(Reboot) Hypersonic Aircraft Challenge: Quest For Hypersonic with Badges!

[Jeb-head-mug kerman]

http://

 (CHALLNGE IS NOW CLSOED)

Welcome everyone to another 'Quest for Hypersonic' challenge. This is a reboot of a challenge I did in September while already planning to try to make it bigger and better. Well now that challenge is pretty much dead and after some thought I decided to start a new one with some major changes. The original thread can be found HERE.

Like in the previous challenge the goal is to build the fastest possible stock aircraft in either one of the two classes. Waverider, and Hermes. There are separate rules for both classes. (Details below.) If your design goes fast enough, you will receive a badge for either going faster than 3000 m/s, 3500 m/s or 4000 m/s. You will be able to put it in your signature. After you have submitted your entry, your result will be added to the top 5 leaderboard if you have beaten the record!

So first, a bit of background on hypersonic travel. The term 'hypersonic' means anything traveling faster than Mach 5, or 5 times the speed of sound. Note: The speed of an aircraft is only counted as hypersonic if it is in the atmosphere and under 90 km. The first hypersonic aircraft was built by  the US and was a two-stage completaly kerbal rocket that reached the speed of mach 6.7. Nothing but ash and dust remained of the rocket when it 'landed'. The first human to exceed the hypersonic barrier was Yuri Gagarin, (I am looking at you, Jebediah), and after that came Alan Shepard from the US. After that a series of developments led to the X-15 aircraft, which, to date is the fastest manned airplane capable of flight. 

 

CLASSES: Note: The rules apply only to the seperate classes

WAVERIDER

Spoiler

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This class is based of the 'Waverider', a Hypersonic aircraft built by Boeing. In this class you will launch a smaller craft than in the Hermes class, but one that is launched from a mothership.

RULES:

1. No Cheats
2. No Mods or DLC
3. Craft has to weigh under 13 tonnes
4. Craft has to be made in version 1.8 or later
5. Craft has to be dropped from the mothership under 20 KM
6. Record has to be taken while your craft is under 50 KM (This does NOT include the Apoapsis)

MOTHERSHIP RULES:

1. No Cheats
2. No Mods=no DLC
3. Craft can only use jet engines
4. Craft has to be single stage

 

HERMES

Spoiler

This is the simpler class, probably requiring a conventional plane design. 

RULES:

1. No Decouplers or Docking Ports
2. No Cheats and DLC
3. Craft can't be Launched from a Mothership
4. Craft has to be able to take-off and land horizontally in one piece
5. Record has to be taken under 50km
6. Craft made in version 1.8 or later.

BADGES:

These are the badges you get for building a craft that goes especially fast. You can either get one for flying faster than 3000 m/s, one for flying faster than 3500 m/s and one for flying faster than 4000 m/s

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This is the badge you will receive if you build a craft capable of over 3000 m/s.

 

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You will receive this badge if you build a craft capable of over 3500 m/s

 

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Easily the hardest badge to get! This is the grand prize of this challenge! The 4000 m/s badge.

 

WAVERIDER CLASS LEADERBOARD

1. @QuarkyGirl 5653M/S

2. @Pds314 5035M/S

3.@I troll children online. 4482M/S

4. @JorgeCS 4408M/S

5. @Vinhero100 4045M/S

 

HERMES CLASS LEADERBOARD:

1. @QuarkyGirl:4806 M/S

2.@ralanboyle 4067M/S

3.@*MajorTom* 3107M/S

4.

5.

 

 

HOW TO SUBMIT:

To submit a craft, first take a pic of your craft and another picture of your record as proof. Then you can post it in this thread with the name of your craft and you record speed under 50 km. If you have passed the 3000 m/s barrier, then you will get a badge!

 

 

 

GOOD LUCK  AND HAVE FUN EVERYONE! AND REMEMBER, DON'T OBEY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS!

Edited October 29, 2020 by Jeb-head-mug kerman

[qzgy]

On 1/12/2020 at 7:44 AM, Jeb-head-mug kerman said:

Craft made in version 1.8 or later.

I think I'll play around with this in a bit, but why this rule?

(gonna do it anyways, but I'm in 1.3 so probably not gonna be official).

[Jeb-head-mug kerman]

4 hours ago, qzgy said:

I think I'll play around with this in a bit, but why this rule?

(gonna do it anyways, but I'm in 1.3 so probably not gonna be official).

Um, this is mostly because in 1.8 you have more boosters and this might help in the Waverider class.

