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The ZodiaK Model Rocketry Challenge!

ZodiaK

By ZodiaK
in KSP1 Challenges & Mission ideas

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ZodiaK

ZodiaK

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hello, Kerbal youth!

Lately ZodiaK ind. has been a bit short-staffed due to... unexpected O-ring failures:wink:

So instead of just recruiting adults like any sensible company should, we've decided to invest in the future and inspire

today's youth to join us when they reach their eighteenth solstice.

Being an astronaut would sure beat living underground all day due to that certain nuclear catastrophe!

SO, here's how it works:

-Your rocket must be

a. made out of probe- sized parts

b. no taller than the width of a rockomax decoupler

c. no wider than the width of a rockomax decoupler either

d.completely STOCK

-The rocket must have a recovery system

-sepatrons are allowed, but 48-7S' or 24-77 are not

-your rocket must have it's own launchpad

//note that the launchpad will not be counted in the height of your rocket

-post a picture of your end flight window as verification

-also post a picture of your model rocket next to a rockomax size part (Top and side)

Your rocket will be judged by a panel of industry experts (i.e. me), and scored on their points.

POINT SYSTEM

Height/100= height points

speed/10= speed points

mission time (mins)X10= time points

+10 points for every tonne

+50 points for supersonic (mach effects)

+100 points for heights above 10,000 m

+10 points for sucsessful recovery

+200 points for out of atmosphere

+100 points for manned

+300 points for orbit

more aims will be added as I think of them.

an example entry:

The Atom I!

This is my entry for the model rocket challenge.

behold, the Atom I!

images: http://imgur.com/a/s7dQL#0

13,958/100= 139 pts

479/10= 47 pts

100 points for heights above 10,000 m

10 points for sucsessful recovery

50 points for time

50 points for supersonic-ness

Total points: 396

LEADERBOARD:

1. lokb_01, 1349 pts

2. Lazro,1039 pts

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

ZodiaK. Have fun!

Edited by ZodiaK
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Bobnova

Bobnova

Posted
Posted

Episode one: A Brave Beginning:

~16 seconds (2.66 points)

308m (3.08 points)

175m/s (17.5 points)

_________________

23.24 points!

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Episode Two: A New Balance:

5m 24s (54.33 points)

8131m (81.31 points)

221 m/s (22.1 points)

Recovered successfully (most of it, anyway. The bottom stage less so. 0pts or 10pts?)

__________________

157.74 without recovery or 167.74 with it.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Only did those two launches, I'll probably do more later. Got stuff to take care of in Real Life now.

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Jodo42

Jodo42

Posted
Posted (edited)

Does the width matter (ie could it have like 5 drop tanks on each side)? I'd personally say that you should be limited to a single stack, but I just wanted clarification there.

EDIT: Oh, and I've discovered that jet engines are ridiculously OP for this challenge. I'll have an entry shortly.

EDIT NUMERO DUECE: Are jet engines even allowed? They're technically not "probe-sized," but I don't see any way of getting out of the atmosphere without them.

Edited by Jodo42
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Xeldrak

Xeldrak

Posted
Posted (edited)

hm....what exectly is "probe- sized parts"? Do you mean 0.5 m diameter parts? Because in this case jet engines would not only be op, but also outruled ;)

Also, what about toroidal fuel tanks?

Also, does supersonic upon reentry count aswell?

Edited by Xeldrak
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Jodo42

Jodo42

Posted
Posted (edited)

The way I see it, your best bet is to build a lower stage that gets a QBE loaded with sepratrons as high as possible, and then decoupling and blasting off into nowhere. The problem is that that QBE is significantly taller than the other probe parts, so you have much less room for a lower stage.

In any event, it's probably for the better that jet engines aren't allowed. It's relatively easy to get 100km+ altitudes with them.

Edited by Jodo42
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ZodiaK

ZodiaK

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Posted

Xeldrak- I do mean the 0.5 size diameter parts. tordial fuel tanks are essentially wider than that, and are not allowed

Bobnova- post it as an entry if you want, there isn't a limit.

ZodiaK. nuff' said.

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Smoke

Smoke

Posted
Posted

Here's an album of my model rocket. It's a bit wider than tall, but definitely not taller than a Rockomax decoupler. As you can see it flew to a 100 km orbit, did orbital maneuvers and landed safely.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Sorry, but forgot taking an end of flight screen :(. The aerobrake was 45g though. It took it pretty well for a model rocket.

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ZodiaK

ZodiaK

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Sorry, smoke. I think I'll put a 4m width ban.

I know that that is going against what I said earlier, but I think that if I don't, the challenge will become too easy

ZodiaK. I'll add orcman to the leaderboard.

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Johnno

Johnno

Posted
Posted
Sorry, smoke. I think I'll put a 4m width ban.

I've been poking a bit at this challenge and before I submit anything I have some constructive criticism/suggestions regarding rules/spirit of the challenge.

First off, a width restriction of 4m will allow you to build wider than tall, still making it rather easy to get to orbit. I'd suggest same width as height restriction, alternatively 1.25m as to push creativity.

Second, having width/height restrictions becomes somewhat futile if you allow clipping, even without enabling clipping you can stack a hefty amount of tanks, again making it quite simple. I'd suggest no clipping fuel tanks into eachother whatsoever, only stacking and if you go radial they can't touch eachother.

Third, spirit of the challenge. Asparagus staging? Radial staging or staging alltogether, any limitations?

Fourth, banning 48-7S. You can emulate one by using a rockomax 24-77 on a octostrut, slightly lower Isp but still far more efficient than stacking LV-1 engines.

Fifth, scoring. Height and mission timer points both assume people won't get into orbit / break out of Kerbin's SoI. I'd suggest removing both, or enforcing far harder restrictions.

I like the 'model rocket' aspect of the challenge, but I think more restrictions are necessary to really get into the spirit of the challenge. Right now I'm just tweaking a craft for orbit, actually even restricting myself to staying within a 2.5m x 2.5m.

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Lokb_01

Lokb_01

Posted
Posted

I have a couple ideas for my rocket, but i'm going to wait until the updated list of rules before I submit something that might be banned. Nice challenge though, i've spent most of my yesterday on it as well as today.

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Lazro

Lazro

Posted
Posted

Introducing the Exercise in Absurdity! (ignore the typo

Made of entirely stock parts and shorter and narrower than a Rockomax decoupler stood on its side, it clocks in at 6 tons (7 if you count the platform.)

2uzqtqa.png

311l06p.png

The catch?

ftnbig.png

It orbits.

353a9ev.png

2e3am2h.png

Total Score:

+116 for height

+213 for speed

+50 for time

+60 for mass

+100 for heights above 10km

+200 for out of atmo

+300 for orbit

Total: 1039 points

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Lokb_01

Lokb_01

Posted
Posted

After the new rules this was my best.

http://imgur.com/a/6gP8Q#0

The mission time ended at 13:15, but kept rolling...

76,098/100= height points = 760.98

891/10= speed points = 89.1

mission time (13:15)X10 = 131.5

5.79 tonnes x 10 = 57.9

+50 points for supersonic (mach effects) N/A

+100 points for heights above 10,000 m +100

+10 points for successful recovery +10

+200 points for out of atmosphere +200

+100 points for manned N/A

+300 points for orbit N/A

Total Sum if im not wrong = 1,349.48

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