Race Around The World

[mystifeid]

Couldn't really be bothered with starting from scratch so just turned the Navigator into the BF Navigator. Like I said - no style. I don't even want to know how it's possible to do this sort of time under 35km. It would, I think, be a heck of a lot harder. Anyway, the rubber's on the road at 24:20.

The BF Navigator

 

 

[ralanboyle]

Very Nice! I Paused the video at 24:19 and 0.6m/s. @mystifeid Congrats.

[RoninFrog]

I'm working on beating 24 minutes.  But I'm running into some technical difficulties:

Okay, time to think about a redesign.  Probably with more struts and boosters.

P.S.  I killed Jeb.

Edited March 26, 2020 by RoninFrog

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

28 minutes ago, RoninFrog said:

I'm working on beating 24 minutes.  But I'm running into some technical difficulties:

Okay, time to think about a redesign.  Probably with more struts and boosters.

P.S.  I killed Jeb.

 

Spoiler

No, I killed Jeb (0:56). I also caused your rapid unplanned disassembly (1:19).

 

 

Man, you could use some struts - and CHECK YO STAGIN!

Edited March 26, 2020 by Mars-Bound Hokie

[RoninFrog]

4 minutes ago, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

you could use some struts

I already have a couple hundred.

4 minutes ago, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

CHECK YO STAGIN!

I checked all 43 of them.

[mystifeid]

13 minutes ago, Mars-Bound Hokie said:

No, I killed Jeb (0:56). I also caused your rapid unplanned disassembly (1:19).

Great stuff! Loved it.

16 minutes ago, RoninFrog said:

I already have a couple hundred.

I checked all 43 of them.

Maybe try using less? The thing I used above had something like 28 struts and 16 stages. But probably I think you should be able to get under 24 minutes.

[RoninFrog]

16 minutes ago, mystifeid said:

Maybe try using less? The thing I used above had something like 28 struts and 16 stages. But probably I think you should be able to get under 24 minutes.

What was the vacuum dV of that rocket?  My new one is 17km/s.

Edited March 26, 2020 by RoninFrog

[mystifeid]

6 minutes ago, RoninFrog said:

What was the vacuum dV of that rocket?  My new one is 17km/s.

Mine was only 15.542km/s.

[RoninFrog]

[Writes while rocket is loading on pad] I believe I have fixed the problem.  My last stage had TWR of over 10, so I moved some engines down several stages giving me a lot more dV, allowing me to remove the outer layer of asparagus--[Massive explosion, switches back to KSP, sees complete carnage]--nevermind, still more work to do.

Hey!  Jeb survived!

He is lying on a fuel tank below the wreckage of the plane.

[mystifeid]

Good to see you're still trying. Are you clipping parts? Have you tried using launch stabilizers?

[RoninFrog]

33 minutes ago, mystifeid said:

Good to see you're still trying. Are you clipping parts? Have you tried using launch stabilizers?

No part clipping (other than some minor stuff on the landing gear).  I have already added stabilizers and it fixed that particular problem.  I rearranged some engines and now I'm up to nearly 19km/s of dV in a smaller rocket.  The problem now is that 4 of the 8 rhinos aren't strutted correctly and the rocket starts spinning when the mammoths are jettisoned.  It got to orbit, though.

[jinnantonix]

I have a bit of noobie question.  My craft has a big launch vehicle stage, then when I separate off my lander the clock resets to 0 seconds.  Any ideas on how to fix this?

[ralanboyle]

Is jeb in a control seat? Are there more than one command module? If so, make sure you’ve selected “control from here” on a command part that will be with Jeb the whole time. 
 

it could also be a root part issue. Did you save subassemblies or merge crafts? If so, make the root part of the whole craft a part that will stay with Jeb the whole time. 

[jinnantonix]

10 hours ago, ralanboyle said:

Is jeb in a control seat? Are there more than one command module? If so, make sure you’ve selected “control from here” on a command part that will be with Jeb the whole time. 
 

it could also be a root part issue. Did you save subassemblies or merge crafts? If so, make the root part of the whole craft a part that will stay with Jeb the whole time. 

Thanks, it was just about selecting a probe core as a root part.  All good now.  Just did an unofficial test run, and landed at 24:20 .  Yep, exactly.

I have another question.  Mechjeb autostaging doesn't work.  I tried tweaking all the parameters, nothing.  I have to manually stage which is annoying.  Any ideas?

[mystifeid]

3 hours ago, jinnantonix said:

Mechjeb autostaging doesn't work

So, autostaging is enabled in both the Ascent Guidance and the Utilities modules? (Unlike the Ascent Guidance module, autostaging must be enabled in the Utilities module every launch - I wish there was a way for MJ to remember this setting.)

Edited April 8, 2020 by mystifeid

[jinnantonix]

3 hours ago, mystifeid said:

So, autostaging is enabled in both the Ascent Guidance and the Utilities modules? (Unlike the Ascent Guidance module, autostaging must be enabled in the Utilities module every launch - I wish there was a way for MJ to remember this setting.)

I enabled in Utilities and in Ascent Guidance.  Still doesn't work.  I have noticed also that the fuel levels shown in the staging HUD show all engines are the same fuel capacity, even though I have flow priority set properly.   So MJ apparently doesn't know when to stage.   Weird, there is nothing unusual about my staging design.

Edited April 8, 2020 by jinnantonix

[mystifeid]

1 hour ago, jinnantonix said:

So MJ apparently doesn't know when to stage

Ah yes - MJ won't autostage when using crossfeed for asparagus staging. You must use fuel hoses (external fuel ducts).

I seem to recall that crossfeed is ok for drop tanks but as soon as you put engines underneath them it doesn't work. But I could be wrong.

Edited April 8, 2020 by mystifeid

[jinnantonix]

Here is my draft run at 24:15.  More to come...
 

 

[RoninFrog]

15 minutes ago, jinnantonix said:

Here is my draft run at 24:15.  More to come...

I might try getting some Kraken-Ban mollusc repellant and give this another shot.

[RoninFrog]

@ralanboyle, how big does the final lander have to be?  Can it be a Kerbal with his EVA Chute and a couple fins, nose cones, and reaction wheels attatched?

[ralanboyle]

You can't just bail out before crashing into the runway. If this landing craft is something like a para-glider that's staged and intended to be landed, it's fine. @RoninFrog

 

Congrats to @jinnantonix for the new top score of 24:15!

Edited April 9, 2020 by ralanboyle
Edit

[jinnantonix]

I am not familiar with launching westward, and so had a think about the quirks.  This video demonstrates the first problem I found.

 

 

 

[RoninFrog]

And 24 minutes bites the dust!  Time: 23:25

Here is the "plane":

Presenting the Citadel.  Jeb died in testing, so Valentina will be flying.

Shooting off into the great blue yonder:

On the last pair of mammoths, top speed around 4100 m/s:

I flew this one from normal view and used the 'vertical speed' dial a lot.

The last stage is, of course, powered by a 'cheetah' engine:

Coming in hot and fast.  Man, this was the most intense reentry I have ever done.  Just look at that heat bar.  Nothing exploded though.

Gunning it for the runway!

And touchdown!  Sorry about the night landing, it's not a great picture. But it has the navball and clock, and that's all that's necessary.

I warped to day so I could prove nothing was broken:

It was all flown manually.

Edited April 10, 2020 by RoninFrog
Added another picture

[ralanboyle]

Good job @RoninFrog, way to stick  with it. Welcome to the top of the leader-board. 

[jinnantonix]

Well done RoninFrog.  I had completed another run at 23:34 with my previous lander, but you are still top of the leader board.  So back to the drawing board ...