BSC: Albatross 3 - And the winner is...

[Xeldrak]

And we have a winner!

Once again thanks to all the participants and congratulations to the winner! The challenge would be nothing without you guys The next challenge will probably start next Wednesday.

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Allright, we have our finalists!

Thanks to my amazing skills in "learning how this forum works after only half a year", you now actually vote in here!

The vote runs for two days and don't forget to check the BSC: Challenge Guidelines!

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Primary elections have started! Vote

here!

Please drop a few line who you've voted for!

Get all .craft files in a single zip file HERE

Primary elections will run for 48 hours - the six (or so) best entries will enter the final 24h-election!

Please check the challenge guidelines - even if you just want to vote!

And remember to come back in two days!

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As you all should know by now, the stock crafts in KSP are horrible for the most part. So I challenge you to come up with a replacement craft.

As I have promissed in the last BSC, it's time for a new challenge! For some reason I've won the last one and once again want to thank you guys for all your votes. Anyways, we are once again on a 4 days building, 4 days voting schedule. Please note that due to reasons, I might not allways be online when a deadline runs out and you might have to wait for several hours.

Please check the challenge guidelines - even if you just want to vote! This is where I've outsourced all the rules.

How is this going to work?

You will have 96 hours to build you craft and post your entry here with at least one screenshot and its .craft file. Also be so kind to drop us a few lines, about your craft. What are your thoughts on the design? Why is it a good stock craft?

Once submissions are closed, I will post a poll where you can vote for your favourites. Depending on the number on entries, we will probably first hold a two day primary election, followed by a two day final one. Anyways, I would like to encourage you to write a few lines why you voted you that craft, it keeps the thread fresh and we all have something to read while we wait for the votes.

What are we doing this time?

As you allready know, we are doing the Albatross 3.

Now, this plane is almost reasonable, however it does have some problems. It bends like a piece of paper when you try to fly it for lack of struts. Trying to steer it gives some strange results: I've you want to yaw, the planes yawes and rolls. Trying to roll...does something to the plane, but no rolling is involved.

So, we are basically looking for a long range craft - hight speed is not necessary, just range While SSTO would technically qualify, I would urge you to submit not SSTOs - the Aeris 4A replacement will call for exactly that. So an air-breathing craft that is capable of circumnavigating Kerbin would be a good entry I'm asolutely fine with it, if you build a high-altitude plane. The orinal Albatross uses low altitude engines, but her designers were drunk anyways. Also, considering the original design - a certain goofyness might also be a good thing.

I got us some nice inspirational pictures this time I got a picture of the swiss Solar Impulse, a solar powered aircraft. The Boeing 777 - in its LR variant the the world's longest-range commercial airliner when it entered service in 2006. And the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer - a plane used to circumnavigate the earth without refueling.

Contenders

antbin - Ahlbetossed 4b

Blaster - KermaJet KJ200 Type F

BlazeFallow - Albatross Mk 4

briansun1 - ISP VX-2X

DaveofDefeat - Tri-Plane 2000

Ekku Zakku - Ensoku

El_Gato_Bandito - Globerunner 1

ethan829 - Proteus

FallingIntoBlack - FS-1 Kestrel

fireblade42 - Vulcan V

Giggleplex777 - Goose

gm537 - Kalbatross

GusTurbo - Kalkakross Keighteen

mcirish3 - Condor

mhoram - Firestarter

minerman30 - Albatross 3

MiniMatt - Polar Express

Octagon - Diamond Flyer

Ojimak - Klobal Flyer

pedorsf - ACN

Rhomphaia - Pelican

Scarecrow88 - Trinity

Sirine - The Albatross

spaceBrezel - LazyMoon 1

vetrox - albatross 4Bmk3

whistlehead - Kerbaltross I

Xeldrak - CR HARP

xoknight - Vampire B2

XolotlLoki - Goliath

zekes - ZB-7

Edited November 6, 2013 by Xeldrak

[briansun1]

so just range on this one... anything else?

