The Kerbal Dakar 2017 entry vehicles thread

[0111narwhalz]

Hey, @Triop. I was wondering something while working towards a finish:
Why did you pick a flag that blends so well with the grass? I can barely see it when the icon disappears.

[Madrias]

Well, the Jumping Spider may be tough, but she's not invincible.

Don't do 54 m/s down hills.  If this thing gets a speed-wobble, it's all over.

 

I think, by that reasoning, it's time for a new vehicle because I crashed the Jumping Spider.  And no, I can't just roll it and continue, the frame's twisted badly.

Edited January 1, 2017 by Madrias

[Madrias]

That didn't go to plan.  Not just has my second try killed Jeb, I broke the vehicle I made to attempt without the Jumping Spider.  However, Jumping Spider MK2 will now be equipped with KAS winches in an attempt to rescue Bill and what's left of the Dead Bug.  Bill's determined to finish the rally in Jeb's honor, even if he has to call on Bob and Valentina for help.

[Redshift OTF]

So I have decided not to use the Ute after all. At least not for my first run. I will be trying something a bit more serious instead:

THIS is Drover 1. Powered by 4 Juno's I will be using Azimech's patented flap blocking technique and a derivative of Slam Jones's KOS script to ensure thrust is off when the vehicle is in the air. It has lights, ladders, a sat dish for random telemetry as well as an emergency parachute for those hairy moments when you don't spot the cliff in time. It's not 100% indestructible but it can handle quite a beating. Speed isn't great as I ended up adding too much stuff to it really but it averages about 75 m/s which I hope will be good enough for the challenge. It will be refuelled at each stage with small fuel tankers.

So let the games begin.

 

[katateochi]

Let the Races Begin!!

I'm running two rovers; The main one is "Project 6" (honestly, I really couldn't think of a good name for it!):

It's constructed with unaltered stock parts (just has decals added for flare as the only part mod), powered by fuel cells and 3 Juno jets. Now, I've been keeping a little quiet about its "secret" feature, ok it's not that special, just a bit different; instead of boost "flaps" to regulate Juno output it uses a small service bay.

The service bay doors respond slightly faster than flaps and don't alter the aerodynamic profile of the vehicle, it also adds some protection to the engines, but it's a bit heavier (tbh it was mostly an aesthetic choice).  With the rollcage up this has a top speed of ~95m/s, with the rollcage folded down the top speed goes up to 110m/s.  Without the rollcage rolling it is 100% fatal, but I'm running stage 1 and 5 with the rollcage down.

The other rover is the Rambler, which is an electric only rover (fuel cell powered) also made with unaltered stock parts. It is tragically devoid of any aesthetic appeal but for a pure electric rover it's pretty fast; 55m/s on the flat and it accelerates very quickly (due to it's triple tread rear tyres and dual tread front tyres). It will rumble up even pretty steep hills at a steady 40m/s and it is virtually indestructible (in all testing the only part I've managed to break is it's nose cone which is it's one frivolous part). But she's not going to be winning any beauty awards!

Both rovers are refuelled by small fuel carts which dock to their undersides and have been positioned at the way points on fuel trucks (which because I'm lazy I airlifted to each waypoint).
Actually, I just strapped wings to the side of the trucks and flew them over and rather than landing they just drop the wings and parachute down.

The Ramblers fuel cart looks a bit like a pit stop jack, it drives underneath and then lowers the landing gear which makes it pivot up and dock.

The cart for Project 6 just slides under, no fancy pivoting, it just relies on docking port magic magnets to connect.

 

I've just done my run in the Rambler and recorded it, so need to go and check the times and then I'll do the run in Project 6 either later tonight or tomorrow.  I'll post both their times together.
Happy rallying all! 

and @Triop, thanks again for this challenge idea, it's been really good fun!

