fairing exploding

[ForScience6686]

Good afternoon fellow science fiends. I am experiencing an issue with a fairing that closes over another fairing. Sorry no pictures, but I think I canexplainit well enough. My payload is enclosed on a fairing and my transfer stage is also tucked inside a fairing. This fairing closes over the payload fairing for a consistent shell over the whole. When deploying the transfer stage fairing, an explosion results in a decimated craft. I have since edited the transfer stage fairing to close at the base of the fairing for the payload and do not experience this issue. This is my first attempt at a setup like this so I am wandering what is going on here. My best guess is the transfer fairing is actually clipping through the payload fairing but I cannot see any obvious since of this in the vab. I'm really disappointed in the new look, so I hope someone has had a similar experience and can offer advice.

No mods used.

Thanks in advance.

Just to clarify, the transfer stage fairing closes at the widest part of the payload fairing.

Edited September 14, 2015 by ForScience6686
clarification

[Friend Bear]

Reading it and without pictures, I think I have an idea of what happened.

You have two fairings, both of which decouple/eject at a different stage, but one clips through the other?

Sounds like you just have an issue of collision. While clipping is sometimes ok, the programming has become more strict with clipping of movable parts since pre-.9. I would try to avoid that entire.

Alternatively, use a single fairing through both the transfer and final stage. Once you get to the fairing stage-wise, you are high enough (upper of 45k) that removing all fairings would have only a beneficial impact of less overall weight and therefore more delta v. That high up, there is very little issue with atmosphere. In fact, you can even deploy solar panels in the upper atmosphere safely (although that just causes minor drag if you are keeping that close of attention).

Ultimately, use a single, longer/bigger fairing to save weight and collision issues.

Edited September 18, 2015 by Friend Bear

[xtoro]

From the sounds of it, your fairing for the transfer stage goes around the entire payload and it's fairing yes? If that's the case, you don't have to do this. You can use only one as mentioned above. Or, make an inline fairing.

For your transfer stage fairing, bring it up around the transfer stage to the base of the fairing for your payload. Now click on the payload fairing's base and it will close onto that base (it should say Close Fairing in green). And then you have no part clipping. It will create a cylindrical fairing around the transfer stage.

[ForScience6686]

I figured it was a clipping issue, but it is so hard to tell the way they work in the vab. I'm using the payload fairing for atmospheric entry, so I want it in place for the journey. My hope was to have 2 separate fairing that gave a single fairing look in hopes of eliminating the drag behind the first fairing. I am guessing that this will not be possible. Oh well, that ship has since launched and is enroute to duna. Next item up is the manned ship that will supply the crew for the ship this question is related to.

[xtoro]

Yes it is possible, read my post above again. Your transfer stage fairing can close on the base of the payload fairing by clicking on its base. I do exactly the same thing you want to do...

[ForScience6686]

It's current working design does that, but the payload fairing extends out wider than the base. The transfer stage fairing was originally attached at the widest portion of the payload fairing for a uniform look. But that resulted in catastrophic disassembly, due to what I am guessing was clipping, however it looked great.