Global Transport Vehicle Challenge [YOU VOTE]

[Zuni]

Welcome to Kerbin.

We focus too much on space, and sometimes we get bored of the endless black sky. So the KSC decided to set their sights on a new goal- Exploring Kerbin itself, our very home planet.

This is by no means only for planes. Your vehicles can be boats, rockets, whatever but only atmospheric vehicles. No suborbital hops. If you are making a boat, it must be able to drive on land as well- this is a very multipurpose challenge.

Challenge: Build a transport vehicle that can carry at least 10T to any place on Kerbin.

Rules:

-No suborbital/orbital hops. That's basically it.

Requirements: Submit .craft file. Carry a 10 + ton payload to the other side of Kerbin (give or take a few kilometers). Either make a video of your flight, OR:

Screenshot of vessel at launchpad/runway +

Screenshot of vessel at opposite side of world +

Screenshot of flight information +

Any screenshots to prove what you have done (eg. for bonus point challenges)

Points System:

For every person that votes for you, you get a point. Once all the points have been counted up, the person with the most wins. You can get extra points for fulfilling the following criteria:

Efficiency Vigilante: Drop off your payload on the other side of the world and land within 20km of KSC. 5pts

Mum?!: Drop off your payload on the other side of the world and land again at KSC. 8pts

Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo Dat: Only use rocket engines. Warning: Extremely inefficient! 5pts

Bring Your Kids To Work Day: Have 3 kerbals in your vehicle. Does not count if they are in/part of the payload OR on ladders/EAS-1. 3pts

Amphibian: Your vehicle is able to go on land and sea. 5pts

Tri-phibian?: Your vehicle can fly, go over land, and move through the ocean. 8pts

The Thrillseeker: Have Jebediah on board. 0.5pts

Overweight: Carry a payload weighing between 11 and 12T. 2pts

Sluggish: Carry a payload weighing between 12 and 15T. 5pts

How Much Gravity On This Damn Planet?: Carry a payload weighing above 15T. 8pts

Example: Bill's vehicle got 10 votes by other people. He also completed Bring Your Kids To Work Day, which is worth 3 points, and so his total is 13 points. Bob's vehicle got 11 votes by other people, but completed no bonus challenges. His total is only 11, and therefore Bill (with 13 points) wins.

Leaderboard:

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Stock Leaderboard

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Modded Leaderboard

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Other Side Of World:

Edited November 16, 2013 by Zuni

[700NitroXpress]

I think you need to specifically define what suborbital to orbital hops means in terms of maximum altitude your allowed to go. For instance, I build a plane that can operate at 50,000 meters and use very little fuel to maintain that altitude. That would be much easier to do instead of an altitude limit like in the Kerban circumnavigation, in which you're forbidden from exceeding 25,000 meters. Also, you don't say that the vehicle has to be a plane or rocket. So if I fly a spacestation at suborbital altitude and it weights over 60 tons and I land it anywhere on Kerban, is that full points?

[Sirine]

Anythings that moving in atmospherics condition, without active focus in 2.5km radius will be deleted by the KSP game. Except you are using mod to extend that range.

Hence, dropping some goods while moving, will cause that goods to be disappear after 2.5km from focus. Unless that goods, is 'stationally' (not moving).

[Zuni]

I think you need to specifically define what suborbital to orbital hops means -snip-

Okay. Maybe, say, 60,000 is a good limit? Inside the atmosphere, but not really low.

-snip- Also, you don't say that the vehicle has to be a plane or rocket. So if I fly a spacestation at suborbital altitude and it weights over 60 tons and I land it anywhere on Kerban, is that full points?

Plane, rocket, boat, whatever. Planes are the most efficient in an atmosphere by far, so that's what I would definitely recommend using. Rockets have megatons of thrust but run out very quickly.

Part of the challenge is staying at kerbin basically.

~Zuni

[Zuni]

-snip- dropping some goods while moving, will cause that goods to be disappear after 2.5km from focus -snip-

I can't really do anything about that, all I know is that there are mods which let you raise that distance. For that reason, it's probably a good idea to make something that can drop it off, then fly/hover/drive around until its landed.

[sam445]

Count me in, is B9 accepted? Also is there any bonus / malus if we use FERRAM Aerospace? Ferram makes hypersonic flight rather tricky.

Edited November 16, 2013 by sam445

[Sirine]

I can't really do anything about that, all I know is that there are mods which let you raise that distance. For that reason, it's probably a good idea to make something that can drop it off, then fly/hover/drive around until its landed.

To be more specific...landed. and "fully stationary" (not moving an inch). Else they will be gone.

