0.17 Stock Land Speed Challenge

[Wayfare]

My forum search turned up a handful of previous land speed record challenges, but none in 0.17, and none with pure stock parts. So...

The challenge: achieve the highest speed over land!

The rules:

- Stock parts only.

- Start must be from the KSC runway (tip: turn your command pod/cockpit 180 degrees in the SPH to start pointing away from the sea).

- Vehicle must maintain ground contact at all times.

- Vehicle must end the run intact (minus any ejected stages) and stopped at 0 m/s.

- Crew must survive.

Beginner's benchmark:

From here

The XL-3 had a bit of kick to it:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34440[/ATTACH]

Peaking at just over 300 m/s:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34441[/ATTACH]

The boosters burned out and the drogue deployed:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34444[/ATTACH]

Mission success! [...] 306m/s.

I'm sure you guys can do better - good luck!

[fossil98]

I tried this the other day. Lets just say that the Kerbhound project now lacks investment.

BTW, thank you so much for that tip... 10 RCS thrusters to barely nudge my car 180 took a lot of time. Will try again!

Edit: Have already got 306 beat, just stopping it is the problem...

Edit 2: or I guess just another pair of wheels would stop it tipping.

Woo, new land speed record: 361m/s

http://imgur.com/b9b4K

(Images too big)

Edited October 11, 2012 by fossil98

[Wjolcz]

I'll try this challange tomorrow, and post the results!

[Wayfare]

Turning your craft 180 degrees in the SPH also has the advantage of tricking KSPs weird lift calculator into making your wings produce downforce. Useful!

And going fast is easy - it's keeping your pilot alive that's the problem

[fossil98]

I really don't like super-bumping but there has got to be more than one attempt made right?

On one of the last challenges involving land speed somebody got to 500m/s!

[sal_vager]

Hmmm, the post before yours..... October.

My calendar says..... October, so hardly even a mini-bump really

[ExtraPlanetal]

I present to you the new 0.17 land speed record!

416 m/s!

Edited October 16, 2012 by ExtraPlanetal

[fossil98]

I present to you the new 0.17 land speed record!

416 m/s!

Nice. Do you mind uploading a pic of the craft you did it with?

[ExtraPlanetal]

Here's the craft I used for the 416 m/s record

Although that craft is a tad bit obselete now. You see, I made some modifications and did another run

[NovaSilisko]

I got this up to 436 m/s but it was sort of hopping near the end, then it exploded

Research is continuing.

[Guest andy94]

My forum search turned up a handful of previous land speed record challenges, but none in 0.17, and none with pure stock parts. So...