[Xeldrak]

Well, the usual stuff from the Guidelines applies - it's supposed to be a good stock craft, usefull for newbies. Stuff to emulate, easy to disect and so on and so on.

You could also incoporate some of the new science stuff.....

[briansun1]

So i'm guessing no infini gliders or ion planes.

[Xeldrak]

Definitely no infini gliders. If you can build a easy to handle ion planes - why not.

[Rhomphaia]

so just range on this one... anything else?

Well personally I do feel that any attempt to replace the Albatross should also be quite silly. The albatross does seem to owe something of its design to the GlobalFlyer which is a pretty ridiculous looking aircraft.

With silliness in mind I will probably be entering this, after I tweak it a bit.

[briansun1]

Hey, look I was first this time

(use any of the pics at night for the montage)

(clickable pics FTW)

I call it the Ion Space/Spy Plane(ISP) VX-2V (4482 DV)

and this is the ER version with 6974 DV in atmosphere

The ISP VX-2X has a ton of range due to the usage of 3 ion engines(no part cliping needed) it also has good maneuverability for it's wing class(just don't roll and pitch up at the same time) it is also relativly quick off the runway due to SRB assisted takeoff.

It has 3 modes of flight powered, gliding or powered gliding. For powered follow the instructions in the discription. For gliding only let the SRBs burn all the way out while pulling up as far as possable. For powered gliding follow the same as gliding but after the SRBs run at set engines to 1/2-full(warning must fly in stright line when SRBs are active for gliding and powered gliding mode)

Craft File: ER version

Pic's

Edited November 1, 2013 by briansun1

[DaveofDefeat]

SO we are building a long range plane eh?

Well how about a plane that can go all the way to DUNA!

That's right the Tri-Plane 2000, your non stop trip to Duna.

Truly it is a piece of abstract art, I find it so beautiful it makes me want to cry.

Action groups:

1-Jet engines

2-chemical engines

3-nuclear engines

Download: http://www./download/7f1jz6r00lsnidd/Tri-Plane_2000.craft

[Xeldrak]

Ah, our first two contenders have been added

Well, a certain sillines might be a good idea - however silliness is so hard to measure

Edited October 30, 2013 by Xeldrak

[LeFudge]

Are SSTOs allowed? Got [a 62 part ssto] that seems easy enough to fly, stays balanced etc etc.

http://i.imgur.com/kmUXz1Q.png

http://i.imgur.com/DY5DOOZ.png

Edit, going to change my entry to something thats simply an atmospheric flyer, more resembling the Albatross, but much easier to fly hopefully.

Edited October 30, 2013 by LeFudge

[Bobhendly]

None of those even closely resemble the long wing syle the albatross was going for..

[DaveofDefeat]

None of those even closely resemble the long wing syle the albatross was going for..

I took an artistic license.

[LeFudge]

Theres no "long wing" rule, just range, clocked over a million kms in my plane :3 I'm working on a regular plane with a sort of multi fuselage design but theyre just too damn floppy.

[Sirine]

This is somewhat, build-for-fun kinda *challenge, not much rules, and plenty of gray area. So, let your imagination explode. As long as other vote for you, you win.

Is hardly as a challenge, kinda like community gathering to build something similar, but yet not so similar...

I will post my entry soon. o(^.^)o

[mcirish3]

Here is my entry. the Condor SHe is a big bird but only a couple dozen more parts than the stock craft. I thought that at least one stock craft should take advantage of the large shuttle command pod so I chose to utilize it for this plane.

Note: I made a couple minor changes to the craft while taking screen shots so you will see some minor differences in the craft from one shot to the next the last pick is a pick of my entry.

Craft file here.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited November 1, 2013 by mcirish3

[briansun1]

None of those even closely resemble the long wing syle the albatross was going for..

*cough mine is cough*

[Ojimak]

Here is my entry. the Condor SHe is a big bird but only a couple dozen more parts than the stock craft. I thought that at least one stock craft should take advantage of the large shuttle command pod so I chose to utilize it for this plane.

