Kerbin Helicopter Circumnavigation

[Hotel26]

Leg 2 [prev] [next] [progress]

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Departed: 4.08/-82.2 @ ~3y156d 0h0m?    Airborne: ~25m    Heading: 325    Distance: 98.5 km    Altitude: 1.5 km    Arrival: 10.65/-88.93

Clever Dick has discovered that the cockpit can be manually set to "Up" ref which vastly simplifies hovering.  Now that the initial "butterflies" have settled, this is quite enjoyable and not too taxing.  At 2 legs per day, this mission might be completed by Christmas, or during 2020, anyway.

Edited December 7, 2020 by Hotel26

[Hotel26]

On 12/2/2020 at 2:30 AM, swjr-swis said:

You's got pinned.

So busy playing with helicopters I didn't notice this meant a TOTM pin.  (Yes, I'm very slow on the "collective", you could say!)  Very thrilled and, even more so, grateful to the Moderation Team and nominators.

Thank you and my fervent hope is that many other helo afficianados will join in and make this a swarm.  The "routine" is starting to become addictive and I know I am going to be a much better chopper pilot at the end.  (I should work on becoming a better chopper designer, though!)

Edited December 6, 2020 by Hotel26

[Mikenike]

15 minutes ago, Hotel26 said:

The "routine" is starting to become addictive and I know I am going to be a much better chopper pilot at the end.  (I should work on becoming a better chopper designer, though!)

Me in a nutshell, I've been trying to design a better helo for as long as EE has had the Rotors from the BG DLC. I still suck, but I'm improving, partly by copying peoples designs, partly by doing stupid stuff by accident. as a joke, Hotel 2-6-9 November, you are cleared up to 500, resume own course. 

[NH04]

1 hour ago, Hotel26 said:

I should work on becoming a better chopper designer, though!

Me too. All 10 prototypes I have made have exploded on impact so far.  (Instability issues during flight)

[ralanboyle]

6 hours ago, Hotel26 said:

At 2 legs per day, this mission might be completed by Christmas, or during 2020, anyway.

Why not just swap out those Junos for a couple Panthers and let'er rip? 

[Hotel26]

5 hours ago, ralanboyle said:

Why not just swap out those Junos for a couple Panthers and let'er rip?

I think (personal view) the most meaningful speed record attempts would be ones designed as "classic" helicopters: rotor power only and no wings.  Do you have any estimate of how fast that might be, in KSP?

Nevertheless, the @Pds314 and @chadgaskermandesigns look very interesting.

[ralanboyle]

Well, I have a coaxial helicopter with no tail rotor and no forward or backward facing motors or propellers. It's forward and upward thrust is just the shared rotors on top. It cruises at about 50m/s at about 8,000m. It is electric and never lands. It is stable enough to be semi autonomous; so I just have to keep KSP running on my PC and check in every hour or so to adjust heading. We will see if she makes it all the way around...

[silks]

Are outdated / old-fashioned / nostalgia-inducing rotors allowed? And can I use Mechjeb's Smart A.S.S to hold heading, pitch & roll?
Here's a sneak peek  of my quadcopter abomination.

 

[Hotel26]

3 hours ago, silks said:

Are outdated / old-fashioned / nostalgia-inducing rotors allowed? And can I use Mechjeb's Smart A.S.S to hold heading, pitch & roll?

Yes, all good.  Thanks for the video!

[Hotel26]

Leg 3 [prev] [next] [progress]

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Departed: 10.65/-88.93 @ 3.156 5.26    Airborne: 27m    Heading: 260    Distance: 103.1 km    Altitude: 1.2 km    Arrival: 9.50/-98.90

Crossing the Western Channel.

Leg 4

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Departed: 9.50/-98.90 @ 3.157 0.36    Airborne: 30m    Heading: 263    Distance: 129.5 km    Altitude: 3.1 km    Arrival: 8.37/-111.36

Took a calculated risk and flew long into mountains to keep the scenic quotient high.  Landed with 20% fuel remaining.

