Brainlord Mesomorph

I send a fleet! Lots of docking in LKO, and then undocking and more docking when I get there.

I didn't say easy, I said straightforward. Reading a text file into a database, processing it, and outputting a similar text file, is sorta what I do for a living, for like the last, oh, 25 years. so if it doesn't exist, I think I could write one.

I'm thinking about a thing that shows you your craft file as an outline. And will let you swap out a part for another similarly-sized part. (replace a LF tank with an LFO tank) I'm asking because it seems pretty straightforward. And if it doesn't exist, I think I could write one. Other features could be: Find and Remove all struts/fuel lines. Fix broken symmetry in command groups Actually the VAB just needs a "hierarchy view"

I tried that. there are other (root) issues there. You had a better idea: make the payload nosecone the root, disconnect everything, plug it back on, and voila! Now fuel flows (somewhat) logically. But now I lose control of the plane at 45 km! (and its not fuel) LOL, If I figure this out I'll make a tutorial. Thanks

Thanks! I was thinking about snapping it back together. (this game is soo still beta) Yes (now) I realize those fuel line would have to go. (proper "cross-fueling" used to be on of my things!) Thanks again, I'll try it soon, (wondering what this will mean when I try to swap that out with a REAL payload)

Here I used the "root" tool in the SPH, but I look at the file and the first part listed is a mk2 fuselage... which is wrong... you tell me. (buttons 1 and 2 activate engines (3 switch CRAPIERS to LOX) , staging is setup for that other guys idea. It's a shame, I'm really proud of her. She flies great for a thing with an 81 ton payload.

Nope. - - - Updated - - - nope too. - - - Updated - - - root part is payload. its only drawing fuel from the top plane.

OK! I HATE THIS GAME NOW! (edit: even after turning off the payload tank, the bottom plane still burns the fuel of the top plane!) I figured out a thing that would actually work in physics. That would work in the beta! That solves a major problem (getting 80 ton payloads to orbits on spaceplanes)! And because they "updated" this game to make it easier for noobs to play, it CANNOT work. (contrary to the laws of physics, and anythng I try to design) They have ruined KSP. wow. (add that to the ever growing list of software I used to love that has been ruined!) They think that magically teleporting fuel all over the airplane (or across two airplanes) without any ability of the DESIGNER to control it, is an improvement??? AND why TOP to BOTTOM??! and not back to front? or both ends to the middle? If the whole idea was to burn fuel EVENLY, why top to bottom? THAT"S NOT EVENLY! Seriously, I just rage quit out of the game, and I won't even be in this forum for a while. See you guys later. - - - Updated - - - WHAT?

That would stop consuming payload fuel. But it wont stop the problem of the top plane emptying to the bottom plane ,will it? I'll try, I'll have to climb back up to 30 km to know. BRB

Well *&^%^! How do I stop that?!! This totally screws my entire idea AND GIVES ME BACK THE PROBLEM that was this designed to FIX !!!

Working on my “spaceplane sandwich†strategy: (imagine the shuttle on top of the 747, with another 747 on top of that) anyway, it seems to be working, except for a really crazy fuel flow problem I just noticed. I have a payload (fuel tank) sandwiched between two spaceplanes, hydraulic decouplers on both sides, and some struts are the only connections. (no fuel lines or docking ports). I’m strangely losing control of the vehicle at 30 km. I go and look: the top plane is empty of fuel, the bottom plane that is full of fuel, and half of the payload fuel has been consumed. What gives?! There should be no fuel exchange between these components! The whole idea of this is to have each plane consume its own fuel and NOT that of the payload! I get that the new model is supposed to draw fuel evenly, but across a hydraulic decoupler?

No, a biplane. but the wings come off! you just mount the (flying) wings wherever they need to be for the CoM of this particular fuselage (payload)! So far I've only been working on the one flying wing. But here's my first try to put 2 of them around a payload bottle. That's gonna need some struts! EDIT the front: Like I said, I haven't finished the wing yet. I’m realizing it’s going to need two sets of landing gear, a light set, for when it’s a flying wing, and a heavier set (in a different location) for when it’s a biplane - - - Updated - - - Same idea. But I do things big!

