Sky Cranes?

[Senormeens]

I have built couple sky cranes for landing rovers and such in the VAB, but they seem impractical to get into orbit and use. And it doesn't seem like building them in orbit would be any easier, with docking ports being a challenge to then line up the thrust through the CoM. I have just started using KAS and KIS in career and maybe it will make contracting these things easier, but i don't know.

Any tips and tricks for using sky cranes? or just deploying rovers in general?

[Geschosskopf]

I tend not to use them. Instead, I use radial tanks/engines and stage them once I'm down. If you have to use a sky crane, which I define as the engines being above the CoM of the whole lander/sky crane assembly, be sure to disable the gimbals of the engines.

[Rhomphaia]

I tend not to use them. Instead, I use radial tanks/engines and stage them once I'm down. If you have to use a sky crane, which I define as the engines being above the CoM of the whole lander/sky crane assembly, be sure to disable the gimbals of the engines.

Not relevant anymore. Thrust vectoring above CoM was fixed in 1.0.

[Sharpy]

And it doesn't seem like building them in orbit would be any easier,

Wait, you mean sky cranes (lift payload into orbit) or tugs (efficient interplanetary travel)? Because it would be entirely pointless to build a skycrane in the orbit only to bring it down.

(unless you mean sky cranes for landing/lifting payload from other planets...)

Anyway, my solution for a tug was "some assembly required". A tug fully built in VAB, then tucked into a neat package for standard launch. It really could have been done with a few smaller launches, or do without the whole huge bay for accessories - you could get the assembly drone into orbit separately, that's the only "essential accessory". Simply, for the tug form factor you need the "H"-shape of the central bridge and two engines. Launch all three parts separately and assembly in orbit. This would work with any form factor of a tug, no need for a MK3 monstrosity. (I can imagine one or two orange tanks forming the bridge, and the engines mounted on struts extending from the two ends; tucked into small fairings during the launch.

[georgTF]

I had fun with sky cranes but eventually stopped bothering with them because they increase the complexity and workload. Most of the time it is more practical (it is a game afterall) to include self-landing capability when designing whatever surface vehicle/base/craft.

Sky cranes are separate craft designed to de-orbit and safely land other craft, usually bases or surface facilities that will not take off or move anymore. Sky cranes are usually disposable though sometimes they can be recovered and refueled for use with another landing payload. Think of them as reverse lifters or semi-landers. The upside to dedicated sky cranes is that that are re-usable as long as they can be refuelled in orbit of whatever body they're used in.

One other use of sky cranes is surface delivery of a lander that WILL takeoff and return to orbit but does not have enough fuel for both landing and takeoff.