Edited December 7, 2020 by Hotel26

[ralanboyle]

After 12 hours, I was half way around and Jeb got bored. 
 

There were just too many things to be improved. I went back to the drawing board and am now enroute at 230m/s. Still a rotorcraft without tilting parts or additional thrust but it looks less like a helo. I did fly it under the bridge and land it on the VAB before going west, just to prove it flew like a helo. 
 

video recording

[Hotel26]

9 minutes ago, ralanboyle said:

After 12 hours, I was half way around and Jeb got bored. 

The bookmakers have you odds-on to be the First Recipient of the Kerbin Helicopter Circumnavigation Badge...  (Be advised: unable to view the video recording and note also that 4 of your signature icons are barred.)

Can't wait to see your helo!

(P.S. just a reminder.  You should plan a landing at the opposite side of the globe with a screenshot just to comply with the stipulations for this "any route" circumnavigation.  (I myself wouldn't object to a non-stop, but if someone else did...)  If you feel strongly about it, let me know, and it's not too late at this time to make an alteration that will cater to the "speed set".    It is a level playing field as it is, though.

Edited December 6, 2020 by Hotel26

[ralanboyle]

Yeah, “video recording” was meant as a verb, not a noun. The video is currently recording.
 

I will be flying directly west around the equator and would rather not stop. I figured no one would give me a hard time about the gps point since it’s purpose is to make sure you don’t take a shortcut at an extreme latitude. Also, since mine will be a video, it’ll be easier to see that it complies than a photo album would.  And yeah, a superlative or something for fastest time might inspire more competition. 
 

What’s wrong with my signature? You are the first to tell me it isnt working correctly. Can anyone else verify? 

[Hotel26]

22 minutes ago, ralanboyle said:

What’s wrong with my signature?

Will amend the rules!  Easterly, Westerly, Northerly, Southerly headings will be accepted as non-stop when the pilot elects/specifies this intention.  Good luck, brave pilot!

The first 4 images are showing as a European "no entry" sign.  The first URL is https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/...

I would say that it is an upload sharing permissions problem or similar...?  I've caused the same problems with Google Drive.  Might be simple to rectify by going to the hosting site and fiddling with the permissions menu(s).  But it could also be an issue between kerbalspaceprogram and googleusercontent (one rejecting the other).  Your 5th image (imgur.com) shows just fine.

UPDATE: hmm, rules do not appear to state specifically that one must land at that opposite point; just that you fly over it.  You're all set, Ralan.

Edited December 6, 2020 by Hotel26

[Hotel26]

Leg 5 [prev] [next] [progress]

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Departed: 8.37/-111.36 @ 3.158 0.26    Airborne: 10m    Heading: 250    Distance: 41.1 km    Altitude: 3.0 km    Arrival: 6.43/-114.76

Some excitement in the Dick Smith camp as news came in that Dick's trusty Chippewa had suffered a flame-out crossing the mountains.  Fortunately, Dick had just crossed the last ridge marking the exit from those mountains and was able to land on battery power with 3% charge remaining.

After ascertaining that Dick was unhurt, and the equipment unscathed, KSC Support scrambled a rescue mission, employing an ancient Pterodactyl^[1] flat-bed transporter to ferry a Gryphon III fuel truck out to the crash landing site.

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On a sombre note, engineer Kendo Kerman was untimely ripped from his Gryphon EVA seat some time during the rescue flight, which certainly exceeded Mach 3...  "What was he thinking...?"

Requiescat in pace, Kendo; you will be missed.

                                                                                          

A subsequent audit revealed that Dick had inadvertently skipped the very first flight preparation item on the lengthy check-list: "refuel".  The audit also added the 41.1 km covered before the mishap to the previous leg's 129.5 km to conclude that Chippewa endurance is, at least, 170 km.  Good news for the team.

[1] credit to @Brikoleurfor his original Pelican, since my Pterodactyl is an unabashed reverse-engineered knock-off.

Edited December 7, 2020 by Hotel26

[ralanboyle]

36 minutes ago, Hotel26 said:

Some excitement in the Dick Smith

Dude, you've got a lot going on. 

