Herculean Airplane Lift Challenge (Stock Parts and/or FAR)

[Aanker]

The Herculean Airplane Lift Challenge

Do you even lift?

Above image is only inspirational. The plane itself would be disqualified per a number of rules, see below.

Stock parts and/or FAR only. Everybody loves the orange fuel tank. Large. Volumous. Orange. The orange fuel tank only has amazing strengths. Not surprisingly, the Kerbal Space Program relies heavily upon these monstrous constructs, and to increase the production rate, new factories have been built in distant lands to supply the KSC with orange fuel tanks. The problem? The orange fuel tanks have to be transported. Because rapid utilization is key here, they also have to be transported fully loaded with fuel.

The Kerbal Air Transport Authority believes that the best way to transport orange fuel tanks is through the sky, aboard a plane. Thus, they have submitted design specifications for a cargo airplane, most important of which is that it must be able to lift at least two fully fuelled orange fuel tanks. These fuel tanks cannot be an inherent part of the airplane, indeed, they may only be attached to the rest of the plane through docking ports and EAS-4 Strut Connectors. Aircraft that achieve this (or more) during a filmed or photographed demonstration win the challenge and may be selected for further development.

The full list of design specifications:

1. Only stock parts. FAR usage is allowed.

2. Must be able to transport two fully fuelled orange fuel tanks.

3. The orange fuel tanks must not be an inherent part of the airplane. They can only be attached to the rest of the aircraft through docking ports and EAS-4 Strut Connectors. The fuel tanks themselves may or may not be connected.

4. The aircraft must be able to take off horizontally from the runway with the orange fuel tanks fully fuelled. No VTOLs. Overshooting the end of the runway is not permitted.

5. The aircraft must be able to land with the orange fuel tanks still fully fuelled and stop entirely intact, on the runway.

6. The aircraft must be completely reusable: everything that goes up with it must come down with it on landing.

(7. Any stock engines are permitted. Rocket assisted takeoff is permitted)

Demonstration rules:

1. Take off from the KSC runway. No overshooting!

2. Climb to an altitude of at least 2,000 meters. Fly out to at least above the island airbase, turn, and

3. Land on the KSC runway. The cargo must still be aboard. Be careful, no parts may fall off!

The demonstration must be filmed or photographed (as of this edit please make certain that you show that the orange fuel tanks are fully loaded; on runway, at takeoff from runway, ascending from runway, flying at an altitude of at least 2 km above the island airbase, approach to landing, touchdown/rolling on runway, stationary on runway).

Provide data on takeoff speed and maximum speed at an altitude of 100 meters (see below.)

Good luck!´

Scoreboard/Winner List Entirely Vanilla Aerodynamics:

Winners are not ranked, but naturally fewer engines used (think maintenance costs), lower takeoff speed and a higher maximum speed at 100 meters (for roaring past the tower) are desireable traits. Don't worry, my reference aircraft has already been handidly beaten in all these cathegories.

Kasuha - Herr Kules

x8 standard jet engines, quadwing, 80 m/s takeoff speed, ~107 m/s max. speed at ~100 m altitude

the_bT - TT P230-78 Jacul

x6 standard jet engines, biplane, 75 m/s takeoff speed, ~100 m/s max. speed at ~100 m altitude

Armchair Rocket Scientist - ARS' Cargo Airplane

x8 standard jet engines, biplane, 80 m/s takeoff speed, ~100 m/s max. speed at ~100 m altitude

Scoreboard/Winner List FAR:

Winners are listed here

Edited February 24, 2014 by Aanker

[Hodo]

It is a shame this is a stock challenge, I don't even have a stock KSP anymore and will not install one because I think the stock KSP aerodynamics are a joke. But this is an interesting challenge, I know I have several aircraft that can do this and all of them are SSTOs but they are not stock unfortunately. I look forward to seeing what monstrosities people come up with for this.

[Aanker]

It actually only says stock parts, so theoretically you could use, say, Ferram Aerospace, however I would need to make a separate winner's list for those who use that modification.

[Charzy]

Could we at least have a seperate scoreboard for FAR users?

[ABalazs]

Did you test the challenge yourself?

[Aanker]

Did you test the challenge yourself?

Yep, the "inspirational" aircraft you see in the image managed to pull off one fully fuelled tank with nonoptimal engine number and lots of waste mass (only non-stock part were two F-86 wings from Firespitter which I could have done without). With a more efficient structure and more engines it should definitely be possible. I'm making my own reference aircraft right now and nothing is showing behaviour that would be impossibly difficult to overcome.

More importantly, the challenge is constructed so that if two full tanks aren't possible, then the one who manages to pull off 1 1/2 (since there are many configurations on those similar-sized fuel tanks!) wins, etc.

PS. Boom! There we go! My reference aircraft completed 2/3rds of the challenge, the landing was a bit of a fail however (but that's just a matter of structural strength and not having the brakes activated when touching down...). This is definitely doable.

PPS. Yes, this is 100% completable (I pulled off the landing on the second attempt, used up a lot of runway to stop the thing). It clocked in at 405 parts and had a maximum speed of ~150-160 m/s at sea level, takeoff speed is about ~120 m/s. Let's see if someone manages to beat that! (higher max. speed and lower takeoff speed)

Edited February 22, 2014 by Aanker

[Kasuha]

Meet Herr Kules, heavy fuel transport plane. I believe it's all proofs you need, including proof it can fly without payload as well.

