<1KM airspeed record

[malcheus]

We can all go to extreme altitudes and there reach extreme speeds, and we can also drop out of orbit to achieve super high speeds.

However, this way the other kerbals can hardly see it happening, and if nobody sees it, its not cool.

As shown by the brazilian airforce:

So the challenge I would like to pose:

What is the fastest airspeed you can achieve under 1000M altitude, on kerbin.

Bonus points for:

-record over the KSC runway

-Only stock

-Buzzing the launch tower

-Pilot survives

-intact landing

-No parts wasted

Other suggestions welcome, and I hope this has not been posted before....

1. Yoshiro, 700m/s

2. Bluejayek 656.1 m/s, stock

3. Netblitzer 547 m/s, stock, surviving pilot

Edited August 16, 2012 by malcheus

[Stevenator1]

This has been a very commonly posted challenge at various low altitudes. I mean, I'll give it another shot later tonight when I have time with the 0.16 parts, see if I can get anything. Going based on your post, are we allowed to strip parts? I mean, I could design a rocket that gets itself going fast, strips eveything but a tank and turbospike booster and goes until it reaches new max speed. I'll post results in about 2-3 hours.

[malcheus]

This has been a very commonly posted challenge at various low altitudes. I mean, I'll give it another shot later tonight when I have time with the 0.16 parts, see if I can get anything. Going based on your post, are we allowed to strip parts? I mean, I could design a rocket that gets itself going fast, strips eveything but a tank and turbospike booster and goes until it reaches new max speed. I'll post results in about 2-3 hours.

Sure, if you can get your rocket into stable flight under 1 km, that counts.

I tried it a few times, just fuel and turbospikes, but so far I could not get it going faster then 275m/s and it was hardly maneuvrable.

[Bluejayek]

462m/s. Maybe its not allowed, since I did breifly go above 1000 ( 1175 maximum altitude)

However, as you can see the maximum speed was at around 900m.

Crew did not survive. Didnt quite manage to glide back home.

[Tigga]

My first attempt reached ~435m/s, though I'm fairly sure I'm not doing it quite how you intend it to be done. In the first post you mention nothing about it being stable, nor about never exceeding 1km, so my plan basically involved boosting straight down after gaining a bit of height. Messed up the screenshot, but I imagine my entry would be invalid!

[malcheus]

My first attempt reached ~435m/s, though I'm fairly sure I'm not doing it quite how you intend it to be done. In the first post you mention nothing about it being stable, nor about never exceeding 1km, so my plan basically involved boosting straight down after gaining a bit of height. Messed up the screenshot, but I imagine my entry would be invalid!

Crashing through the 1km barrier is indeed not included in the rules, but adding "stable flight" would be complicated, as we would need a way to define it.

So let's just count it, but obviously the only bonus point you can get is stock only =P

@ bluejayek: Good attempt! Too bad about Guswise, may he rest in peace. Was it completely stock?

[Bluejayek]

Yes, it was complete stock. However, I have a newer and greater entry!

This one did not pop past 1000m altitude, maximum was 915m.

Maximum speed 656.1m/s. Pure stock.

The ship is rather amusing and dangerous to fly, as when you are gaining altitude the wings flex quite dangerously and you end up looking like an ornithopter.

While the crew technically did not survive, I did land them on the ground safely. However, there was some funny infiglide bugs going on. If I tilted one direction half my plane would lift up and I was accelerating quite rapidly on the ground. While playing with this I eventually got going too quickly on the ground (over 100m/s) and exploded.

Thanks dark. Answering someones question is never off topic.

Edited August 12, 2012 by Bluejayek

[TheDarkStar]

Hmm, how do I add spoilers on this new forum?

You use [spoiler"=nameofspoiler] contentofspoiler [/"spoiler] without the ".

I'll get my entry up in a minute so that this isn't completely off topic.

