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Kerbin Circumnavigation Challenge - Reloaded [New Rules Once More]

Flixxbeatz
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Flixxbeatz

Flixxbeatz

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This was my second attempt with a completely new plane design. I hope you can let the crew manifest mod slide as my five year old son loves to rename my kerbal crew members, which is all it does.

-snip-

Thanks for the Challenge it was a blast, now I'm going to pass out.

I've let crew manifest pass anyway, so no worries at all. Congratulations! :D

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Wyseman76

Wyseman76

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Alright, I give up, I've been trying like 5 hours, and either I run out of fuel, spin out of control while adjusting my angle, or spin out of control on my descent to land. Can anybody give me some tips for this?

I guess all I can say is you need a good lifting body that is stable at all speeds while providing positive lift at a low fuel consumption. I know easier said than done, I almost ate my fuel tank up not paying attention to my throttle. Don't give up.

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RocketTurtle

RocketTurtle

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I guess all I can say is you need a good lifting body that is stable at all speeds while providing positive lift at a low fuel consumption. I know easier said than done, I almost ate my fuel tank up not paying attention to my throttle. Don't give up.

Do you have any design recommendations? What speed and altitude are the most efficient?

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Flixxbeatz

Flixxbeatz

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Alright, I give up, I've been trying like 5 hours, and either I run out of fuel, spin out of control while adjusting my angle, or spin out of control on my descent to land. Can anybody give me some tips for this?

Can I see the plane you are using for the challenge?

I guess all I can say is you need a good lifting body that is stable at all speeds while providing positive lift at a low fuel consumption. I know easier said than done, I almost ate my fuel tank up not paying attention to my throttle. Don't give up.

My entry barely made it back to KSC actually, having less than 200 fuel with a few kilometers more to clear :D

Edited by Flixxbeatz
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Flixxbeatz

Flixxbeatz

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In the same place.

hYP7mtO

Ahuh... okay. Now I know why they won't fly (or tumble in-flight). The CoL is on the same place as where the CoM is.

The Center of Lift must be behind the Center of Mass (but keep them on the same level if possible) for it to be ably to fly and/or to retain its balance in-flight. Don't make them very far from each other though, since you'll find a hard time taking off.

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RocketTurtle

RocketTurtle

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Ahuh... okay. Now I know why they won't fly (or tumble in-flight). The CoL is on the same place as where the CoM is.

The Center of Lift must be behind the Center of Mass (but keep them on the same level if possible) for it to be ably to fly and/or to retain its balance in-flight. Don't make them very far from each other though, since you'll find a hard time taking off.

:o... oh. Well. Now I know NOT to trust YouTube, no matter HOW MANY people say something is true...

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Torham234

Torham234

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Ahuh... okay. Now I know why they won't fly (or tumble in-flight). The CoL is on the same place as where the CoM is.

The Center of Lift must be behind the Center of Mass (but keep them on the same level if possible) for it to be ably to fly and/or to retain its balance in-flight. Don't make them very far from each other though, since you'll find a hard time taking off.

Not necessarily. It is entirely possible to fly a plane with COM and COL at the same spot, or indeed with COL in front (avionics package is your friend). It simply affects how the plane behaves at different altitudes.

- Balanced COL and COM are very good for low altitude agile craft, since they respond well in any direction. Sometimes even too well, hence they may be prone to tumbling and spins, if the control surfaces are not designed well.

- with COL behind the COM, you are anticipating the shift in COM due to loss of fuel. This configuration is good for planes witch expend a lot of fuel in flight, thus shifting the balance. These tend to nose down at early stages of flight, and may be hard to take off from runway. They tend to land fairly smoothly, since by the time you are landing, you have a perfectly balanced craft. It may be difficult for them to attain high altitudes, since you may not be able to pitch up far enough to overcome the weight of the nose.

- COL in front: These craft are difficult to pilot at any stage, as they tend to nose up and spin out of control. Never the less, with Avionics package and trim control, they can be tamed. The advantage of this configuration is the cruise ceiling. Because they naturally tend to pitch up, they can easily fly at ultra high altitudes where ordinary craft are unable to maintain stable pitch. These are a bit of a niche craft, because the fuel expenditure will shift COM even further back for landing and they may be impossible/extremely difficult to land. non the less I do have several stratospheric designs in this config, and they are fully functional and capable of landing even with 0 fuel ( un-powered glide landing). A great help when designing this type of plane is to make it as long as possible, as to give yourself a lot of steering control. The bigger the distance of a control surface from COM, the bigger the effect.

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Wyseman76

Wyseman76

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Well, I got up to 22,000, tried leveling out, and got put into a flat spin... hm...

remember one thing else, this is a long flight, make your climb gradual and purposeful. If your going balls out with the throttle to the max your pushing the plane to hard you should be able to get up there without the need to force it so to speak.

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RocketTurtle

RocketTurtle

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Yeah... I just got a bit over half way... only for my plane to flip directions and start spazzing out... I'm going back to rockets... Bye!

Edit: No... I need that ribbon thingy... does anyone have tips on holding your altitude?

Edited by RocketTurtle
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Torham234

Torham234

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Yeah... I just got a bit over half way... only for my plane to flip directions and start spazzing out... I'm going back to rockets... Bye!

Since your pictures do not seem to work for me, some general pointers.

- flameouts are the leading cause of high altitude spin, 9 out of 10 kerbals agree.

- having good amount of control surfaces will save many a jet, the old Grampa Bill K used to say... Do not forget the vertical ones too. In the thin air of 24 km, even 2 -4 vertical flaps will be most useful.

- leading scientists agree that air intakes are basically just huge breaks. Having them in the front of the plane will cause it to flip back over heels. Having them at the rear will help stabilize your craft( imagine speeding on a motorcycle and the difference of using the front and back wheel break).

- flying does not mean you must absolutely have to go at max throttle. I did most of the globe with throttle set to 3 bars from zero.

Happy flying ;)

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Vaisman

Vaisman

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So, 0.20 is out and i've made it again, now Holy Jeb Circumnavigator flying around the world on new brand chariot of fire

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2835 s.

Strange construction on the airfield - Capsule for Jeb and ladder for boarding, jettisoned before start.

Edited by Vaisman
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