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Hi, first of all welcome to the forum. I do not think the rovers you saw there where meant to come back to Kerbin - however if you want to detach/attach "things" you must use the docking ports (or to a lesser extent the grabbing unit a.k.a. the claw). The "cargoes" are usually built as subassemblies - just build it as usual in the VAB or the SPH, then you can save it as a subassembly using the menu you can find in the upper left corner. Subassemblies should be saved with a root part that allows for attachment (the open node will be the connection with the cargo bay/pylon/whatever). You will be able to select them from the same menu you used to save it. EDIT: I love nicks from the eighties.

I loved this ^ - feels like JFK: do not ask what your rocket can do for you but ask yourself what you can do for your rocket!

Well, this may happen with planes due to their lower TWR and the need to maximize "open cycle" speed. Following your "altitude rule of thumbs" or my speed based one, if you execute properly you will find you are well above the red zone when going at 0°. Rockets flying between 23000m and 50000m do not suffer so much from drag. Above 50000m I am generally already coasting to the Ap (I tend to have overpowered second stages I try to use as transfer stages too - I like to use "powerburns" for my interplanetary transfers).

Yes, correct. It seems to me that horizontal speed rules when you need to get to orbit. (due to my experience with winged crafts, you can attain orbit with almost 0° pitch)

I try to look for the speed related to pitch instead of the altitude. I.E. 300 m/s @ 67° pitch followed by 700 m/s @ 45° pitch.

Looks a lot like a Super Puma/Mi-26. Very nice.

Wow, my first time on SF. TYVM. Cheers.

Gameplay in NMS is pretty repetitive - feels like "This War of Mine" in space. So I could say it is fun for 30 solid hours but then you are done.

TBH I do not use airbrakes with a girder - I stick them on radial separators with the chutes, so they are closed and inoperative when I ascend from Kerbin (and a minimal drag add on for a huge craft) and they are gone when I ascend from Eve.

Definitely this ^, but they will easily burn if you deploy them on Eve, just give'em yaw/pitch. BTW, huge stuff you have there. Sea level ascent?

Thank you! Glory to Arstotzka.

133 parts, a lot of undesirable struts but I think that in this case look was more important than performance. And stability too. @qzgy - pic for you, nothing really fancy. @dacamp66 - I had a "Lost in Space vtol saucer" back in 0.25, I can not quite design a working one since 1.0.x

I know it is a shameless repost (already posted it in the generic SSTOs thread) but I had enough good feedback to give it a topic of its own. So, the craft is a flying saucer in the Grendizer style. It can just reach LKO and get back home (or dock anywhere in proximity of 85x85). Considered the huge overall drag it is a very good flyer, allowing extremely low landing speeds and the common flight envelope required for an airplane (looping/tonneaux standard aerobatics - very good stall recovery). It is indeed a little nose heavy and it suffers from a lack of power at high AoA, but hey, it is a dish surrounded by a teapot... If anybody wants to give it a try >>>HERE<<< it is the link. (and here the imgur album) 1) toggle rapiers 2) switch mode It takes off by itself, no input needed apart from full throttle. Climb above 10000m as soon as you can (not too much AoA), at 10000m level to gain speed.

Hi all, a flying saucer in the Grendizer style. Being a dish it flies surprisingly well. If anybody wants to give it a try >>>HERE<<< it is the link. (and here the imgur album) 1) toggle rapiers 2) switch mode It takes off by itself, no input needed apart from full throttle. Climb above 10000m as soon as you can (not too much AoA), at 10000m level to gain speed.

Stock flying saucer. It needs moar boosters (and fuel), but the concept is at least working.

Yep, you can get rid of the shroud right clicking on it in the VAB.

Foxster, imho this is one of the best craft ever posted. Ascent is as smooth as silk (even if I'd rather have a little bit moar boosters for the transfer burn) and the landing package is a great one. I love the design of the jet add-on. Really awesome. Cheers.

About wheels pulling left I made a few interesting experiments with rovers - with the proper downforce the go absolutely straight, so it is indeed a traction/applied weight matter.

I think you should start here. Good luck.

Well, after a few extra flights it seems that Val is absolutely right and it is just dependent on AoA. I was mocked by the overlay: if a spike is not there but it should it does not mean it does not exist. They should add an extra blue spike to yaw devoted moving surfaces too. Thank you for all your answers. (last but not least, we still have the "slippery runway mistery" - the same craft with a different tail proved very different at take off, pics below - the first one is a lawnmower while the second one is straight as a sword - I deduced that the longer the lifting surface involved the higher the effect AoA will have on the craft by simple leverage: we maybe accidentally discovered "sailing ships" w/o wind) http://imgur.com/a/VH7Ah (could any mod please fix this? Today it seems I fully derped and I can not find the imgur button anymore; thank you.)

I had a simmetry related thought too, but I was thinking to a radial/mirror matter instead. I did not have the chance to try yet. I will experiment a little bit more tonight. I'll report back the science if I succeed.

I tried w/o MJ too, but you can really feel there is indeed something wrong while piloting - as I wrote above feels like flying with a deployed airbrake. It is pretty small in this picture however pretty strong in my experience - I had my fair share of "slight runway slipping" but this is definitely different: the craft goes off track really quickly and feels really hard to steer back. Thank you for your answers guys.

First of all, I apologize if this is already a known and widely discussed issue. My install is almost stock, x64 app on Win 7 with just a few graphic stuff and MJ. Lately I tried to give my planes more yaw stability and I tried to enlarge the tail using "fixed appendices" like Big-S wing strakes, swept wings and/or the structural wing type B. I noticed that on the landing strip the craft (actually the crafts, at least 3 different iterations) was steering left w/o direct input and I supposed it was due to the common wheels issues (double checked the CoL, wheels orientation, friction and so on). The issue was still present while flying, ruling out any possible wheels connection. I can describe the experience like "flying with a deployed airbrake". Still the craft was able to overcome the steering force during the flight envelope, ruling out clipping phantom forces. This time I double checked for any asymmetrical strut or fuel line but I did not find any that could be guilty of such a behaviour. Finally I checked the aero overlay and I found that apparently fixed appendices used as tails receive a lift "from left to right", making the craft unstable. Prograde direction apparently does not influence the vector of the lift. (it always goes from left to right disregarding craft attitude) Doubling the appendix just doubles the problem (lift comes from the same side for both with both appendices right at 90°). "Built up" appendices (i.e. swept wing + random elevon) retain the issue with the moving part trying to oppose the left/right lift. Common tailfins, canards and moving appendices in general seem not affected. It is "contagious" - a not affected part (i.e. big-s tailfin) coupled with an affected part (big-s wing strake) will generate the issue. Below an example with a Big-S wing strake used as tailfin. Did anybody notice this before?

It seems that nobody uses this old topic anymore. Or I just killed it for good. But I choose death by Snu Snu, 4 rapiers and orange tank to LKO. Craft file >>>HERE<<< Ascent profile (empty): pitch 5° at take off, switch rapier's cycle at 24000m Ascent profile (orange tank): pitch 4° at take off, switch rapiers at 24000m. Action buttons in the craft description.