Kerbin Circumnavigation Challenge - Reloaded [New Rules Once More]

[Kerbies_are_my_Minions]

And on a side note, I can't possibly see a reason for anyone to ban the alarmclock. Thats ALL it is, it's an alarm clock. it tells you when things are happening and stops time warp. That's it. It doesn't fly your craft, it doesn't give it infinate fuel, it doesn't make anything easier except knowing when something is about to happen, and preventing you from overshooting your manuver because you couldn't stop timewarp fast enough.

Likewise, I don't see the point in banning crew manifest. It just lets you pick kermen, and load them up or transfer them. It really doesn't change any end result.

[clapanse]

Well...

I haven't handflown it yet (mostly because I keep screwing it up, but I'll keep trying - it isn't that hard to handfly, but I have no patience), and I know mechjeb disqualifies the submission, but here's a design that can definitely do it (and I suspect that, if flown perfectly, it could make 2 circumnavigations unrefuelled at <25km). The cruising speed is pretty excellent too

On this particular flight, it ran out of fuel just past 3/4 of the way around on the second circumnavigation, but I think it wasn't flying at its most efficient for the first time around (I didn't start really paying attention to fuel usage until half an hour in or so).

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hqj87rv5aixdiua/0GdWqsyiMs#f:InFlight2.PNG

[clapanse]

Update: Still haven't managed a handflown circumnavigation (it's pretty well behaved at low speeds and altitudes, but it's a bit touchy at full cruise), but it's definitely possible to do a double circumnavigation that is fully within the rules (since the only disqualifying part about this flight was the autopilot):

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4kq6uus7e49spyp/Kssz_drewE

It landed with 25.80 fuel left, which is actually several hundred kilometers of margin, so I think it could be handflown to a double circumnavigation. It would be kind of touchy though - the fuel efficiency is fairly sensitive to altitude, and this flight was flown (by the autopilot) pretty much 100% between 24,700 and 24,950. It's also interesting to see the speed build as fuel is burned off - initial cruising speed was around 1350-1400 m/s, but near the end, it was up well over 1700.

Edited May 6, 2013 by clapanse

[Vaisman]

THis is my attempt

[Flixxbeatz]

Well, welcome to the club (again) Vaisman!

[Kerbies_are_my_Minions]

Congradulations!

[llamatoes]

, I did ths challenge pre-forum explosion, and I would like to take it again, is it cheating if I have FAR installed?

[Kerbies_are_my_Minions]

Cheating? doesn't FAR make planes a little more difficult?

[ganjou234]

hey do you accept Submissions if the plane had some B9 aerospace parts just the Fueltanks and cockpit

[Flixxbeatz]

, I did ths challenge pre-forum explosion, and I would like to take it again, is it cheating if I have FAR installed?

If it's a plugin ,then it's null. Only KAC is allowed (because I've accidentally accepted an entry with it).

hey do you accept Submissions if the plane had some B9 aerospace parts just the Fueltanks and cockpit

Only the part add-ons listed on the first post are permitted.

[GROOV3ST3R]

I have also done this challenge before the wipe In case you want proof, here it is:

Flight stats:

I overshot the runway so I actually had to circle around and come back for another go covering a few more KM's than normally. Single engine, 100% stock, no debug. I also decided to nudge the max altitude to 25.000 during flight, and it was a very tense moment but I made it without overshooting the 25km ceiling

Top speed - 1467m/s - Mach 4.3

Also, I made that Elite Circumnavigator Ribbon

Feel free to use it as a ribbon for this challenge, as it was intended for that very purpose. Here are various sizes:

Glad to see Illatomatoes is using it already

It's an improved version of this ribbon:

Edited May 14, 2013 by GROOV3ST3R

[Flixxbeatz]

Hello GROOV3ST3R! Welcome back!

And welcome to the club once more

[GROOV3ST3R]

Hello GROOV3ST3R! Welcome back!

And welcome to the club once more

Thanks It's good to be back You're welcome to use any of the ribbons for the challenge

[SuperFastJellyfish]

Here's my entry in the 'Magellan I'. 49:00 MET. 1811m/s top speed. All stock and flown manually at x2 warp(for most of the flight).

http://imgur.com/a/ReYYm

Edit: My ascent profile was pretty weak. I didn't get up to the max ceiling for this plane until almost halfway around the planet. I might fly it again later tonight to improve my time. Not that it matters, but just for my own personal satisfaction.

