Can't put Lander on top of Launcher

[davidpsummers]

The discovery of a "Space Squid" or "Kraken" on Bop has energized Kerbals everywhere. I have made a lander designed to fully study the Bop Kraken. However, I can't seem to mount it on top of my launcher. Nothing will "stick" to the bottom. (Picture below.)

If I take a lander, I can't get a decoupler (or anything else) to stick to the bottom. In fact, in the third picture, you can see I'm not getting little green balls for attachment. Neither can I take a launcher and put the lander on top of it. If I take the metal sheet that is the frame for the rover part off, I can get it on top of a decoupler (though it stick through), but then putting fuel tank (and the rest of the lander with it) on top of that won't work.

I've done this before with my manned rover (see last picture), which this lander is modified from, so I don't know what is wrong now.

Any help?

Edited April 17, 2015 by davidpsummers

[Alshain]

Have you considered mounting it upside down?

[Xavven]

I can't seem to replicate that problem in the VAB. Can you upload a .craft file?

[helaeon]

I think you probably used the stack node on the bottom. You have a couple of choices...

You can use something like a cubic octagonal strut to give yourself another node... but might be floppy. You also will need to very precisely place it at the center.

You could mount the boosters to the lander radially.

It looks like you're not against mods, so you can use the interstage fairing from procedural fairings to grab that docking port node from below.

And I agree that mounting it upside down is the easiest solution.

[Venusgate]

Just noting, your final picture lacks the 4x4 plate. have you mounted an inline decoupler to a plate before?

[Mad Rocket Scientist]

You might try re-rooting to the 4x4 plate.

[Th3F3aR]

I'd suggest mounting it upside down

[RainDreamer]

Can also try just adding that radial mounting point thingy at the bottom.

[davidpsummers]

I can't seem to replicate that problem in the VAB. Can you upload a .craft file?

I don't really have a place to do that? I can't do it on this site, can I?

[MindstormerOne]

You can put it on another site and link it to here

[davidpsummers]

Can also try just adding that radial mounting point thingy at the bottom.

I'm not sure what you are talking about?

[Tweety]

Try grabbing that 4x4 metal plate and be sure to carefully place it back on there. My suspicion would be that you have accidentally clipped it inside the fuel tank. I find structural plates are quite finicky like that. That would rule out 1 more possibility I guess.

Tweety

[davidpsummers]

Have you considered mounting it upside down?

I want to use the docking port for something else and it will look weird and be wobbly....

- - - Updated - - -

You can put it on another site and link it to here

I don't really have a site to do that on. Unless you can recommend a free one....

[Foxster]

You could also try making the plate on the bottom the root part.

[Yukon0009]

Turn on part clipping from debug menu ( the one with infinite fuel)

[Roskerbos]

I don't really have a site to do that on. Unless you can recommend a free one....

Just use a file exchange service like Dropbox, or the like.

[pincushionman]

I'm not sure what you are talking about?

http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/BZ-52_Radial_Attachment_Point

This is exactly what this part is for.

[davidpsummers]

I experimented with a plate, and decoupler, and a fuel tank and there do seem to be combinations where you can't stick things on the bottom. But there was also clipping.

-I took the version that was rooted at the plate (the same one I had problems with, rooting at the tank didn't solve the problem), and pulled off the tanks and stuff above the plate.

-I stuck an octagonal strut on the bottom.

-I put a decoupler and probe core below that, and rerooted at the probe core.

-Removed the plate and strut and stuck the plate on the decoupler.

-Removed anything that might clip from the plate.

-Put the tank, with stuff on it, on the plate.

-That worked, but only if I was careful. (The tank would want to place down covering the decoupler for some reason.)

With all that, I'm not sure what the original problem was. If anyone wants to look at it, here is the original craft (if I did this right)...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/axzin530dxk7uaz/Bop%20Lander%20II.craft?dl=0