This massive rocket that i am trying to build

[LostElement]

I am attempting to build a 3 asparagus staged rockets. Like 3 rockets in one. So far, stock is doing no good. I can't run KW rocketry because it isnt update for 2.1. This 1000+ ton beast simply cant be put up with 7 mainsails. Why am I building this? I am fooling around with launch stages and i decided to work on this project. Unfortunatly i am on IoS and i dont have a pic of it. But i will try. I am using the novapunch "god struts" as i call them to minimize the amount of parts i use. Help would be appreciated! Thanks! If you need more details, just say so.

[rpayne88]

KW IS updated for .21. It may say only .20, but it will still work.

[LostElement]

Thats good. I do need some imput on how to make this work. The fuel levels are always uneven. Whenever I eject one stage, the 2nds fuel levels are all unbalanced and uneven. One booster would run out making the entire rocket flip.

[sgt_flyer]

Check your fuel lines, you may have a problem of fuel going from one tank, to two tanks and back to one, which won't work correctly - also, fuel lines directly connected to engines can pose problems.

[LostElement]

I have built asparagus staging many many times. I've went so far to rebuild this rocket. 8 TIMES. I think its got something to do with the decouplers transferring fuel when I don't want it to.

[Echostatic]

Fuel lines that aren't connected to anything can screw up fuel transfer too.

[Whackjob]

Let me know if you need advice. My credentials:

Send me a PM, I'm terrible about remembering to check threads.

[The Destroyer]

That dosen't seem to be that much of a craft. It is 1 km/s Delta-v short of orbit, and I see no FAR mod to reduce the delta-v needness.

[Whackjob]

That's only the bottom two stages. That, my friend, was my attempt to build the Saturn V system, accurate down to fuel and thrust. You're seeing the first and second stages. Because I had to build them vertically, there's only one coupling that holds them apart. All that weight... that's the reason that massive external trussing was put into place. Worked like a charm. There is, I believe, about sixty-two orange tanks worth of fuel in that bottom stage. If memory serves.

In general with the really big builds, there's a problem you quickly run into. I call it "Resonant structural calving". Basically, what happens is, with even heavily reinforced parts, you suddenly get big chunks just breaking off. Adding more struts does not resolve the issue. I believe it is a limitation of the physics engine. I've spent my time in building big in learning how to counter that monster.

I daresay I've enough experience in the big big stuff now that I can give out halfway reasonable advice, were it needed. That's all I'm here to offer.

[The Destroyer]

Yeah I know you Whackjob you are good at that.

I was just unsure

[Hannu]

What are you trying to lift to orbit and what is your part limit? 1000 t is quite small problem to stock parts, if you have powerful computer to handle about 500 parts. I have made several over 2400 t rockets by using practically only stock parts (my modded parts have been MechJeb, KAS-connectors, and ISA-stuff which are not structural, fuel systems or engines). If 7 Mainsails are not enough, feel free to put six more. I used 30 Mainsails in the first stage of my heaviest rocket.

Ascent of 2800 t Tylo freight rocket.

[Nimaci]

Try disabling all engine gimballing on parallel stages (ie: disable engine gimballing on all but the core stage/s) this will lower the lateral loads on your craft during launch, which also means you can use less struts.

[LostElement]

What are you trying to lift to orbit and what is your part limit? 1000 t is quite small problem to stock parts, if you have powerful computer to handle about 500 parts. I have made several over 2400 t rockets by using practically only stock parts (my modded parts have been MechJeb, KAS-connectors, and ISA-stuff which are not structural, fuel systems or engines). If 7 Mainsails are not enough, feel free to put six more. I used 30 Mainsails in the first stage of my heaviest rocket.

Ascent of 2800 t Tylo freight rocket.

My part limit? I dunno. I've built a very complex space station and a didn't lag much. It was 1500-2000 parts. Felt like 20 FPS. I am just experimenting with different launchers. If I wanted something in space, I will get it to space.

[Caelib]

Build smaller pieces and dock them in orbit

[Whackjob]

Build smaller pieces and dock them in orbit

Always an option, of course, but nothing matches the feeling of triumph you feel when you build something bigger than a battleship and still manage to get it into orbit. Whole.

[Hannu]

My part limit? I dunno. I've built a very complex space station and a didn't lag much. It was 1500-2000 parts. Felt like 20 FPS. I am just experimenting with different launchers. If I wanted something in space, I will get it to space.

What single processor supercomputer do you have? I have maybe 5 fps with these thousand part super rockets. In that situation you should be able to launch at least 4000 t rocket to space and if you use asparagus technique payload can be very large too. Building of huge rockets is thing which have to learn by yourself, because it is hard to tell where you should put struts. This kind of rocket has needed several hundreds of experiments if whole development process from smaller rockets is taken into account. Just increase size step by step and see how it works. Basic knowlegde of mechanics of materials and building of truss structures is great help, because one strut in right place is better than five badly placed.

It may be true, that at some point it would be easier to build huge things by docking smaller parts if space. But in my opinion building and launching of extremely large rockets is one of the most interesting areas of this game.

[aleis]

as they said I've had this problem before when building big rockets, for me it was usually one of two things. either fuel lines or tanks that are stacked on top of each other break apart, making it so one engine doesn't get all the fuel from its stack.

to check for Tank breaks as soon as you notice the fuel not being even hit f3 and check your logs and see. to fix the problem you might have struts that are keeping one level of tanks rigid while the other oscillates, causing stress in between.