Hey everyone! a quick question to get started.

[kevs014]

im trying to stabalize my rocket i built.

So basically it looks like one of those rockets with an air plain attached to it (see link for picture). I am having trouble having it go straight up instead it immediately flips over, can i get a couple options on how to make this work.

Thanks, Kevin

https://www.google.com/search?q=space+shuttle&um=1&safe=off&hl=en&biw=1920&bih=950&dpr=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=QnZDUsCQEuzjigLd5IF4#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=BRANw4ssB8-FMM%3A%3BMaAehYEomZQ2mM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages.nationalgeographic.com%252Fwpf%252Fmedia-live%252Fphotos%252F000%252F012%252Fcache%252Fspace-shuttle-atlantis_1223_600x450.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fscience.nationalgeographic.com%252Fscience%252Fphotos%252Fspace-shuttle-travel-gallery%252F%3B600%3B450

[Kegereneku]

Asymetrical design is very very hard. I recommend you to start with more classic design. or putting the spaceplane at the front of the rocket.

[Cranium]

You'll see on the real shuttle, that most of the engines are already angled quite a bit towards the dorsal side. If I recall correctly, they could gimbal an additional 5-10 degrees(I might be completely wrong about this) to compensate for the asymmetric amount of thrust and mass.

It's not really easy to maky such a craft in KSP, but I have seen it done. What you may end up doing, is simply attaching your lifting stage directly below your plane stage.

[Moar Boosters]

It's much easier to do it like this. Would have been safer IRL as well..... no chance of debris strike that caused the columbia disaster with the orbiter-on-top design.

[mobkillertman]

I think that design is really cool and I actually have had success with it in the past. what you need to do is first build the space plane and make sure that the center of thrust lines up with the center of mass, (the 3 little buttons under the part index toggle these on and off) after that you should get an orange tank and strap it on, now you will notice that your center of mass and center of thrust are not lined up at all, to counter this place large solid fuel boosters so that the center of mass and center of thrust are lined up again, however when you jettison the solid fuel boosters it will make your rocket lean, you can use this to your advantage just like in real life and use this turn as your gravity turn, so just rotate your rocket so that the orange tank faces east (or witch ever direction you want your rocket to go) and blast off!

[Hodo]

There is a reason why the Space Shuttle has its engines canted the way they are. This is to push the center of thrust through the center of mass. I built one working space shuttle on the side of a launcher rocket. It took 2 days, working 4 hours a day, to get it to work right, but I finally got it to work. It was a nightmare. And may the lords of Kerbin help you if you try and put cargo in the cargo bay. You have to recalculate everything and adjust the thrust on the shuttle accordingly.

I suggest looking at the design of the actual space shuttle and launcher, and then look at the Russian version and you will find some tricks you can use to make your own. Good luck and have fun!

[Captain Sierra]

The level of engineering required to make something like this work is really beyond the scope of KSP. most of us just launch out shuttles on top of giant rockets (Safety? What's that?). It is easier and requires less math. HOWEVER, when things go wrong, it is much prettier fireworks.

[Kerbart]

It's much easier to do it like this. Would have been safer IRL as well..... no chance of debris strike that caused the columbia disaster with the orbiter-on-top design.

The irony... practically every design rule in KSP says "wider, not higher."

Except where IRL we go wider, not higher. Then, KSP goes higher, not wider...

Edited September 28, 2013 by Kerbart
Removed pic from quote

[Nibb31]

You'll see on the real shuttle, that most of the engines are already angled quite a bit towards the dorsal side.

That picture is upside down !

[casey28xxx]

im trying to stabalize my rocket i built.

So basically it looks like one of those rockets with an air plain attached to it (see link for picture). I am having trouble having it go straight up instead it immediately flips over, can i get a couple options on how to make this work.

Thanks, Kevin

https://www.google.com/search?q=space+shuttle&um=1&safe=off&hl=en&biw=1920&bih=950&dpr=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=QnZDUsCQEuzjigLd5IF4#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=BRANw4ssB8-FMM%3A%3BMaAehYEomZQ2mM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages.nationalgeographic.com%252Fwpf%252Fmedia-live%252Fphotos%252F000%252F012%252Fcache%252Fspace-shuttle-atlantis_1223_600x450.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fscience.nationalgeographic.com%252Fscience%252Fphotos%252Fspace-shuttle-travel-gallery%252F%3B600%3B450

Check out white owl on youtube, last year he had built a similar shuttle using mods.

Or check out his thread: http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/26533-White-Owl-s-KSP-Video-Series?

[robly18]

That picture is upside down !

No, it's not. Mainly because it's not a picture. And it isn't upside down. If anything, it's sideways.

[T-Pilot395]

It's doing a gravity turn!