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Weekly Challenge #37: Build a Glider!


Dakota

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  • KSP2 Alumni
Challenge37_Glider_Landscape.png
 
Rules: The glider must be completely unpowered and launched into the air by a powered rover. The rover may use any propulsion system to build speed before decoupling the glider, and must stay on the ground until decoupling. The glider must carry at least one kerbal pilot.
 
Primary: Launch your glider and land safely back on the runway
 
Secondary: Fly your glider under the R&D bridge
 
Jeb: Land (Crash?) your glider on the VAB or Training Center helipads.
 
Val: Glide as far as you can from KSC and record your best distance!
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I was feeling ambitious this week, so I decided to complete all levels.

The vehicle

Spoiler

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The airframe is constructed of primarily small and extra small truss structures in an attempt to keep the airframe as light as possible.

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The rover is constructed of primarily an Kickback SRB to maximize the top attenable speed before launch of the glider. I equipped two parachutes to the rover so after the glider detaches, I can use it to measure my total glide distance for the Val level of the challenge.

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Aerodynamics of the whole vehicle.

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Aerodynamics of the glider.

 Primary level

Spoiler

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Accelerating/ Glider release.

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Climbing for altitude

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Heading back to the runway.

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Landed near the rover.

Secondary level

Spoiler

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Lining up to fly under the R&D bridge.

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Flying under the bridge.

Jeb level (this one took a while to get right)

Spoiler

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Glider launch

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Turning towards the VAB

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Landed on the VAB helipad.

Val level

Spoiler

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Accelerating

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Detaching at the end of the runway.

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Climbing for altitude.

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Leveling off at ~1388m (Note: if you look closely, you can see the rover stopped at the end of the runway. This is how I measured the glide distance.)

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A few minutes later, the glider slashed down 19.2km from the KSC.

 

Edited by Sivako Aerospace
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I took a stab at the Val level and came to the conclusion that a design different than my mini glider was needed for a distance try. 

Glider and rover sled.

rshDac1.jpg

Accelerating down the runway.

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Was able to reach a speed a little better than mach 1 before detaching from the sled. A beacon is positioned at the end of Runway 1 as guide for distance and decouple point. The sled takes a bath at the end of the run, some parts are recoverable..  

1JbFzGN.jpg

Heading up toward the clouds, rapidly loosing speed.

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Leveling off a bit above 2000 m.

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Drifting down to the sea, descent slow and steady. 

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Splash down!! 

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Final distance of 29.2 km was achieved. With a bit of practice, luck and patience I bet island airfield is within reach..... :) 

rj6KZtv.jpg

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  • 5 months later...

As I was looking at old challenges to combine for the new one, I came across this. I noticed that the longest distance was 29km and thought it might be worth having another go now that KSP2 is more stable. The Island runway is 39Km away so that was my goal. If anybody wants to get into a distance competition, I'd be down to see how much further we can go. 

 

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