 

[DoctorDavinci]

@katateochi - if you set each of your refueling stations to be 'bases' then when you decouple from them the mission timer will be rest back to 0 ... if you do this just besure to do the 'control from here' deal on your kerbal so that when you decouple you are controlling the buggy and not the refueling station

[katateochi]

16 minutes ago, DoctorDavinci said:

@katateochi - if you set each of your refueling stations to be 'bases' then when you decouple from them the mission timer will be rest back to 0 ... if you do this just besure to do the 'control from here' deal on your kerbal so that when you decouple you are controlling the buggy and not the refueling station

I had wondered about doing that, but with my setup it gets a bit fiddly. The refuel carts are decoupled from fuel truck when needed (so I'd have to remember to rename them just before use....and that's the problem...me remembering something!). They also have to be rolled back after delivering fuel so there'd be a few seconds delay between decouple and stage start, so I just figure it's easy to keep the overall MET time. 

[Madrias]

Well, my attempted rescue mission was a dismal failure.

Thought I was being clever adding KAS winches to the Jumping Spider to tow Bill and the Dead Bug, but it decided, instead of rolling along smoothly behind the Spider, it'd instead roll viciously, smash the connector ports for the supporting ropes, bounce violently to throw Bill out of his seat, and then land on the wheels to continue as if nothing else had happened after Bill went poof.

So, effectively, I ruined my stage 3 time for nothing, because there's no point in me dragging the Dead Bug all the way home without a good reason, and Bill was the good reason to do that.

As for the reason Bob was out of the Jumping Spider, he was passing Bill the book on how to use KIS because I've never used it before this point, so I had to figure out how to do the whole "attaching stuff outside the Hangar" thing.

And total disintegration on Stage 5.  When the Dead Bug broke away from the back of the Jumping Spider, it must've done more damage than I thought, because it started pulling to the left.  Then it rolled.  Many, many times.  Figured, eject the wing, we'll limp it to the end of Stage 4, started stage 5 looking very much the worst for wear, and then had this crap happen.

Back to the Drawing Board.  Might try enlarging the Dead Bug about 200% so that I've got the full-size drive wheels under it.

Edited January 1, 2017 by Madrias

[Redshift OTF]

Uurgh, forget Drover 1. I tested it, was happy with it and then stage 2 wrecked it like it was a wimp. Oh well, here's Drover 2, forged from the lessons of the first along with the Fuel Doggy drone. Who needs Junos when you have a Panther.

 

[kapteenipirk]

Alright, here's the truck that i will enter the race with, and also the supply truck that is used to refuel it.

 

The truck is basically the same as the one i showed quite a while ago tough slightly improved.

The main improvements are:

1. All the RTG's where removed and changed to solar panels to give a little more color.

2. I removed some wings/flaps and replaced the with structural parts to remove the risk of flipping on my back.

3. i added a couple of Juno's to give me thrust when the Wheesley's cut out (the Wheasley's cut out when below 30 m/s on a hill).

4. added a shield around the rovemate today cause......well,

the rovemate is the one that the wheel axles are attached to, so having it hit the ground as it did on the case above, is not that great.

 

Tough the truck has a top speed of about 90 m/s, i will be driving it at half thrust. That means a gentle speed of 50 m/s.

 

My goal for this race is to just finish it and have some fun. If i really wanted to go for the quickest time, i would use this

It has a top speed of a 130 m/s, and is also quite durable. It should also has enough fuel to make the entire trip in one go (640 units).

 

Oh, and before i forget, here's a top tip:

Forget flaps and brakes and all that nonsense, use thrust reversers instead. They will slow you down fast, and will also get you back up to speed in a timely fashion.

[0111narwhalz]

49 minutes ago, kapteenipirk said:

Forget flaps and brakes and all that nonsense, use thrust reversers instead. They will slow you down fast, and will also get you back up to speed in a timely fashion.

But what about following the powered flight restrictions?

[DrunkenKerbalnaut]

36 minutes ago, 0111narwhalz said:

But what about following the powered flight restrictions?

At first glance, he's done one better. If you slam on the reverse thrust mid-air, you slow down. Boost flaps just interrupt thrust. It serves the same purpose, ultimately. He isn't using aerial propulsion to advance his rover through the stage. He's using it to let you pass him  

[Triop]

1 hour ago, kapteenipirk said:

Alright, here's the truck that i will enter the race with, and also the supply truck that is used to refuel it.

