Gossamer Albatross Academy

[Hotel26]

I, Hotel26, have created a pylon course on the Mun.  It's a short, triangular course over some of the most rugged scenery the Mun's equator has to offer.

Download this Lunar Pylon Course which is a save world to be unpacked in ./saves, next to your other worlds.

It comes equipped with 1x Gossamer Albatross parked at the course start next to one of the 3x xenon/MP refueling trucks that mark the course [the "pylons"].

The Albatross is also available (for a limited time, so hurry) from https://kerbalx.com/Hotel26/Gossamer-Albatross

How fast do you think you can fly the course?  Note the MET (Mission Elapsed Time), take off, fly around the course (on the outside of the pylons!) and land back next to the truck at the origin.  Note your MET again and compute your flight duration.

Instructions for flying the Albatross are located here:

This is the FIRST of THREE challenges I have planned in order to SHAMELESSLY SELF-PROMOTE the awesome power of IONS!  [..depending upon audience response...continuing availability of xenon...bla bla bla]

Go for it.  Have fun!  Don't let me hear those crickets now...

 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Hotel26

[Hotel26]

I have re-posted this as a "New Game".  Unpack it into your ./saves directory next to your other worlds.

Xen Pylon Course  (same link as given in the initial post above)

It contains a save file that you can reload at anytime with Alt-F9 or RShift-F9 called "Albatross Pylon Course", so that you can reset after MISADVENTURE.

This world contains all THREE challenges set-up and ready to go.

Therefore, I, Hotel26, now ANNOUNCE the Second Challenge!

1. fly the Albatross from the surface into roughly square/equatorial lunar orbit.
2. rendez-vous and dock the Hawk X tug/lander with the Albatross and refuel it.  (Approach the dock, a small girder at the stern(*), with maximum care so as not to break off the sails!  [Suggest F5 beforehand].)
3. de-orbit the Albatross and land at any of the three Xen Pylo fuel trucks.  (Remember that "fly-by-nite" operations are STRICTLY PROHIBITED!!)
4. You may use the Hawk for the de-obit insertion, but then you must re-orbit it before resuming the Albatross landing.  And note that it is easily possible to land Albatross completely under its own power...
5. You must land and park close enough to the truck that KSP gives no distance reading.  (about 150m?)

* an ECO (Engineering Change Order) has been filed to improve the docking clearance in a near-future revision of the Albatross, to be posted to https://kerbalx.com/Hotel26/...

Edited February 12, 2018 by Hotel26

[Hotel26]

So, here it is, the Third and Final(?) Challenge in the Gossamer Albatross Academy.

Lift-off from Xen Pylo A and fly to the Xen Space Center, located at 0N 99E, and land and park within 500m of the flag.

You will cover 137 degrees of arc around the equator of the Mun.

The challenges will be manifold: mainly trajectory planning, fuel management and departure timing.

Good luck with this.  If you are able to complete all three challenges successfully, you may call yourself that rarest of breeds of space pilot: the Albatross captain.

---

As a graduate of the Academy, successfully completing each and every challenge described herein, I would ask you to write a quick trip report or summary of your experience and post it here.  (Alternatively, if somehow, unbelievably, you failed to master this occasionally treacherous but always deliciously exciting craft, feel welcome also to outline the details of your hardship here, as we can all learn.)

Edited February 12, 2018 by Hotel26