocean

Looks cool 

Oh reminds me that i havent updated the learderboard for many months now

I will do it.

Edited March 25, 2017 by rkarmark

[gilflo]

Some news of my team

My RoverCatamaran named "GlidingCheetah" has been modified with a 3rd directional fin in the middle for a better yaw stability at high speed on water.

When being lighter and lighter due to liquid fuel consumption during water run, the speed increase dramatically and i tested it on a half run. I must set the pitch trim to negative value to to avoid lifting from water.

So nose being down the Gliding Cheetah stay stable around 160m/s at warp 4. I am afraid i will have to slow down on engine on lighter weights to avoid unwilling take off, i will test it later.

It becomes uncontrollable at this speed!!! on this Pic SAS was on and pitched up for stability making the catamaran take off and crash

Here in SPH

For refueling I equipped with floating tanks an OPT Tanker spaceplane re designed with 2 J61 Starwaster Ramjet engines

Here is the baby: 535T on take of and 76000L Jet fuel. Filling Gliding Cheetah requires around 8000L. The purpose is to refuel in water, not on ground, because it's much easier to land on calm sea even in dark...

2 KAS Fuel lines on each floating tank can be extended and plugged to connectors on each side of the catamaran hull. And my Kerbals swim very well.

In the water, the first take at full load can be tricky and a RCS vernor engine can help lift off. At lighter weight, no problem. Landing is easy: up to 8m/s vertical speed is possible provided the plane get a nose up attitude on splashdown.

here is a landing

The Tanker is like a duck on the ground, not very confortable to run. I must be very careful, enter water on low slope and low speed as there not to much clearance between floating tanks and ground.

It's very difficult to turn in water, nearly impossible, so Gliding Cheetah will have to come to the tanker to suck the fuel.

There is 4 big speed brakes  and extending gear underwater is very helpfull to decrease water speed.

Entering water: there's no more speed brakes below and on each side of tanks. They all broke under water force..;

The tanker can easily climb to 20000m or more to cruise, but it is limited by the floating temperature which is 1200°. It can't fly over Mach 3.5

Next test to see the range of the GlidingCheetah, her max speed on light weight. I know where I will be crossing on ground and i'll have to slow down on speed on this part to avoid accidental break.

Challenge is to perform the maritime tour in 2 days....

Edited March 27, 2017 by gilflo

[gilflo]

My main problem with the OPT hydro Tanker is the following:

Once at stop on the mater or at slow speed with no thrust, the plane wave up and down around pitch axis and it never stops. I tried a lot of settings with center of lift behind the COG and whatever is the position of COL it will always wave....and it stops as soon as there enough speed.. I tried bigger floating tanks, I moved the floating tanks, but it 's still there. Maybe I should try other tanks but this particular kind of OPT tanks are very useful for floating...

But anyway, even if it's waving and even if it's uncomfortable, the kerbals can plug the fuel line to the Gliding Cheetah

Edited March 28, 2017 by gilflo

[gilflo]

Many attemptss to look for the best settings at high speed when weight decreases.

Here 219m/s (390kts) with SAS on, but the directional trim trims right to keep stability and the Catamaran being no centered anymore when trims reaches 2° right, the speed decreases...

So i went to SPH to try to align all components at the best before new attempt.

[gilflo]

KERBIN MARITIME ELCANO CHALLENGE (MODDED)

Engines: 2 J-X4 "Wishpash" turbo ramjet engines - Weight: 62T - Liquid fuel: 44236L or 8.847T - TWR: 0.43 (1.5 Empty) - DV: 49121

DAY 1

Planting the flag for a Departure date DAY 2 at 01h45. 

The RoverCatamaran "Gliding Cheetah" is waiting departure time. Standing behind is the OPT Hydro tanker that will feed her at her first stop after around 1000kms

Here is the track on which you can see the waypoints that are represented by numbers, 0 being departure.  Flag will be planted only on ground track. We made the choice for sea refueling, just because it so easy to land on sea were we will be during most part of the challenge... It just take more time to approach the tanker and stop really near it....

Gliding Cheetah will sail East and North East from Departure to reach a point as near as waypoint 3 which is the entrance to the only land track (WPT 3 to 5). The idea is to cross the land during day light. Leaving at 01:45, a great part of the maritime track will happen during night and WPT 1 and 2 are set to avoid reefs during night and check track. She should arrive at sunrise around WPT 3 with just enough fuel to maneuver to the tanker.

Pulling up at 01:45

We are entering the sea

I don't set full throttle, just taking time to take the right heading, check fuel is balanced for all tanks, except the 2 front wings B9 tanks that will be kept full until all fuel is used. During the attempts in the sea, we realized that Gliding Cheetah was better balanced at low weights, as fuel is used,  with some weight staying in the front and using carefully the pitch trim to give a little lift at the front to speed up.....

