Fastest Juno-powered aircraft

[TheFlyingKerman]

Since the rules does not say one cannot stage things off or crash the plane afterwards I flew this kinetic kill weapon plane to 15000m and then dropped it.

 

 

 

Still a few m/s slower then the current record holder.

[RealKerbal3x]

2 hours ago, TheFlyingKerman said:

Since the rules does not say one cannot stage things off or crash the plane afterwards I flew this kinetic kill weapon plane to 15000m and then dropped it.

 

 

 

Still a few m/s slower then the current record holder.

Great work! You're third on the probe leaderboard currently

And yes, your craft does not need to survive, nor does it need to be single-stage. However, if you're flying a manned craft, at least try to save those poor kerbals!!!

Edited June 17, 2018 by RealKerbal3x

[swjr-swis]

I have updated the JunoSpeeder-3c - it now sports 25 Junos compared to the 13 of the 3b model, and is now capable of flying right up to the flame-out limit of the Juno engines at sea level (820 m/s, Mach 2.31).

 

Spoiler

The JunoSpeeder-3c has 25 Junos and a modified balancing configuration. It has both a probe core and a shielded command seat for a kerbal pilot.

Recorded top speed: 820 m/s (Mach 2.31). It was still accelerating, but flamed out immediately after this, marking the attainable top speed for this challenge.

Full album: https://imgur.com/a/JSeBmaJ

This appears to be the maximum we can expect to reach - diving causes Junos to flame-out faster than level flight, and as this top speed was reached at a mere 5m above the ocean surface and right before flaming out, the Juno power envelope has no more room to squeeze out another m/s.

 

Edit: I did some additional tests to see how hard that limit is. Turns out that even with the absolute minimum of drag/mass/parts encumbering the Junos, they still flame-out at 820 m/s.

Spoiler

6 part-clipped Junos (and 2 part-clipped intakes upfront) already push us to the flame-out limit - still 820 m/s, despite -thanks to part-clipping- only a single stack.

 

 

Edited June 18, 2018 by swjr-swis
JunoBullet tests added

[RealKerbal3x]

1 hour ago, swjr-swis said:

I have updated the JunoSpeeder-3c - it now sports 25 Junos compared to the 13 of the 3b model, and is now capable of flying right up to the flame-out limit of the Juno engines at sea level (820 m/s, Mach 2.31).

 

  Hide contents

The JunoSpeeder-3c has 25 Junos and a modified balancing configuration. It has both a probe core and a shielded command seat for a kerbal pilot.

Recorded top speed: 820 m/s (Mach 2.31). It was still accelerating, but flamed out immediately after this, marking the attainable top speed for this challenge.

 Full album: https://imgur.com/a/JSeBmaJ

This appears to be the maximum we can expect to reach - diving causes Junos to flame-out faster than level flight, and as this top speed was reached at a mere 5m above the ocean surface and right before flaming out, the Juno power envelope has no more room to squeeze out another m/s.

 

Edit: I did some additional tests to see how hard that limit is. Turns out that even with the absolute minimum of drag/mass/parts encumbering the Junos, they still flame-out at 820 m/s.

  Hide contents

6 part-clipped Junos (and 2 part-clipped intakes upfront) already push us to the flame-out limit - still 820 m/s, despite -thanks to part-clipping- only a single stack.

 

 

Wow!

'Nuff said. Leaderboard will be sorted out in a few hours.....it's a bit of a mess currently

Edited June 18, 2018 by RealKerbal3x

[The Minmus Derp]

OK

[Hummingbird Aerospace]

Can I still enter this competition?

[neistridlar]

1 hour ago, Hummingbird Aerospace said:

Can I still enter this competition?

I don't see a deadline in the OP, so I don't see any reason why you can't.

[panzerknoef]

I've gone and made the "Juno-Speedmaster". An unmanned little craft, powered by sixteen Juno's. Got the little thing up to 811m/s before the engines flamed out. Though I seem to read that you can go higher if you fly even lower...I might try to adapt my little craft to fly at those altitudes later. But for now, 811m/s it is!

 

I did try making a manned variant on this, but it isn't working...yet

[RealKerbal3x]

4 hours ago, Hummingbird Aerospace said:

Can I still enter this competition?

Yeah, sure, enter!

Sortin' out the OP.....bear with me...

OK, there we go! Just a reminder to everyone, I only put your best entries on the leaderboard.

Edited June 18, 2018 by RealKerbal3x

[Hummingbird Aerospace]

I have heard one can clip parts in this challenge... is this true? Will you get a bonus for no part-clipping?

[The Minmus Derp]

37 minutes ago, Hummingbird Aerospace said:

I have heard one can clip parts in this challenge... is this true? Will you get a bonus for no part-clipping?

1. yes.

2. @RealKerbal3x? could you answer this plz?

[RealKerbal3x]

6 hours ago, The Minmus Derp said:

1. yes.

2. @RealKerbal3x? could you answer this plz?

@qzgy clipped 40 Junos together to get his top-of-the-leaderboard 814 m/s, so I guess it’s alright.

