MetricKerbalist

Hi Draalo, Perfect! That answers my question. Thank you. Stanley

Hi KSP colleagues, I just discovered the handy safety precaution of being able to lock the space bar so that you don't accidentally carry out an unplanned staging -- namely, you use Alt-L. Very good. But sometimes I find that I cannot keep track of whether I have toggled the staging lock on or off. Is there a way to know? Thank you. Stanley

I thank everyone for their answers to my question about canting rocket engines. Stanley

Hi KSP colleagues, Just one time, I would like to build a rocket so that a cluster of engines were canted. In other words, instead of the engines all being parallel with the center of thrust, they were instead installed at any angle. I just want to see if doing so induces a spin on the rocket. So, is it possible to install the rockets with an angle. Using symmetry, all the engines could be placed that way. Mind you, please, I am not contending that canting engines is desirable. I just want to try it. Thank you. Stanley

Hi Bej Kerman, Reactordrone, and FleshJeb, Thank you all for your informative answers. I especially enjoyed the link to the Kerbal Space Program wiki, which nicely tidied up the issue. I am grateful for the help that all of you provided. Stanley

Hi KSP colleagues, I have a question pertaining to the Kerbal X (Stock), please: As you can see, a cluster of seven engines initially powers the rocket. The central engine is an RE-M3 Mainsail Liquid Fuel Engine, so we would expect it to be have differently from the six other engines forming the circumference of the cluster. These are all LV-T45 "Swivel" Liquid Fuel Engines, and each one of those six burns the same kind of fuel and the same kind of oxidizer. But those six engines burn their fuel at different rates in pairs. Thus, two of the engines complete their burn at one time, and then two of the engines complete their burn next, and finally the third pair complete their burn. How is this possible, since they are all using the same engines with the same amount of identical fuel? Thank you. Stanley

Hi Ben J. Kerman, OK. Thank you for this information. Stanley

Hi KSP colleagues, I am trying to add an image to my signature. In the edit-profile area, I see the place where it says to insert an image from a URL. What I need, however, is to load an image from my computer. So I need to be able to browse my computer. Could someone please explain how to do this. Thank you. Stanley

Hi Zhetaan, Thank you very much for your highly informative post. Stanley Hi bewing, Thank you for that information. Now, I am going to start using the TD-12 because you nice, helpful KSP colleagues are advising me to do so. However, just because I want to learn as much as I can about KSP, I would like to understand how to find the TR-18A. I followed your instructions, and thus I was able to find the button to which you referred. But I still cannot locate the TR-18A. Would you mind going a little bit further and telling me what options I should then choose. Thank you for your consideration. Stanley

Hi bewing, OK. I understand. Thank you. Stanley

Hi bewing, I can see the part mentioned in my directory tree. I just don't know how to activate it. But I don't really need to either. I have got so many things to learn. Thank you for your contribution. Stanley

Hi Rhomphaia, Thank you. You have been tremendously helpful. Stanley

Hi Rhomphaia, Wow! That is interesting information! So out of curiosity, let me ask this, please. Let's say that I wanted to put the TR-18A back into use. How would I do that? In other words, how do I move it out of storage, so to speak, and put it back into an active area. I am not planning on doing this. But knowing how to do it would teach me something more about KSP. Thank you. Stanley

Hi Rhomphaia, Oh, I wasn't disputing the accuracy of Serenity's message. She clearly knows what she is talking about, and I am grateful for her answer. I just wanted to bring to everyone's attention that the two components do not have identical characteristics. Stanley

Hi Serenity and 18Watt, Thank you for your answers. So Serenity, you are saying to use the TD-12 Decoupler in place of the TR-18A Stack Decoupler. OK. I will do that. That is very useful information. I assume that you are aware of this, but I just do want to point out that the specifications of these two components differ to some extent: Physically, they seem to be the same size, so that is good. The TD-12 weighs 0.04 t versus the TR-18A, which weighs 0.05 t. Not too much of a difference there. The TD-12 has a tolerance of only 6.0 m/s impact versus the TR-18A, whose impact tolerance is 9.0 m/s. This worries me somewhat. What especially concerns me, however, is that the TD-12 has an ejection force of 100.0 versus the TR-18A, whose ejection force is 250.0. Well, it is what it is. But there are these differences. Stanley

