River Run Continued : Ferram Aerospace Research Edition

[Nyxilo]

I am huge fan of @selfish_meme' River-run Air-race Challenge but it's not very up-to-date... so I've decided to revive it adding a twist: Ferram Aerospace Research!

Unlike the original run this one is only a one-way trip as FAR restricts a lot the airframes, thus extending the average race time.

The overall path remains the same (please refer to the OP for more details).

 

Rules:

1)        Ferram Aerospace Research mod is mandatory. Atmosphere Autopilot is strongly recommended, especially for Fly-By-Wire and Speed control.

2)        This is a rated race. Time will still be accounted for in ranking tables; however, this race is designed more as a personal challenge than a competition.

3)        Timer starts at brake release on the Homeplate and stops at 5000m ASL above the Bowl. There is no turn-around like in the original run.

4)        Take your time from the in-game clock. As the game speeds up and slows down, it's the only one displaying an "accurate" time.

5)        Flight level must remain under 300 meters ASL.

6)        Any in-flight modification to the aircraft will make the run invalid. See “Points Calculation” for more details.

How-to : the River Run

After your craft spawns on the Runway, put the brakes on then teleport to the Homeplate just before the canyon’s entry using the Alt + F12 menu in “set position”:

Then, wait for your craft to land on the Homeplate. Timer will start as soon as you will release the brakes so don’t waste time!

The path is self-explanatory, as long as you stay below 300 meters ASL. The timer / run ends after climbing above the Bowl at 5000 meters ASL.

Here is an example: Test Run | KSP Canyon Race 2023 - YouTube (terrible run but shows the path)

 

Points calculation:

River Run: FAR Edition	0/5	1/5	2/5	3/5	4/5	5/5
Time (min)	> 11’	11’ - 10’	10’ - 9’	9’ - 8’	8’ - 7’	7’ >
Max ceiling (m)	> 250	250 - 200	200 - 150	150 - 100	100 - 50	50 >
Max speed (m/s)	< 300	300 - 350	350 – 400	400 - 450	450 - 500	500 <
Powerplant1	Anything else2	JX-4	J-404 / J-33	J-20	R121 / R7000	E-Propellers
Max G	> 25	25 – 20	20 – 15	15 – 10	10 – 5	5 >
Bonuses3	Manned aircraft4 +1	Camera Locked +1	No HUD (3rd Pers.) +1	Upside down flight +2	Mod IVA +2	Stock IVA +3
Run is invalid if...	Unconsciousness	Aerodynamic failure	Part jettison

 

¹Multiple engines are allowed, however take the worst one into account, i.e., if you have a R.A.P.I.E.R. and a Juno, you will have 0/5 in powerplant rating.

²Including CFG-Edited or engines from mods, as well as rocket engines and SRBs.

³Bonuses are additive and are awarded if only the full flight is made accordingly.

⁴With Kerbal G-Force limit enabled at 1.0x.

 

I’ve based the points on multiple performances. They will evolve if needed. A maximum of 30 points are obtainable at the same time.

As I said, this is designed as a personal challenge, I won't make global leaderboards.

 

Have fun, good flight!

Edited March 12, 2024 by Nyxilo
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