Pogo stick height challenge

[Entropian]

So I managed to get about 600 meters AGL using a hydraulic-powered pogo stick, and I wondered, how high can you guys get?

The challenge is simple:  Use a pogo stick to bounce as high into the air as you can.

Rules:

1) No method of propulsion other than the hydraulic piston(s) may be used.  No rockets, jets, propellers, or other shenanigans.

2) No kraken drives or physics exploits, with the exception of the KAL track bug.  This is necessary because, as far as I could tell, this is the only way to extend the piston fast enough to lift into the air.  (EDIT: @vyznev has disproven this conjecture!)

3) Recovery is optional.

4) The craft can be unkerballed or kerballed.

Have fun!

KAL exploit leaderboard:

@Entropian 1,667 meters

No KAL exploit leaderboard:

@vyznev 1,338 meters

Edited August 8, 2020 by Entropian

[Vanamonde]

Let's see yours. 

[Entropian]

55 minutes ago, Vanamonde said:

Let's see yours. 

Sure thing; I managed to get even higher this time: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g8va89s35z5bt4j/Pogo stick.mp4?dl=0

[vyznev]

9 hours ago, Entropian said:

2) No kraken drives or physics exploits, with the exception of the KAL track bug.  This is necessary because, as far as I could tell, this is the only way to extend the piston fast enough to lift into the air.

Clearly you're just not using enough pistons.

Craft file here: https://pastebin.com/5zjhZ4q9

Note the complete absence of any KAL-1000 controllers. I did "cheat" a bit by leaving the pistons on the ground instead of launching them with the craft, but you didn't say I couldn't.

[Entropian]

Nice!  I'll make a separate leaderboard for KAL bug entries.  Leaving pistons on the ground is fine, along with breaking them.  The real premise of the challenge is to get as high as possible with hydraulics.

EDIT: Is the craft above water?  If not, can you run it again to find how high you went AGL?  I'll take the ASL level for now.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Entropian

[vyznev]

23 minutes ago, Entropian said:

If not, can you run it again to find how high you went AGL?  I'll take the ASL level for now.

The launchpad surface is 72 meters above sea level. (Yes, I just checked. The wiki says 68 meters, but I think that's for the level 1 launch pad in Career mode.) But if we're being completely fair, we should also subtract the height of the piston stack, which is about 45 meters tall, for a total starting altitude of 117 meters ASL. Which, in fact, is what the pre-launch screenshot shows. (I wasn't sure if it was showing the altitude of the root part or of the center of mass, but apparently it's the former.)

Edited August 7, 2020 by vyznev

[Entropian]

Ok, thanks.  I've updated the leaderboard.

[sturmhauke]

Did someone say "piston abuse"? Let me get back to you.

[Entropian]

So for the KAL abuse method, it seems the limiting factor is air resistance.  When I use a heavier projectile, it actually goes higher up than a lighter projectile.  I think the piston has enough force that it's extending at its maximum traverse rate long before it extends fully, regardless of mass.

[vyznev]

1 hour ago, Entropian said:

So for the KAL abuse method, it seems the limiting factor is air resistance.  When I use a heavier projectile, it actually goes higher up than a lighter projectile.  I think the piston has enough force that it's extending at its maximum traverse rate long before it extends fully, regardless of mass.

Looks like that's true for the non-exploit method too. I added a fuel tank as ballast to the launcher from my previous post and got a whopping 451 meters of extra altitude.

(Waiting until the tip of the launcher was pointing more precisely straight up might've helped a bit too, as the piston stack is tall enough to wobble a bit on the launch pad. I might have to consider adding some extra throwaway bracing struts.)

[Entropian]

Nice!  I'll update the leaderboard.  Seems like a large factor in this challenge is going to be getting the heaviest possible projectile into the smallest possible airframe...

[Vanamonde]

You guys are silly.  

[sturmhauke]

Silly? This is Sparta Kerbal Space Program!

[Entropian]

By applying Jebediah's Law of Moar, I managed to get a bit higher using the KAL exploit: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ezt7bvk7l3dq0s/Pogo stick 2.mp4?dl=0

[doggonemess]

I'm not clear on what is happening with the KAL exploit. How does that work?

[Entropian]

1 hour ago, doggonemess said:

I'm not clear on what is happening with the KAL exploit. How does that work?

It's the bug where the track value can be set to absurdly high values using the slope modulator thing.  Take a look at my videos farther up for a better idea.

 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Entropian
!hsilgne