The KARPA falcon challenge

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

The Story:

KARPA (Kerbal Advanced Research Projects Agency) has teemed up with the KSC to develop a hypersonic glider vehicle that will be controllable, easy to use, and will be mounted on top of a rocket.

The Challenge:

The KSC wants YOU to build the glider (and the rocket) and post a download of the .craft file.

The Rules:

-It must look like the real-world DARPA falcon HTV-2

-It must be SUB-ORBITAL (no orbital weapons systems)

-It must be a glider (no engine; only the velocity gained from the carrier rocket and good old fashioned gravity)

-It must be completely stock

-It must be controllable and be able to be steered, banked, pitched, and rolled a minimum of 90 degrees on the NavBall

Extra Challenge:

-Use it to destroy the VAB

Edited November 17, 2014 by SpaceLaunchSystem

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

I've got 90 views, but no replies? Strange.

[jman508]

ill give it a try! if it seems good enough for me i might use it of ferry up supplies to my space stations

[Pecan]

I've got 90 views, but no replies? Strange.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24898-Challenge-Submission-Guide

As far as I can see:

The Rules:

-It must look like the real-world DARPA falcon HTV-2

-It must be SUB-ORBITAL (no orbital weapons systems)

-It must be a glider (no engine; only the velocity gained from the carrier rocket and good old fashioned gravity)

-It must be completely stock

-It must be controllable and be able to be steered, banked, pitched, and rolled a minimum of 90 degrees on the NavBall

Extra Challenge:

-Use it to destroy the VAB

There is exactly one part we have that looks anything like that - the Mk2 cockpit - so that's the "glider".

Sub-orbital = any old launch-vehicle (no sub-orbital weapons either).

Glider = so nothing needs to be added to the cockpit.

Stock = it's a cockpit.

Controllable and be able to be steered ... = SAS will take care of that as it plummets out of the sky.

Destroy the VAB = by crashing into it, which is neither useful nor interesting.

So - Mk2 cockpit, decoupler, some low-powered rocket, done.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Pecan

[zekes]

so doing this. Expect an overbuilt craft in 6 hours.

[The_Rocketeer]

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/24898-Challenge-Submission-Guide

As far as I can see:

There is exactly one part we have that looks anything like that - the Mk2 cockpit - so that's the "glider".

Sub-orbital = any old launch-vehicle (no sub-orbital weapons either).

Glider = so nothing needs to be added to the cockpit.

Stock = it's a cockpit.

Controllable and be able to be steered ... = SAS will take care of that as it plummets out of the sky.

Destroy the VAB = by crashing into it, which is neither useful nor interesting.

So - Mk2 cockpit, decoupler, some low-powered rocket, done.

While I do take the view that not every challenge needs to be terrifically difficult to accomplish... yeah, this doesn't interest me.

[jman508]

ill give it a try! if it seems good enough for me i might use it of ferry up supplies to my space stations

ill have pictures and maybe a small video to you in the next hour and a half (maybe)

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

I know it's an easy challenge, but I've tried and tried, and I wanted to see what you guys come up with

[SpaceLaunchSystem]

I forgot to mention, but it doesn't have to be colored black like the real thing (that is impossible to accomplish without mods). It can be white like all the parts are.

[Zoophagous]

Im having a helluva time getting anything without an ablator on the front going mach 20 within the atmosphere on anything like the HTVs flight path. Even just getting an ablator going that fast without flying way out into space first is challenging. I guess the speed requirement wasn't part of the challenge but thats really the challenge here, no?

[Nefrums]

Well Mach 20+ is for flight on a earth sized planet, where velocity in low orbit is ~7km/s. On the much smaller kerbin Mach 20 does not make sence