Cebi

@WakabaGyaru Go to the Nert's Dev Thread click on here in the first post and you will be redirected to the last post with a relevant download link.

Slingshot around Gilly is like farting agains the wind at that speed. You can try what mhoram sugested. I would first try to set my periaps in upper atmosfere and try burn all the fuel as soon as you get near periapsis. You just need to achieve highly eliptical orbit and then you will gradualy break by diping into the atmosfere in several passes. Also...do you have a heatshield? If answer is no, then there is no way to survive that encounter with atmosfere. Take it as a lesson and go design another probe

Try to reduce speed before you hit atmosfere by burning your engines. Direct capture is more leathal in 1.04. Also remember that only parts behind heatshield are relatively safe. Anything you build radial will not be shielded unless you enclose it in fairing.

This calls for test. I wont be able to test it soon, but i would take whiplash engine, precooler, probecore and stick ram/shockcone intake on the top. Then only thing left to do is launch it verticaly and note highest altitude reached.

One sunny day i decided to repair leaky propan-butan stove. I dissesambled and assambled whole thing replacing some seals in the process but the damned thing still leaked gas when pressured. I turned to my grandad and said: "Get me something to test where the leak is." He returned with matches. My head still close to the stove listening for the hiss of leaking gas, he lighted the match. Ensuing fireball engulfed us both. I fell on my back right beside PB-canister and promtly disconected it. When i looked up my grandad had surprised look on his face and he was still holding the match. His eyebrows was gone and his hair and beard was smoking. None of us were seriously hurt (beside minor burns on face) and i laughed so hard that i wept.

I think that it is not true. http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/119108-Overhauls-for-1-0Edit:Sorry i did not understand your statement at first. My bad. Game indeed does not recognize this if parts are simply behind something with space between.

@Chris...honestly dont know what those units might be but i measured 20-ish units 550ASL on Duna. I used redings that presmat barmometr gives. Edit: is it posible that barometer is using hPa/milibar?

Ok so here is what i found out. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JdYXcMcwQA3NNzd08sNx7npjDPSgkETCp18grYnDw28/pubchart?oid=1346886800&format=interactive Blue line is Kerbin and orange is Duna. Bumps are errors in my measurement. There is a diference but even when there is preasure at 30000 aprox. 3x lower you wont "feel" it with such small numbers involved.

Will try today to monitor presure during ascent of my probe. Will post readings later today.

OP mentioned eliptical orbit not inclined eliptical. First satelite missions rarely gives you inclined orbits. Also you cant click on desired orbit. It is there only for reference. You cant click on orbits of planets either. We realy need those pictures to be able to help.

Also throttling back during separation will prevent damage to main stack.

Diversity of engines is much more interesting then pre 1.0. I am quite happy with gameplay aspects of new engine stats and their roles depending on atm preasure. Edit: I always loved how KSP inspired curiosity in me. When i first observed reaction wheels, rcs, docking i paused game and looked it up and read about it on internet. My point is: I wouldnt know that rocket engines have ISP that changes with atm preasure if not for KSP. And i am glad that now i do.

I was telling myself this first time i was ascending from Duna surface too. Then i realized that Lander Can without any aerodinamic parts is not so good idea.

Been there, done that. Mk2 lift properties (even without wings) on the top of rocket will produce huge force that will flip you every time. Simple solution is to put plane inside fairing and add more fuel to compensate for added weight.

To get simple answer to your qustion we need to see craft itself. Without it we are only guesing. Fins are not mandatory for stable rocket. With fins you gain stability but also you gain more drag. I think that if you are placing fins in 4 or 3 way symmetry total lift force will be zero. It is drag of those fins that will make your rocket point in prograde direction.