is it possible to gimball Toroïdal Aerospike engine

[gilflo]

In order to make an Eve rocket i'd like to know if some of you managed to gimball Aerospike engine?

I imagine a solution being to attach the Aerospike to a very small gimbaled engine, leaving this engine running to 1% but it does not seem to work.

If not, how do you manage trajectory on Eve departure: just RCS and winglet up to 25 kms?

 

[Mat2ch]

Well, in reality you wouldn't gimbal an Aerospike engine, just close one of the inlet valves for it. But the much better engine for Eve is the Vector. It has much more power and can gimbal! But if you fear about the weight, use a vector and several Aerospikes on the outside.

[gilflo]

That's what i realized, 1 Vector associated with 4 aerospike for the lower stage seems better and lighter than 5 (2.5m) aerospikes.

But the SpaceY Ratite is also very good in DV Thrust compare to weight, much lighter

In fact 1 Vector seems not enough to gimball the whole thing and I manage to attach 2 Aerospikes to 2 Small (0.625m) Poddle, leaving 1% thrust to the Poddle and maximum gimball and it seems to be helping and working pretty well.

Edited May 15, 2016 by gilflo

[liquidhype]

If you want to make the aerospike gimbal, add this to the parts .cfg file:

MODULE
{
  name = ModuleGimbal
  gimbalTransformName = thrustTransform
  gimbalRange = 4 // you can change the gimbalRange to basically whatever you want
}

The aerospike needs its gimbal to be attached to the thrustTransform itself because that engine does not have an empty specifically for gimbal. Just plop that piece of code in the aerospike .cfg file and you should be good.

[gilflo]

Thank's but it's a kind of cheat!!

[moogoob]

3 hours ago, gilflo said:

Thank's but it's a kind of cheat!!

Less so than bolting aerospikes to a poodle nozzle, I'd think.

[OhioBob]

There is also this option:

 

[Snark]

Moving to Gameplay Questions.

[Sereneti]

in RL a Aerospike can gimbal.
you only have to lower the pressure on one side....

(or you gimbal the whole engine)