"Test engine" contracts

[savior]

Hi all,

I have noticed i have some contracts that ask me to test some engines that i still do not have the required science "slot" for.

If i take the contract I find the engine in the construction building (with different color).

Does the engine disappear after i finish the contract ?

Also, when it says to test the engine from 21.000 to 25.000 meters, does it mean that the engine needs to stay on for that whole range or only a few seconds in that range of height ?

Thank you!

Edited May 15, 2015 by savior

[Grumman]

If i take the contract I find the engine in the construction building (with different color).

Does the engine disappear after i finish the contract ?

Yes, taking a contract automatically grants you temporary access to that part, but once you finish the contract you need to unlock it again the usual way.

Also, when it says to test the engine from 21.000 to 25.000 meters, does it mean that the engine needs to stay on for that whole range or only a few seconds in that range of height ?

Just a second. Unfortunately, you may find you need to start the engine within that range, which can be problematic with some heavy lift engines.

[savior]

Ok so i just need to START the engine in that range ? even for 1 second ?

It can be tricky indeed. What i did with another contract was to put 4 solid booster engines to be tested, divided in 2 stages. I activated the first two boosters with the main engine for the take off. And waited to reach the needed height to activate the other 2 boosters. Is this the correct way to do it ?

And could this temporary availability of technology be exploited to reach some place that you could not otherwise ?

Edited May 15, 2015 by savior

[Amram]

Time doesn't matter, fuel doesn't matter, only the method of use. Some require to you right click and test, others require you trigger them by staging -right click on the part, if it says run test, you do it that way, otherwise, stage it. I typically use a cheap booster and hoist just the engine(any test parts) high enough to do the job, and chute back down. Straight up, straight down, nearly full recovery, plus payout. Quick, easy, effective. Payout is usually meager, but you can often stack several into the same launch, and they take no effort to do.

If the part is immediately useful, I typically delay contract fulfillment to continue using the part.

[Grumman]

It can be tricky indeed. What i did with another contract was to put 4 solid booster engines to be tested, divided in 2 stages. I activated the first two boosters with the main engine for the take off. And waited to reach the needed height to activate the other 2 boosters. Is this the correct way to do it ?

The easiest way to test a single part is to exploit the fact that starting the engine is what matters, not whether it actually works. If you want to test a booster rocket you can remove all of the fuel from that booster first, to make it lighter and thus easier to get where you need it. You can do the same thing with liquid fuel rockets by not bothering to give the test engine a fuel tank.

And could this temporary availability of technology be used to exploit and reach some parts where you could not otherwise ?

Yes, it could. For example, in my game I've been sitting on the nuclear engine prototype for over a month without completing the mission, and can build nuclear engines whenever I want until I finish it.

[kurja]

I haven't checked in current version but isn't the 'test' button still available in action menu? So it's not even necessary to start the engine, just fulfill the parameters (altitude, speed etc) and click 'test'.

[savior]

Time doesn't matter, fuel doesn't matter, only the method of use. Some require to you right click and test, others require you trigger them by staging -right click on the part, if it says run test, you do it that way, otherwise, stage it. I typically use a cheap booster and hoist just the engine(any test parts) high enough to do the job, and chute back down. Straight up, straight down, nearly full recovery, plus payout. Quick, easy, effective. Payout is usually meager, but you can often stack several into the same launch, and they take no effort to do.

If the part is immediately useful, I typically delay contract fulfillment to continue using the part.

thanks, i did not think that i had to right click -> test sometimes...because i did a couple of contracts just by staging and thought that it was enough. I would never have thought about it.

- - - Updated - - -

you can remove all of the fuel from that booster first, to make it lighter and thus easier to get where you need it. You can do the same thing with liquid fuel rockets by not bothering to give the test engine a fuel tank.

how do you that? from the building hangar, right click? I use that only to limit let's say, the solid boosters boost to 66% to make it last longer. Can i also put less fuel inside the same way? And in that way does the piece cost less?

[Amram]

yep, right click your part. if its a booster, right click the booster,and remove some/all the solid fuel, so your only hoisting an empty tube, much easier to get it up there. For fuel tanks, same thing, though when testing engines its simpler to just not attach any fuel for that engine at all, it doesn't need it for the test(an oversight imo...)

btw, the pod carries 10 units of RCS, early game, when you have no thrusters, right click, remove, save weight, more dv.

[percyPrune]

And could this temporary availability of technology be exploited to reach some place that you could not otherwise ?

Oh yes! Until the ship is 'recovered' (or terminated) the part stays with it and (I think) useable.

... and, until you complete the contract or it expires you can 'borrow' multiple copies of the part in question from the VAB stores to equip your fleet

I won't get around to testing those Mainsails for quite a while...

[cicatrix]

Some require to you right click and test, others require you trigger them by staging -right click on the part, if it says run test, you do it that way, otherwise, stage it.

I found out that you don't need actually to stage the engine being tested. In all types of test contracts you can right-click on it and select 'run test' when all the conditions are met (engine should be activated).

[Snark]

By the way, another thing that makes such contracts easier (not for SRBs but for pretty much everything else): you can use the engine itself to get up to where you test it. You just have to be a little sneaky how you activate it.

Here's the key: The contract only cares whether you activate WITH STAGING at the desired height/speed. It doesn't care whether the engine ever was previously activated via another method.

So for example, let's say I have a contract to test an engine at 21K to 25K altitude, and it's one that would actually be useful to get up there.

I go to the launchpad, and activate the engine by right clicking on it, NOT by staging. I use it to fly up to 21K, then I right click it to deactivate. NOW I activate it via staging. Presto, contract is fulfilled. (You can also use an action group for toggling the engine on off, saves hassle.)

[Mahnarch]

What Snark said.

[ArchGaden]

Oh yes! Until the ship is 'recovered' (or terminated) the part stays with it and (I think) useable.

Totally usable. It is a great way to get early access to parts, particularly engines. You can build the part onto vessels as long as you have the contract. Once the contract is completed, parts that you still have on vessels will stay there (won't disappear) and usable, but you just can't launch a new vessel with the part (no longer there in construction). The only downside is that before you improve the contract center enough, you have limited contract slots.