[Stock] Flapping-wing plane

[Jas0n]

Can I use Damned Robotics?

You know it says stock, right? and why would you need DR for an infini-gilder ?

[skykooler]

Hey guys, long-time lurker here, finally breaking my forum silence to submit my .20 version of the infiniglider I built back in .17 - the Infiniglide Spider Web! I think my original could manage about 1200 m/s, but I've made a few improvements with the new model (moar flaps and struts!) and, well...

I ran into the same troubles AgentPaper did... at low altitudes the thing would disintegrate once it hit about 1600 m/s. It was endlessly entertaining to watch all the wings shred off and spiral around the cockpit, but after many failed attempts I decided to fly carefully for the sake of poor Harely's new heart condition. Ended up having to cruise up to 2 km and then start barrel rolling this thing into lunacy.

Could you add a picture in the VAB/SPH? It's not really possible to see your craft through all the reentry effects!

[Biff Ironbarge]

Right... I suppose fire does make it a bit difficult to see. When I get home this afternoon I'll post a shot of it, as well as a few pictures of the newer and improved-er Infiniglide Spider Web 3. Now with exactly double the wings and struts!

[Skyhawk]

Are we allowing probes? If so, I would like to enter the Hummingbird, a lighter, faster vehicle based on AgentPaper's design. You simply take off, eject the gear, and repeatedly mash the buttons until it starts breaking the sound barrier and/or itself.

Here's a condensed version of what I posted to the Machingbird challenge:

Here's a shot of it decelerating after it ripped apart at top speed:

And here's the speed ( I look at over land speed like the Machingbird challenge does):

4,118 m/s.

Mach 12.1

[Skyhawk]

After a bit more tweaking (aka: MOAR FLAPS), I've improved my speed. I also submitted this to the machingbird challenge, now that it's broken all of the records there without breaking a sweat.

I'm sorry, but I sort of shattered your Machingbird record with my vehicle, which was an improved versoin of your design.

4,118 m/s.

I've posted it both here on page 3 and also on the Machingbird thread.

[Biff Ironbarge]

Just took a couple shots of my first entry:

...and, unfortunately I can't beat Skyhawk's entry. Even so, I should present the Infiniglide Spider Web 3! I just copy-pasted the original wings and for some reason the game decided the collisions in the outer ring were no big deal.

The result: Harely's woes as test pilot were rewarded with a wing-powered trip to interstellar space.

Highest recorded speed in atmosphere: a bit over 4008 m/s, but I didn't get a screencap of anything higher than 4008.

[Skyhawk]

A question: did you get a screenshot of the end flight/F3 log? It will tell you what your maximum airspeed overland is, even if you didn't screenshot it. Im jusat curious, because it would be neat to have a competitor who is close to my score. Nice job with 4,008, but I wonder if you beat me in 'Highest speed over land', which is standard for the Machingbird challenge.

[Biff Ironbarge]

A question: did you get a screenshot of the end flight/F3 log? It will tell you what your maximum airspeed overland is, even if you didn't screenshot it. Im jusat curious, because it would be neat to have a competitor who is close to my score. Nice job with 4,008, but I wonder if you beat me in 'Highest speed over land', which is standard for the Machingbird challenge.

Unfortunately I did not look at it when I actually did the flight, and when I went back to check the F3 log it just gave me the highest speed it had recorded since I clicked back to the craft. Should have thought to look at it when I first took it out into orbit, but I forgot.

I know for sure it was not going 111+ m/s faster than recorded, though, so I figure you're still in first place

Edited June 19, 2013 by Biff Ironbarge

[Svetlin Totev]

And you call that a speed record!?!?

Mine is 5k+

[Skyhawk]

Really now? I want to see that. As they say, pics or it didn't happen. Make sure to take a shot of the f3 log.

I would love to see a new challenger.

[Pds314]

Adding my latest creation soon, it can accelerate vertically to around 4.7 km/s.

[Deathsoul097]

I wonder, can anyone beat 5Km a second it the atmosphere?

[Pds314]

Just did, same vehicle, just better skill piloting. Although I have trouble with rapid unplanned disassembly and explosion occuring below about 7 kilometers with my new Infiniglide missile (BTW: The parachute is not at all guaranteed to survive liftoff, and may as well have never been there if the thing goes blam.)

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Yep, so I'm now the one and only person with a controllable atmospheric device capable of reaching Mach 16.9+

Edited December 6, 2013 by Pds314

[Pds314]

Also, random fact: If I understand KSP stock drag correctly, that means that this thing has a TWR of 1800+. Think about it. That little 189-part (lol, too many fins) 2.39-tonne craft is producing around 42159.6 kN of thrust, which if I could fly well enough to keep at 5744 m/s constantly, would be 242164742000 watts according to Work=Force*Distance and Thrust=Drag or sustained speeds, The equivalent of 60 kg per second of TNT, or The entire eastern seaboard of the U.S. worth of electricity.

So.... Yeah, forget the sonic boom breaking your windows, you won't have a house when this thing goes by.

Yep, this thing is quite likely brighter than all energy consumed by the 70,000,000 or so Kerbals living (assuming they are equally population-dense as us and consume comparable amounts of energy.). (62,000,000 if you only count those NOT stranded hopelessly on Eve, Low solar orbit, Tylo, An escape trajectory from Kerbol, The Moho Pits, or some other inescapable black hole of doom.)

[Pds314]

Just made a manned version, it can go almost as fast in theory, in practice though, doing so at an altitude allowing over 4400 m/s will inevitably rip the 24x reinforced lander can off.

Still, I got 4348 m/s overland in something manned and controllable at that speed.

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[Pds314]

6162 m/s before my new vehicle ripped 5 of its 8 limbs off, it was then limited to a more manageable 5400 m/s.

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I have since attempted to modify the design to exceed that speed, but increasing the number of flaps makes it tougher to control.