Note: I made a couple minor changes to the craft while taking screen shots so you will see some minor differences in the craft from one shot to the next the last pick is a pick of my entry.

How's the yaw control?

-Ojimak

[Sirine]

Here is mine entry...I present you..."The Albatross".

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My goal for the design, fit in the name of "Albatross 3" replacement.

A flyable plane that simulate "Albatross" at very best. The original "Albatross 3", has this description :

"The Albatross 3 is a low-speed, long-range aircraft, capable of stable sustained flight for hours on end.

Its very long wings will flex quite a bit, but the flight operations handbook says that's "most likely normal".

It also recommends always using rudder and ailerons combined to turn it."

So, my understanding on that "Albatross 3", is a low-speed, long-range, long hours flight, and low-altitude due to its using the Normal-Jet-engines, and not Turbo-Jet.

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#Craft file updated#1. Adding a few wings under the bird belly, and tail-fin. The bird now consider flying stably, although the turning is a bit hash, but I will keep it that way. Due to this is the characteristic of the Albatross itself.

#Craft file updated#2. Adding fuellines, science equipment, batteries etc..

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My personal point of view:-

The spirit of making a replacement, should be always by referring to its original version. 
And enhance upon it. My enhancement was: it look more like an albatross now.

For those does not know how large/long an albatross wing spend; below are the example:- (Declare: below pic belongs to the respective owner.)

and mine plane....I love it. It fly like a bird!!!! Don't worry the wings don't break.

and SPH screenshot. Check out the wings spend...it really look alike. The Albatross!

Edited November 2, 2013 by Sirine

[briansun1]

... ocd alert... though's wings are not straight...

[Sirine]

... ocd alert... though's wings are not straight...

Its purposely build to be like that. Similar to an albatross...their wings are not straight.

And it simulate their wings flip too...

Edited October 30, 2013 by Sirine

[briansun1]

swepted wing?... you know they are a thing right?

[AmpsterMan]

Wow totally didn't expect the albatross... I think I will be going with a U2 style plane. Those seem to me to fit the slow but high and far criteria.

[Sirine]

Wow totally didn't expect the albatross... I think I will be going with a U2 style plane. Those seem to me to fit the slow but high and far criteria.

The original stock Albatross 3 is a "low altitude" plane. You can tell that by the engines it use.

[antbin]

I missed the SuperHeavy Lander BSC, not gonna let this one pass!

The Albatross has always seemed to me like a search-and-rescue craft. Lord knows the Kerbals leave enough debris and capsules scattered all over the planet, they must need some craft to go recover crew and science samples.

A search and rescue craft needs long range, but also to be able to land in cramped areas (or even recover at sea).

So I built a VTOL.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Some of the features of this lovely bird:

• About 100 parts, weight can be just lifted by 2 Basic Jets
  
• Three turbojets give 1000 m/s at 25km. Reasonable but not intake spammed.
  
• Forgiving flameouts - center engine flames out first.
  
• Easy handing - roll rolls, yaw yaws. Won't flip under pitch.
  
• Control-input-free takeoff.
  
• VTOL mode! Lock SAS with nose level, activate hover jets, and nurse it down anywhere!
  
• Chutes to assist in killing drift while landing. Can be repacked on land, water, or even in the air!
  

I hope this will teach newbies how to fly a larger plane (that can't roll on a dime), handle flameouts at altitude, and throttle down (or shut off engines) for supercruise. The VTOL feature is optional, for inspiration and a challenge, as well as teaching how to repack chutes! Finally the SPH construction avoids partclipping (except for the cosmetic VTOL intakes), but newbies might disassemble it and discover how to use cubic struts to mount outboard fuselages.

>> .craft file here <<

Edited October 30, 2013 by antbin

[minerman30]

Here is an efficient, low-altitude plane I made: The BSC: Albatross 3 (for lack of a better name).

It has one engine, can fly stable for extended periods of time, and is generally easy to fly.

http://www./download/bh5oqx8d81zxqn5/BSC_Albatross_3.craft