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

[gm537]

This is the KermaJet KJ200 Type F

Looks like a cool plane and I wan to test it but I'm just getting the download in lines of text form. Could you try changing the download so that it's an actual document? Thanks (or sorry if I'm the only one with this issue.

[GusTurbo]

My entry:

Albatross 18

The Albatross 18 is a low altitude, basic jet powered plane modeled after a commercial airliner. Like the stock craft it is supposed to replace, the Albatross 18 has a wide wingspan and an abundance of fuel for long distance flights. The Albatross 18 cruises most efficiently between 8-10km altitude. No intake spam, no turbo jets, just style and comfort for 3 Kerbals. Enjoy!

Features:

- Unique passenger-plane aesthetics: Only 97 parts, which includes struts for part stability.

- Unique airbrake system: when in flight, lowering the landing gear also opens the engine nacelles, creating drag and slowing the plane to aid in safe landing

- Inline center-mounted engine: replicates the similar arrangement from the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar and provides added control through thrust vectoring

- Landing lights: for night landings

- Easy to control: but not twitchy

- Customizeable: new players can easily switch out the basic jets for turbojets and the circular intakes for rams, and turn this into a high altitude jet. This is a valuable learning tool.

Action Groups

1: Lowers ladder from cockpit

Gallery

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Craft File

http://www./download/q0eamibiqd4nn5m/Albatross_18_v2.craft

Special thanks to Giggleplex for design advice!

Edited November 1, 2013 by GusTurbo

[Rhomphaia]

Quite a few entries here look like they may be a better fit for a Ravenspear Mk3, no-one will say that about my Pelican.

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.craft file

[GusTurbo]

Here's an example of the possible customization for my plane:

One could also remove the nose cone on the front to make room for another intake. New players who like to tinker should love this.

[Javster]

Couldn't I also bring the center of mass down somehow? I don't really want to change the aesthetics. I mean look at it:

I love the look of that one!

[mcirish3]

@ GusTurbo Man that is a cool craft not sure how I can compete with that. I love my craft but yours is so cool and I think would be a better stock craft the the current one though I don't think it should be called the Albatross any more if yours wins, I think something like Kerbliner would be better.

[Giggleplex777]

@Gusturbo: I'm glad that you followed my advice.

[XolotlLoki]

Introducing the Goliath, named for the Goliath birdeater, a giant bird-eating spider. This is my first BSC entry. It has been updated to include science gear and fix fuel duct issues.

Goliath has a small part count, with no clipping. It demonstrates the use of fuel piping to maintain proper COG as the tanks drain. It is easy to fly (takes off with no pilot input), and has phenomenal aerodynamic performance.

The design is a deconstruction of the Albatross. It has long wings contructed from a single part, two engines, and a relatively small amount of fuel. By rearranging these pieces, it achieves vastly improved performance, while looking much more interesting.

Goliath defines four action groups:

1. Toggle torque on pods
   
2. Toggle intakes
   
3. Toggle ladders
   
4. Do science
   

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Updated craft file available here. Changes since original post:

1. fix fuel duct issue in original build
   
2. add science gear and action group
   

Edited November 2, 2013 by XolotlLoki

[whistlehead]

Loving pretty much all of the designs here - especially that Albatross 18.

I'm not sure many of them would actually be a suitable Albatross 3 replacement - so many of them are so good but I just don't think they are in the same spirit as the original. Every time I look here I just have to think "that's amazing but it doesn't really work here - we should that as its own, brand new stock craft!"

Nevertheless, the quality of craftsmanship here is something to behold.

[gm537]

Hey are you guys generally including descriptions in your .craft files? A bunch of the ones I have down loaded recently have had blank descriptions and I was wondering if the internet is doing something funky or if that is by omission?

[GusTurbo]

Ah, I always forget to put a description. I will reupload a file with one.

[briansun1]

Hey are you guys generally including descriptions in your .craft files? A bunch of the ones I have down loaded recently have had blank descriptions and I was wondering if the internet is doing something funky or if that is by omission?

I just updated mine so you might need to redownload it...(and yes it dose have a description)

[Ojimak]

Okay the more I see of this challenge the more I like it! The best part is getting to test all the crazy designs, so much fun. For example earlier today I made a comment about how hard (impossible) it is to build something that will survive 4x time warp especially if you start giving it control input, but the Klobal Flyer does amazingly well!!! I did eventually get it to break but at 8km altitude and 4x time warp I had to wail on it to break it. It was super impressive! Hope you guys are having as much fun with mine!

Wow. To be honest, I hadn't even tried to control the craft at 4X physics warp during testing, and instead, just turned on warp briefly to make sure the plane didn't instantly tear itself to pieces. I had no idea it could survive control input during warp, because I thought hardly anything could. Anyways, thanks for testing it!

