Kerbal Dynamics: LAPES Demonstrator

[ihtoit]

The United Kerbal Defence Directorate has tasked the Boffs with a design challenge: a viable low altitude parachute ejection system.

Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System (LAPES) is a tactical military airlift delivery method where a fixed wing cargo aircraft can deposit supplies when landing is not an option in an area that is too small to accurately parachute supplies from a high altitude.

THE CHALLENGE:

Build a Rover and deploy it using a LAPES from the REAR of a fixed wing aircraft.

THE RULES:

- Rover is a land vehicle with four electric wheels in two-by-two arrangement.

- The Rover may be piloted by a Kerbal or by a probe core. The aircraft, however, must be piloted by a Kerbal.

- The Rover must be loaded onboard the aircraft using a rear loading ramp prior to takeoff. ie, launch the rover first, move it aside, then go back to the SPH and launch your aircraft, load the Rover then do your takeoff roll.

- Flight profile is as follows: Takeoff, fly 5km from the runway, minimum attained altitude MUST exceed 500m, LAPES launch altitude must NOT exceed 10m from terrain; this must occur AFTER minimum profile altitude is attained, and the launch may not occur from a landed profile - the aircraft must be in flight.

- LAPES launch speed must NOT exceed 67m/s (130kt).

- Rover MUST survive and roll in a controllable fashion at least 100m from its point of impact.

Edited August 1, 2014 by ihtoit

[sdj64]

Those are some incredibly specific rules you got there (why does the rover have to have exactly 4 wheels?) Also would be cool if there was a scoring system.

That said, I'm testing out a new small cargo SSTO in 0.24 and I gave it a go. The deployment altitude looks like it's less than 10m, but I can't tell exactly without a mod like MJ or KER.

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[ihtoit]

that's how it's done I'll try and figure out a scoring system over the weekend. And your launch altitude looks good, that's around 6m I reckon (nice low drop speed too). The specifics of the rover is to get around the otherwise inevitable skid or leg lander (another reason for the ridiculously low drop altitude)... although, I can't see a problem with a pallet drop as long as the drop probe operates on four wheels and independent of the pallet after landing. Still needs chutes though, even a pallet can't stand a 50+m/s impact.

[Darren9]

I did fly up to 500m and do a 5Km+ loop around but it's not in the video, I doubt it rolled 100m either but I'm not sure how to judge that.