Just the usual rules of clipping....clipping two tanks together is generally frowned upon

[Andetch]

I need to squeeze 2 m/s more from my current plane. If the sea/ground would stop getting in the way it would have done it on my last run. Currently at 799.2 m/s

[Andetch]

@RealKerbal3x see my new submission. 801.3 m/s with some 170 metres to go before impact with the sea (I could maybe squeeze another few m/s from this) - You can also see from the last image that I successfully pulled out of the dive, so no Kerbal had to make the ultimate sacrifice for me to get ahead of @neistridlar 

The design had to be changed a bit, for streamlining purposes - and I have shamelessly clipped parts together, but there you have it. My answer back!

https://kerbalx.com/Andetch/Juno-Speed-A

I also would like to ask one other thing - with the current #1 on the manned craft - I see there is a command seat inside the fairing, but how do we know there is actually a kerbal in there piloting? The craft also has a probe core, so does it really count as manned if the seat was empty? I belive if a Kerbal is in the seat, even with the fairing it affects the aerodynamics, and weight. no? (Not wanting to be really petty here, but...... I want my top spot back! Even if only for a few moments!) May I request a re-run of his entry with the probe core removed/proof there is a kerbal in there? Otherwise it seems to me that it is an unmanned craft. 

 

Edited June 19, 2018 by Andetch
KerbalX Link Added

[swjr-swis]

9 hours ago, Hummingbird Aerospace said:

I have heard one can clip parts in this challenge... is this true? Will you get a bonus for no part-clipping?

Note: there is a difference between regular clipping (placing parts as the game normally allows, then offsetting them into each other) and 'part-clipping' (a very confusing term for stack-attaching multiple parts to the same node, which is only possible after enabling a cheat menu option).

There's been some heavily clipped entries accepted on the board (including my own), but no part-clipped ones.

 

2 hours ago, RealKerbal3x said:

Just the usual rules of clipping....clipping two tanks together is generally frowned upon

Hmm. If tank clipping is considered off-limits, much the same arguments can be made against engine clipping - and I do realize that invalidates my own entry. Just saying. Ultimately, you set the rules for your challenge.

[Andetch]

2 minutes ago, swjr-swis said:

Hmm. If tank clipping is considered off-limits, much the same arguments can be made against engine clipping - and I do realize that invalidates my own entry. Just saying. Ultimately, you set the rules for your challenge.

In response to the above, I would like to clarify - The tanks clipped(moved) over each other other in my entry are all empty and act only as attachment points for engines - and each also has a nosecone on them also (I wonder if removing the nose cones will make a difference? Hmmm, back to testing)

[swjr-swis]

3 minutes ago, Andetch said:

with the current #1 on the manned craft - I see there is a command seat inside the fairing, but how do we know there is actually a kerbal in there piloting?

Good question. Look at the top right corner of the screenshots - you'll notice it shows 'EVA Propellant' in the resource tab. This only happens when you have a Kerbal on EVA or in a command seat.

[Andetch]

1 minute ago, swjr-swis said:

Good question. Look at the top right corner of the screenshots - you'll notice it shows 'EVA Propellant' in the resource tab. This only happens when you have a Kerbal on EVA or in a command seat.

Dayam..... Good point - I take back my question and bow to the KSPertise of the #1 craft!

[Hummingbird Aerospace]

I guess part clipping should be okay, because it would be too much of a fuss to eliminate anyone who clipped 40 juno engines together.

[ArmoredLipid]

Can this plane be deployed from another craft? I'm thinking of taking a Mk.3 or 2 spaceplane up to where the Juno engines flame out, then airdropping the Juno-equipped craft out of it with all engines ignited.

Edited June 19, 2018 by ArmoredLipid

[The Minmus Derp]

Hmmm. I dunno.

[RealKerbal3x]

7 minutes ago, ArmoredLipid said:

Can this plane be deployed from another craft? I'm thinking of taking a Mk.3 or 2 spaceplane up to where the Juno engines flame out, then airdropping the Juno-equipped craft out of it with all engines ignited.

Of course you can drop it from another aircraft. @TheFlyingKerman did it at the top of this page. However, the only engine allowed in this challenge is the Juno, so your carrier would have to be powered by those too, sorry

Serious respect to you if you can make a Mk3 aircraft powered only by Junos though...

3 hours ago, Hummingbird Aerospace said:

I guess part clipping should be okay, because it would be too much of a fuss to eliminate anyone who clipped 40 juno engines together.

Yeah, I guess so

[The Minmus Derp]

1 minute ago, RealKerbal3x said:

Serious respect to you if you can make a Mk3 aircraft powered only by Junos though...

I agree @RealKerbal3x

[ArmoredLipid]

3 minutes ago, RealKerbal3x said:

Serious respect to you if you can make a Mk3 aircraft powered only by Junos though...

I can use the ramjets to get it far up, then keep it level with Junos, but it would be hard to lift a Mk3 up with those - individual parts for Mk3 fuselages weigh as much as light armored vehicles light tanks normal-sized tanks. Even an averaged-size Mk3 liquidfuel fuselage weighs 28.57 tons fully fueled.

Edited June 19, 2018 by ArmoredLipid

[RealKerbal3x]

12 minutes ago, ArmoredLipid said:

I can use the ramjets to get it far up, then keep it level with Junos, but it would be hard to lift a Mk3 up with those - individual parts for Mk3 fuselages weigh as much as light armored vehicles.

Yeah, but the rules are that you can only use Junos....................... so no ramjets. You can always part-clip the engines together to make a 'Super-Juno' engine if you want.

Oops, looks like I missed a couple of entries. Stand by..

About the command seat issue @Andetch mentioned..... @swjr-swis could you post a screenshot to confirm that the craft is occupied? It must be actually manned for your entry....just having an empty cockpit/command seat does not make it eligible for the manned category. Just checking

Edited June 19, 2018 by RealKerbal3x