(goes off to test it himself and write a description for the craft file)

-Ojimak

[edit] Sees the Albatross 18. Gives up.

Edited November 1, 2013 by Ojimak
why GusTurbo....

[Xeldrak]

Well, experience shows, that quite a lot of people forget the low hanging fruit of a description text.

[GusTurbo]

In my day, we didn't have these newfangled description fields.

[briansun1]

wait we have description fields now?

[gm537]

@Ojimak: If you want 4x impressiveness check out the FS-1 Kestral it did manage to even out perform yours, not only not ripping itself apart but being 'almost' controllable. Which, while the vessel as a whole does not resemble the Albatross, deserves some sort of award.

As for GusTurbo's plane while it looks pretty dang good it has... problems. It's control-ability is poor and landing is ridiculously hard; awesome plane, bad stock craft imo.

One thing I have noticed that my plane does that hardly anyone else has is that the fuel drains from front and back equally (GusTurbo's is close) which means weight shifts very little during flight which matters a lot for long range vessels, nothing is worse for a beginner than finding out that a previously controllable plane has become aerodynamically unstable during flight. I also have a cockpit which sits far back, not necessarily a good or bad thing but I love the sort of Jedi star fighter feel it gives.

Edited November 1, 2013 by gm537
Mistyped Kestral designation

[FallingIntoBlack]

@Ojimak: If you want 4x impressiveness check out the KS-1 Kestral it did manage to even out perform yours, not only not ripping itself apart but being 'almost' controllable. Which, while the vessel as a whole does not resemble the Albatross, deserves some sort of award.

You mean the FS-1 Kestrel?

[mcirish3]

Loving pretty much all of the designs here - especially that Albatross 18.

I'm not sure many of them would actually be a suitable Albatross 3 replacement - so many of them are so good but I just don't think they are in the same spirit as the original. Every time I look here I just have to think "that's amazing but it doesn't really work here - we should that as its own, brand new stock craft!"

Nevertheless, the quality of craftsmanship here is something to behold.

Well since my craft isn't a head line any more perhaps you should check it out. It most definitely is in the spirit of the original. It can however be easily controlled up to 3x physics warp and won't tear itself apart at 4x though not sure how you define controllable at 4x. Beside it has cool curved wings. One note: I do need to updated the craft file since I forgot to put a ladder on it.

Edit:craft updated

Edited November 1, 2013 by mcirish3

[Sirine]

My craft file updated.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/55829-BSC-Albatross-3-Start-building%21?p=740113&viewfull=1#post740113

[GusTurbo]

@Ojimak: If you want 4x impressiveness check out the KS-1 Kestral it did manage to even out perform yours, not only not ripping itself apart but being 'almost' controllable. Which, while the vessel as a whole does not resemble the Albatross, deserves some sort of award.

As for GusTurbo's plane while it looks pretty dang good it has... problems. It's control-ability is poor and landing is ridiculously hard; awesome plane, bad stock craft imo.

One thing I have noticed that my plane does that hardly anyone else has is that the fuel drains from front and back equally (GusTurbo's is close) which means weight shifts very little during flight which matters a lot for long range vessels, nothing is worse for a beginner than finding out that a previously controllable plane has become aerodynamically unstable during flight. I also have a cockpit which sits far back, not necessarily a good or bad thing but I love the sort of Jedi star fighter feel it gives.

It is a bit hard to land. You have to time the flare just right.

[fireblade42]

I'm going to enter my Vulcan V. The air intakes are clipped without using the debug menu. It can make a trip around the world up at about 30km. It has a nice wide tricycle landing gear for random ground landing. I have stalled it out and it quickly recovered. Otherwise flight is stable even when the center fuel tanks are mostly empty.

Action groups

1-Toggle Basic Jet Engines

2-Toggle Turbo Jet Engine

craft file

a few more pics

[FallingIntoBlack]

I'd like to repost the Kestrel, just the upgraded version, the FS-1B Kestrel II.

Description:

The FS-1 Kestrel just got an upgrade...or five. The FS-1B Kestrel II is complete with RTGs and science equipment cool science stuff. All the rest is in the in-game description.

Action Groups:

Action Group 1: Toggle Ladder

Action Group 2: Toggle Cool Science Stuff

FS-1B Kestrel II

Edited November 1, 2013 by FallingIntoBlack

[GusTurbo]

The forward facing surfaces on the nacelles are just begging for intakes.

[FallingIntoBlack]

The forward facing surfaces on the nacelles are just begging for intakes.

I probably should put some on.