The 2023 KSP2 Drag Race Challenge

[Klapaucius]

The runway is huge!  Rover wheels don't come apart at speed (at least not yet)!  So, time to see how fast you can go before exploding.

 

The rules:

1. Launch on either runway.

2. You must stay on the runway with your wheels on the ground. If you leave the runway you are disqualified.

3. Record your top speed with a screen shot or video (since screenshots are difficult at the moment while things are happening fast, we can go on the honor system if you cannot manage it.  But do post a pic of your vehicle).

4. You must come to a complete stop intact.

5. Please keep to the spirit of the challenge and be honest and have fun!

 

 

LEADERBOARD:

1. @Simon_H889

2. @Periple636

3. @orcman 556

4. @Jvader 408

5. @Klapaucius364

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Klapaucius

[orcman]

I was about to post a very similar challenge, so here's my entry:

 

Vessel: Mad Max 1

Highest Speed: 211 m/s

Highest Altitude: 1m

Time taken: 53s

Distance: 6764m

Screen shot of finish line

[Klapaucius]

My attempt:  364 m/s.

 

 

[orcman]

Right then.

Mad Max 2

Top Speed: 511 m/s

Time: 23s

finish line screenshot

[Klapaucius]

1 minute ago, orcman said:

Right then.

Mad Max 2

Top Speed: 511 m/s

Time: 23s

finish line screenshot

Awesome! Did you survive?

 

BTW: Came across this on Youtube. A bit premature I think:

 

[orcman]

Yeah, it went a little squirrelly towards the end, but the vertical stabilizer was just enough to correct it - didn't leave the ground though. (max alt 1m)

I had to get the fuel load just right too - the first few tries landed me in the drink.

You can seen my velocity is 0.2m/s. braked to stop, then hit the screenshot button. Two hands needed for this one ;-)

Happy to share craft file if you want to try it yourself.

Edited February 27, 2023 by orcman
can share craft if requested

[Klapaucius]

5 minutes ago, orcman said:

Yeah, it went a little squirrelly towards the end, but the vertical stabilizer was just enough to correct it - didn't leave the ground though. (max alt 1m)

I had to get the fuel load just right too - the first few tries landed me in the drink.

You can seen my velocity is 0.2m/s. braked to stop, then hit the screenshot button. Two hands needed for this one ;-)

Happy to share craft file if you want to try it yourself.

Yeah, the wheels don't stick very well after a certain speed.

[orcman]

You could probably get a few m/s faster if you lightened the fuel load.  I can see you still have most of the tank left.

Also setting the chutes to open when risky help the slow-down phase.

[Klapaucius]

Just now, orcman said:

You could probably get a few m/s faster if you lightened the fuel load.  I can see you still have most of the tank left.

Also setting the chutes to open when risky help the slow-down phase.

It is definitely not optimized, but the fuel load is not the main issue. I hit the chutes because I knew it would blow up very soon.  The fasted I have done in that machine is just over 400, and it destroys itself either just coming apart or skidding off the runway and coming apart.

[Jvader]

408 m/s

It's basically a podracer:

 

[orcman]

Mad Max 3 : Beyond Red-Ickuless

Speed: 556 m/s    Time: 25s

Stopped just in time.

Mad Max 3 at the finish line

If you get a bit of interest in this, it might be a good idea to break this challenge up into various classes too: Air-Breathing, Solids & Methalox ?

Edited February 27, 2023 by orcman
beat my previous speed & stopped in runway

[Klapaucius]

3 hours ago, orcman said:

If you get a bit of interest in this, it might be a good idea to break this challenge up into various classes too: Air-Breathing, Solids & Methalox ?

That is a good idea.  I think currently the limiting factor is staying on the runway.  I'm impressed you broke 500. All my stuff comes apart well before then. It seems the game just decides the stresses are too much and everything comes apart.

[orcman]

26 minutes ago, Klapaucius said:

That is a good idea.  I think currently the limiting factor is staying on the runway.  I'm impressed you broke 500. All my stuff comes apart well before then. It seems the game just decides the stresses are too much and everything comes apart.

Big thing is not to start bouncing fore and aft, otherwise the wheels explode due to stress.  My gut feel is that you can slide as fast as you want on wheels though.  I don't think at 500 m/s they have any substantial traction.

I like the constraint of the runway as you have to brake as well ;-)  BTW is the chevron area at the end of the runway still "on the runway", or does the runway end at the line (your rules, but it should be clear)

Any idea on what the land speed record is ATM? or have I just set it? (yay!)

[Simon_H]

My attempt: 674 m/s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmaVq4XtkDA

[Klapaucius]

My attempt at creating a really small dragster.  This uses the Rovmax S2s. The best I have done so far is 212 m/s.  It is interesting how much you can tweak and optimize. The intial attempt came apart at just over 100.

 

 

[Simon_H]

New attempt @889m/s

 

[Klapaucius]

7 minutes ago, Simon_H said:

New attempt @889m/s

 

That was a really clever use of the wing deployment.

[Simon_H]

On 3/4/2023 at 12:10 PM, Klapaucius said:

That was a really clever use of the wing deployment.

Airbreaks lmao

[Periple]

This is a really fun challenge!

I got this guy to 636 m/s. I think that's pretty good but I would still have a long way to go to beat Simon_H's record. I don't think I can go much faster with this one, I only barely managed to stop on the runway!