Last glance at the nearby islands

Checking the Scansat Mapand the small Zooming map to the next waypoint, WPT 1, which is around 290 kms far

 

At the beginning our Grossweight is 61T and speed between 120 and 130m/s (250 kts) at full throttle and as weight will decrease, speed will increase but at a certain limit we will have to throttle down to keep our stability. All settings allow max speed at TimeWarp 4!

Approaching WPT 1, weight is 47T and speed 164m/s (near 300kts) still at full throttle and it's really nearly our maximum speed

Passing WPT 1 at max speed

To set course on WPT 2 at 630 kms I just play on the thrust of each engine, leaving 80% on the left one to change smoothly the heading from 99° to 54°. It's less dangerous than using the yaw, even with 50% deflection

Speeding up to 170m/s, max speed after WPT 1

WPT 2 is at 272 Kms, speed only 141m/s and half throttle with pitch trim near up position. As weight is lowering, we must decrease speed to avoid crash, to much speed and the catamaran is shaking around yaw axis. 

Too much shake and I must throttle down and pitch down immediately or use SAS which pitch down also....to avoid crash

Approaching WPT 2

Passing WPT 2, day is rising, maybe we should have left Kerbin base 15 or 30 mins earlier....

Sun is rising, max speed is falling, throttle 1/3 and we get still nearly enough range to reach WPT 3 at 300 kms

Our 1st stop is at 76 kms from WPT 3, time 04:35, gear down and speed brakes up to stop as quickly as possible and stay stopped...

It's time to call for refueling and we set Gliding Cheetah position as waypoint for the tanker.

TO FOLLOW

Edited April 21, 2017 by gilflo

[gilflo]

REFUELLING

It's night at Kerbin Airport and the OPT Hydro Tanker is ready for take off with its 75000L of liquid fuel.

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Taking of from the runway, the tanker will follow the heading to the Gliding Cheetah, distance to target is 990km 

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After take off, left turn and climb to 18000m

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We are limited by the temperature of floating tanks that cannot exceed 1200°. Max mach is 4.4 and we use pilots assistant to cruise and warp 4. Flight enveloppe is thin, not far from stall speed and limited by M4.4.

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Leaving continent at rising sun over mountains

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We begin descent 200kms from target using Pilot assistant and here we are at 44 kms from the target

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Passing over the Gliding Cheetah (under right wing) we need to touch sea with a vertical speed not over 5m/s speed around 110, still using PA for vertical control

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Flare and landing

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The tanker is set as waypoint and Gliding Cheetah begins her approach

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Not easy to lead the catamaran near the tanker, because the tanker is waving non stop on its pitch axis (we never found the trick to stop that) and it could damage the catamaran. There's fuel lines on the front of each floating tanks and also near each door of the tanker.

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ladders are extended on each crafts and Jeb swim to the tanker to take the fuel line

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and brings it to connect it on Gliding Cheetah

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The line is long enough and the refueling can start

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Unpluging line after refueling is completed and the line will retract automatically.

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Once everything is finish we realized that we forgot to fill the 2 front B9 wing tanks, so final fuel will be 91%, but it's not a big deal to cross the land....

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Time is 05:25 on day 2, it looks 50 mins to make the flight and refuel.

Edited April 5, 2017 by gilflo

[damerell]

Coo! This is going to be a wee bit quicker than me plugging around at 20 m/s realtime. :-)

[gilflo]

22 minutes ago, damerell said:

Coo! This is going to be a wee bit quicker than me plugging around at 20 m/s realtime. :-)

You're just so patient!!!

I could not!!

[gilflo]

KERBIN MARITIME ELCANO CHALLENGE (MODDED)

SECOND PART: Crossing continent and sea again

Departure DAY 2 Time 05:30 heading to beach to cross the continent part.

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Entering the mouth

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Approaching a small sand inlet to cross before a small lake to cross

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Planting 1st flag on the inlet, it looks like the sun is going to leave before we finish to cross the continental part....Bad calculation at departure!!

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In water again for a short time

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[url=http://www.hostingpi

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cs.net/viewer.php?id=466862screenshot674.png][/url]

Now we are going to head North East to the next lake. I put a lot of way points on this track that need to be very accurate to avoid accident, because Gliding cheetah is not so easy to drive on land..

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Night is falling and we will have to cross with the help of headlight only and we get the GPS map we can zoom...

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Max speed will be 70m/s

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Mountains in the background...

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New lake with an isthmus to cross ahead

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Slowing down when approaching isthmus

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Still in water approaching the end of the lake

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Out on the beach of the lake which is the last one before sea, Jeb plants a new flag

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DAY 3 Time 0:25, starting for the last land crossing, 45Kms to reach the sea

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Really dark here: Jeb wanted to do it at daylight....that's not really a success!!!

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Jumping at 7m in the dark night, mountains in background

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Last slope to sea

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We can hardly see the Ocean

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Here is the Ocean, we stop to plant the last flag before Kerbin base....Now it's sea navigation until the base...We did the most dangerous part in the night..!!!

