Instrumentation Challenge

[Alshain]

I just thought of this, and to be fair, no I can't do it yet, but I'm curious to know if anyone else can.

Challenge Steps:

1. Create any craft using the Command Pod MK1.

2. Go to the launch pad and press C to enter the cockpit.

3. Land on the Mun and EVA.

4. Return to the craft and return to cockpit view.

4. Return safely to Kerbin.

Rules:

1. You may use the all available instrumentation and features in the cockpit and map screen.

2. You may not use C to view the outside of the craft at any time after launch.

3. No mods.

I would love to watch a video if you succeed (optional).

[Vindelle_Sunveam]

As long as Mapview is tolerated, I think this is quite easy, but as not to boast, I will do it.

The real challenge would be to do this to dock to something with a Clampotron Jr in front of the MK1 (equatorial docking for hardcore challenge, as opposed to the easier polar oriented one)

[Alshain]

I'm not sure how you would plot a mun capture without the map. Really the challenge can be applied to more than just Mun landings, it was just the one I picked. You could do it with any action, the key is to just not have any visual advantage a real astronaut/cosmonaut wouldn't have. You could argue the map screen represents a computer or mission control.

[zarakon]

Yeah, getting the Mun intercept is the hardest part without map view.

It's totally do-able if you know your heading, speed, altitude, and the position of the Mun (mark it as your target before you launch). It just takes a lot of math!

But the Mun's SOI is a really big target, and some people here have gone there so many times that we mostly just have a feel for it. I did an IVA no-map Mun mission a while ago just based on one rehearsal using the same craft

[Hodo]

You can do it without going to map view with a couple of mods.

-Rasta Prop Monitor (glass cockpits)

-Mechjeb for the information displays on those monitors.

[Pecan]

Hehe - if you allow Mechjeb you don't need any other instruments. Similarly, would you allow docking-alignment mods such as Navyfish's or the Navball Indicator? IVA mods, like RPM?

While on the subject of IVA and mods - Kerbquake makes IVA much more cool (camera shake under thrust, in atmosphere, etc.)

[the_bT]

Press F2 for iron-man mode

I just spectacularly failed because I had not enough fuel to even land. Could not have entered because I used some B9 engines for VTOL capability. Figured challenge is challenge whether or not you make a post later

Is it allowed to mount lights onto cubic struts so they can be seen from inside the cockpit and use them as "ghetto-actiongroup-activation-instrumentation" ?

To go to the moon without map on stock is easy. You wait in circular orbit (70km - 100km or so) until the moon rises over the horizon, then you burn towards prograde.

Use the old orbit calculation tools (this for example) to figure out how fast you need to be after the burn. Should be ~3140 m/s or so.

Downside is, you have no way of knowing how good your encounter is until you get there.

Thats the Mun, Minmus won't work as easy because of its inclination. If you want to go interplanetary you're boned without map and special tools anyways.

[Vindelle_Sunveam]

Oh, I forgot, Does Kerbal Alarm Clock count as an disqualificating mod ? I use it for my transfer windows and it would be a real bother to uninstall it.

[Aphobius]

Video

Sorry for that noise, anyway, I don't think I say anything interesting, so probably you can mute it.

[EdFred]

Did you guys read rule number 1?

You can use map view. You can't use craft view.

[Aphobius]

Hahaha, anyway, my video is done without map view.

Going to the Mun is easy, going to other planet and return would be more interesting. I gone a few times to Duna IVA only, but haven't tried to return yet, anyway, I wouldn't encounter great difficulties.

[Mista Mista]

..........

Edited May 16, 2014 by Mista Mista

[Hodo]

Ok it wasnt the Mun. i was using engineer redux and lazor docking cam, so that i didnt have to leave cockpit view.

But i did try this challenge recently. but I want to go to Laythe in cockpit only (not necessarily returning)

The Mission plan was to take off, rendezvous with Kerbin station, REFUEL, dock with deep space vessel, then head for Laythe

But after i docked, realized i couldn't refuel without going to craft view. So the video ends at docking with the space station

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3b5GQmJXVc&list=PL8OS0nE0dlrja-Jww8e9RMVC8Tp0abvtQ&index=4

But maybe there's a mod i could of used to do this from IVA? or do i HAVE to go to craft view to do this?

Might I suggest one more mod to make the refueling possible from inside the cockpit.

TAC Fuel Balancer.

[Orionkermin]

I feel I should point out that the challenge calls for the command pod MK1 rather than the MK1 cockpit. So that would be the tiny mercury style pod.

It's an interesting challenge I might give it a shot. Should be doable if you give it a couple dry runs outside the IVA view so you know when to stage and such. I'd probably try time advancing till the mun is just at the horizon of the space center before launching so I could burn strait to it after gravity turn.

[MrOnak]

I'm afraid this challenge has two "design flaws" which I discovered (big word there) thinking how I'd approach this. The first flaw involves the unlimited use of map view. Now I do realize that the spirit of the challenge is to fly as much of it in IVA as possible so don't get me wrong here but still, here we go:

It is perfectly possible to fly the entire mission in map view except the final landing on the Mun surface on one hand and staging on the other. For staging it doesn't matter whether its IVA view or the craft view. For the final minute or so of the Mun landing all you need is the radar altimeter from IVA and you're done. Map view in fact is usually how I perform 99% of the time of my missions so there's no major change (for me at least).

The mission parameters require the Mk 1 pod which has a window that is useless for landing (its not a lander capsule). But that means you have no way of knowing if your landing site is suitably flat or not until you do or do not tip over.

The two points make the whole mission boil down to pure chance whether you hit a flat spot or not: Getting there in map view is trivial, landing safely is pure chance. For me anyways. I don't mean to sound harsh, just trying to get my point across.

So I changed my own mission in a few ways:

- Used the Mk 1 lander can, since it has a window that is useful for landing. Alternatively one could go to Minmus since the flats guarantee not toppling over.

- Allowed map view only when engines are off which essentially restricts it to the times where you've left Kerbins atmosphere to set up the circularization, waiting for the transfer burn etc. It also means you need a watch or something since you can't see the remaining burn time from inside the cockpit.

Just thought I point that out because I genuinely believe its a cool challenge idea but it suffers a bit from the details.

Edited May 15, 2014 by MrOnak

[fenderzilla]

Too bad there are no mods. I'd use the Lazor system for first person IVA

[Nedal]

I generally do my vertical landings from Iva anyways.. as its actually easier with the radar altimeter and vertical speed meter. As long as you understand the navball, and the instrumentation it's pretty easy. Only problem is if you hit a steep slope. So really the only challenge to this challenge is picking a flat spot to land through the tiny window.

[Vindelle_Sunveam]

Sorry for the time it took, I had to learn how to edit a video :/ This is way harder than I thought