Mars Mullo

Had another idea.... what if you could save your best rocket designs to a glass show case in the cosmonaut complex or better to the administration building. And a feature would be that in the Public relations lobby you could order a 3D print out of your rocket via KSP business. I know you can buy the figures but gate gaurd would be cool. Yeah and maybe the most ordered design becomes the in game gate guard model at the centre?

Cool ALT-L ... that answers my question so well.. thanks. At the time of having problems I was in docking mode using both rotation and linear aspect. But much like the dreaded accidental button push on the shift key or the space bar I was having disasters via Pilot error. I suppose in real craft they have those little red flip covers over the toggle switches. We can't quite do that on our computer keyboards. But that stage lock is just what I needed. Thanks all .. happy rocket building.

OK... admittedly I probably did not tell it very well. You see if I use MECHJEB I can place three or more maneuver nodes and get it to burn each one consecutively no problem at all. But I like using the flight computer and MECHJEB. I like using the advanced feature on MECHJEB to orientate the craft relevant to the sun so as to ensure I don't shade out the craft and run out of power. Also you can make a probe with limited communication range undertake a burn between Kerbin and Minmus while out of communication range. But I'm struggling to find out how to get it to handle more than one burn. So perhaps burn to extend periapsis out and then next burn to change plane. All outside of comms range. I think the confusing part is when you press EXEC it only tells he flight computer to burn at the parameters of the first maneuver node. How do I make it look at eh parameters of the second maneuver node?

When there are no relevant contracts about any science I haven't researched yet. We always learn... but learning can be fun. And then once you learn it by basics you earnteh right to use a mod or tool to do the hard work for you... It's like goignto University an learning all this stuff then getting a job in reall life and using like 10% of that stuff because ther is a super expensive software package that does it for you.. you just have to know the by feeling that the result is right.+ Reply to Thread

Umm.. having some difficulty with Flight computer trying to organise multiple navigation nodes and getting them to fir/ complete. I can set up and run one node to work but when trying to get two are having issues. Predominantly having problem witht he signal delay being too much to handle the instructions. This occurs around Kerbin bu the node being instructed is about 2 hours away and I have signal connection the whole time. Typically my method involves : Using smart SAS to set the position on ADV direction relevant to the SUN and facing RIGHT or LEFT. This keeps the S pannels lit. I then set up two nodes.. say an alighnment change and then a Apoapsis node. I programme a change in direction to the node at a few minutes prior to reaching node 1 I programme a burn at tnext node with signal delay set at zero I then add about 5 minutes to the proposed burn end time and programme a alignment change to get sun again. BUT how do I get teh second node to work? Any help please?

Yes you can .. read all above...

Apparently in DF Wandering kid - You tube videoes he shows how changing the root part and using assemblies allows you to have radially connected docking ports on new build space ships.. something you couldn't do easily if at all without the new root part and the alignment tools. see it here well worth watch to see how it can be used to good effect.

Actually I think it would be better to be able to retire designs instead of sub-foldering them. Because some other mods probably rely on the current structure. I would like to see more history or scrap booking of designs being made.. and allow that to be placed in the Astronaut complex. Then you can link that design with it's history's of contracts or missions that it is associated with. That way only the currently used designs are in my building environments VAB SPH.

I tried the tanker option... I built a tanker in the SPH with some plane wheels a TAC pod full of food water and oxygen (although don't really need that.) Points I have learnt Runway weight limit is 18tons (because I havn't earnet enough dosh to upgrade it) Keep the command pod real low so your Kerbal can get into it... if you don't have any ladders yet First option is for a horizontal winch from KAS so you need to build a frame to hang it from. Aircraft wheels have no motors so you need to push it of the runway somehow.. maybe a thrust limited rocket or some such... The limit and angle of the pipes or winch leads used. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY You have to have unlocked the ability to transfer supplies. Yup ... can't use the tanker until I upgrade something... possibly science or something worth millions of kerbals. So... back to making sure you land your plane back at KSP and recover parts for quick rebuild times. On some long missions around the planet you won't be returning for a landing. At least you don't get no points for that when it happens. Here is a shot of the tanker I trialed... here Photos of the plane I'm using 1 2 3 4 5

A refueling tanker... hmmm I like that. Except that the KAS port will be the one part that will break my plane.. I'm at 30 part limit and I just swapped my KER unit for a solar panel because the plane runs down charge when landed for EVA. Such decisions... Ok found the bug twice now.. well at least I learned to fly half way around Kerbin and how to do it to use less fuel.. that is high and faster. I could perhaps replace the two parachutes with one big one. Yes the build time is some 40 - 50 days and after recovery was also about the same. So I must not be using part inventory some how... will look into this closer the management on SPH builds is tricky.. but not to say this isn't fun. It would be nice to have this info in the guide document though.. because I do look there. Will the refueling tanker work for food and water too.. as I am using TAC.?

