Better Stock Crafts - Z-MAP Satellite - VOTE NOW!

[Xeldrak]

Now, while we all holding our breaths while waiting for the final results (I sure hope you do), I wanted to show you guys something

While looking up the rockets for the inspirational pictures, I fell in love with the R-7 rocket, more specificaly the 8K71PS configuration, that was used to launch sputnik. I like how bulky it looks and the design is incredibly simple and ingenious: They didn't have to hope that the second stage engines would fire - they could test all engines right there on the pad before releasing the rocket, because all engines fired at liftoff.

So, I tried to rebuild something like this in KSP and ended up with this:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

I didn't want to enter the challenge - maybe I'd win again and winning your own challenge two times would be incredibly lame. Besides, the rocket does have some problems while I didn't have much time to fiddle around with it.

With sixfolded symetry for the boosters, I think I got this really bulky look and I like how it works out to use three boosters for fins and three boosters for the launch-clamps. Also by using LV-T30s on the boosters and a LV-T45 on the core I had a nice workaround for this too-many-gimbaling-engines problem while the look was kept coherent. The rocket is not aspargus'd, so the basic design is true to the R-7, with a core that is basically lifted by the boosters until it can lift itself The satellite itself is called the "Kaputtnik".

Well, sadly there were some problems for this challenge. First of: It WAY to powerfull, this Rocket can be used for interplanetary missions to Eve or Duna or it can bring a fairly large satellite into kerbosynchronous orbit. The TWR is also way to big, you actually have to throttle down during ascend to stay under terminal velocity. Shortly before boster seperation, the TWR ist >5.

Also, when aiming for a orbit between 75-150 km (so basically the range where you would put you first satellite), the boosters would seperate in space - and with six strutted down boosters around a core you have this problem of clearing them without a colission, wich I thought wasn't very noob-friendly too.

Still I somehow really like this rocket, so I will probably put it on my ChemRock page in the near future....just need some cool animal name, right now it's the X2.

Well, just wanted to show you guys what I've been doing - back to waiting for the votes...

[PDCWolf]

Voted for supernovy's H-Map. He kept it simple, even if he added those horrible fins.

[squirtgun1234]

giggleplex777!

[SirJodelstein]

My vote goes to Francescos K-Map satellite for several reasons:

- light and compact, does what it needs to do (get into orbit) but not much more (no reason to have interplanetary-capable satellites for a first launch)

- simple yet very good-looking solar-array pattern

- protected core with a clever drive system, i thing new players can learn a lot from this design

[Supernovy]

I'll admit I put more effort into the payload than the LV, but I didn't want to do anything tricky (like clipping), since the point of the challenge was a newbie-friendly design.

I did, however, redo the booster stage including fins, which I will post a picture of here at some point. I also noticed that I was the only one to cluster LV-1Rs, they seem like a nice way to get a thrust between the 24-77 and Ant, if lacking in specific impulse (and being four times as loud).

I voted for the K-MAP because it's simple and it emulates the original Z-MAP very well.

EDIT: Here's the HMAP version three:

Edited August 21, 2013 by Supernovy

[Francesco]

I voted for Giggleplex's Meteosat 2: I LOVE how the satellite looks, with all those solar panels wrapped around

[AmpsterMan]

I voted for Francesco because of the simplicity and elegance of design. Though, really all of them were so great it was hard to choose

[Giggleplex777]

I voted for Francesco's K-Map Sat, but it was a though choice between it and esinohio' Kerbnik.

[AmpsterMan]

I had a tough time choosing between Francesco, Supernovy, SV Ron, and Giggle's While I don't want to lessen the value of the crafts others put up, those four I felt reflected the simplistic, easy to use, yet Aesthetics of the original sat

[Xeldrak]

We have a winner!

It's Giggleplex777 with his Meteosat 2!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

With seven votes, the clear winner, you may from now on hold the honorary title of "Z-Map replacement guy"

---

On a close second place, with six votes, we have Francesco's

K-MAP Satellite

I thank all of you guys for your participation - stay tuned for the next challenge

[Giggleplex777]

Yay!

I didn't expect this.

[AmpsterMan]

Congrats guys

[Giggleplex777]

So... what's the next challenge?

[Xeldrak]

Haha, yes, the next challenge will come in the next few days - stupid real life occupies simply too much time.

[Karmacoma]

Congrats Giggleplex and thanks for the 4 votes i got whoever they were from

[AmpsterMan]

Hey Xeldrak when you finish you should make a mini collage with all the crafts that won! This is assuming you have the time and energy of course

[Xeldrak]

yes, I considered something like this myself...

[Whirligig Girl]

I don't think Meteosat is intuitive enough. It seems like it's trying too hard to cheat something to look cool with aprt clipping and complex part rotation, and I don't think that is right for new players.