Kerbin Solar Circumnavigation 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... Mechjeb is allowed. To complete this challenge you will need to build a very efficient aircraft fast enough to "chase the sun" and/or with a enough batteries and solar panels to enable you to fly through the night.

We can add additional sub-challenges like max payload, battery size restrictions, or even other planets/bodies if we want.

If someone wants to make a completion "badge" that would be cool...

The Challenge

Make an Electric Solar Aircraft capable of Circumnavigating Kerbin

The Craft

Must use electric motors from the Firespitter mod

Must use Solar and Battery for energy

Must be capable of reasonable takeoff/landing from airstrips

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

Circumnavigate the globe

Landing is optional ;p

Judging

I'll maintain "stock" and FAR physics 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. 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: Solar Sustainer

I was only able to time warp 2x without losing control so this required over 2.5 hours of actual game time.

Mods: FAR and Firespitter

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[Flixxbeatz]

Looks neat, perfect place to try some Solar Impulse-ish insanity.

Just a question: no altitude limit?

[g00bd0g]

Looks neat, perfect place to try some Solar Impulse-ish insanity.

Just a question: no altitude limit?

Energy can be stored both electrically and kinetically, so no altitude limit. Though if you can get something over 15k I will be very impressed ;p

[Fengist]

Wait. How many times are you going to post this challenge? Oh, and how many different names does your plane have?????

[Hakari]

Wait. How many times are you going to post this challenge? Oh, and how many different names does your plane have?????

See, obviously he is motivated by something other than providing fun challenges for others.

[g00bd0g]

I'm done feeding the trolls... Anyone interested in participating please ignore these two ^^^. I will no longer be responding to them.

[leafty]

Your two solar challenges are just too similar. They may require different optimizations, but we only see two times the same-ish challenge. Choose one of your challenges, remove it and resubmit it in two months time when the first challenge is already dead. I'm not judging your challenges, but what you did was a bad move.

[fluffysnowcap]

i prefer the look of this challenge a lot more that the last one you made but having the 'Perpetual Solar Flyer Challenge' as a sub objective would make more scene than posting sibling challenges

[Fengist]

I'm done feeding the trolls... Anyone interested in participating please ignore these two ^^^. I will no longer be responding to them.

Wait. I try to be polite and helpful and you call me a troll? Ok. in that case maybe Hakari's BLUNT way of showing you your errors was correct. It's obvious now that ANY criticism is going to be taken personally anyway.

[g00bd0g]

Bumping this challenge as it got buried before and I am still interested in what you folks might come up with.