SPH space plane refueling Forgive me if I have missed a previouse post , I have searched this thread on refueling and SPH but... I have been hitting alot of surveillance missions latley and I have an awesome little plane that does it. But I have not put alot of build points into the SPH and I have not spent 2 points to reset the points I have. However I was wondering why if I land the plane and taxi it up to the hanger and all, why I can't just refuel it for the next mission? I pressed recover vehicle and the aircraft is now gone... so I have to spend some 40 odd days to build a new one. (sure warping is no issue really) The landed aircraft was in good nick... is there any game play method I'm missing? I read the guide .. couldn't find any mention of SPH for quick turn around of aircraft of SPH builds. Any help please? - - - Updated - - - OK I have been playing around with it a bit more. Am I right that I can just click on the runway and load up the craft with kerbals I select. And if it it shows the simulation greeting options but has no simulation clock countdown then I'm actually playing in game with the craft that previously landed?

New Question. Universal time I currently have three contracts to launch satellites into Malinaya orbits. I want to simulate a craft to launch. I see there is an option in the simulation to select your Universal time. I want to start my simulation close to the time when the desired orbit path crosses over the KSP. I have used UT but it gives irregular launch times.. e.g sometimes 5:00 is in the dark and sometimes it is in the light. Also any idea how to get a rough determination of the UT you want from looking at the map view? I'm not keen on having the craft sitting on the pad for a whole day as I have no stability legs at present and it could fall over. This might be a game play question but it's about the simulator.

Hey I jut thought I would say thank you and especially say I discovered something really cool about your add on. If I test a rocket landed on the pad and don't put any fuel in it ... it doesn't require any rehabilitation of the launch pad. That is so cool. I know some of you will say this is to cover retrieving a rocket that was aborted... yes but when your running about three contracts to test landed components (or even just two contracts if your contracts center hasn't been upgraded) then this is a cool bonus to timing. as it can take a whole day (3 hrs) to rehab and roll out a new rocket.

Awesome... I have been playing around with the TWR equation and have been using it to add sufficient SRB's to my rockets and to increase or decrease the thrust slider to achieve a ratio I want. Reason being I notice the SRB's are more controllable in a certain ratio... which allows me to get my Scientists and engineers into orbit for their XP to increase. And some of my rockets with one LV-T45 on a tower of 4 -5 tanks just doesn't have the oomph to get off the pad. So dropping the thrust gives a longer burn time and a little more control. Which I need as I am also using chutes to recover funds from stages and have reached parts limits and cannot put wings or control surfaces on. So if i desire a TWR of say 2 I can do the following: TWR = kN / m . g or TWR . (m .g) = kN => 2 . (say 2 ton) . 9.81 = 39.24 then take the thrust value of the engine and divide by 100 (so for a RT-10 I get 250 / 100 = 2.5) Then divide 39.24 by 2.5 = 15.6 so set the slider to 15.6 and then I get my TWR of 2 on take off and possibly a longer burn. Although I have noticed in the RT-10 that the lift has a max of about 10km the sweet spot was between TWR 1.0 and 1.5 where you gained between 7km and 10km between 1m 58s and 1m 25s of burn. Now I'm goign to go play with multiple SRB's and see what works well between having 2 - 6 SRB's

So do we add the thrust components together for TWR calculation? So ISP stays the same for Delta-v claculation but for kN / m . g = TWR... do we add all the thrust values. E.g A LV-T45 has a thrust of 250kN. say the rocket has a mass of 2 ton. 1 engine ... 250/ 2 . 9.81 = 12.7 3 engines 250 x3 / 2 . 9.81 = 38.2 Is this correct?

Oh sweet. Well that's so cool you could figure those things out. I will invest in texture manager or maybe rethink what mods I need. No need to appologise ... if we don't talk to you you might not find these things till later. Thank you magico13 have an awesome holiday period.

OK I replayed the mission twice in game.. not in simulation. Changed the rocket ... added 4 fins so it has six fins ... just to test if I'm getting all the parts back... and as shown in this screen shot from the mission when I look in the parts catalogs I have six fins and also the decouplers and pods etc. Just missing propulsion and tanks (as shown "]here). "]This shot shows half of the SRB sets being recovered through SR. Note the three fins and the RT-10. I placed all the mission screen shots.. here I took many at different stages.. mostly in menu's. I stuffed up the mission and the second stage came down with the pod near-by this time. I had to change view to the debris and salvage this way. It did return the parts including the liquid motor and tanks for their cost. I was running the debug mode this time ... "]KCT settings screen shot. "]This shot shows the second stage below the descending pod initiating it's chutes and the chutes have a bug which has returned that makes the chutes different sizes. This might be something else wrong which could be affecting the KCT. When I try a binary I will start with RC. I have placed the log file and my save file on drop box. ... here also there is the persistent file and the craft file of the ship used and the autosave file... just trying to cover the bases. There was an error directory created yesterday and I'm including it here but I think it may not be related. Sorry can't share folders inside public folder in drop box .. so contains three files being output log error log report.ini I haven't started a binary error find as suggested in the OP yet. So anyways... those particular parts in propulsion are just not making it home. Really odd. Hope this is much much more helpful than I was before. EDIT: Just noticed some funny numbers with the real chutes in stores... see "]here .. could this be the problem?

