Did I over complicate this craft?

[KSK]

Not sure about the rest of it but stripping the SRBs off everything but the first stage would help a lot. You'd save a lot of weight which will help you get more out of the liquid fueled engines. In fact - strip them all off and then add them back onto the first stage only if you really really need a bit more thrust to lift that beast off the launchpad. SRBs are high thrust but low efficiency so they're good for getting things off the launch pad but not so good later on in the flight.

You might also want to lose a couple of the orange tanks in the second stage too.

Edited October 25, 2013 by KSK

[SRV Ron]

I will be testing this tonight in Career Mode for Jool. Similar design in Sandbox has landed on Duna and Eve. Efficiently Ratio, 5.5 tons of launcher for every 1 ton into orbit.

If not, this similar design from Sandbox with Nova Punch mods with LV-N made orbit with this much fuel to spare.

Edited October 25, 2013 by SRV Ron

[durk]

If you ask yourself that, the answer is probably yes.

[KerbMav]

The pic in the first post reminds me of my first contraptions - "It has to fly - just a bit more fuel ... some more engines here ... "

But these last two look good to me.

[blackfire83]

I love it. It's the classic Kerbal learning curve. I'm pretty sure we all were at that stage at some point. I find it best to design your craft from the 'top' down. If your goal is a lander, design your lander first. If you need to return, attach a return stage to it. Many times this can be the same stage as your insertion stage. Of course, design the insertion stage to get you from Kerbin orbit to your destination. Then design a launcher stage that will get that whole mess into orbit.

Also, SRB's on any stage but the first launch stage are not efficient. And another thing to keep in mind is to try to design your stages in such a way that you're getting rid of the tanks/engines that aren't necessary anymore so that you're only pushing the weight that is absolutely necessary.

[Dave Kerbin]

I assume there is spaceship setup to launch somewhere inside that fuel storage depot you've got going there.

Anyway the comments are right, there are a number of warning signs like the skipper engines. Another warning sign is the solid boosters - apart from the tiny little sepratrons any solid boosters you have should be getting fired in the very first stage when you take off. If they are being fired later it means you have been carry low efficiency dead weight with you the whole time. Solid boosters are basically a way to give you a little extra thrust on the launch pad, when you've still got a full load of fuel in the tanks and just want to get off the ground and through that first 1000m.

[numerobis]

With that rocket, at least. One of the most important rules of rocket design is to never be afraid to start over from scratch if something's just plain not working out.

One of the rules of any design, in fact. In any venture you should consider than de novo may be cheaper than tweaking.

[Sirrobert]

That's why the phrase is 'back to the drawing board'

I reguarly sit desiging and tweaking something for an hour, only to deceide I'm not happy with it and throw it away. Than I start over, and end up with something almost identical to the old thing. But does work

[CrazedGunman502]

Thanks everyone, I did manage to do a successful eve and return mission with your advice.

http://imgur.com/a/fqkYe

[700NitroXpress]

Yes, your ship is far too overcomplicated. As long as your goal is to reach the Jool system as a one way ticket and not return, possibly land on one of the moons.

Here is a ship that has enough power to eject from the entire solar system, enough power to reach any planet in one shot. Provided you launch under the right conditions.

[JayCheetah]

Yes, your ship is far too overcomplicated. As long as your goal is to reach the Jool system as a one way ticket and not return, possibly land on one of the moons.

Here is a ship that has enough power to eject from the entire solar system, enough power to reach any planet in one shot. Provided you launch under the right conditions.

Your ship is also way to complicated :-)

[700NitroXpress]

Nah, it's fun.

[CrazedGunman502]

Nah, it's fun.

Yup, it can get anywhere, but I don't really see the point if you leave your kerbals stranded there.