Unresponsive RCS.

[MGCJerry]

I have just spent the last 2 hours doing 3 launches, and coming this close -----><----- to nailing good precision landings (manually) only if my RCS didn't quit working upon landing. Lets not discuss the first launch. wrong button * (650 m/sec) * no fuel = rapid dis-assembly.

Mods: KSP runs fine now after turning off some AMD BIOS "features", and lowest video textures & I can now play with mods *yay!*

VOID

Kerbal Attachment System

Kethane

ScanSAT (not used on this launch)

OS:

Windows XP 32

Here's what's going on

I created this weird rocket to land a "small" driller/refiner for Kethane on top of a skycrane that's carrying a mobile science rover. Total 73 tons. The goal of this thing is to land it on the mun, drop my science rover from the skycrane and right it using a winch (it lands flat on the rear end, by design). Then I decouple my "mini" driller from the top of the skycrane and land it nearby to commence work. At least that's the plan.

I like carrying lots of RCS fuel. 1,900 monoprop from all my tanks total. I have a 750 tank that's on the transfer stage that gives me RCS during upper atmosphere and maneuvers. I then enable a 750 tank on the driller, & 100 tank on each decent engine (4 total for 400 monoprop) and use that for righting my ship while doing my approach and landing. TWICE now once I get close, suddenly RCS refuses to work and I have a huge mad dash to make sure all my monoprop tanks are enabled (all are except the 2 on the rover), and my power is good (6- 1x6 solar panels deployed as well as 4 RTGs). Both attempts resulted in my lander crashing and burning. Panic on the tip caused me to full throttle with little fuel I had left, but no RCS so I crashed at 15m/sec and started tumbling. This last one made me rage-quit. I was SO close to my base, and the landing would have been impeccable if the ship didn't tip over due to a little horizontal velocity. RCS would have saved the landing (both landings actually).

* I had plenty of electrical charge.

* I had plenty of monoprop (400+).

* Nothing blew up on touchdown (3 m/sec) landing speed.

* NONE of the RCS thrusters was working.

* Turned off RCS then back on (R key).

Crashes like this makes me want to get & use mechjeb, but I like trying to land my creations. I've landed a lot of similar stuff built like this without much issue.

Rocket:

Red lines = decouplers

The outside tanks are like that because regardless of what I do, when they run out, they crash into the center stack *swearing & revert*, this is the only way I can stop them from doing it. (I've tried sepratrons on top sides and bottom sides to no avail). This kerbal solution works, so...

Ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Edited December 8, 2014 by MGCJerry

[MGCJerry]

Problem has been resolved by installing mechjeb, and letting it handle the ship. We can mark this as solved.