My Little Annoyances With KSP

[hanssolon]

I'm getting slightly annoyed as I try landing the standard stock skycrane + rover to the Mun only for it to crash just because I ran out of gas some 200m above the surface. Though I am one of the users of mechjeb as I enjoy using it for auto docking for me as I am extremely rubbish at doing docking manuevers and launching a craft. I am fully capable of launching crafts from Kerbal, it just that IRL, it is done with computers. The launch platform that I do use for the stock model does have fuel to spare, but only a couple of hundred m/s.

I'm just wondering if I'm doing something wrong or is that particular stock craft only good for missions to Duna or Eve?

I know that I have never been to most of the outer planets and yet I'm would say I'm a noob/veteran of the program as I probably do need help in building more advance crafts to conquer these worlds that I haven't explored. I'm thinking just to leave my Kerbal Station and explore using probe landers to the other planets.

[Pursuedtank]

I reckon that it is for planets with an atmosphere and use the engines for the deorbit burn and slowing down before parachute open and touchdown.

[AnalogAddict]

I believe that skycrane+rover combo is a little underpowered to attempt a moon landing. I think it has some 250 odd m/s of delta-V where you need around 530 m/s to land on the moon with no fuel left. (my numbers are from recollection as I cannot verify at the moment)

This leaves you with a few things to do:

3. Analyze the stock skycrane+rover and note all of its important pieces, examine TWR and test what you can add without making it unstable.

2. Try landing the default skycrane+rover on Kerbin, utilize parachutes. This will give you an idea of what its capabilities are on atmospheric planets. Ideally you shouldn't have to burn until the moment when you're about to touch down to kill off the remaining vertical velocity then ditching the skycrane to fly off into oblivion. (If you have 'shutes deployed lower your velocity to 0 and they will auto-cut then deploy the rover)

1. You may design a better skycrane+rover to have more delta-V (This should be as easy as adding more small fuel tanks as the default TWR is fairly high) Test your design and profit.

[AmpsterMan]

As the above poster menioned, it is designed to be used in atmosphere. Nova would be a better judge I think since he built it though.

[Anglave]

I stand corrected.

Edited May 17, 2013 by Anglave
I stand corrected

[kookoo_gr]

if your transfer stage has more than enough fuel use it to deorbit and burn to kill some of the speed you have until it runs out of gas or you are near the ground and ditch the transfer stage, then use the skycrane, also try deorbiting from lower altitudes, i go for 20km when deorbiting airless planets

[OtherDalfite]

if your transfer stage has more than enough fuel use it to deorbit and burn to kill some of the speed you have until it runs out of gas or you are near the ground and ditch the transfer stage, then use the skycrane, also try deorbiting from lower altitudes, i go for 20km when deorbiting airless planets

You can go about 15 kilometers lower than that. If you really want to save fuel, try 3 KM, but be wary of the landscape.