How to RCS? (Specific to stuff built in SPH)

[annallia]

I don't know if there is something with a mod messing this up, if I just imagined that it used to work, or if something has changed or maybe I am just forgetting/missing something.

Everything I build in the SPH with RCS blocks will not rotate. I can go up, down, left, right, I cant however spin. At least not with RCS, I can do it with reaction wheels but the larger my crafts get the more I have to abuse time warp to stop the rotation.

An example of my placement if that matters would be here (sorry poor photo don't want to go in game just to grab one from the SPH)

[Superfluous J]

I don't know if there is something with a mod messing this up, if I just imagined that it used to work, or if something has changed or maybe I am just forgetting/missing something.

Everything I build in the SPH with RCS blocks will not rotate. I can go up, down, left, right, I cant however spin. At least not with RCS, I can do it with reaction wheels but the larger my crafts get the more I have to abuse time warp to stop the rotation.

I had this same issue. I figured my RCS blocks were just too close to the axis I was trying to rotate around (it was a Modular Girder Segment, and they were around the skinny circumference). But now that you've posted this I think perhaps it IS a bug.

I wonder if we can exploit it. I have long wanted to be able to leave RCS on for translation but not have it rotate.

[capi3101]

Do you have any RCS ports aft? If you do, I'm not seeing them.

In any case, your ports are too close to the axis of rotation to generate a great deal of torque. I'd suggest a set of linear ports (the ones that only fire out in one direction) out on the wingtips, one on the dorsal and one on the ventral. Those oughta help with your roll issues. Stowing a big ASAS module or two in your cargo bay will also help to generate some torque.

If you don't have it, I'd suggest getting ahold of the RCS Build Aid mod. It's useful for RCS issues in general - and for spaceplanes, the dry center of mass indicator is also a very nice feature (lets you see how much and in what direction your CoM will shift as fuel drains, thus allowing you to predict stability issues later on in your flights). I'd also recommend that when it comes to spaceplanes you should stick to linear ports (or even Vernors if you've got something particularly massive), and that you rely on pod torque for attitudinal control primarily - use RCS for translation unless you just can't turn your craft on pod torque alone (and if this is the case, it's another place where the usefulness of RCS Build Aid should be obvious).

[Superfluous J]

In any case, your ports are too close to the axis of rotation to generate a great deal of torque.

I agree, but there is a difference between "not a great deal of" and "none."

And that's what my RCS thrusters provided. None torque.

[annallia]

Are you saying they automatically just dont work bcause they are too close? Kinda like how rapiers automatically switch modes instead of flaming out?

Because it isn't an issue of them not providing torque, it is an issue of them not firing at all.

Edit- And yeah I did intend a few wingtip RCS ports as well as a few dozen other additions. This is more of a "Does it fly" type thing than it is a finished product. Then I got distracted while in orbit by my inability to rotate.

Edited July 13, 2015 by annallia