Zero-G RCS Race!

[1greywind]

Welcome to Zero-G RCS Race!

In this challenge I encourage participants to build a RCS racing pod (or use provided one) and show how fast it can race on double sided ribbon track in space.

Race track:

You can use those action groups to control lights:

2 - inner side white lights,

3 - inner side color lights,

4 - outer side white lights,

5 - outer side color lights.

Race track has been rebuilt using welded parts and now has pretty resonable parts count of 168 (and most parts are physicsless) Old, pure stock version with ~1100 parts count is obsolete now.

more images

Challenge rules:

1. Download this KSP save file: dropbox link. It contains game save with track on kerbin stationary orbit and welded parts cfg file. Unzip into your KSP folder.
   
2. Locate racing track in Control Station (it is only active flight in save - station on 1500x1500 circular orbit over Kerbin).
   
3. Use only monopropellant RCS thrusters and/or engines on your custom design pod.
   
4. Any mods are allowed, except for autopilots of any kind.
   
5. No debug menu cheats during flight allowed (no infinite fuel, etc). But you can cheat (hyperedit, hack gravity) to bring your custom pod to racing track if you want.
   
6. Before your start race you must place your racing pod onto small docking port at green section (to ensure that everyone starts from same position.
   
7. To start race undock your pod from start position (action group: 1 - undock docking port) and make screenshot to set start time.
   
8. Race is ended when your pod comes into stop near wall at outer blue section. (Yes, you must kill your velocity at finish position).
   
9. Stay within track rings during race.
   
10. Track should remain stationary (do not apply rotation to it before starting race).
    
11. To confirm your attempt provide video recording or at least 3 screenshot: one at start, one at track middle section (where you go from inner to outer ribbon side)
    
12. Lap time is calculated as diffirence btween flight time (number at top left corner) at start and finish position (remember: your pod should be stationary relative to race track at finish).
    
13. Fastest time wins.
    

Scoreboard:

1. 1greywind 2:55 (
   )
   

Update: Race track has been optimized! Please redownload challenge zip file! It now contains game save and welded parts.

Edited October 4, 2014 by 1greywind
added welded track version. no lags now!

[1greywind]

And this is my lap time with video proof:

[Vaporo]

Are o-10 engines legal?

[Yakky]

Any restrictions on spinning the track? :-)

[Kulebron]

I't impossible to run on a reasonable system, let alone record a video. Please, weld it and post as a part (GameData/Challenge/Parts etc).

[1greywind]

@Vaporo: Yes, you can use o-10 (default pod has 2 of them)

@Yakky: Hmm. Track should remain stationary. So, applying rotation (spinning) on track is prohibited (rules updated)

@Kulebron: It works with ~15 fps on my 4 years old PC (Intel i5 750 quad core @ 2.67 GHz, GeForce GTX 470). I have no experience with welding mod, but I'll look into it.

[1greywind]

@Kulebron: your request has been completed: race track now is welded and should run fast on any computer.

[sal_vager]

I think this is going to do well, so I've stuck it for october, congrats 1greywind

[Kulebron]

Not everyone has video accelerator cards, many people play on laptops.

Thanks a lot!

[Heretic391]

The new update has screwed up the race track.

[Wanderfound]

Why limit it to RCS? How about a separate leaderboard for the "open class" with proper rocketry allowed?

[1greywind]

Hmm. Yep, I need to fix race track to work with 0.25

@Wanderfound: Limit for RCS is mostly to promote small and efficient designs. There are not much space inside track rings, so bigger crafts will stuck inside and ruin experience. But if you realy want to try this challenge with LF rocket, I will not stop you