RCS thrusters - what's the difference?

[ironclad]

I've always built my rockets - in the situations where I needed RCS - with the RV-105 thrusters. I've never seen the point of the linear versions. In what situation, or for what reason, would the linear-7 version be better than the rv-105?

[Xeldrak]

I allways thought it more of a aesthetic choice.

However I build a rather small probe once, it's main body was a FL-R25 RCS Fuel Tank and it landed on Duna with one Chute and several linear RCS thrusters on its bottom side...

[Alfondoo]

You could put a linear thruster port on either side of your space planes nose cone for the really high altitude stabilization. Also, when moving orange tanks in orbit I tend to stick 4 4-ways around the center of mass then 4 linear ports around each end (equal distance) - just makes it that much more nimble.

[sanity]

sometimes the symetry of your rocket will not allow you to place RCS in 4 axis symetry so you use the in line RCS thrusters then so you still have RCS movement in all axis

[El wonso]

For building crafts with mirror mode symmentry (spaceplanes).

[Sirrobert]

Sometimes 4 normal RSC thrusters might give a little to much thrust in every direction. The liniar ones give less in each directly.

However they aren't as flexible. For example a single ring of normal RSC thrusters anywhere in a rocket can thrust in every directly, while liniar ones can't (for example back and forward)

[regex]

I sometimes use them for translation assist on massive craft. Use 4 blocks on each end of the COM and 4 linears on the COM, maybe with two extra sets (one on each side).

[Razor235]

I mainly use linear thrusters to provide downforce for rovers on low-gravity moons.

[Tank Buddy]

Linear just is used for translation, pitch, and yaw. They cannot roll or push up/down (Relative to capsule), because the multi-directional thrusters work together to preform movements. I would assume the Linear RCS thrusters are ideal if you need to add extra thrust when docking or using RCS to translate, and I put them on the center of mass, along with normal RCS thrusters on the furthest top and bottom.

[Vanamonde]

I've used the linears for certain things because I thought they were supposed to be stronger, but can somebody confirm that they have the same thrust?

[capi3101]

Wiki says they both output 1 kN. The way the stats are written, the only major advantage to the linear ports over the blocks is a substantially higher impact tolerance (50 m/s as opposed to 15). They have more drag, a lower maximum temperature, fewer thrust vectors (of course) and (though this doesn't matter yet) a higher cost. Otherwise they are exactly the same.

[nhnifong]

They make good skids for snowmobiles.

[Vanamonde]

I was hoping for something more authoritative than the wiki, such as somebody who knows how to dig into the game's mechanics and see what's actually happening.

[KerbMav]

You mean like the people contributing to the Wiki?

I think another advantage might be that you can decide how many thrusters should point in any direction.

A standard array of four quad-thrusters each at bow and stern translate up, down, left, right with four thrusters - but fore and aft with eight, so not equally strong and maybe "confusing" - and using more fuel in these two directions with a single tap on the key.

Edited June 22, 2013 by KerbMav

[numerobis]

In the VAB it quite clearly says they have the same mass, thrust, and Isp curves.

[N_Molson]

I find they are very useful to save RCS fuel. It allows to set exactly the RCS the way you want it.

[BlazingAngel665]

I was hoping for something more authoritative than the wiki, such as somebody who knows how to dig into the game's mechanics and see what's actually happening.

Guy who digs into the game right here. Instead of 4 game objects that can output RCS thrust, there is only one. Basically it lets you limit what ASAS can do or thrust perpendicular to the surface you place the thruster on. Everything else is the same.

[Vanamonde]

Guy who digs into the game right here. Instead of 4 game objects that can output RCS thrust, there is only one. Basically it lets you limit what ASAS can do or thrust perpendicular to the surface you place the thruster on. Everything else is the same.

Thanks for giving me an answer you determined yourself rather than quoting a source without verifying it.

[MBobrik]

I use the linear thrusters when I want just that. Linear movement w/o rotation. I place as many as necessary around the CoM to have increased translation w/o increasing rotation.