[splatn't™]

On 1/12/2020 at 12:44 AM, Jeb-head-mug kerman said:

Craft has to be able to take-off and land horizontally in one piece

looks like the ol' big stick with wings wont work this time around...

[Turbofreak]

Interesting time to Get craking on that hermes class

[Turbofreak]

HERMES CLASS ENTRY

Ok video is in progress of development all i did was add a ferring and some wings, landing gear, and some air breathing engines to a solid rocket booster  what can possibly go wrong....

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by Turbofreak

[Jeb-head-mug kerman]

20 hours ago, Turbofreak said:

HERMES CLASS ENTRY

Ok video is in progress of development all i did was add a ferring and some wings, landing gear, and some air breathing engines to a solid rocket booster  what can possibly go wrong....

 

As soon as you take a picture of your record you can get a badge!

[pmborg]

Hello this one:

https://kerbalx.com/pmborg/Concord1-Mach48

Edited January 28, 2020 by pmborg

[Jeb-head-mug kerman]

2 hours ago, pmborg said:

Hello this one:

https://kerbalx.com/pmborg/Concord1-Mach48

Ermm, the parts have to be stock....

[pmborg]

21 minutes ago, Jeb-head-mug kerman said:

"the parts have to be stock...."

"stock aircraft" Upps sorry read too fast, Like a pilot say: "Disregard".

Edited January 28, 2020 by pmborg

[έķ νίĻĻάίή]

Hmm. Yes. Very interesting.

[ralanboyle]

For the Hermes, are we allowed staging? Like to drop spend fuel tanks? 

[Jeb-head-mug kerman]

1 hour ago, ralanboyle said:

For the Hermes, are we allowed staging? Like to drop spend fuel tanks? 

For the Hermes staging is allowed but decouplers are not. You can probably find a way to get the drop tanks to drop of somehow.

[sturmhauke]

Just now, Jeb-head-mug kerman said:

For the Hermes staging is allowed but decouplers are not. You can probably find a way to get the drop tanks to drop of somehow.

I believe the term you are looking for is "thermally activated decoupling".

[ralanboyle]

Okay, here is my Hermes Class entry. I topped out at 4067m/s below 50km. 

Edited February 22, 2020 by ralanboyle
Edit

[ralanboyle]

And, Here is my Waverider Class entry, It topped out at 4016m/s. 

[Rocket_man1234]

Ok, Question, are fuel drain valves connected to air intakes allowed? 

[ralanboyle]

I'm assuming not since that is a glitch... If yes, then I'll redo mine...

[Jeb-head-mug kerman]

On 2/22/2020 at 12:31 PM, ralanboyle said:

Okay, here is my Hermes Class entry. I topped out at 4067m/s below 50km. 

 

10 hours ago, ralanboyle said:

And, Here is my Waverider Class entry, It topped out at 4016m/s. 

Congratulations, here is your badge!

http://

The leaderboard is now up!

[ralanboyle]

I'm thinking about upping my speed. Is this a "test to failure,"  or are we flying it to the limit, then backing down to safety? 

[I troll children online.]

WAVERDRIVER CLASS ENTRY

Missile weight: 11.5 tonnes

Top speed: 4482.5

Top speed

Mothership and missile mid flight

I flew the missile way out into orbit so i could make full use of the rocket engine and gravity (and also minimize time exposed to heat)

Edited February 28, 2020 by I troll children online.
Some more info on the craft

[I troll children online.]

WAVERDRIVER CLASS ENTRY (additional screenshot)

Edited February 28, 2020 by I troll children online.
I screwed it up and accidentally sent a duplicate post when I meant to send this

[*MajorTom*]

HERMES     Gagarin (manned) class for 2 kerbals . 3.1 km/sec (better maybe later, need balance between lf and oxidizer)

z"Kirkon" hypersonic spaceplane (4 whiplash, 1 poodle)

craft file in 1.8.1 for proof here:
https://yadi.sk/d/ylBSK1czmvHVRA

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by *MajorTom*

[*MajorTom*]

better version 3.2km/s orbital 3.008 km/s surface

hypersonic manned is harder (unused payload)

Edited February 29, 2020 by *MajorTom*

[Jeb-head-mug kerman]

On 2/25/2020 at 1:11 PM, ralanboyle said:

I'm thinking about upping my speed. Is this a "test to failure,"  or are we flying it to the limit, then backing down to safety? 

Test to failure my friend!

Badges coming up soon too.

Edited March 1, 2020 by Jeb-head-mug kerman