Max Air hog challenge!!

[Arugela]

I'm challenging people to get the max apoapsis in an air hog with only liquid fuel and jet power. Show a pick of your max orbit/apoapsis to prove along with fuel types etc. Only put LF as well. And no tricks with the pics! 8)

I don't have a picture of it, but my older air hog jet had 12 engines on an MK2 body. 6 Rapiers with 1 turbojet on each. I managed to get an apoapsis of 1.25million Killometers and a periapsis of about 40-50k. Can anyone reproduce and or beat that?

I'm currently messing around with a hogger with only two engines of teh same type previously mentioned built around 300LF 2xfuselages and a drone core surrounded by radial air intakes. 156.5 per engine max intakeair. The previous plane with 12 engines had about half that per engine but I kept it flatter while gaining speed and projected altitude. I believe it also held and I flew it to the apoapsis. So for optional added challenge also fly it the apoapsis and take a pic! 8p

Also include a pic of the plane itself. Preferably in flight. If you want make it available for download for others.

This does not require stable orbit, as it should be impossible, just max altitude of the apoapsis. Though if you manage to get a true stable orbit with just jets do share. Everyone would be interested.

Edited February 6, 2015 by Arugela

[Laie]

1.25million meters? And I always thought the theoretical maximum for turbos was somewhere around 550km, with realistic numbers somewhat lower.

[Arugela]

It was turbo jets plus rapiers. Maybe it can get higher.

[Laie]

These engines have peak thrust at 1000m/s. As you go faster and faster, thrust decreases and reaches zero at 2400m/s for turbos and 2200m/s for rapiers.

Add about 200m/s for orbital (rather than surface) velocity and run the numbers (if you don't know how, try this).

I guess your rapiers switched into closed cycle at some point.

[MarvinKitFox]

I'm challenging people to get the max apoapsis in an air hog with only liquid fuel and jet power.

...

I managed to get an apoapsis of 1.25million Killometers and a periapsis of about 40-50k. Can anyone reproduce and or beat that?

You sir, are a liar.

If you post picture that prove your claim, I will abjectly apologise.

But.... you are a liar.

1.25 million kilometers is WELL OUTSIDE kerbin SOI, thus is not very well defined. Once you get outside a planet's SOI, distance from that planet can be 2 * orbital radius with no further delta-v application.

Even if, in your confusion, you meant 1.25 million meters (1250 kilometers), I would still need to see the pictures & craft file to believe.

[Arugela]

What I'm refering to is aprox 1/10th the way to the moon.... Maybe it's 1.25 million meters.

[Foxster]

Just so you have someone having a go...

[MarvinKitFox]

535km.

Yep, pretty good.

In a previous competition I got to 509km, but that contest specced Manned capsule.

Will be trying a few tweaks now, post here if I achieve anything better.

Ok, after a few dozen iterations, meet the AirPiggy Mk VII

It took several passes through the troposphere at periapsis of about 43k-45k, and a the teensiest bit of air-storage-in-closed-scoops, but I managed a 647007.4 x 52050 "orbit"

OP: I *still* want to see the pictures of your 1.25 million km launch!

Edited February 7, 2015 by MarvinKitFox

[panzer1b]

This does not require stable orbit, as it should be impossible, just max altitude of the apoapsis. Though if you manage to get a true stable orbit with just jets do share. Everyone would be interested.

While its completely unrealistic, you can bring small amounts of intake air up with you if you close air intakes. Its very hard to pull off, but ive managed to get a pure jet into a STABLE orbit, and then deorbit it on nothing but jets. If i rebuild that thing ill show you guys how its done, despite being absurdly hard to pull off.