Kerbolev Sepratron (for Korolev Cross)

[thereaverofdarkness2]

I had an idea for a part which would enable simulating the Korolev Cross in KSP both for roleplaying and strategic purposes. This part should make for a useful type of decoupler/sepratron.

The part is a small radial piece much like a radial RCS thruster, and it can only attach a fuel tank to its root. When activated, it detaches like a decoupler but then adds a radial point of thrust to the separating (away from root) fuel tank, causing the fuel tank to expend its remaining fuel at very low dV to produce non-damaging thrust. This will use the fuel remaining in the tank to push the tank away from the rocket, much like the real separation bolt used on the Soyuz rocket.

Another way to say this is that it's a decoupler that provides thrust, pulling fuel from the tank it separates with. Thanks, Geonovast, for the alternate explanation.

 

The name I came up with is the Kerbolev Sepratron, relating it to the Korolev Cross, and it would be produced by Kerbodyne.

Edited October 13, 2018 by thereaverofdarkness2
making the post clearer

[Gargamel]

Well, yeah... I guess... I mean what you describe is technically not a sepatron as found in the game... but....

They do this in real life cause it's easiest to do so.  They don't have to add any more engines or mini srb's or nuttin.   It makes the system 'simpler'.   

But in game, rerouting fuel and engine thrust to a new part, gets complicated.   Plus stock KSP is not very good at staging before fuel is completely used up.  It would be quite a dance for a player to get consistent results.   The easiest, and best, solution is to use a stock sepatron.

I'm ok with somebody working on this as a mod, but as for the stock game.... I'll eat my hat first. 

[snip]

Edited October 12, 2018 by Vanamonde

[thereaverofdarkness2]

1 hour ago, Gargamel said:

Well, yeah... I guess... I mean what you describe is technically not a sepatron as found in the game... but....

They do this in real life cause it's easiest to do so.  They don't have to add any more engines or mini srb's or nuttin.   It makes the system 'simpler'.   

But in game, rerouting fuel and engine thrust to a new part, gets complicated.   Plus stock KSP is not very good at staging before fuel is completely used up.  It would be quite a dance for a player to get consistent results.   The easiest, and best, solution is to use a stock sepatron.

I'm ok with somebody working on this as a mod, but as for the stock game.... I'll eat my hat first. 

Thank you for a constructive and well thought out post. I'll agree that your points pretty well demonstrate that my idea wouldn't work very well in the stock game.

[snip]

Edited October 12, 2018 by Vanamonde

[Vanamonde]

There was an argument in this thread but we're being told that it was resolved, so it's been removed. 

[Xd the great]

Does the making history contain a cross based on the soyuz?

[thereaverofdarkness2]

1 hour ago, Xd the great said:

Does the making history contain a cross based on the soyuz?

I can't say for sure but I believe it does based on some videos. Interesting, I'll have to check that out.

[Dunbaratu]

The way this might be implemented is by making a part that is both a surface decoupler *and* a small engine (put both modules into the same part), but it mounts backward such that on detachment, the decoupler stays attached to the boosters, not to the central core, and on detachment it also activates the little small engine.  So the single spacebar press for stage both decouples and turns on the engine. 

If the engine is attached to the booster fuel tank still, then it should automatically fuel flow into it with the remaining fuel once it becomes ignited as part of the separation.

 

[StrandedonEarth]

On 10/12/2018 at 4:29 PM, Xd the great said:

Does the making history contain a cross based on the soyuz?

The Soyuz-style side boosters in Making History have a solid separator motor built in

[Xd the great]

43 minutes ago, StrandedonEarth said:

The Soyuz-style side boosters in Making History have a solid separator motor built in

Ah thanks. Now we already have enough to make a korolev cross.

[BadLeo]

There was an old mod (smart parts, maybe?) that had a radial piece with angled sided engines that was meant to be added to the top of boosters, replacing separatrons. But I'm not sure about what mod it was and I'm pretty sure it has not being maintained in a long time.