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[Aanker]

Most impressive! Yes that's enough evidence (I originally intended video but that's perhaps a bit impractical).

I'm curious, what's the liftoff speed and maximum line speed at 100 m altitude?

[Kasuha]

I'm curious, what's the liftoff speed and maximum line speed at 100 m altitude?

Liftoff speed is about 80 m/s, maximum level flight speed at 100 m is about 107 m/s.

[Aanker]

Excellent! I'll get a medal/ribbon up if anyone is interested.

I also like how you can actually drop the fuel tanks ingame!

There we go

Edited February 23, 2014 by Aanker

[the_bT]

I kinda figured something like this might not be exactly in the spirit of this challenge. I mean, it doesn't say that you cannot use a VTOL, just that you have to move forward when taking off, all you need for that are wheels right?

Anyway, it says Airplane Lift Challenge so I build a proper airplane with wings and all that fancy stuff. Well ok, I thought about doing that for a minute, then just took my current short range cargo plane and reconfigured it for a greater take off mass and dedicated Jumbo fuel tank transport.

Liftoff speed is about 75 m/s, maximum level flight speed at ~100 m is about 100 m/s (barely).

The Jumbo tanks sit in cradles made of Landing Gears. They have no other link to the plane. This should make loading/unloading pretty simple I hope.

It is also possible to jettison or airdrop the payload by retracting the cradle wheels.

The TT P230-78 Jacul:

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[Aanker]

Beautiful! Regarding VTOLs, basically what I was going for was lift from wings, but the "horizontal takeoff" requirement may have been too non-specific. Regardless, excellent entry and interesting way of keeping the fuel tanks in place.

[Armchair Rocket Scientist]

This bit here is an amusing background anecdote about how building huge aircraft in stock is harder than I though.

Well, I already have an aircraft that can carry 2 orange tanks to 20 km and 800 m/s. While it's terrible at its original goal of being an Air Launch to Orbit mothership (18 tons in orbit with a 120 ton launch mass is worse than an SSTO), it can carry heavy underslung cargo quite well.

This is not the story of that plane. Unfortunately, that plane is made mostly of B9 parts, so it doesn't qualify for this challenge. So I built a new plane along the same lines, figuring that it wouldn't be too different. I was subsequently reminded why B9 is worth the memory: building anything big with the stock wing parts is an enormous pain.

This is my actual entry.

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Unfortunately, I didn't get a screenshot of touchdown/landing roll, as I was too busy trying not to crash.

Also note the background appearance of the Sleigh from http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/62728-The-Santa-Substitute-Challenge!?p=874674&viewfull=1#post874674

This bit is my saying how making a large aircraft stock made me very happy that I have the mods I'm about to mention when I'm not doing a challenge.This challenge attempt is dedicated to B9 and Procedural Wings. They make my life not hell.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Armchair Rocket Scientist

[Hodo]

<snip>

Retracted, he changed his post and submitted a submission.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Hodo

[Aanker]

Well, I already have an aircraft that can carry 2 orange tanks to 20 km and 800 m/s. While it's terrible at its original goal of being an Air Launch to Orbit mothership (18 tons in orbit with a 120 ton launch mass is worse than an SSTO), it can carry heavy underslung cargo quite well.

This is not the story of that plane. The plane is made mostly of B9 parts, so it doesn't qualify for this challenge. So I built a new plane along the same lines, figuring that it wouldn't be too different. I was subsequently reminded why B9 is worth the memory: building anything big with the stock wing parts is an enormous pain.

http://imgur.com/a/H3Esm

Unfortunately, I didn't get a screenshot of touchdown/landing roll, as I was too busy trying not to crash.

Also note the background appearance of the Sleigh from http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/62728-The-Santa-Substitute-Challenge!?p=874674&viewfull=1#post874674

This challenge attempt is dedicated to B9 and Procedural Wings. They make my life not hell.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot over?

What was the whole point of that post? Are you trying to sink another challenge or are you posting something you have done?

I don't know what's going on here, but for all intents and purposes that aircraft would pass, unless other circumstances (such as the aircraft being taken from someone else?) reveal themselves later on. If everything is in order, excellent!

Either way, I would need to know the takeoff speed and the maximum speed at 100 meters of altitude!

Edited February 24, 2014 by Aanker

[Armchair Rocket Scientist]

I don't know what's going on here, but for all intents and purposes that aircraft would pass, unless other circumstances (such as the aircraft being taken from someone else?) reveal themselves later on. If everything is in order, excellent!

Either way, I would need to know the takeoff speed and the maximum speed at 100 meters of altitude!

I guess my post was a little confusing and Hodo thought I was trying to enter the B9 plane into the challenge. I added some clarification.

Anyway, takeoff speed is about 80 m/s and top speed at 100 m is about 100 m/s.

[Aanker]

I guess my post was a little confusing and Hodo thought I was trying to enter the B9 plane into the challenge. I added some clarification.

Anyway, takeoff speed is about 80 m/s and top speed at 100 m is about 100 m/s.

Ah alright, interesting story anyway (with the B9 aerospace parts)! The reason I wanted to keep it to stock parts was just because of that, inventive wing configurations and such.