Edited May 15, 2013 by SuperFastJellyfish

[GROOV3ST3R]

I see you must've flown at full throttle for the most part.

As a tip to future circumnavigators, try to use the MK2 parts.

Reason for that is that KSP calculates drag as mass of the object x drag coefficient. If you look at the MK1 parts and compare them to MK2 parts, you will see that the MK2 weighs less and carries more fuel. This way you get an efficient craft with low drag, low mass and lots of fuel on board. I might be wrong but the craft I made could possibly navigate kerbin twice in one go.

[SuperFastJellyfish]

I see you must've flown at full throttle for the most part.

As a tip to future circumnavigators, try to use the MK2 parts.

Reason for that is that KSP calculates drag as mass of the object x drag coefficient. If you look at the MK1 parts and compare them to MK2 parts, you will see that the MK2 weighs less and carries more fuel. This way you get an efficient craft with low drag, low mass and lots of fuel on board. I might be wrong but the craft I made could possibly navigate kerbin twice in one go.

I've noticed this difference, but went with the sleeker design because it looked better and had plenty of fuel left. Now if time mattered, then back to the drawing board, but here we are.

Edited May 16, 2013 by SuperFastJellyfish

[Flixxbeatz]

Sorry for an uber late reply but, welcome to the club, SuperFastJellyfish!

[Wait- Was That Important?]

I violated the rules for this thread on my thread's flight entry, but I'm going to re-engineer the design and see if I can't make it better.

Quick question: I have a Kethane scanner and parts from the Kerbal Attachment system that don't affect the plane in any way besides making it heavier. Would you rather I remove those or not?

Quick question 2: I have Kerbal Flight Engineer integrated in all command pods (config editing yay). Would it count if I just turned it off for the flight, or do I need a clean save?

[Flixxbeatz]

I violated the rules for this thread on my thread's flight entry, but I'm going to re-engineer the design and see if I can't make it better.

Quick question: I have a Kethane scanner and parts from the Kerbal Attachment system that don't affect the plane in any way besides making it heavier. Would you rather I remove those or not?

Quick question 2: I have Kerbal Flight Engineer integrated in all command pods (config editing yay). Would it count if I just turned it off for the flight, or do I need a clean save?

no need for clean save, just dismantle the plugins. I have allowed Kerbal Alarm Clock because I've accepted an entry with it by accident

[zekes]

alright ill do this, my ZB-7 is built for extreme range at all altitudes....and with a 28 ton payload capacity extra fuel i bet we could do two times around....

[Flixxbeatz]

alright ill do this, my ZB-7 is built for extreme range at all altitudes....and with a 28 ton payload capacity extra fuel i bet we could do two times around....

-snip-

Well if you got the time and patience, feel free to go for it

[XVeris]

Does it HAVE to be a plane? Would the rules allow a sub-orbit rocket? Because the term "aircraft" seems somewhat lenient, considering the Wikipedia page on the subject basically says "anything that is flyable within the atmosphere." And nobody said you can't stick the jet engines on a rocket, anywho.

[SuperFastJellyfish]

Does it HAVE to be a plane? Would the rules allow a sub-orbit rocket? Because the term "aircraft" seems somewhat lenient, considering the Wikipedia page on the subject basically says "anything that is flyable within the atmosphere." And nobody said you can't stick the jet engines on a rocket, anywho.

'The Rules (Modified Once More):

-Jet engines only.'

I'm not sure what your definition of a rocket is, but 'Jet engines only' tells me that any engine that doesn't use atmospheric oxygen(or whatever Kerbins' equivalent is) as an oxidizer is against the rules of this challenge.

[XVeris]

'The Rules (Modified Once More):

-Jet engines only.'

I'm not sure what your definition of a rocket is, but 'Jet engines only' tells me that any engine that doesn't use atmospheric oxygen(or whatever Kerbins' equivalent is) as an oxidizer is against the rules of this challenge.

I meant, that could I launch my plane-thing off the launch pad instead of the runway? Because it's a pain in the rear for me to get anything flying off that runway in one piece :/

[Flixxbeatz]

I meant, that could I launch my plane-thing off the launch pad instead of the runway? Because it's a pain in the rear for me to get anything flying off that runway in one piece :/

Runways only.