Control surfaces being really weird

[Klapaucius]

So, I have started on another one of my unorthodox plane designs. I have no idea if it will get off the ground or not because the flaps are not working. It is all behaving very weirdly.  I've posted a video below.  You can see I am pressing the q and e keys for roll and the w and s for pitching yet, the flaps barely move, despite having their authority limiters at full. Notice as well that when roll is pressed, one flap goes down and the other goes in the same direction, just not as far.

I thought perhaps a mod was interfering with the whole thing, so I made a backup copy and then deleted the game and did a fresh install from Steam. I pasted the ship back in and no change.

 

I've uploaded it to Google drive

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vkod8OGLWK9-ZupTuoD9Lut0QM4gIe0v

 

 

 

[FleshJeb]

Sometime when I re-root a craft, the parts will convert to being radially attached, instead of mirrored. That can cause some strange behavior.

However, I reviewed the file and that's not the problem. There are no instances of the word "Radial" in the file, and the relevant elevons say "Mirror".

Of note, the craft type is set to "Debris".

I couldn't open it in the editor in bone-stock 1.4.5, it said there were incompatible parts. Making History?

[Klapaucius]

Yes, I think that coupler is a Making History part.  I've had Making History long enough that I don't even know what is what partswise anymore...

 

I'm not a coder, so don't understand too well how the files work. What is the craft type thing?  Is that debris a glitch which is causing my problems?  This is actually a truncated version of what is supposed to the whole thing. The original shook itself to pieces on the runway without even moving.  I've built enough aircraft--some with flimsy parts that needed strutting, but I never had that happen before.  I wonder if being labeled "debris" is affecting something?

 

Edited October 5, 2018 by Klapaucius

[bewing]

Flaps that are at the CoM have no control authority. The automatic control systems know this, and only use each flap according to how much control authority they have. That looks to me like the source of your flaps problem.

And no, I think most craft default to saying "debris" for their craft type for some reason. So I don't think that's anything to do with the problem.

 

 

[FleshJeb]

1 hour ago, Klapaucius said:

I'm not a coder, so don't understand too well how the files work. What is the craft type thing?  Is that debris a glitch which is causing my problems?  This is actually a truncated version of what is supposed to the whole thing. The original shook itself to pieces on the runway without even moving.  I've built enough aircraft--some with flimsy parts that needed strutting, but I never had that happen before.  I wonder if being labeled "debris" is affecting something?

The craft-type thing is just storing what the editor guesses the craft classification is. You can change it by renaming. It SHOULDN'T be causing the current problem. It might cause problems in the Tracking station, or cause the debris auto-delete to catch your craft later. See the image in the spoiler below.

The original elevon problem might be caused by an left/right asymmetry in the mass, but I can't check that in the editor. OR maybe you attached the elevons individually and the have different settings? (stupid, I know, but I'm just eliminating possibilities). EDIT INSPIRED BY @bewing: Try turning off the pitch for your ailerons and seeing if they exhibit the same behavior. I wouldn't have expected them to behave asymmetrically in the roll with no pitch inputs, but there may just be a control conflict caused by making them dual-purpose.

The shaking itself to death in the second video looks like one of those cases where you got unlucky and it just happens to resonate destructively. Change up how the auto struts are patterned, add some near the mid-points of the tentacles, etc. (Editor Extensions is really helpful for visualizing autotsruts), You could also lower the spring setting on the landing gear, and raise the damping, but that will only help on the ground.

Spoiler

 

Edited October 5, 2018 by FleshJeb
Got sniped by bewing :D

[Klapaucius]

11 minutes ago, bewing said:

Flaps that are at the CoM have no control authority. The automatic control systems know this, and only use each flap according to how much control authority they have. That looks to me like the source of your flaps problem.

And no, I think most craft default to saying "debris" for their craft type for some reason. So I don't think that's anything to do with the problem.

 

 

That does not explain the rear flaps barely moving.  

[Aeroboi]

@Klapaucius When I see the Navball it seems your pointing to 180 degrees (south)

But your plane is pointed east (90 degrees) on the runway.

So it seems your commanding the ship from a command pod or probe core that is situated to the south. My bet is that it is one of the cupolas as the navball also points up while the cupola module does also.
In that case Roll command Elevons will not know what to do as they will assume your nose is at the south but they're rotated 90 degrees from that direction.

Of course the solution is to "command from here" on a part that faces east like the Mk2 cockpit.

Edited October 5, 2018 by Aeroboi

[Klapaucius]

Thank you @Aeroboi!  That solved it. 

[Klapaucius]

It flies! Thanks everyone for the assistance.