SSTO spaceplanes are fun and very fuel efficient. But I have never been able to use them to haul serious payloads (space station components, interplanetary tugs) to orbit. My problem has always been maintaining center of lift and center of thrust around the center of mass as I burn up all the fuel and I’m left with nothing but payload. I can haul fuel or Kerbals, trying to build and a multi-purpose heavy lifter space plane seems impossible. So I have this new idea: The flying wing. OK that’s not a new idea. Here’s my new idea: An SSTO flying wing. OK that’s probably not a new idea either, here is really my new idea: Two SSTO flying wings! Assuming you have an SSTO flying wing with all of its thrust and all of its fuel in the wing: You take 2 oddly shaped payload units, attach them to both ends of a fuel tank, cover them in fairings, then mount two of these flying wings above and below the fuel tank, like a giant biplane. (or two pieces of toast around a hot dog). All the thrust, and all of the lift, is now properly centered around your center of mass, and should remain so, all the way to orbit. Once in orbit, they both separate and fly back as individual spaceplanes. And theoretically you could use this system to fly a large variety of sizes and shapes of payloads to orbit. Hmm? Pretty? I’m in development: I’m currently testing a delta shaped SSTO flying wing comprised primarily of Mk2 fuselages, and Big-S delta wings. It has a ridiculous amount of trust, and a ridiculous amount of lift. Once a figure out how to fly the damn thing, I’ll start experimenting with two of them and payloads. Thoughts? Math? Comments?

Kerbal Alarm Clock does not count as a mod! (IMHO) So I'm "All Stock" I tried visual enhancement mods once it made performance even worse. (back to cloudless skies)

you have to "observe" first

way way close! you have to be on top of it. sometimes the kerbal is right up against it and I'm right- clicking and clicking and clicking, and finally it pops up,

see the tutorial in my sig - - - Updated - - - see the tutorial in my sig

you didn't say you wanted pretty. You said you wanted a probe core on a rocket. For "pretty" you have to use the RC units.

NASA doesn't do HOTAS. Spaceships have more buttons than airplanes.

Well, technically I believe the acronym refers to the IRL air force policy of putting ALL the buttons on the stick and throttle. (can't be done in KSP) So the pilot never has to move his hands. In PC gaming it refers to just having A SEPARATE THROTTLE at all.

OK so once the drills are deployed, they stay there. So a Converter Rover that drives up to a drill, takes its ore, and drives off with fuel?

Just starting to dabble with ISRU around the KSP. First I was thinking about an ISRU rover(built one). Drill, tanks and ISRU converter (shouldn't that thing be called a refinery?) all in one and on wheels. But the converter works faster than the drill, so now I'm thinking about several Drill-Rovers and one Refinery Lander than can land in an ore-field, Drill Rovers deliver ore, Refinery Lander processes the ore and leaves on rockets. I'm thinking rovers because I assume that you use up all ore in an area and have to move on (like most build and conquer games) or is it more like underground water, a single permanent drill will suck it up forever? How do you guys do it? EDIT: How about some screen shots of your operations?

Slap a radial attachment point on the side, and stick the probecore there. Then slap a docking port opposite to balance the weight and drag.

well it's not the stick, and its not the game, so yeah, start looking at the connection.

Logitech extreme 3d pro here. bought for KSP. Worked in beta, just setup for 1.0 works fine. Personalizations include: cutting roll sensitivity down, invert throttle, setup "Top hat" for translation, trigger toggles retros, thumb button suspends SAS. BTW: joysticks give you constant Rover and Kerbal throttles. no more putting a rock on the W key. EDIT: was not "plug and play" had to go into Settings input and setup every axis and control. (they try to play, then go back and fix it, ... repeat. but worth the effort.) EDIT II: not using the stick for everything. (while there are enough buttons on the damn thing) I only use it for flight, maneuver and docking, I use the keyboard for everything else (lights,staging,breaks, timewarp.) left hand on the keyboard, So not HOTAS, rather HOKAS And some ships (big rockets) just respond better to keyboard. (push button control)