Proper Fairings ASAP

[cat-the-cat]

I like the design. Kerbal rocket scientists love to see things explode, unlike human rocket scientists... So they would naturally design fairing that explode into many pieces. I hope they keep the current system for stock... You can use your mods to make your human look-alike fairings all you want.

[Technical Ben]

Hotfix mod adds this. Worked fine.

[GusTurbo]

I don't understand the fuss about such a trivial aspect when there are much more important aspects that require attention.

Consider that some players spend a lot of time designing and building, and attention to detail is important to them. For these players, not being able to build things a certain way is very important because it constrains designs.

[Superluminaut]

YES:Addendum 2

Engines should not be prevented from being activated while "stowed." Rocket engines work in a vacuum, so there's no reason they can't work inside a fairing. There is no good reason for this engine behavior, and it causes more bugs than necessary.

Yes!

Stowed is a clipping nightmare. The only thing KSP ever had on orbiter was custom rockets, so let us build those custom rockets.

[tntristan12]

I don't understand the fuss about such a trivial aspect when there are much more important aspects that require attention.

Falacy of relativity: Just because other features may be more objectively important doesn't mean that broken aesthetics should be a part of the game.

[stibbons]

Aesthetics are subjective. They cannot be broken.

[marc40k]

Supporting this thread.

[Bomoo]

You have my sword.

- - - Updated - - -

Aesthetics are subjective. They cannot be broken.

This is not solely a question of aesthetics but of verisimilitude, which is not subjective.

[Starship Commander]

I support this thread. The confetti separation really bugs me.

[sp1989]

I support this thread! There are so man mods out there that have been effectively implementing proper and realistic fairings from the earliest iterations of this game. Full stop these fairings need to be fixed. I love the way the fairings are placed on the rocket. Squad has creative a new and unique way of making fairings. I actually like that. However the smallest fix that would make the confetti fairings tolerable, is that the separation should be slower. Now I am all for fun over realism. They separation of the fairings is very kerbal. Of course the kerbals would make the fairings explode away. If thats the case they just need to be slower because as of now it just looks like they are exploding away as if they are on time warp. So if we cant get clamshell fairings then please slow down the separation.

[stibbons]

You have my sword.

- - - Updated - - -

This is not solely a question of aesthetics but of verisimilitude, which is not subjective.

Tell that to the people who don't want realistic aerodynamics in the game either.

[Rocketfeline]

I support. Its my OCD that breaks me.

[Nothalogh]

YES:

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/345973main_separation-20090512-516.jpg

NO:

http://i.imgur.com/c4Jub1i.jpg

Addendum

Fairing mass should also be contained in the actual parts that separate, not just the base (which is currently the case). Ditching fairings should increase your usable dV because you're carrying less mass.

Addendum 2

Engines should not be prevented from being activated while "stowed." Rocket engines work in a vacuum, so there's no reason they can't work inside a fairing. There is no good reason for this engine behavior, and it causes more bugs than necessary.

e-dog's fairings were perfected how long ago?

The fact that squad thought this was a good idea is just frightening

[Bomoo]

Tell that to the people who don't want realistic aerodynamics in the game either.

I'll happily tell them how wrong they are any day of the week. KSP is a space agency/launch simulation, last I checked, and not an arcadey explosion derp-fest. Though lately it's hard to tell when looking at some of these official trailers.

If Squad could weld the vertical segments of each fairing together, and possibly introduce a bit of mass so they feel more substantial when detaching, I think that's what I'd be happy with. I love the fairing building UI and just generally how they're presented in the VAB. Where they lose me is when I get into orbit, pop the fairing open, and get a screen full of potato chip.

[Superluminaut]

Any ideas on how to actually get squads attention on this?

[basic.syntax]

---

EDIT: From the AMA:

[–]xDaze 11 points 52 minutes ago

In 1.0 (or even in 1.x) will be possible to do clamsheel like fairings? If not why the current system is limited to "confetti" fairings explosion?

[–]

Maxmaps

6 points 10 minutes ago

We'll add the option to divide them in two panels after release.

Since they produce debris that is not actually persistent, we are okay with leaving the very flashy, rather kerbal method alone for now.

Since it's after 1.0 release, and the option didn't come with official patches - yet, anyway - we may have to wait for v1.1. Until then, Claw has devised something to go with his excellent set of un-official fixes.

[youkofoxy]

Aesthetics are subjective. They cannot be broken.

They are allway broken, until I fix.

therefore....

[Bomoo]

Any ideas on how to actually get squads attention on this?

Go viral on reddit? That's what they seem to listen to more than anything else.

[JoCRaM]

Of course the kerbals would make the fairings explode away. If thats the case they just need to be slower because as of now it just looks like they are exploding away as if they are on time warp. So if we cant get clamshell fairings then please slow down the separation.

The separation has to be capable of high force so they separate reasonably in thick atmosphere (think atmospheric entry). Hopefully - as they have with the decouplers - they'll let one adjust the separation force in later releases.

[GusTurbo]

The separation has to be capable of high force so they separate reasonably in thick atmosphere (think atmospheric entry). Hopefully - as they have with the decouplers - they'll let one adjust the separation force in later releases.

Fairing separation isn't really supposed to occur in thick atmosphere. The whole point is that they separate after the thick atmosphere's effects are no longer a factor.

[regex]

Fairings not only help the payload survive atmospheric stress, they also serve to protect the payload from thermal effects in the upper atmosphere. The PSLV jettisons its fairings at 130km. Angara A5 jettisons the fairing at 159km. Translated to KSP those altitudes would approximate 70km and 85km using RSS' atmosphere height of 130km as a comparison line.

[JoCRaM]

Fairing separation isn't really supposed to occur in thick atmosphere. The whole point is that they separate after the thick atmosphere's effects are no longer a factor.

Sorry, I failed to use the correct term. A "backshell" needs to separate in atmosphere.

Edited May 7, 2015 by JoCRaM

[Bomoo]

Sorry, I failed to use the correct term. A "backshell" needs to separate in atmosphere.

Yeah, I'd love for there to be a tweakable option to add separatrons to individual segments. You're thinking of the Constellation cargo/habitation modules?

[polan]

I already got used to the multi-part fairings, I don't care really. Atleast they fly off fast.

[LightStrikeBoom]

I like it but the currents ones for me are best maybe having 2 types of fairing 1 normal and 2 this.