[Career Mode] Noob Ultimate Kerbin EVA Mission Runner (Aircraft)

[Fengist]

Noob Ultimate Kerbin EVA Mission Runner (Aircraft)

Finally, with .90 I'm sorta enjoying career mode. Pretty early into the game, I've been given missions to travel to 3-4 locations on Kerbin and do either crew reports or EVA reports from each location. I'm really enjoying the challenge of those. But, I also remember from my early days on Kerbin, it took me a WEEK just to figure out how to get an aircraft off the runway. I'm pretty certain that anyone picking up KSP either in it's current beta or it's final release is going to go through the same learning curve I did.

The purpose of this challenge is to create the ultimate career noob mission runner and making that mission runner available for noobs to download.

Early on the survey and temp scan missions offer some pretty decent rewards. But, completing those missions with the parts available is a challenge.

1. You're broke and can't upgrade much yet.

2. Your air strip has a lot of similarities with a corn field.

3. Getting a Kerbal EVA is easy. Getting him back aboard without ladders... isn't.

4. Without the ability to manually transfer fuel you can't balance your COG.

5. Some of these missions are 1/4 or 1/2 way around Kerbin.

So here's your rules:

1. Stock parts only - Basic Jet engines only. (Sorry, I love mods but many noobs coming to the game won't have mods and trying to do a mission with a rocket engine would be cost prohibitive if it could be done at all.)

2. Create a craft or vehicle that's capable of completing a multi-stop survey mission.

3. Your Kerbal should be able to EVA and return to the craft. (You have to be able to land the thing.)

4. You may use the Pegasus 1 Mobility Enhancers but not ladders (yea, ladders are some serious science).

5. It must be able to achieve an altitude of 20km (even if you can't maintain it) and be stable. Some of the missions require crew reports above 19km.

6. No parts falling off or being discarded. Recovery of all parts is crucial to financial success.

7. Must be able to be launched from a lvl 1 VAB or SPH. (Meaning, size limitations like no wider than 15m, heavier than 18 tons and 30 parts max)

8. Must be a craft that can be upgraded for harder missions later (i.e. adding turbojets and of course, thermometers, for those long missions).

9. Needs to be noob friendly. (This is rather subjective but, stable in flight and either difficult to lose control of or easy to regain control of, low chance of tail or wing strikes when landing.)

10. Takes off no or little effort to take off (Yes, you can use the field rather than the runway) and lands in a short distance. Some later missions had me landing in the middle of the mountains.) VTOL's are allowed but keep in mind the difficulties associated with spool up times on basic jets. Makes them hard to land.

11. And as always, no cheats or exploits and no trying to defeat the spirit of this challenge.

Being able to do science is a bonus!

Points:

Flight Range Bonus: 1 point per unit of fuel / number of engines (Example 2 engines with 600 fuel = 300 pts).

+10 - Being able to land back at KSC

+10 per Goo Containment Device

+15 per Science Jr.

+20 per cockpit after the first one (time to train the scientist and engineer)

+20 if it takes off the runway with no intervention BEFORE the end of the runway (SAS may be enabled)

+5 per parachute (for emergency landings since they can't be repacked). You must be able to safely land with these parachutes! (pics)

+50 if you can get it to take off from the cornfield (un-upgraded) runway without exploding.

+5 for an antenna (only one)

+20 if you provide a craft file!

Please also provide some details as to why you think your craft is the best for the job.

And, here's a screenshot of the science you're allowed to use. If it's higher in the tech tree than this, you're not allowed to use it.

Entrants:

OP - GooGetter 1: 445 pts

sdj64 - Kerbin Explorer Plane 565 pts

rc dude - 855 pts

hoioh - 1255 pts

Edited December 30, 2014 by Fengist

[Fengist]

The OP's Submission:

And, since the OP has to do it, here's mine: GooGetter 1

Points:

Flight Range: 300

Landing at KSC +10

Goo +10

Science Jr. +30

Cockpits +40

Unassisted takeoff + 20

Parachutes +10

Antenna +5

Craft File + 20

And HERE is the craft file.

