Battery Electric Airplane Speed Challenge

[g00bd0g]

This challenge is for the aero geeks This challenge requires the Firespitter mod, FAR is recommended. You can use any of the common mods including FAR, procedural wings and fairings, etc...

The Challenge

Make the fastest pure battery electric airplane you can!

The Craft

Must use electric motors from the Firespitter mod

Must use a battery for energy

No liquid fuels allowed, No RCS, No Jets, No rockets, No Ion drive, etc...

No user "modified" parts

No dev console or ridiculous parts clipping

The Flight

Takeoff

Accelerate to max speed (at any altitude)

Must hold sustained speed in level flight (must make a a best effort for pure level flight (+/- 10m/s vertical speed for 10 seconds) (must "average" to level flight)

Must show electric resource during speed-run.

Land in one piece on an airstrip

Judging

I'll maintain "stock" and FAR leaderboards

And possibly Manned and Un-Manned (Un-Kerbaled?)

Must provide sufficient photo/video proof (Video Preferred)

Craft files must be available for verification of performance upon request

I will maintain a leaderboard of entries "Max Speeds" for each category, whoever is at the top is the current champion. Unlimited parts counts, tonnage, altitude, etc... I want to see what people will come up with. We'll refine the rules to "keep in the spirit" of the challenge if we need to.

My Entry

Name: Battery Speeder

Max Speed: 292m/s

Mods: FAR v0.12.4, Firespitter v6.1.1

Edited January 2, 2014 by g00bd0g

[Deathsoul097]

Okay, I get the judging, but how will it be judged? Part count? Tonnage? Max speed? Max Altitude? Distance capable of flying? You say it needs a battery, but is it only allowed one?

I don't want to seem harsh, or condescending, but I think these points need elaborating.

[g00bd0g]

Okay, I get the judging, but how will it be judged? Part count? Tonnage? Max speed? Max Altitude? Distance capable of flying? You say it needs a battery, but is it only allowed one?

I don't want to seem harsh, or condescending, but I think these points need elaborating.

No worries. I guess I wasn't clear. I will maintain a leaderboard of entries "Maximum Speeds", whoever is at the top is the current champion. Unlimited parts counts, tonnage, altitude, etc... I want to see what people will come up with. We'll refine the rules to "keep the spirit" of the challenge if we need to.

Edited January 2, 2014 by g00bd0g

[Darren9]

I don't use far, so doesn't that mean I go slower at the altitudes propellers work at (more drag)? Do I have to use it to enter?

[g00bd0g]

I don't use far, so doesn't that mean I go slower at the altitudes propellers work at (more drag)? Do I have to use it to enter?

I removed FAR as required and we will run a category for stock and FAR.

[Darren9]

I may have to get FAR anyway to be competitive I just sent up a small 13 prop design that was lighter than yours with fewer parts and maxed around 280. There's further possible complications though, I made sure none of the blades clipped anything else but there was still overlap between them which would reduce the thrust. But below is possible without turning on part clipping, maybe some rules about prop spacing?

[g00bd0g]

I think the props overlapping as shown qualifies as "ridiculous parts clipping". Let's try to keep the designs "realistic", at least by Kerbal standards What battery packs are those? Looking forward to seeing your entry.

[Captain Sierra]

I think the props overlapping as shown qualifies as "ridiculous parts clipping". Let's try to keep the designs "realistic", at least by Kerbal standards What battery packs are those? Looking forward to seeing your entry.

Battery packs are from Near Future Propulsion. Beautiful artwork in that pack.

[Darren9]

The S.P.A.M. (Suspicious Propeller Array Machine), not at all practical nor efficient but can attain 295m/s and return to the runway. (near-future, skeppies-mini, P-Wing/fairing)

[g00bd0g]

That thing is awesome. Now stick 2 of them together

[localSol]

I did lots of tests going between solar challenge and this. Since these electric engines start to lose power at 1000m, the amount needed to get faster than about 200 m/s becomes obsurd(ly funny). I made one that could go to about 280 m/s at 1000 meters, 'batcurve_mintoo_7' . I think the engine placement would not allow for that much power realistically because of wash/turbulence/I-don't-know-what-magical-aerodynamic-word from close other propellers. It also might just tear itself apart, but it was fun to try. I made more reasonably placed multi-engined planes too though. I made an album including nearly all the planes I tested including more practical but slower planes with some descriptions here :

http://imgur.com/a/PXxpG#0

I don't expect my fastest one to be entered because it bordered too close on un-landable and unstable. Good challenge idea, I'm glad for the opportunity.