flew a mission to observe a location. New rocket. 2 x RTx10 boosters dropped and because this was not a straight up and down test the SRB's did auto-recover. The second stage is a liquid fuel engine and kinda stayed with the pod and dropped to the ocean. It didn't auto recover through SR because it was too close. I did switch to it and recover it manually. And yes the funds came through for the LFE. However on navigating back to the VAB and clicking on the parts menu in KCT and then clicking on the propulsion menu non of hte SRB or liquid fuel tanks or LVT-30 show. I put the output log here No hurry I know its holiday time. Look on the bright side ..at least we don't have to time warp for recovery operations... or BP's for recovery crews oh dear.. hope i didn't give you an idea?

I'm not sure what is happening is a bug or not. I'm launching three stage rockets Consisting of two stages of RT-10 SRB's, and MK1 pod Each stage has 2 x Mk2-r radial chutes and all calculate in Stage Recovery to be 100% recoverable. The first stage SRB auto recovers. The send stage doesnt. The Mk1 pod catches up with it on the descent and then the 2nd stage gently chutes to ground. The Mk1 pod also chutes to ground a few minutes later. They separate by more than 3-4km during flight. I have to switch to the SRB and recover using the overhead green button. I think the money is recovered. Then re-pilot the Mk1 pod on the ground and then recover the vessel the same way. However in the VAB in Kerbal Construction time the SRB's and MK2-R's never appear in the parts list. I have to make them new every time. Are all parts supposed to recover..and if not don't you get a message they are scrapped? Because I don't get that message. - - - Updated - - - One other thing I noticed while reading the PDF explaining things is the R&D seems to be described in an opposite fashion. Development = Science time to unlock the tech node. Research = the engineers learning to build the tech. Wouldn't that be the other way around ? Research = Scientists discovering the principles of the tech "research" and prototyping it. Development = Engineering "developing" the prototype to a production model of the technology. Or am I not Kerbal enough to get it? :-)

I tend to agree... Some contracts offered are just great... but also ludicrous. After making my first contract to get to 33000m altitude I'm getting offered contracts to go to the Mun. Now considering I have Realtech2 mod installed I'm never going to get there until I can get a coms satellite in KSO or Mun orbit first. PLus add the Kerbal Construction Time simulation limit not allowing simulations on places you haven't "scouted" out to get some basic science intel on first then these conracts offered a your veritable mad millionaire tyre kicker... shame .. because when your limited to only two active contracts I get the feeling by the time I get close to achieving those the prestige will be so low that they are worth less because your satellite missions stole the thunder.

You should try the plugin called Kerbal construction time. After a bit of a hard learn.. which I suggest watching the youTube vids of first.. you might have your wishes answered with that.

I like it the way it is. The challenge is great. Most early rockets are simple enough. I can see aspects of aircraft being very challenging. I have had to learn to place items like aerials and solar pannels in places easy to find to allow clicking them manually. It makes me negotiate my designs and jump rope ... Maybe I'm a lonely opinion.

Simple suggestion. When viewing completed contracts in the contracts screen can we view them in date order of completion. Could we export to a diary so I can add KVV diagrams of the rocket/craft and have the contract particulars exported so I can add them to it. Maybe that could be a book that could be added to the Cosmonaut center?

Oh I think I should be quite safe as we have no crocodiles and the only dangerous sharks are the great white sharks and they are in the southern ocean where it is very cool. But I feel for the sharks.. there an endangered species after all the large commercial fishers have finned most of them .. to make stupid soup ingredients. However I have solved my own chute problem and it was a really really dumb mistake.... I did not have the radio button selected under options which says "Part GUI size updates canopy size" I'm so sorry i didn't check all the settings ... but I did check and noticed it wasn't checked and didn't understand what it meant.. so risked checking it and went to see what it did... and hey presto the pair now deploy the same size now. I hope this helps anyone else.. Happy holidays everyone.

Sorry Chris .. I'm a bit new to this log file stuff. any the how the log file and the system data are below output log is here (dropbox) system stats are here (dropbox) I replicated the error in sandbox mode with the same mods and the same rocket. Symmetry applied stock radial chutes scaled down (although it happens on base scale chutes too). It looks kinda cool having a baby chute inside a bigger chute. The falling rate in m/s doesn't seem to change. Have a great holiday and remember be sun safe... here in New Zealand the sun is very strong and burns in less than 10 mins ... so here is my help for you. some sun safe messages .