Connection of components

[ItchyBrother]

My question has to do with the connection of components. Is there a sure fire way to ensure that components are connected other than having to go to the launch pad an watch your design flip over? My understanding if you got the audible "click" sound that the component connected. Is that not the case?

[rodion]

If the component isn't connected to anything it doesn't count as being on your craft and won't appear on the launchpad, so it's pretty self evident. If there's a more specific case you're having trouble with, screenshots would help.

[Specialist290]

It sounds to me like what's happening is that your designs are collapsing under their own weight. You probably need more struts; the default connection nodes only provide a single point of connection, despite the way the game makes things look sometimes.

If nothing's breaking but it's just flipping over in flight, then your center of mass might be moving too high to keep the craft stable as fuel drains.

[Dave Kerbin]

It sounds less like the component isn't connected and more like your engines are too powerful compared to the strength of the connection or you have delicate components with the whole ship weighing down on them (this is what launch clamps are for, so you don't break off your engines before leaving the pad). As rodion said it is impossible to have a component that isn't connected, the only way that can happen is if it is connected to the wrong stage when you seperate.

You can strengthen connections using struts.

[ItchyBrother]

Not sure if I can describe this right... The rocket is sitting at the pad, it does have launch clamps, but at the second stage it just bends over 90 degrees, breaks, KABOOM... you know the drill. I have tried several times to re-connect, yet no joy.. I do hear an audible "click" when putting the parts together in the VAB.

[Specialist290]

In that case, I'd say secure the link between the two parts at the breaking point with struts. Seen it happen all the time with some of my designs; that usually fixes it.

[blizzy78]

When the break happens during launch, press F3 to see the flight log.