Hi Kerbal colleagues, A number of rockets that I have built according to specifications have called for the use of a TR-18A Stack Decoupler. Unfortunately, I don't have that component in my Kerbal Space Program bundle. I had a nice, successful install of the program from Steam, but I don't have that. I don't know why not. Here is what I do have: TD-06 Decoupler TD-12 Decoupler TD-25 Decoupler TD-37 Decoupler TS-06 Stack Separator TS-12 Stack Separator TS-25 Stack Separator TS-37 Stack Separator Therefore, I have these two questions, please: Is there a way I could get the TR-18A Stack Decoupler? But I can't see how. Of the components that I do have listed, is any one of them a close enough substitute for the TR-18A Stack Decoupler? Thank you. Stanley

Hi Kerbal colleagues, I am still quite new to the game, so perhaps I am doing something wrong. But I cannot imagine what it is. From the Scenarios collection, I wanted to play Mun Rover. I click on Mun Rover, and then I click on Continue. The scenario loads up, and then I instantly hear an explosion -- the sound that occurs when you hit the Space bar, which I did not do. Then, if I hit space again, I just get a clicking sound, as if there is no fuel supply. And I guess there is no fuel supply. Here are my questions, please If I did do something to corrupt the file or files, can I restore the file or files pertaining to this scenario so that I can play it? Assuming that I can get the scenario going properly, how do you launch the small rocket versus how do you get the rover to operate? Thank you for listening to my questions. Stanley

Hi Jack Wolfe and Incarnation of Chaos, Of course, reasonable people can disagree. I believe that having the number and the unit symbol separated by a space does improve readability. Moreover, the BIPM and the NIST agree. I also believe that uniform standards should be followed. Having the separation is the standard set for SI. I respectfully request that Kerbal Space Program follow that standard. However, the most important thing is to use SI consistently and exclusively, which KSP does. For that, I wholeheartedly applaud KSP. Stanley

Hi Arecibo, Right. The UK still does use miles per hour. Ireland and especially continental Europe is wall-to-wall metric, but the UK refuses to go along. Stanley

Thank you, Serenity. I think that I am getting things figured out now. I appreciate your comment. Stanley

Hi Caerfinon, Perfect. Worked like a charm. Thank you. Stanley

Hi everyone, I have a minor question, please. I have designed my own flag for KSP, and I have it set to the right specifications. However, when I click on all the flag possibilities, I don't see an option to browse your computer and install your own flag. Could someone kindly explain how to do this. Thank you. Stanley

Hi OHara, The thin space to which you are referring is something else. That refers to the issue of thousands separators. For example, instead of writing 123,456,789 kg, the ISO document to which you refer says use a thin space instead of commas. (I am somewhat simplifying the issue here.) But the correct use of SI is to use a space between the number -- however it is written -- and the unit abbreviation for kilograms. Stanley

Hi 18Watt, Thank you for your excellent question. And here is the answer. The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM, following the French-language acronym for Bureau International des Poids et Mesures) writes this in its publication entitled The International System of Units (SI) 8th edition (2006) on page 133: "The numerical value always precedes the unit, and a space is always used to separate the unit from the number." The BIPM gives the example of m = 12.3 g. Thus, m = 12.3g is incorrect. That is the international source giving the rules for writing values in the International System of Units. Next for the United States, which follows the same rules, I cite the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In its publication Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI) 2008 edition, written by Ambler Thompson and Barry N. Taylor, the NIST states the following on page vi: "Values of quantities are expressed in acceptable units using Arabic numerals and symbols for the units.... There is a space between the numerical value and unit symbol...." The NIST gives the example of m = 5 kg. Thus, m = 5kg is incorrect. To summarize, therefore, I stated that a space must always be inserted between the number and the unit abbreviation. You asked, according to whom? And I reply, according to the BIPM and the NIST. Stanley

Hi Klapaucius, Thank you for the link. I will watch the videos. Stanley