Fuel scavenging

[Ron Devu]

I tend to get a lot of spent stages floating around with fuel in them. I tried to rendezvous and transfer the fuel from one, but the ctrl-click thing wasn't working. So the question is:

 

To transfer fuel, are we required to have a live pilot in each ship?

[James Kerman]

You don't need a pilot. If you are playing career, fuel transfer is not available until you upgrade R&D.

[Edit] To transfer fuel, right click on one tank then hold [alt] and right click on as many others as you want. You get a pump in/out option with every dialogue box.

Edited April 7, 2019 by James Kerman
Added information

[Kryxal]

First, can you transfer between two tanks on the same vessel?  Easy enough to test on the pad, just empty one in the VAB and try it that way.  If not, you haven't unlocked it yet, one way or another.  If it works, have you enabled crossfeed on the docking port?

[Ron Devu]

Hold on.... you have to be docked to transfer fuel?

 

[James Kerman]

Usually, however I'm sure there are some mods that allow you to connect vessels with hoses.

[Superfluous J]

There are several reasons you can't transfer fuel.

• You're not connected. The ships must be docked together or clawed together. They actually become one ship at this point.
• You didn't upgrade R&D. Right-click R&D and see what it says you can do, and what it says the next upgrade will allow.
• You have something blocking the flow, and the difficulty setting that allows things to block fuel flow called "Fuel Transfer Obeys Crossfeed"
• Whatever one I'm forgetting, unless those really are the only 3.

[Ron Devu]

29 minutes ago, Kryxal said:

First, can you transfer between two tanks on the same vessel?  Easy enough to test on the pad, just empty one in the VAB and try it that way.  If not, you haven't unlocked it yet, one way or another.  If it works, have you enabled crossfeed on the docking port?

I did your test, and discovered that works, if you remember it's alt-click and not ctrl-click!  Doh again.

[Vanamonde]

16 hours ago, Ron Devu said:

Hold on.... you have to be docked to transfer fuel?

 

If you connect to the other object with the Claw part, you can transfer without docking.