Total: 445

Here's the details:

I went with a low wing tail dragger for several reasons. With the fuel tanks on the wings, the COG changes very little throughout the entire range of fuel consumption. Since I learned the hard way when I tried to land my first design that I couldn't balance the tanks and I ended up with something resembling a kite. I made it a tail dragger because, let's face it, everyone initially tries to pull the nose up during landing. Only TOO many times have I wiped my engine off the rear doing this. This craft doesn't have that problem. I likes to land on it's tail. The forward landing gear are well out on the wings. This gives it a wide stance and is unlikely to have a wing strike. It does take off unassisted (with SAS on but not as short as I'd like. It's off the runway at about the control tower.) Since it's a low wing aircraft, once the gear is raised, the wings are on the ground. Getting a Kerbal back aboard is as easy as jumping.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Fengist

[chengong]

Sure, and here is my entry:

Flight Range: 3240

Landing at KSC: 10

Unassisted takeoff: 20

Craft File: 20

Total: 3740

Yes let us not build our own crafts, in the game where the whole point is to build your own crafts.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ljqum50go71uewa/Point%20Getter%202.craft?dl=0

Here you go, a low tech version with only 29 parts, could've added a science part for more pts but I'm too lazy.

My craft is best for the job because it gets the most points.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Edited December 30, 2014 by chengong

[sdj64]

I'm in luck, I have a career at just about this point in the game. No Kerbin survey contracts available at the moment, though. Just a note, some of my buildings are upgraded, but the runway and SPH are not. That's why the guy has a spacesuit on in the mountains. It said I was too high up to breathe. In the craft file, after I did my test mission, I moved the wheels a little forward and out on the wings, that should make it more stable when landing and it still takes off from the cornfield runway.

Craft Name: Kerbin Explorer Plane (unoriginal, I know...)

Flight Range: 360

Landing at KSC +10

Goo +20

Science Jr. +30

Cockpits +40

Unassisted takeoff + 20

Takeoff from Cornfield +50

Parachutes +10

Antenna +5

Craft File +20

Total: 565

Features:

The Kerbin Explorer has two wheels in front and one in back for stability and to prevent tailstrikes. It's low cost (under 20000) and lightweight (under 8 tons). It is equipped with two each of Science Jr. and Mystery Goo, as well as one thermometer because that instrument is reusable. The plane is very forgiving to newer players, with ample SAS torque and control surfaces placed far back from the center of mass. However, it might be a bit hard to land when near full of fuel since it has rather low lift. It has two emergency parachutes that can be used one at a time if you're at low altitude or together for better stopping power at high altitude. It has two angled solar panels so you never run out of charge, an antenna for transmitting crew reports, and a probe core with SAS so that all three cockpits can have non-pilots if you need to train new crew members. The slightly anhedral wing allows kerbals to hop back on to the plane without jetpacks.

Javascript is disabled. View full album

[sdj64]

Sorry for double post, but I just noticed, Chengdong, your plane has no fuel lines. I'm not sure if you're aware but in 0.90 the ability to transfer fuel manually is tied to an upgrade of the R&D building (the most expensive one) so your fuel score is really only 360.

[chengong]

Sorry for double post, but I just noticed, Chengdong, your plane has no fuel lines. I'm not sure if you're aware but in 0.90 the ability to transfer fuel manually is tied to an upgrade of the R&D building (the most expensive one) so your fuel score is really only 360.

You didn't say it has to be burnable, neither did you say that the R&D building can't be upgraded, and last but not least, you didn't say we can't use mods that balance or pump fuel or just enable fuel crossfeed.

[hoioh]

Ultimate VTOL, Circum Nav, Ion Glider.

Biped

Walker

I can really see where you need help! Those walkers are amazing, but they wobble like the way that makes one lose his lunch though

Edited December 20, 2014 by Claw

[Fengist]

I can really see where you need help! Those walkers are amazing, but they wobble like the way that makes one lose his lunch though

Kerbals have small stomachs. It's a quick cleanup.

[Fengist]

I'm in luck, I have a career at just about this point in the game. No Kerbin survey contracts available at the moment, though. Just a note, some of my buildings are upgraded, but the runway and SPH are not. That's why the guy has a spacesuit on in the mountains. It said I was too high up to breathe. In the craft file, after I did my test mission, I moved the wheels a little forward and out on the wings, that should make it more stable when landing and it still takes off from the cornfield runway.

Craft Name: Kerbin Explorer Plane (unoriginal, I know...)

http://imgur.com/a/WXT9d

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks. But question. I see you went with LFO tanks. Why not straight LF tanks? Did you tweak the oxidizer out?

[Claw]

Okay. Well that doesn't leave much left after cleanup. So now I ask you guys politely, and please consider this fair warning.