[Zuni]

Count me in, is B9 accepted? Also is there any bonus / malus if we use FERRAM Aerospace? Ferram makes hypersonic flight rather tricky.

Sure, you can use B9. It'll go into the modded leaderboard and the main one.

I don't think it's fair to have a bonus for FAR, especially for other people. Then it'll give FAR users points that stockies can't get. But feel free to enter with or without it, it matters not.

[Zuni]

To be more specific...landed. and "fully stationary" (not moving an inch). Else they will be gone.

I suppose so.

I wish there was a "DO NOT DELETE" button or something XD

[Sirine]

"Ohter side of Kerbin/ other side of the world"?

Could you please be more specific?

[sam445]

Im designing things right now, and I must know if i can parachute drop the load? I'll make a bomb bay then for my first design, then go on for something crazier if this prototype works.

[Sirine]

OP, please check if my craft below meet the requirement?

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[Zuni]

The part of the world at which when you look down you can see the KSC marker. Will find general co-ords in a moment.

[Zuni]

-snip- must know if i can parachute drop the load -snip-

If you can drop the load and make sure it DOESN'T disappear, then yes.

Sirine, if you went to the other side and placed the 10T+ load down, then yes. If you went back to KSC again, then thats bonus points aswell

[Sirine]

If you can drop the load and make sure it DOESN'T disappear, then yes.

Sirine, if you went to the other side and placed the 10T+ load down, then yes. If you went back to KSC again, then thats bonus points aswell

Well, I still need to know where is "the other side".

[Zuni]

In that red circle.

[Sirine]

In that red circle.

Got it. Will see what I can do. Thanks!

[sam445]

As i'm nearing the drop point, do we get bonus for let's say, circulating the globe with the load? Got so much fuel left I think that if I could have the patience I could do the whole world at least two to three time with the load XD

[sam445]

So here is my entry: The Aeroporter!

A marvellous plane with the capacity to bring across the globe a load of 16.54 tons! So stable that's it's primary mean to drop payloads is to fly on it's back, open it's cargo bay then para-dropping it!

So here are the pictures:

In the hangar:

Pre-flight check (you can see the load, it's a 3.5m rocket fuel tank):

Dropping the first set of external tanks:

Dropping the last set of tanks (skipped the second set):

Reaching the unexpected high speed of Mach 3 (on Ferram with a plane designed with in mind to not crossing the speed of sound, that's great WOOOT!):

Landed at the drop's coordinate (before the drop):

Preparation for the flip:

In the flip:

Yes that's right! A freaking Boeing like plane flying upside-down without stalling at low-speed, that's what I call Stability!

Payload dropped! :

For the rest of the circumnavigation, i'll do the rest and post the final results tomorrow, it's getting late.

EDIT: PS: Someone knows how to make spoilers to hide images?

EDIT2: So i've finished my mission:

Never thought it could achieve such a speed and make it to such a high ceiling, my comeback voyage was MUCH shorter:

After landing at KSP:

So here is score:

Achievements:

- Mum?! : landed at KSP +8 points

- Bring Your Kids To Work Day : 3 kerbals onboard +3 points

- How Much Gravity On This Damn Planet? : 16.5 tons payload + 8 points

Total score: 19 points

Edited November 16, 2013 by sam445

[Zuni]

So here is my entry: The Aeroporter!

A marvellous plane with the capacity to bring across the globe a load of 16.54 tons! So stable that's it's primary mean to drop payloads is to fly on it's back, open it's cargo bay then para-dropping it!

Congratulations! It looks nice.

[700NitroXpress]

Okay. Maybe, say, 60,000 is a good limit? Inside the atmosphere, but not really low.

Plane, rocket, boat, whatever. Planes are the most efficient in an atmosphere by far, so that's what I would definitely recommend using. Rockets have megatons of thrust but run out very quickly.

Alright sounds good for the altitude limit, but at that altitude the drag by the atmosphere is extremely low, you're basically in space. If you attach jet engines to a rocket fuel tank, they'll still work, they just use the liquid fuel instead of the oxidizer. I used this method when I airlifted my Duna Command Center into orbit with jet engines. Shown below.

This base could travel to the other end of Kerban and land without achieving orbit using only jet propulsion.

[sam445]

I think sub-orbital in KSP term is any apoapsis over 50km tough, after that KSP automatically sets your speedometer in Orbital mode, furthermore over 35km theres so much no atmospheric drag that you can easily travel the whole planet while barely using any fuel if you have wings in both Ferram and stock KSP.

[sam445]

Sorry for the double post. But i've just made it back to KSC and updated my submission here: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/58360-Global-Transport-Vehicle-Challenge-YOU-VOTE?p=783145&viewfull=1#post783145

Edited November 16, 2013 by sam445