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Right engine at 3/4 throttle to take the heading to the next waypoint which is 413 km ahead...It's a small island we must avoid before crossing a large Ismuth to the next Ocean

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Abeam the island, the isthmus is now 391 kms ahead of us, heading 126°

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Approaching the isthmus, sun is rising

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Crossing the isthmus, the shoreline is on background, we have enough range to continue a little far before the next refuel...

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DAY 3 Time 02:49 , Time since departure: 1DAY 1H 04mns 

Stop for the next refuel with 5mns range....we are 1018 kms from our tanker...

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Edited April 20, 2017 by gilflo

[CosmoCat]

Oi, is it okay if I just use Ven's stock part revamp? Does that count as Modded? (I ask 'cause I'm uploading the circumnavigation to youtube and would like my parts to look nicer.)

[rkarmark]

On 7/4/2017 at 7:45 PM, TeiTimidea said:

Oi, is it okay if I just use Ven's stock part revamp? Does that count as Modded? (I ask 'cause I'm uploading the circumnavigation to youtube and would like my parts to look nicer.)

No sorry but the rules state

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Stock - Mods can be used before the mission begins (such as using KER for design, HyperEdit for testing, etc), but no mods of any kind used during the record flight. No mods that add or modify parts, information, visuals, physics or any other aspect of the game are permitted during the mission. “Stock” means stock. (If you normally use mods, consider having a separate install if you want to go for this category.)

But if your craft works without mods you can go for stock craft which also allows visual mods (if your pc can handel it) 

[Ozelui]

Hi, i started a Mun circunnavigation last week, it is still in progress but i think it's time to start documenting it.  Else, i will have too much material to review at once.

My goal is to sample all the Mun biomes, visit most or all the anomalies and complete as many missions in the surface as possible ( i'm playing in career mode ). The rover is intended to be left in Mun as part of a renewal effort for my surface base, but it's capable of landing from low orbit, or taking off and archieve orbit.

The engines are also intended to soften rough landings in cliffs, and after coming from low orbit it has around 300 units of RCS available.  For normal operation it relies on solar power only.  It carries a pilot and scientist, originally i wanted an engineer too, but the wheels are so difficult to break that i decided not to include one in the mission.  It's all stock except for the cockpit, from the "Airplane Plus" mod, but my game is heavily modded, and i'm taking advantage of SCANsat to try to use the most eficient travel route to each biome.

Mission report thread coming soon

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[qzgy]

Thinking about doing this

Does the red route qualify? Or does it diverge too much from the equator? If not, I assume the purple qualifies, correct?

Edited April 16, 2017 by qzgy

[Ozelui]

Here is the first part of the mission report:

 

The next part may take a few days, since i've been messing with mods lately trying to improve my fps.  But it should be much faster now with a decent (20ish) framerate. 

Edited April 19, 2017 by Ozelui

[HamnavoePer]

I'm about to start this challenge. my rover design is looking at something made with mk3 and a small scout rover, ISRU and the works.

[IncongruousGoat]

May I present the Hudson expedition, my stock craft submission for the circumnavigation of Minmus:

Circumnavigating Minmus proved much more exciting than expected. A combination of the bouncy-castle nature of Minmus roving and the fragility of my rover (I had wrecked it to the point of uselessness by the end) made for a surprisingly difficult mission. If and when I do another one of these, I think I'm going to test my rover to death before starting the circumnavigation.

Mod list:

Better Time Warp

Distant Object Enhancement

Engine Lighting

KER

Kopernicus

PlanetShine

Real Plume stock configs

Stock Visual Enhancements

Stock Visual Terrain

TextureReplacer w/ Rareden's skybox

Transfer Window Planner

[gilflo]

KERBIN MARITIME ELCANO CHALLENGE (MODDED)

2ND REFUELING

Departure of OPT hydrotanker from his last refuel place, we near WPT 3, where we refuel Gliding Cheetah, before land crossing, and our goal is near WPT 8 in the south east. The catamaran stopped at time 02:49

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Take off from sea, it's night here

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Climb to 18000m

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Cruise around 18000m at M4.4 maximum

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Sunrise during cruise

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Descent just 200kms from goal, here we pass west of WPT 7

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20 kms from gliding Cheetah, the crew is preparing the Tanker for sea landing

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Reducing speed and VS just before landing, we have passed Gliding Cheetah

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Landed, the catamaran is behind us....We are going to turn by the left, reducing left engine to help 

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Approaching the Catamaran

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We stopped at distance and the Catamaran made his way to the tanker

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Jeb is swimming in the water toward Gliding Cheetah with the fuel line. He climbed to the tanker nose to size it. There's 2 lines each side of the nose and on each OPT floating tank

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Refueling in progress

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Refueling completed,  nose fuel line is retracting

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Day 3 03:32:17, refueling is finished, the Catamaran is ready for departure. The refueling mission took less than 45mns

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Edited April 20, 2017 by gilflo