ammobake

I think it can have it's uses. If you are earlier in the game with the heavy lift capability it can get you some additional science points. For example, if you can modify an existing rocket to handle the extra bulk and make it so it can land on the moon - wow it increases science potential considerably. here's proof of concept... http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=234247377 another screeny from the mun... Screeny at launch showing my original rocket's launch config. I've made 4 attempts and have zero failed landing attempts so far with this configuration. The added science point bonus isn't anything drastic but it does make a big difference doing all these experiments on or near the moons of kerbin. You can do more constant science with it also. Even in cases where you would normally get ZERO science points for transmitting, processing it in the lab can get you a few 4 or 5 points, much more in some cases depending on the return value for said experiment. Processing surface samples is also a good way to get alot more science points. You just do it over and over. Once you get to where you don't get any more points without returning to kerbin you attempt a return flight from the surface of the mun (for example) and if you make it back great. If not you got alot of points you wouldn't have gotten otherwise. I'm not sure if it doubles the points you would normally get from a mun landing mission but it's gotta be close to it. You just have to make sure you can adjust your design to deal with any top-heavy balance issues after launch. Putting landing struts directly on the bottom of the mobile processing lab - I wouldn't recommend it due to balance issues at touchdown. But there are ways to consistently land on the mun and get some decent science. -ChriS

I'm definately going to be using that undo feature also!! OMG I didn't even know about that one. -ChriS

Thanks so much guys! What a relief to be able to zoom. Was getting cramped there. Using the - and + keys on the numberpad works great. Shift + mouse wheel is probably the easiest tho. Thanks everyone for your responses! -ChriS

My rockets just keep getting bigger and bigger! Assembly becomes more and more of an issue with some of the larger configurations of rockomax tanks & engines. Sometimes it becomes so difficult to do assembly without being able to do something as simple as zooming out a bit. It sometimes causes you to accidentally click something you didn't mean to - if you haven't saved your rocket yet you're stuck trying to reattach. This is most of the time imposible if you've added multiple decouplers and other things to each tank so you end up having to try doing several steps over again and restage accordingly. I feel like I can't even see most of the rocket. Is there any way to zoom in or out during rocket assembly? Thank you! -ChriS (in Alaska)

If alo you have is the support bracing and small radial (side-mount) decouplers you can easily do it. All you have to do is tie the upper stage to the radial decoupler on the lower stage with support bracing. When the decoupler detaches so does the support bracing. On you go! -ChriS

The tricouplers can be pretty fun! I once attempted a concept rocket called trifecta which was a single occupant probe core. on 4 sides were the support boxes and 4 fuel tanks outside of that. I then added tricoupler and three fuel tanks below that. I added side-mount engines and landing struts on the trifecta fuel tanks themselves (no landing gear on the probe). I have a screenshot which proves it is possible to land on the mun with this configuration too! I imagine I could also add a tank on top of the probe with side mounts and use that for return only. Using Tricoupler-mounted tanks to mount your landing struts on gives you multiple balanced points of contact and a really wide landing base which is good. The configuration is a bit top-heavy though so you have to be sure not to land on the edge of a crater or something!

Just wanted to give my two cents for the rockomax fueltanks to limit wobble, tipping & spin. Ensure fuel crossfeed if you want your liquid fuel engines to burn out at once even though the fuel tanks have different capacities. Reinforce your rocket with cross-bracing between decouplers. If you use one rockomax tank with six around it. You can add decouplers close together on each tank and add a little much-needed cross-bracing to limit the wobble. You can either attach your decouplers with cross-bracing or attach cross bracing directly from the tank to an adjacent decoupler on each side of the tank. This also works if you want to add bracing on top of the stack to a taller, center rockomax tank stack. The cross-bracing is absolutely key to limiting wobble of each individual stack. If you want your tanks to decouple in the "Peeled banana" style you will need to make sure your crossbracing is attached to decouplers on either side. Staging is important in this regard. After you attach your rockomax tanks and make your stacks how you want, you can typically add additional decouplers after the fact (between the two fuel tank stacks). This adds aditional bracing and the trick works between liquid tanks and solid boosters also. If you find the rocket is still tipping after the stability issues are resolved it just has too much on top (top heavy). Try removing one tank and do some trial and error to see if it goes away. I recently added one rockomax tank at the top just below my mun lander and it caused ALOT of headaches. It just doesn't work due to the balance issues. Just trial and error I guess but the stability issues at launch and directly after launch are easily resolved with the cross-bracing reinforcement. You don't have to tie every single item together with crossbracing either. Once you do it a few times you get a feel for what areas might need additional decouplers and cross bracing in-between. Always use S.A.S. for launch (T) button too. Also, don't be afraid to use RCS thrusters on your upper stage for getting into orbit. It helps immensely when trying to recover if you start tipping at higher altitudes. Just make sure you attach enough mono-fuel for your rocket AND on your command module/probe/lander - because you obviously want RCS while in space for maneuvering. -ChriS

A couple things I recommend if you're having wobbliness or parts falling off. This issue gets much worse with the heavy lift tech when the center of gravity is too high. What can happen is you start to go into a SLOW flat or toppling spin. Even with S.A.S. enabled you won't be able to recover. What I usually do - which is especially helpful with the heavy lift stuff... IS what I call reinforcing. Let's say you have one center fuel tank, 6 fuel tanks out side of that - each attached with a single decoupler. Typically, after your fuel tanks are attached you can add additional decouplers between the two at different points (above or beneath the previous) This adds strength and durability to your rocket. Second, what you can do is add decouplers on either side of each individual fuel tank or above each of the six (in this example). These decouplers are only there to attach bracing to. When you decouple the support struts will fall off allowing your main rocket to continue on without the additional weight/mass. But as long as they are in place during launch they will keep everything tied together without needing to directly connect every single piece of fuel tank with supports. In the past I used to tie steel support bracing in an X pattern between tanks. That works fine for launch but come time to decouple, it can cause problems. Especially if you have engines burning different fuels or at different rates. You want to be able to decouple in sequence after each item burns out so you don't have to carry the added weight/mass for no reason. If you tie everything together it all falls off at once. It can work but I just think it's unnecessary. Some of the ring decouplers will also allow you to attach supports to - for example, from a probe to an adjacent tank or between two tanks spaced farther apart than normal. Some of the small white ring decouplers you can tie support bracing between multiple decouplers also. That adds some much needed support too. If you do go with rockomax with one in the center, six on the outside - it works great but be sure to make the center portion a bit taller and make sure you have fuel crossfeeds to and from the center to each stack. That makes sure everything burns out at once. -ChriS