WafflesToo

Heh, I usually go as small and as light as possible. But it's good to see how the other half is living so I'd watch you. Anyway, I'll bite. I'm still busy sprucing the joint up, but there's a healthy collection of KSP and a smattering of FTL videos on my channel if anyone's interested. It took me a while before I really 'got' editing so please forgive the early attempts, everything after "Apollo-Style" should be almost watchable though http://www.youtube.com/user/jonskowitz/videos SAMPLERS "Circumnavigation Challenge" "System-II"

No. The Mün encounter was second. It's only happened a couple off times but I know the Minmus encounter is still there because I fly the trajectory and sure enough pop into Minmus' SOI.

It's not the view ahead I'm interested in, it's the view behind. I'm losing the displayed Minmus encounter if my flight-path back to Kerbin encounters the Mün SOI. I don't know why it gives the preference to the Mün but it does seem to. Maybe my tracking station is mad at me because I changed the creamer in the break room? I'll give that technique with the void maneuvers a shot next time it happens and see if it helps.

I doubt it will be the end of asparagus, but the shape of the rockets will change. What it probably will be the end of is the pancake lifter.

With the Kethane mod I'm using space stations around both Mün and Minmus as refinery and storage facilities. I do have a ring of refueling units around Kerbin, but those are little more than satellites with fuel in them. Haven't started playing in 0.22 yet. With the addition of SCIENCE! there may be more uses for them.

Very interesting. I might have to play with those. I don't know how many times I've been plotting a Minmus encounter, have my return-side orbit encounter Mün, and have my Minmus encounter vanish. It's still there, it just isn't displayed and several missions I've had to fly on faith that I won't miss

I've learned to laugh as things go wrong. I've learned that the more fuel you bring the more fuel you need RCS systems are heavy; never bring one unless you actually need one Clamp-o-tron jr's can't couple to clamp-o-tron sr's And the big one... A Kethane mining operation that consumes the entire kethane deposite you were going to exploit just to make enough fuel to deliver the equipment on site probably needs to be rethought. Good night everyone

Actually, I would probably be laughing XD

The only thing failing here is your imagination. They work just fine once you figure out how.

Come on Alistone, everyone knows that there is exactly one way to play the game and everyone else's is wrong

How are you performing your turn? A snap turn to 45 or a gradual turn to the horizon? I ask because I get rockets with almost identical TWR and dV capacity rockets to orbit routinely One last question, how are you calculating your dV capacity?

I'm with you. Most of my lifters are 1.2 or less; often with less than 1 at the terminal stage and I routinely reach orbit for around 4.6km/s OP is using jet engines for their first stage and they are a lot finickier to handle than rockets which I think is at the heart of his problem.

Those were the flights that this vehicle performed at its worst; either failing to reach orbit or only barely. I don't have the mathematical muscle to explain why it's working out that way, it goes against all conventional wisdom, my Kerbal instincts keep screaming at me that it's wrong... but I can't deny that it seems to be the best approach. It just works.

Can't, TWR is already too low at that point in the flight as it is (using basic jets instead of turbojets, they work better in this application believe it or not). I'm basically just using the rocket to keep my vertical velocity up while the jets build horizontal velocity (which helps increase airflow). I've noticed doing it that way lets me run the jets longer and to higher altitude which I suspect is where I'm seeing the fuel savings.

Conceptually, your design is similar to my 'Val' SSTO. I know this is going to sound insane, but try pulsing the rocket as you fly from 10k up to 17k or so (basically until the air runs out). I can't explain why it works but I can save several tons of fuel getting into orbit that way.

Not a bad idea, better than band-aiding a solution. Does anyone know if the fuel duct adds mass or is it ignored like struts are? Another thing to think about is the torque problem. I build small and I have seen fuel flow rates in excess of 2 tons per second. Think about that much mass moving in a clockwise direction 2.5m from center.

I find two are plenty. I just point the vehicle either north or south when I'm not maneuvering so one or the other are sort of aligned properly. I prefer them to RTGs, but I tend to build really light so the extra 60-120 kgs makes a difference.

My advice, download and learn to read a Delta-V map. Most useful thing on Kerbin. This and the rocket equasion will make planning much easier. Nukers and koolaid tanks are nice... but probably overkill for a Duna or Eve mission. I'll post a link to my Duna mission video later when I have access to a computer (my phone hates my attempts at links). That mission package is only 31 tons, including 16 tons of fuel. My original mission plan called for a nuke and it only saved 4 tons off the fuel load and a scant 2tons off the mission package. And off course, as has already been stated, learn about phase angles. There's a really good calculator out there already that does most of the work for you already. I think someone else already linked it but if not I'll post it later. Good luck!

I've got stuff in my crisper drawer older than that.

Totally in on this as soon as I get home =)

Jeb strolls casually up to the gate and leans toward the bouncer, "Twenty kerbucks to look the other way for ten minutes." The bouncer crosses his enormous arms across his chest grumpily, "nufin doin bub. Too many gettin in here and da boss ain't happy about it." Jeb grins and shrugs, "Guess I can't put on over on you old pal. I suppose I'll have to- Hey! It's Jim Carey! Hey Jimmy!" The bouncer turns around quickly, "Wha! Where? Oh, I LUV dat guy!" While his back is turned a 110-ton rocket comes crashing through the gates, overturning several other contestant's vehicles, and lands in a heap next to the judging tables. Jeb shakes his head, "Huh... I could've sworn he was over there three days ago. Oh well, keep up the good work!" Leaving the bouncer scratching his head at the gate, Jeb casually strides through what's left of the gates, pulls a small sign from his jacket and hangs it on the wreckage before leaving to find the refreshment table. The sign reads, "Val-class VSSTO" "Launch mass 110 tons" "LKO capacity 12tons" "Courtesy of the Jebediah Junkyard and Rocket Foundry LLC" (probably the second-to-last thing I'll do in 0.21... now for SCIENCE!)

NEVER! It means you should play MOAR!

ISP is the Specific Impulse of the engine. It's sort of like the engine's fuel mileage. You use it to figure out the total amount of velocity change (termed 'Delta-V') the vehicle is capable of using the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation. dV = ISP * 9.81 m/s^2 * ln(start mass / dry mass)

Heh, what a fun little thread you've started. Always do -one pair of OX-STATs to replenish electric charge -orient the vehicle either north or south when not maneuvering both to aid EVA and to ensure good alignment of at least one solar panel -calculate dV capacity by hand (burned too many times by Engineer) -launch non lander units (ones not designed to land on Kerbin) unmanned then fly the crew up in a SSTO plane later. Never do -worry to much about space trash -airhog -asparagus (too much hassle, parallel staging works just fine)

I think you just made a good argument for why it's not allowed.