Edited August 12, 2012 by TheDarkStar
Oops

[Stevenator1]

I have a very good idea of a multi-stager which should break the records you guys are putting up. I'll be happy to try it, but stupid college with homework is getting in the way X.x

[Yoshiro]

After many attempts, trying to break 700m/s (got 699 3 times before hand!) I managed to pull off 700m/s. Granted I did use a MechJeb pod and the tool itself to keep me straight. I believe it would be very difficult to get much faster than this, though there is still a lot I don't know about the game so I'm likely wrong.

I tried to get a screen shot as close as i could to it actually happening.

[malcheus]

After many attempts, trying to break 700m/s (got 699 3 times before hand!) I managed to pull off 700m/s. Granted I did use a MechJeb pod and the tool itself to keep me straight. I believe it would be very difficult to get much faster than this, though there is still a lot I don't know about the game so I'm likely wrong.

I tried to get a screen shot as close as i could to it actually happening.

nice!

You can probably make it go faster if you use a bigger launch plane, so you can give it a flying start, and you can drop the landing gear.

I made several attempts today, I managed to pull 313 over the sea, and around 300 over the runway. And with the same pilot;

Unfortunatly that last image is the last known record of pattie and his plane, which was vaporised during the subsequent crash.

[Hammaneggs]

Does this have to take off from the runway, because mine always slides off the left.

[malcheus]

You can launch it vertically, np.

You may want to take a look at your gear btw, that caused some of my planes to turn off the runway a few times.

Edit: I managed 413 with a 5 stage air-launched craft:

Working on a 6 stage version of this one, with a starting booster, so I don't waste too much fuel on takeoff, and I have enough to make the turn towards the runway ^^

Edited August 14, 2012 by malcheus

[NetBlitzer]

I had a go at this record, and think I did fairly well for my first try. Reached 547m/s on my first try. Taking these photos took around 9 or 10 tries, as this craft fails catastrophically 4 out of 5 times.

Note, the giant front tanks are to way down the launch craft so it doesn't lift up with the rest!

Note, the current altitude and max altitude are from the capsule being ripped off the craft, and the craft was not near the 1km mark during the speed stage.

[Gojira]

I got 540 m/s on a craft with just 5 SRBs and a couple winglets.

Pilot lived, and plane was MOSTLY intact.

[arp2600]

After a day of trying, i've managed 601 m/s flying to a max height of 950 m. Could probably scrape a little more speed if i got rid of the ASAS, but it's a pretty unflyable ship without. Sorry to say, the flight ended with no survivors.

<a href="http://s940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/whatshebuildinginthere/?action=view&current=screenshot0.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/whatshebuildinginthere/screenshot0.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/whatshebuildinginthere/?action=view&current=screenshot2.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/whatshebuildinginthere/screenshot2.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/whatshebuildinginthere/?action=view&current=screenshot3.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/whatshebuildinginthere/screenshot3.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/whatshebuildinginthere/?action=view&current=screenshot5.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad249/whatshebuildinginthere/screenshot5.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Edited August 18, 2012 by arp2600
just learnt how to add spoilers

[TheIronSoldier2]

I have gotten over 2000m/s with only stock parts. In fact, I used a stock plane with only the modification of switching out the default jet engine with the newer, more powerful turbojet.

[Red Iron Crown]

I have gotten over 2000m/s with only stock parts. In fact, I used a stock plane with only the modification of switching out the default jet engine with the newer, more powerful turbojet.

That's pretty impressive considering the stock turbojets stop producing thrust long before that speed. Did you do it by diving from a higher altitude?

[Endersmens]

That's pretty impressive considering the stock turbojets stop producing thrust long before that speed. Did you do it by diving from a higher altitude?

Not to mention heating...

- - - Updated - - -

Wow , this guy almost topped the leaderboard on water!

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/128674-Supersonic-boat?

[annallia]

My best... Not a stock install but a completely stock build Pilot survived by using Danny's patented bailing out just as the cockpit hits and activating the rocket pack right away method but the plane did not..

Highest altitude reached before the thing exploded was 900m

Edit- I just noticed how old this thread is

[Red Iron Crown]

Oh wow, totally missed that this was a deep necro, better to start a new challenge if anyone is interested. Back to the grave with you, zombie-thread!