Limbo- how low can you go?

[AeroPelican]

The challenge is simple- get the highest speed at the lowest altitude. The altitude must be below 50m to stop people from just going for huge speed at whatever altitude. Scores will be calculated with speed - (altitude x 2).I will make a probably feeble attempt tomorrow afternoon (it is 7 PM here) all mods and cfg edits are allowed, but you will get extra credit for stock craft. The picture must be of your command pod at least intact and above water level (not crashed)

Leaderboard:

1) BlueJayek (stock) 541

2) ggpeti (stock) 423.5

3)AeroPelican (Stock) 127

Edited August 16, 2012 by AeroPelican

[Cykyrios]

Wouldn't you want to change the formula to reward lower altitudes? As it is now, for a given speed, getting lower means your score will be lower as well.

Maybe speed x (50 - altitude) since the altitude has to be below 50 meters

[malcheus]

ok, this is part of my <1KM airspeed challenge, but should be valid here as well;

edit1: Oh, wait, didn't notice the "below 50m" part... give me half an hour.

edit2: you are aware that the runway sits at 69m above 0?

edit3:

Edited August 14, 2012 by malcheus

[AeroPelican]

I am aware the the runway is at 69m, so you must go lower than the runway. Oh yes, and I have changed the formula to speed - (height x2)

[AeroPelican]

Uh, well here is something to use as an example of something that is horrible, but technically qualifies…

EDIT: how do you upload images?

EDIT 2: I think I got it to work.

My speed was 223 m/s and my alt. was 48m, therefore my score is 223-96=127

I could have gone faster but it fell apart before I could fire the solids.

Edited August 14, 2012 by AeroPelican

[ggPeti]

It's not a requirement to have a manned vessel, so here's my entry. It was an accident, but hey, I was following The Path of Jeb: more boosters. 523,5 m/s at 47m, so 429,5 is my score.

[Bluejayek]

Score 474

score 425

Personally I think you need a higher curve up in score with decreasing altitude. Skimming at just above the surface is much more difficult.

By the way, does this count?

score 552

If not,

score 541

Your rules need something about level flight in them. While these I've shown arent too bad, they still are a bit belwo vertical, and I would suspect some people could get absurd velocities on a powered orbital dive.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Bluejayek

[Tim_Barrett]

True, can't someone just get the record from nosediving into the ocean?

[AeroPelican]

It will not count if they have crashed.

[illectro]

Is this only on kerbin?

[Bluejayek]

Since there is no atmosphere anywhere else, it isnt a fair challenge if you include the Mun or minimus. On kerbin at low altitudes the atmosphere is very dense and so there is huge drag at higher speeds; thus you need a lot of thrust to get to these speeds, as shown here.

One thing I found odd while doing the challenge, is that I could not attain the same speed by going up to a high altitude, say 500m, and doing a powered dive as I could with a level flight path. It is possible there is some sort of lift bug that is gaining me speed.

Edited August 16, 2012 by Bluejayek