Challenges are meant to be fun. If a particular challenge isn't fun for you, or you have a question about the rules, there is no need to get into a back-and-forth about what is/isn't allowed. The OP is permitted to modify the rules in order to remove unintended exploitable loopholes that detract from the spirit of the challenge, and nobody is forcing a user to participate. Please try to keep to the spirit of the rules and not just the explicitly-written doctrine.

In either case, I ask that you guys step back and realize this is supposed to be for entertainment. If it's not entertaining, then maybe consider moving along.

Cheers,

~Claw

Edited December 20, 2014 by Claw

[Fengist]

Okay. Well that doesn't leave much left after cleanup. So now I ask you guys politely, and please consider this fair warning.

Cheers,

~Claw

Thank you Claw! I was hoping a mod would get rid of all that.

[sdj64]

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks. But question. I see you went with LFO tanks. Why not straight LF tanks? Did you tweak the oxidizer out?

Yes, the oxidizer was tweaked out. With that tank I could get 60 more fuel than two Mk1 jet fuel tanks and save one part. The part count is more prohibitive than the weight limit for planes, other way around for rockets.

[rc dude]

Here is my submission.

Points:

720 fuel/ 1 engine = 720

can land at KSC = 10

2x Goo container = 20

no intervention takeoff = 20

2x parachute = 10

un-upgraded runway = 50

antenna = 5

.craft file = 20

TOTAL = 855

I used LFO tanks to save part count, and four wings to make it easy to fly (for me). It is stable up to 20km+, and I can cruise at 20km. Fuel use is .10 at full throttle, but around .07 at cruising. To take off, enable SAS, start the engine, and then apply full throttle. It will rise into the air on its own.

Photos:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-2oEtVCzKyYaDQtdlF3VlZlaHc/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-2oEtVCzKyYNC1sdkVDd3F1bnc/view?usp=sharing

.craft file:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-2oEtVCzKyYbVd1NTVTRTlDX0k&authuser=0

Enjoy!

[hoioh]

So I said earlier I would submit and entry and here we go:

Takes on 900 fuel = 1080 points

She takes off from the unupgraded runway on her own = 20 point

Unupgraded runway = 50 points

0x goo = 0 points

2x science junior = 30 points

2 additional seats = 40 points

0 parachutes = o points

Antenna = 5 points

Landed back on the same awful runway = 10 points

Craft file supplied below the album = 20 points

Flies stably up to warp 2. (This may be a good stability rating factor to include in the scoring)

Total score: 1255 points

(PS. I added this much fuel because that' how the scoring system works, but she flies better with 1 less tank of fuel. Below the album I've written a proposal to upgrade the scoring system to be less fuel dependent and inspiring to make more Noob friendly planes.)

(PPS. I had another model with extra fuel tanks attached to the wings, but it required fuel lines to be researched and I only saw that I couldn't after the fact, so I had to rebuild. This original version was super stable and easily able to fly all the way down to the south pole, also she would fly stably at warp 4!)

Javascript is disabled. View full album

The APKE All Purpose Kerbin Explorer (Design inspired by Burt Rutan's magnificent flying contraptions)

It's currently extremely in favour of the amount fo fuel you can carry on it. Though important, it's currently when done right 90% of the total score, that's too much emphasis I'd say, so it needs a little balance in favour of being Noob friendly and stable above fuel heavy.

In order to prove stability I think the highest safe warp speed you can fly it at without crashing or veering out of control would be a nice score multiplier on the side of everything but the fuel.

I would propose to reduce the points per fuel a little and multiply everything else by the safest warp speed. In return the fuel carried should be divided by the maximum available warp speed which is 4 to balance it in favour of the stability but not make fuel entirely unimportant.

For this plane my scoring would look like this:

She takes off from the unupgraded runway on her own = 20 point

Unupgraded runway = 50 points

0x goo = 0 points

2x science junior = 30 points

2 additional seats = 40 points

0 parachutes = o points

Antenna = 5 points

Landed back on the same awful runway = 10 points

Craft file supplied below the album = 20 points

Flies stably up to warp 2.

20 + 50 + 30 + 40 + 5 + 10 + 20 = 175

Warp multiplier = 2

2 x 175 = 350

Fuel carried = 1080

1080 / 4 = 270

350 + 270 = 620 total score

This is just a proposal to put fuel in a more appropriate place.

[Fengist]

About the scoreing system

Yea, the scoring system is a bit in favor of fuel. I just put this together to give noobs an idea of how best to complete these challenges. Wasn't something I went into a great detail thinking about. But, it serves it's purpose even with the scoring system.