Need Tutorial and Tips for RSS

[Tank Buddy]

I have recently installed RSS (along with Real Fuels, not Realism Overhaul) and it has given me a new interest in KSP.

It just seems that there is a lack of in-depth tutorials on flight in RSS. I have looked on Google, Youtube, the Forums, and the official wiki of RO, but I have not found any useful material in the way of setting up Lunar/interplanetary transfers or any flight maneuvers.

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of helpful materials or give me some quick tips.

In particular, I am working on a Lunar landing and I am really just guessing when it comes to what inclination/heading to launch at for the Earth Parking Orbit.

I have found a way to enter an orbit with the same inclination as the Moon straight from Earth using the "relative inclination" value from KER.

Also, I may start another thread in the support forum: If I use HotRockets and use any amount of on-rails timewarp I experience massive lag (<1 fps), and without it, stock exhaust effects do not show. If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Edited July 31, 2015 by Tank Buddy

[NathanKell]

Beyond the wiki there's also:

Building Rockets in RO

Flying Rockets in RO

I don't do interplanetary much at all so I can't help much there, sad to say; for lunar, since I launch from the Cape, it's easy enough. Use MJ to warp until your plane matches the moon's, then launch East and make a slight dogleg during second stage burn to cut relative inclination below 0.5 degrees.

As for FX, remove hotrockets and install RealPlume (which RO highly recommends). If you install via CKAN, RealPlume should already default to being included...

[Guest]

Relative Inclination is pretty useless with regards to interplanetary travel; at least Engineer doesn't seem to display it correctly for, say, Mars.

Usually what I do is set up what I call a "timing sat". I launch a satellite into a common parking orbit (400km is my usual) that matches the solar plane as close as possible, which I then use as a reference when launching (that is something you can use target inclination reference with). Admittedly it's pretty crude but I fly manually and I like that sort of thing. The timing sat can also be used for exploratory maneuver nodes, especially with help from a launch window planner of some sort (the plugin version is gold). Once my craft is in a parking orbit with help from the timing sat I set up transfer just like with stock, although burns tend to be longer.

Admittedly my space programs are crude, brute-force affairs, but without resorting to automation that's the easiest way to go.

Bring plenty of hypergolics.

E: Oh, should mention, when I launch my timing sat I launch from Kourou, typically the easiest place to line up with the solar plane.

Edited July 31, 2015 by regex

[Tank Buddy]

@NathanKell

Thanks! The tutorials pretty much covered what I have already figured out; now I know how to get into the proper parking orbit for a TLI burn with the method I previously mentioned.

@regex

Thanks for the advice. I actually figured out how to match the Moon's orbit using KER while launching a Lunar Inclination Reference probe. That seems like the way to go. I had installed a launch window planner, but I removed it when I was having framerate issues. I will re-install.

I also have noticed the cryogenic fuel boil-off (which I actually appreciate) and I figured out the deal with LH2 density-wise.