How FAR can you fly on a single BACC booster?

[SRV Ron]

Looks like all the circumnavigation taking place is not due to fuel use efficiently, but from taking advantage of the infinite glide bug using those steerable fins. In theory, they will fly forever.

[cakepie]

Looks like all the circumnavigation taking place is not due to fuel use efficiently, but from taking advantage of the infinite glide bug using those steerable fins. In theory, they will fly forever.

I really don't see any good way to structure the challenge around infiniglide. Judging whether infiniglide is/was a factor in an entry is murky water that I do not wish to tread into. So between accepting that infiniglide is possible, vs. barring stock aero attempts altogether, I choose the former option in order to enable wider participation from players who do not play with FAR/NEAR. If infiniglide bothers you, you can just ignore the stock aero leaderboard -- it's not like it does you any harm. And there's nothing stopping you, or anyone else from proving your chops with FAR enabled to prevent infinigliding.

[SRV Ron]

I really don't see any good way to structure the challenge around infiniglide.

Not a criticism of your challenge but just an observation in which I did some testing to figure out how some contestants were getting those impossible around the world flight from a single SRB. Perhaps two all stock categories, one for infiniglide and one where you cannot use those parts that have that bug.

[Monthar]

The only way to not get infiniglide going is to have no control of the aircraft what-so-ever and nothing that generates lift. That is no control surfaces at all, no reaction wheels and no wings. All it takes is being able to set the right pitch angle for the lift generated by the wings to give more positive vertical speed than negative as speeds oscillate. At least that's what I've observed while testing various aircraft in stock.

So to completely prevent infiniglide would turn this challenge into just a ballistic missile challenge instead of an aircraft challenge.

[Pikachu8091]

Really cool idea, I'm working on an entry now. I'll edit in my entry soon.

EDIT - Not really an entry, as I didn't use entirely stock parts. Just thought I'd see how far I could get. I ended up making a decent distance!

Edited September 13, 2014 by Pikachu8091

[MarvinKitFox]

Erm. Yes, infiniglide does somewhat ruin this, under stock.

For example, consider this nice flyer of mine.

Very stabile yet quite maneuverable.

Can easily take off and land on any level surface, even the helipad on the VAB.

Service ceiling is 18000m.

Cruising speed at altitude is ~230m/s

Rate of climb at sea level is about 4m/s.

.

.

And that is without bothering to switch on the engine!

[Monthar]

Now that you've shown you can take off without even firing the engine I wonder if it's possible to push it into orbit by firing the engine after reaching your glider's ceiling.

[MarvinKitFox]

Now that you've shown you can take off without even firing the engine I wonder if it's possible to push it into orbit by firing the engine after reaching your glider's ceiling.

Not with *that* design. The CoM is way above the thrust line, because of the curving wings.

I used the curved wings for hands-free stability, this guy doesn't even need sas switched on to cruise.

Plus, this challenge needed a design that can land, safely.

A more balanced plane, with much stronger infiniglide, can achieve escape velocity on it own. It doesn't need the SRB.

With SRB, i think Kerbol escape is quite feasible.