Best ATV

[AKA the A]

So, I finally kicked myself into actually proving that I can climb a crater...

Originally I intended to speed up only portions of the vid, but due to it being a little too long, I basically warp through the whole thing (although at different rates).

Fuel cheat was to keep fuel for orbit launch (video maybe later )

Rover notes:

- missing it's "ass" is apparently not a problem

- 38° incline - no problem, >30° incline - a problem, 10° DOWNHILL - impossibru!!! (fix your game, SQUAD!)

- it "flies"* surprisingly well

- turning off the rear wheel pair proved unnecessary, the rover has more then enough reaction torque to compensate

* what are you doing (one word verb) when are moving above ground on a sub-orbital trajectory in a vacuum?

It can't be flying since there is no air to provide lift...

[700NitroXpress]

So, I finally kicked myself into actually proving that I can climb a crater...

Score updated, good job.

[Shrike42]

This isn't quite an entry, because it was a prototype. The thrust is imbalanced when fully loaded, the energy drain is greater than the regeneration, and there's no recovery mechanisms. However, it was able, not using the high-traction wheels, to get to this point (2300 m) at the mountains behind KSC with a full load of scientific equipment and 4 Kerbals. It was able to safely traverse fields, hills, and rough ground at 4x compression, and took no damage from this roll over.

All in all, pretty darn good. The thrust imbalance enables wheelies. If I can tweak the design a bit, it should be pretty darn effective, and mountable on a rocket..

(Yes, that guy is suspended by his backpack.)

[700NitroXpress]

This isn't quite an entry, because it was a prototype. The thrust is imbalanced when fully loaded, the energy drain is greater than the regeneration, and there's no recovery mechanisms. However, it was able, not using the high-traction wheels, to get to this point (2300 m) at the mountains behind KSC with a full load of scientific equipment and 4 Kerbals. It was able to safely traverse fields, hills, and rough ground at 4x compression, and took no damage from this roll over.

All in all, pretty darn good. The thrust imbalance enables wheelies. If I can tweak the design a bit, it should be pretty darn effective, and mountable on a rocket..

(Yes, that guy is suspended by his backpack.)

LOL, that picture cracked me up. The ATV looks good tho. Remember to switch it to FWD when climbing mountains, it makes it a lot easier.

[Shrike42]

Thanks. It was in (four wheel drive) the entire way, and I did need to ascend the slope by a very shallow spiral. Once you get to steep inclines, can't stay in time compression or you'll start going backwards.

[700NitroXpress]

Thanks. It was in (four wheel drive) the entire way, and I did need to ascend the slope by a very shallow spiral. Once you get to steep inclines, can't stay in time compression or you'll start going backwards.

No, I meant Front Wheel Drive (FWD) not four wheel drive (4WD) or (AWD) All wheel drive. If you have it in Front Wheel Drive, then getting up steep inclines is a little easier because the ATV won't flip over from the rear tires. Adding a little rocket propulsion to assist always helps. When I go downhill, I switch to RWD and let the rear tires do all the braking power. When I go uphill, I switch to Front Wheel Drive and pull the ATV up the hill. For steep inclines I find that switching the drive train helps a lot in preventing flips.

[123nick]

i maybe will try this challenge, if i dont forget, if you get rid of the rule that you must use stock. mods are not nearly as cheaty as you thing (besides the mods that are supposed to be cheaty, those your not allowed to use).

[700NitroXpress]

i maybe will try this challenge, if i dont forget, if you get rid of the rule that you must use stock. mods are not nearly as cheaty as you thing (besides the mods that are supposed to be cheaty, those your not allowed to use).

I like keeping the challenge with stock parts since it's a performance and engineering challenge. If I added mod parts, I would rather split the leaderboards into 2 categories. One for stock and one for mod. Other than that, the rest of the challenge would remain the same.

[AKA the A]

Had a small idea yesterday...bonus mini-challenge anyone?

[700NitroXpress]

Had a small idea yesterday...bonus mini-challenge anyone?

Nicely done, that was cool!

Challenge added to the list.

Edited November 25, 2013 by 700NitroXpress

[Shrike42]

No, I meant Front Wheel Drive (FWD) not four wheel drive (4WD) or (AWD) All wheel drive. If you have it in Front Wheel Drive, then getting up steep inclines is a little easier because the ATV won't flip over from the rear tires. Adding a little rocket propulsion to assist always helps. When I go downhill, I switch to RWD and let the rear tires do all the braking power. When I go uphill, I switch to Front Wheel Drive and pull the ATV up the hill. For steep inclines I find that switching the drive train helps a lot in preventing flips.

Ah, I see! Can you tell I don't drive in real life? Heh.

I'm having a heck of a time trying to get it on a rocket, though. It won't play nicely with subassemblies. I had intended to mount it radially, but now that I've rebuilt it in that configuration about five times from scratch with no luck, I'm thinking I'm going to need to get more creative and drum up a skycrane system, or grab enough science to get aerospikes and try to build a SSTO transporter around it. Which would be rather cool.

[700NitroXpress]

I'm having a heck of a time trying to get it on a rocket, though. It won't play nicely with subassemblies.

You mean, just trying to get it into orbit?

[SuperBigD60]

Ooh, I've got an interesting idea.

I'll knock it out tonight and tomorrow once I'm back home.

[AKA the A]

I'm having a heck of a time trying to get it on a rocket, though. It won't play nicely with subassemblies. I had intended to mount it radially, but now that I've rebuilt it in that configuration about five times from scratch with no luck, I'm thinking I'm going to need to get more creative and drum up a skycrane system, or grab enough science to get aerospikes and try to build a SSTO transporter around it. Which would be rather cool.

Instead of trying to do it purely by subassemblies, simply copy the ship files between VAB and SPH folders (in the save foder)...only disadvantage of this is that whatever controllable craft was first gets to keep it's way of symmetry, so I'd advise to build the lift stage in VAB as a subassembly, build the ATV in SPH, copy the file and then try to stick them together in VAB...just beware of the symmetry

[700NitroXpress]

Instead of trying to do it purely by subassemblies, simply copy the ship files between VAB and SPH folders (in the save foder)...only disadvantage of this is that whatever controllable craft was first gets to keep it's way of symmetry, so I'd advise to build the lift stage in VAB as a subassembly, build the ATV in SPH, copy the file and then try to stick them together in VAB...just beware of the symmetry

The way to fix that is to edit the craft file with MS Word. Change the type to VAB instead of SPH at the top and bingo, problem solved.