Wow, Impressive !

I will use this pic on top of the challenge.

1 hour ago, kapteenipirk said:

My goal for this race is to just finish it and have some fun.

You really get what this is all about dude.

 

 

Edited January 2, 2017 by Triop

[Triop]

Also @katateochi great work !

I'm thinking of making a photo album thread after the race.

[Mjp1050]

You know what they say: go big or go home.

At 27.44 tons, I believe that my car is the biggest. You may all go home now 

All electric, too. I hid about 10 of the Z-4Ks in the hull.

[0111narwhalz]

14 minutes ago, Mjp1050 said:

At 27.44 tons, I believe that my car is the biggest. You may all go home now 

Okay, that's it. I'm taking the Land Cruiser, and there's nothing you can do about it. Your paltry 27 tonnes is nothing to the Land Cruiser's 150. Also, it's nearly double the length.

I think there's a bus that goes by your place over there.
Oops, sorry. My cruise missile slipped. Good thing I still have seven left!

[GDJ]

53 minutes ago, Mjp1050 said:

You know what they say: go big or go home.

At 27.44 tons, I believe that my car is the biggest. You may all go home now 

 

35 minutes ago, 0111narwhalz said:

Okay, that's it. I'm taking the Land Cruiser, and there's nothing you can do about it. Your paltry 27 tonnes is nothing to the Land Cruiser's 150. Also, it's nearly double the length.

Yep, and my 1.786 tonne dune buggy will simply drive past......and underneath......and around......I'll grab you both some beers when you reach the finish line. Least I can do.

(just some trash talking here. )

Edited January 2, 2017 by GDJ

[Triop]

6 minutes ago, GDJ said:

.....and underneath.....
 

Indeed, that is trashtalk, although I'd love to see that.

[0111narwhalz]

1 hour ago, GDJ said:

Yep, and my 1.786 tonne dune buggy will simply drive past......and underneath......and around......I'll grab you both some beers when you reach the finish line. Least I can do.

Make sure your IFF is set up right, else your 1.786T buggy will become a 1.786T cloud of gas. 
(It has a lot of firepower. Broadside howitzer and heatseeker arrays, Hydra turrets with near-complete field-of-fire, and some ventral .50-cal turrets to take care of ankle-biters like you.)

[kapteenipirk]

4 hours ago, 0111narwhalz said:

But what about following the powered flight restrictions?

Well, as long as i don't fly, it should be fine.

[Azimech]

5 hours ago, DrunkenKerbalnaut said:

At first glance, he's done one better. If you slam on the reverse thrust mid-air, you slow down. Boost flaps just interrupt thrust. It serves the same purpose, ultimately. He isn't using aerial propulsion to advance his rover through the stage. He's using it to let you pass him  

True ... but it does take a few seconds to switch from normal to reverse thrust & back. Also it makes it quite a bulky & heavy vehicle but that's all personal preference.

[Redshift OTF]

So if we hotkey thrust reversals so KOS can activate them we can have Goliath powered cars?

[JadeOfMaar]

I happened to create two cars for use in this challenge. The Mk1 "F1" and the Mk2 "Dark Knight" I can;t decide which one to use.

The Mk1 is pretty basic and has very good handling during jumps/flight and can safely cruise and touchdown at 100m/s (I know powered flight is a no-no). It's also very tempting to operate at such speed and may be an easy death trap to its crew. I might put some kind of Mk2 nose on this one. The front of it is just a little too plain to me.

 

 

The Mk2 generates a ton of downforce and is difficult to save from a jump but will likely look far better in photo ops during and after the races.

Edited January 2, 2017 by JadeOfMaar

[Madrias]

Well, I've given it a day, so I'm going to make an attempt with the Dead Bug design again.  Just this time, keeping it below 50 m/s, no bombarding down hills, and switching off the FART when traveling over rough terrain.

(Fast Acting Reaction Thruster.  Basically just a tweaked Ion engine that gives 12 kN of thrust, has an instant off, and runs on electric charge and intake air.)

[Redshift OTF]

Added some rally lights. Feels more real now.