fourfa

Hydrofoils allowed?

This needs a stock bug fix. Klaw?

Yeah, neither did I but before the Vector, everything I tried was just marginal and not very repeatable. I found the avionics nose cose has higher drag than the small nose cone (more heat maybe, if you're using that?) I'd definitely try swapping the Terrier for an Aerospike, might give you more flexibility with your power profile. Maybe the low TWR is letting the atmosphere slow you enough that you're staying in the upper sections longer than you should. The tapered adaptor fuel tank might be cool for your final stage, but you'll definitely need an interstage fairing if you do. And if your lower stages don't throw you high enough, the rear drag is pretty high. I experimented with the Rockomax Adaptor 02, which definitely reduced drag when exposed, but once I started using the 2 Mammoth boosters, that happened so high that it wasn't worth the weight penalty. That might be the start of the complexity and weight scaling up towards 3X Mammoth....

Sure: http://imgur.com/a/q1CbS This is a bit particular to my own mission profile: two copies of all science from every biome, necessitating two separate cabins. After testing a LOT of combinations in 1.0.4 this is what I ended up with. A brute force solution, to be sure, but very reliable. KER says 8311m/s. There are surely other/cheaper/smaller ways to do it, but I wanted sea level capability and to look like a actual rocket. Without the side boosters, it works well from maybe 3000m and up if you can keep it from tipping on landing. The design and testing was a lot of work but fun as hell! Since 1.0.5 I was able to clean up the shenanigans needed to stack attach Aerospikes, but I haven't been able to get that bottom interstage fairing to close again. What a pain in the rear. My testing showed the interstage fairing saved a couple hundred m/s of dV over none at all. I use GPOSpeedFuelPump for convenience, but otherwise it runs 100% stock. You just need to keep the topmost S3 tank full with manual transfers.

I guess that was the confusion, when I unzipped it there wasn't a GameData folder like I'm used to, just the ModActions folder. Which looked like it should drop into GameData, only the contents looked strange so I wasn't sure. Thanks for checking in!

Further testing: Radiator Panel (large) looks like the one to use. One per full-size ISRU, one per pair of drills (maybe a little less - one near four drills overheated slowly). Very light (0.05T), no extending deploy, very reasonable EC consumption (just be aware that it's always on, and plan accordingly). Now that I'm reading the tech notes on the parts, this seems like the intended solution. FYI: I've had some Kraken attacks when coming out of time warp while running the ISRU and drills.

Came here looking for something to let me assign "Control From Here" to an action group (switching from horizontal to VTOL thrust) 1 - if Actions Everywhere has been deprecated in favor of this, maybe update your sig? 2 - installation is just drop the folder in GameData? I'm no code expert but the contents look different than other mods I've used

None of it is a problem if you're willing to use warp. I agree it's an interesting and semi-realistic design challenge, balancing complexity against efficiency and part count

What exactly happens if you lose reputation? I've been playing for almost 500 hours, tons of fun, but never once paid attention to my reputation score. Just opens up some obscure admin strategies? Does anyone actually use those?

I've been testing this today. Full size ISRU, fed by six drills, on an 9% ore patch on Minmus, with Level 4 engineer (don't have Level 5 in career yet). Six Gigantor solar panels with their passive radiators didn't do squat. One medium-size Thermal Control System was close - the ISRU starts cold and low efficiency, gets to 100% efficient at 1000K, then overheated to around 1100K and 65-73% efficiency (nighttime and daytime, IIRC). So I'm guessing two of those medium TCS will be enough to stay on 100%, for part count of 2 and 0.5T mass. Maybe one medium and 2-3 smalls, for part count 3-4 and mass 0.35-0.4T. One thing that surprised me - I'm used to solar panels clipping through each other and cargo bays without problems - the extending TCS radiator caused some hellacious explosions when intersecting with both solar panels and cargo bay doors. Use caution in placement and test on the launchpad. Didn't look at drill temps. Is that a thing now?

My big ascent vehicle didn't need any changes to make orbit from sea level. I have noticed that flight profile matters - the new build of mechjeb for 1.0.5 includes a new-to-me option for MaxQ limiting - when I tried turning that on, the leading Mk1 capsule blew up. Turned off, back to no problems. I guess the amount of time spent throttled-down for limited Q leads to more turn at lower altitude, and more acceleration in atmosphere instead of circularization. So, maybe try a slightly more vertical ascent? I'm programming mechjeb to start turning at 20km at no more than 6 degrees AoA, no maxQ, 66.6% shape.

Seems to be working, as far as I can tell

Interesting - any comments on applying these ideas to a mechjeb ascent profile? Limiting acceleration to 13m/s (ie ~1.3TWR) and 5-deg AoA yields a suborbital splashdown near the KSC. 5-deg AoA with no acceleration limit yields a big circularization burn, as it can't come close to finishing the turn. I usually let it go to 15 degrees on a 40% path with no acceleration limit, and get to orbit on 3500-3600m/s like everyone else... I'm guessing that 1.3TWR means only at the sea level pad, and let it go up during flight?

there's already a new version; look at the end of the mod thread

search "hydrofoil" NOT FOUND

There's a new build of MechJeb, #520: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/124336-PART-1-0-4-Anatid-Robotics-MuMech-MechJeb-Autopilot-v2-5-3-%28July-6th%29-1-0-5-in-there-too?p=2284550&viewfull=1#post2284550

Don't know if this is new - but (while tracking down why MechJeb doesn't seem to work anymore) I accidentally dropped a fueled stage on the SPH, and the animation of the building and tower gloriously collapsing in on itself.... it's worth a look people

Oh, I see. Should perform the same on Eve as the Mammoth. In which case this thing is going to be extremely useful there. (according to KER, which seems to be working - 193.2s at Eve sea level, 300s at around 12km, 314s by 33km. Same as Mammoth.)

How do we investigate the Vector's performance at Eve sea level?

That horizontal takeoff rocket-powered plane has 1.37 TWR on the pad, and 3675m/s of fuel. Might as well launch it vertically, won't make any difference.

1000kN of thrust on that Vector is very powerful, and its efficiency isn't bad. Does seem overpowered on smaller craft. When does it come in the career tech tree?

Small MkII based mini-ISRU Aerospike-powered Eve biome planehopper

I tripled the size of my VTO ballistic biome hopper, based on a Mammoth engine. Went from 6km range to like 10km. Not worth the trouble on Eve, though it's a pretty fun way to get around! Still haven't gotten a plane with onboard ISRU off the ground on Eve surface. Beefed up and simplified my 2-Kerbal rover, with 6 wheels instead of 4, pared down to the bare minimum, with struts everywhere. I've been hooning around on the surface and haven't been able to break anything except (repairable) wheels. Looks like the way to go, unless mini ISRU and possible Eve atmo update really change things.

I've been using Warouz's Cygnus launchers: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/123195-Cygnus-Recoverable-SSTO-Rockets-(15-to-600-tons) Couldn't be simpler and sometimes I just want to spend my time on the payload design, not boosters.

Ion engines with 2 Kerbals in separate pods, all science gear, and enough range for about a quarter circumnavigation? With what power source, solar? I'd love to learn how to do it I will have a research lab in orbit, but basically I'm just aiming to bring back 200 or however many experiments from Eve and Gilly at once. I looked at the mods mentioned, I think I want to make this happen in a stock-ish game.