Altitude challenge - Escape Launch System only

[Wooks]

The Escape Launch System (ELS from now on) is basically a booster engine that fires for 0.5 seconds with a slightly stilted thrust to steer sideways.

Questions:

1.- How high can you go using only the ELS?

2.- Is it possible to reach orbit only with them?

Rules:

- There are two Leaderboards: Stock and KSPX (ELS is the only part allowed)

- No other mods with parts allowed.

- Mods allowed: Flight assistant autopilots like MechJeb, enhanced navball, etc.

- Only Escape Launch System allowed as engines boosters.

- No liquid fuel, jet fuel or RCS allowed.

- No thrust modifiers. (maybe later on)

- Launch Stability Enhancer allowed, but you can´t use it to raise your ship over the pad to gain altitude.

- Electric generators and batteries allowed.

- Wings, winglets and control surfaces allowed.

- S.A.S allowed.

- Decouplers and Separtors allowed.

- Struts and stuctural parts allowed.

- Launchs must be done from the Launchpad.

*STOCK ALTITUDE LEADERBOARD*

1. Jouni / Wookiee: 5.245m (collaboration)

2. Jouni: 3822m

3. Wookiee: 3.730m

4. UpsilonAerospace: 3.500m

*KSPX ALTITUDE LEADERBOARD*

1.

*ORBIT LEADERBOARD? STOCK AND/OR KSPX*

1.

Here is a video of my first attempts with stock, topped at a max altitude of 3.730m

Edited April 16, 2014 by Wooks

[Javster]

The main issue with these VS KSPX is the motor which throws them sideways.

[Wooks]

The main issue with these VS KSPX is the motor which throws them sideways.

That´s why I have clustered them in groups of four with a Stack Quad-Coupler, rotating each Escape Launch System to counterbalance thrust.

[Captain Sierra]

That´s why I have clustered them in groups of four with a Stack Quad-Coupler, rotating each Escape Launch System to counterbalance thrust.

What are the actual config differences in thrust, fuel, and Isp vs the KSPX motor and could there be another leaderboard for it too?

[Wooks]

What are the actual config differences in thrust, fuel, and Isp vs the KSPX motor and could there be another leaderboard for it too?

I like the idea.

I´m unfamiliar with KSPX but I know it has its own Escape Launch System, I would need to do more research to understand the parts better, please feel free to educate me on the matter.

If I install KSPX it will substitute the Escape Launch System?

Edited April 15, 2014 by Wooks

[BagelRabbit]

Are struts allowed? Your attempt video seemed painfully under-strutted...

[Wooks]

Are struts allowed? Your attempt video seemed painfully under-strutted...

Strut your ship at your heart's content, adding it to the rules.

On the video I was trying to keep the count part low to be able to add more ELS clusters without losing FPS, but at some point it just needs massive struttage.

[Wooks]

KSPC mod now allowed for its Escape Launch System and a separate leaderboard has been created.

[Jouni]

These things have a lot of thrust, so it seems like a good idea to go vertical.

3822 meters. The thing probably scales up further, and I didn't experiment that much with timing. I just hit spacebar the moment the speed was below 100 m/s, except for the last stage, where I waited until 50 m/s.

[Wooks]

These things have a lot of thrust, so it seems like a good idea to go vertical.

3822 meters. The thing probably scales up further, and I didn't experiment that much with timing. I just hit spacebar the moment the speed was below 100 m/s, except for the last stage, where I waited until 50 m/s.

On the leaderboard

I don´t see any SAS on them, are they hidden or not needed?

Edited April 15, 2014 by Wooks

[Wooks]

Added a reddit challenge, I don´t know if is useful or redundant but all the cool kids seems to be doing it these days. Damned kids with their facebooks and twitters and pinterboards and tumblurblers.

http://www.reddit.com/r/KerbalSpaceProgram/comments/234lg6/altitude_challenge_escape_launch_system_only/

Edited April 15, 2014 by Wooks

[Jouni]

I don´t see any SAS on them, are they hidden or not needed?

Using struts to connect the boosters of a lower stage to the girder in the stage above made the rocket quite rigid. It went mostly upward even before I added the winglets. Here is a close-up of the design:

It might work even better by turning the side nozzles inward.

[BagelRabbit]

I kinda wish that there was a distinction between manned/unmanned probes. If that eventually pans out, I have a fun li'l craft that kind of looks like the Eiffel Tower and gets an even 3500 meters in altitude. No winglets, no SAS except for capsule torque, and an obscene amount of struts. As a bonus, the craft rotates in different directions as it flies!

Video:

Enjoy, and let me know whether or not manned craft should have their own, separate leaderboard.

[Wooks]

I kinda wish that there was a distinction between manned/unmanned probes. If that eventually pans out, I have a fun li'l craft that kind of looks like the Eiffel Tower and gets an even 3500 meters in altitude. No winglets, no SAS except for capsule torque, and an obscene amount of struts. As a bonus, the craft rotates in different directions as it flies!

Video:

http://youtu.be/LNbiXmv1drs

Enjoy, and let me know whether or not manned craft should have their own, separate leaderboard.

Interesting idea, I have never tought of a separate leaderboar for manned missions. I´m pretty sure that if you try that same config in a small probe body you will reach the top of the actual leaderboard.

In the meantime I´ll add you to the scoreboard while I think about it. Nicely done!

Edited April 16, 2014 by Wooks

[Wooks]

Alright, I took Jouni´s design from here:

These things have a lot of thrust, so it seems like a good idea to go vertical.

http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/jltsiren/ksp/pulse_rocket_1.jpeg

http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/jltsiren/ksp/pulse_rocket_2.jpeg

3822 meters. The thing probably scales up further, and I didn't experiment that much with timing. I just hit spacebar the moment the speed was below 100 m/s, except for the last stage, where I waited until 50 m/s.

... and after some editing I made a quad booster stage, reaching 5.255m. I will list this in the leaderboard as a collaboration unless Jouni states otherwise.