[ralanboyle]

Unless something tragic happens, I should finish tonight before I go to bed. So, video tomorrow.  The run will be between 4 and 5 hours but its been lagging pretty hard; around a quarter speed, so its been about 15 hours so far IRL...

[Hotel26]

Leg 6 [prev] [next] [progress]

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Departed: 6.43/-114.76 @ 3.158.1.25    Airborne: 15m    Heading: 260    Distance: 62.1 km    Altitude: 1.9 km    Arrival: 5.44/-120.63

A short and routine flight to the edge of the next large bay.

 

Leg 7

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Departed: 5.44/-120.63 @ 3.159.5.33    Airborne: 34m    Heading: 245    Distance: 148.4 km    Altitude: 1.9 km    Arrival: -1.14/-133.24

Pushed hard on Leg 7, knowing that the Dessert Strip is within striking range on Leg 8.  Nevertheless, 148 km appears to be very close to the limit of the machine and a descending approach was used to expedite the landing, made with less than a kallon of fuel remaining on board.  With this reduced range, whether tomorrow's first leg takes us over the mountains to the Strip may very well require one of those KSP lucky tail winds.

Edited December 9, 2020 by Hotel26

[ralanboyle]

Alright,

My run comes in at 4 hours 55 minutes including 5 minutes of messing around at KSC at the start. She is electrically powered with RTGs and has no thrust aside from the rotors. The small aero surfaces are for stability and create a marginal amount of lift. It has no movable control surfaces.  

 

[Hotel26]

4 hours ago, ralanboyle said:

Alright,

Sir Ralan Boyle, Master Aviator, Expert Shipbuilder, First Circumnavigator.  All Hail!!

A very professional and entertaining video, too.  Well done, sir!

(I guess we need to make a badge now!?  I will get on it...)

Edited December 7, 2020 by Hotel26

[ralanboyle]

20 minutes ago, Hotel26 said:

Sir Ralan Boyle, Master Aviator, Expert Shipbuilder, First Circumnavigator

Haha, I'll forfeit all of these for a simple Commander Boyle (R. Alan Boyle) .   

Thanks, thanks. Can we get a map view of your next leg? I can't tell where you are. I'm hoping more will join the challenge. 

Is my signature working now? 

[Hotel26]

11 minutes ago, ralanboyle said:

Commander Boyle

A really superb job!  And, thank you for participating!

My leg posts include a [progress] link which points to the updated map, here:

I, personally, am having a ball doing this expedition, so I share your hope others will join.  (I have a rover about half way around that has been stalled for a year or two, so this has worked out much better.)

No luck as yet with the signatures.

Edited December 7, 2020 by Hotel26

[Hotel26]

Disclaimer: I am not a graphics artist, but something along the lines of this for a badge?

It's got the globe, the four compass points and the blades.

Open for comments (and better attempts)...
 

UPDATE:

More compact -- and "the 6 compass points"...?  hmm.  Oh well.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Hotel26

[silks]

After hours and hours of testing I managed to get cruising speed up to 50 m/s. Can't do any better so I'm done building and will officially enter the challenge.

4 rookie pilots and 16 volunteers signed the paperwork and will risk their lives for a dangerous challenge - to fly around Kerbin in an experimental helicopter.
Our chubby quad copter weighs exactly 24 tons and cruises at 50 m/s.

During this grand voyage we will visit 6 points of interest, starting from the Desert Temple. Total flight time is estimated to be around 24 hours.

Spoiler

And I have to redo the first flight. Got a bit too ballsy and tried precision landing with this floating brick.

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by silks

[Hotel26]

8 hours ago, silks said:

will officially enter the challenge

Welcome, Bold Adventurers!  And, my, what an interesting route you have planned; we're quite envious, I don't mind admitting.

Looks like your Opposite Point is (approx) 6.30N, 38.33E  and that should be easy for you to incorporate in your route.

The Very Best of Luck to you and your team!!

Edited December 8, 2020 by Hotel26