Kerbal Space Program
Discussion
RizzoTheRat said:
Interesting launch arrangement.
I've just started experimenting with space planes and not really got the hang of it yet.
The trick is just getting them balanced and making sure you have fuel flow to the engines. I'm going to see how large and ridiculous I can make one that is capable of flights. I've just started experimenting with space planes and not really got the hang of it yet.
I posted the .craft file of the plane I was having trouble with on the KSP forum and got some great feedback after a more experienced pilot had flown it, so I hope I should have a bit more success with the Mk2.
I'd like to use a space plane as a tanker so I can leave some longer range ships in orbit and reuse them rather than keep having to build expensive new ones, so once I've figured out how the make one that works I want to make one that'll lift a big orange tank in to orbit. Career mode does may you think differently than the sandbox mode of the demo version I tried.
I'd like to use a space plane as a tanker so I can leave some longer range ships in orbit and reuse them rather than keep having to build expensive new ones, so once I've figured out how the make one that works I want to make one that'll lift a big orange tank in to orbit. Career mode does may you think differently than the sandbox mode of the demo version I tried.
RizzoTheRat said:
I posted the .craft file of the plane I was having trouble with on the KSP forum and got some great feedback after a more experienced pilot had flown it, so I hope I should have a bit more success with the Mk2.
I'd like to use a space plane as a tanker so I can leave some longer range ships in orbit and reuse them rather than keep having to build expensive new ones, so once I've figured out how the make one that works I want to make one that'll lift a big orange tank in to orbit. Career mode does may you think differently than the sandbox mode of the demo version I tried.
If you look a few posts up I posted a pic of a plane containing one of the medium sized fuel tanks. I had to add lots of reinforcing girders as the join seemingly isn't as strong as with jet fuel parts.I'd like to use a space plane as a tanker so I can leave some longer range ships in orbit and reuse them rather than keep having to build expensive new ones, so once I've figured out how the make one that works I want to make one that'll lift a big orange tank in to orbit. Career mode does may you think differently than the sandbox mode of the demo version I tried.
It will weigh ALOT more than any other part of your plane so you'll have to think carefully about how you construct it.
Edited by folos on Monday 6th October 14:29
Decided to have a go with FAR (aerodynamics and aerodynamic stress on components mod) seeing as I was starting again from scratch with 0.25. That makes life a bit harder. Suddenly cumbersome looking rockets that worked ok in vanilla get really wobbly on launch, and I've had some spectacular re-entry breakups. Can't get the hang of aircraft in it though, controls are really tricky as the SAS seems to set up pilot induced oscillations rather easily. I've had to rethink my lander design a bit to get something I can actually launch, and am now using much taller slimmer rockets with a lot of struts.
Had a play with the new Strategies and until they balance it up better it's a real game breaker. Diverting 20% cash in science means you can pretty much complete the science tree without getting outside Kerbin orbit.
Had a play with the new Strategies and until they balance it up better it's a real game breaker. Diverting 20% cash in science means you can pretty much complete the science tree without getting outside Kerbin orbit.
I've installed FAR and it's pretty fun, makes things more difficult but in an interesting way. I've had some spectacular atmospheric breakups (spaceplanes in particular). This mission here lost all of it's solar panels while aerobraking at Eve. Bill Kerman seems to be enjoying the view from Gilly though! 
FAR makes planes very tricky indeed, getting them balanced and airworthy is quite a challenge. The main thing i've found is to make the structure very strong so it doesn't oscillate too much and fall apart. Then there's flying the damn things, this is one of the best that i've come up with that's quite hard to stall and easy to maneuver. Can cruise at about 25km from the surface, the atomic engine is to provide some thrust at that altitude. It's imperative to lose altitude and speed VERY VERY slowly or else it'll disintegrate with the slightest wrong move.
Edited by folos on Thursday 11th December 19:29
Edited by folos on Thursday 11th December 19:30
Not played since before Christmas (or rather since before the Elite: Dangerous release), so only just tried out 0.90. Its definitely got harder, I'm now having to think more about money, and having just accepted a contract to rescue a orbiting kerbal (how do the idiots get up there?) realised that the ship design I first thought of uses more than 30 parts so I can't build it without a pad upgrade. It's also lead me to trying to recover more parts, which means heavier return vehicles (capsule + tank + engine) which means more parachutes, so more part count. This does mean it's getting a bit unrealistic so I may have to install Deadly Re-entry. Current game has FAR, Procedural Farings, B9 aerospace and Kerbal Engineer Redux.
I docked for the first time since .9
Wow, so much easier. Had one ship point normal, one point anti-normal and just eased it in
done it maybe half the time it usually takes me. I'm running this 64bit with engineer and dock port alignment. It's not any harder, but you have to really think about efficiency and design a lot more, and now with the VAB gizmos the design procedure is much better.
Wow, so much easier. Had one ship point normal, one point anti-normal and just eased it in
done it maybe half the time it usually takes me. I'm running this 64bit with engineer and dock port alignment. It's not any harder, but you have to really think about efficiency and design a lot more, and now with the VAB gizmos the design procedure is much better. Is the 64 bit version stable now then? I only downloaded the 32 bit as previously there's been a lot of trouble with the 64 bit.
Not tried docking in this version yet, I was getting better at it previously, but had right troubles when I had a big space station with modules docked to a central core, when I turned on SAS the ruddy thing started wobbling back and forward with the side modules as flexible weights
With the new pilot/engineer/scientist business do you always have to a pilot on board? I tried sending up a Mk1 pod with a scientist, and even with a sputnik on top and a SAS module it wouldn't let me use SAS. Not tried just a sputnik on an unkerballed craft yet to see if that works.
Not tried docking in this version yet, I was getting better at it previously, but had right troubles when I had a big space station with modules docked to a central core, when I turned on SAS the ruddy thing started wobbling back and forward with the side modules as flexible weights
With the new pilot/engineer/scientist business do you always have to a pilot on board? I tried sending up a Mk1 pod with a scientist, and even with a sputnik on top and a SAS module it wouldn't let me use SAS. Not tried just a sputnik on an unkerballed craft yet to see if that works.
There's definitely a Mac version, dunno about the machine spec needed for it though. The forums can be pretty helpful
http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum.php
http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/forum.php
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